Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate

I've had a lot of success in the past for correctly marketing our listings.  Cleanliness sells, location sells, appearance sells, and over 94 % depends on price!  So given every thing is in order, priced competitively, and well marketed, but no shows at all what would you encourage the owner to do?  Sellers are very impatient these days.

Since we price very competitively, and we have lots of experience selling, we very seldom ask the seller to reduce the price.  Sometimes sellers want to cut price drastically, and we advise raising the selling commission for the buyers agent as an incentive.  For example if we  increase the selling commission .5 to 1% more often than not in the past, we were able to sell the listed property fairly quick.  In this market it is a lot harder because we are carrying so much inventory, that it is hard to get noticed.  Builder are offering closing costs, furniture, huge commissions, trips and buyer incentives.  How do you compete?  You are already priced right, no repairs, or staging are needed, but absolutely no traffic in your listing or the neighborhood!  I'd love to hear your responses.

I was just watching a discussion on CNBC that was discussing investment in real estate, real property in light of the current real estate market.  It was interesting to hear the opinions of the panelists, but one item stood out.  It gave room to stop and pause and think...In uncertain times, liquidity of the investment is key.  It is easy to redeem a stock, bond or gold, or many other assets, but real property it takes time to get your money or equity out.  What are your thoughts?

When this market cools, a lot a lot will be in hot water!  Have you been paying attention to the news these last few weeks, and days?  Beazer Homes?  There was another story on TV in the last few days about a builder in Charlotte NC that had a $1 Move In Special!  Too bad over 70 homeowners in one subdivision have gone into foreclosure.  Lenders, investors,personal investments, real estate consultants,  flipping, inflated home values, tax exchanges will get a good going over with a magnifying glass looking for irregularities.  Loan fraud, straw buyers, phony appraisals, crooked appraisers, kickbacks to an from lenders, and RESPA violations will also be brought out into the light.  Creativity in marketing I was never supposed to be a criminal event.

CRS had an interesting article that mentioned that when a market changes, that is when things get scrutinized.  It is logical, because the fever has slowed down.  We can actually have the time to ask, "Gee, what were they thinking?"  What are your thoughts or observations?

There hasn't been a time since I've been in the business that I haven't been asked, "How many agents do you have working for you?"  People are always shocked when I tell them none!  It's just my wife, and I, our computers, and webs.  In another lifetime, I was on the executive board of a union; I also used to train apprentices.  In real estate, I'd rather pass on the "Adult Daycare thing!"  I do not want to train someone, and just when they ar trained they want to go out on their own, or they want to change their lifestyle and so on.  It is not a very productive use of my time.  Been there and done that!  So how do we handle the excess leads?  The answer is simple, refer them out.  Yes that's right, outsource them! Over the years in real estate, I found there are many great real estate agents, with fantastic skills.   They are fantastic closers, buyer's agents, listing agents, and relocation specialists!  Most are better suited than me to getting the deal closed without taking years to accomplish the task. 

First of all we are firm believers we are each in possession of unique talents that on loan to us!  It is about knowing ourselves, and also our limitations.  Limitations could even be hours worked, physical condition, and tolerance for stress.  So, our plan is simple, choose a great agent that is motivated, making a 100% and refer out.  All we want is 20-25% (depends on price), just a taste of the deal is all we ask!  LOL!  And they are their clients for life.  We have faith in our friends, that they can do a better job, and devote themselves is serving others!  It is very effective, and rewarding at the same time!  It is all about using our God given talents, and allowing others to use them also to their fullest!

Most agents can't even comprehend why we would do this!  It is not all about the money; it is about living right, sharing the wealth, and reducing stress!  Yes that is right.  If we choose the best deals for ourselves, we can concentrate on getting them closed.  The referrals are anything that is not our niche, not our physical geographic area, or not in our area of expertise.  The result is, we make more money, and personally closing fewer units.  It allows us to focus on what is the best use of our time?  What is the best allocation of our resources? And how can I really enjoy what real estate is all about?  It is about delegation to those most suited to accomplish the task most efficiently and effectively.

I guess sometimes we sit back in our business wondering if we have lost the Midas Touch for selling real estate.  Is there another place that I can be spending our marketing dollars?  Will the phones ever ring again?  Will I remember how to spell "C-L-O-S-I-N-G?"  Sometimes our mix of business can change in the blink of an eye,  Several years ago our business was almost totally listings, then it went to buyers...then it went back to a 50/50 mix of each. 

Since our business is mostly Internet based, we generate mostly buyers, and a few listings.  The listings we are getting called on to list, I am passing on.  I do not want overpriced listings in this market.  The buyers are fewer and father between, but we are still getting some good leads.  It is good to be optimistic, but temper it with a dose of reality.  The news is too negative to follow in real estate, and although I follow the news on TV, I don't let it ruin my day, we look at closings.  Closing are off a bit, but we have some good referrals coming in shortly.  All are generated by the Internet.  I prefer to hear from other agents how are things in their market?  Busy, slow or dead?

I know it is the time of year when people will start searching the our Atlanta real estate website in the Atlanta area for Lake Lanier Homes for sale and Lake lots on Lake Lanier. Spring has arrive, and the temperatures are in the 70's and even 80's!  It won't be long before the water temperatures are warming, and dreams of boating, swimming and sailing on Lake Lanier will soon become a reality.  Lake homes on Lake Lanier can range from the 300's to several million dollars.  You can even search for a Lake Lanier Home and Lake Lanier real estate by Map!

Some Lake Lanier Homes and Communities:

There are loads of great Roswell Homes For Sale.  Historic Roswell Georgia is about 16 miles north of the city of Atlanta Georgia just north of the Chattahoochee River. The city of Roswell Georgia was founded on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in 1839. It was founded by Roswell King, and the city of Roswell was incorporated in 1854.  Roswell Georgia consisted of two cotton mills.  It functioned as a "small southern mill town" until the mid 1950s.  Today the Mill area has been restored and serves as center of the Historic Roswell City District with historic Bullock Hall.  Even today, the city of Roswell Georgia continues to serve Roswell residents and visitors with its rich in historic homes, fine antique shops, quaint restaurants, open air concerts, festivals, and cultural events. 

Roswell conveniently located in North Fulton County, just 15 miles north of the City of Atlanta, and straddles the Chattahoochee River with a lovely rolling heavily treed terrain. It is located in Fulton County Georgia. Roswell abounds with Old Town Charm!  The City of Roswell boasts a historic district, fine schools both public and private, and has one of Atlanta's finest parks and recreation systems. Roswell Georgia homes are incredible, and are offers some of Atlanta's most sought after communities such as: Brookfield West, Horseshoe Bend, Willow Springs, Martins Landing, Nesbit Lakes, Edenwilde, Land O' Lakes, Country Club of Roswell, and many more fine swim tennis, and luxury golf communities. Roswell Homes for Sale remains one of the most sought after areas to live in the Atlanta area.  Roswell homes, and real estate are very sought after for its small town feel, white picket fences, and treed neighborhoods.

It is the dreaded time of year has rolled in again.  It seems April 15 comes quicker than my birthday each year.  I dread it even more.  Separating income, expenses, mileage, charities, fees, dues and receipts!  WOW!  I can hardly wait to send them off to my accountant!  I can't even pretend that I like it!  It seems each year it gets harder and harder to motivate myself to sit down to a table, and start sorting thought the piles.  A few years ago I started placing each category into an assigned envelope.  It make the organization of materials much quicker.  I still don't like it.  I can identify with children that don't like eating their vegetables! 

I guess it is not even the point of whether I have to pay or not that bothers me, it is the anticipation, and just plain phobia!  I guess I am not alone, there are no parties celebrating April 15th, comedians don't even make fun of the IRS.  April 15th is not sung about in any songs, Broadway shows or dark humor!  It is avoided like the plague.  Just wake me up when it is all over!  I know in my heart it isn't just me, it is everyone, but it is the ultimate Taboo subject!  No one wants to do do it, no one understands why we pay so much, and in spite of having a bad tax year, do we ever learn from it?

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." Albert Einstein.

So can I ask a  simple question?  Is it just me?

I think of all the mistakes home owners can make is not spending a few dollars and getting their home painted before trying to place it on the market.  Paint is a great neutralizer of tacky colors, kid tracks, it masks cooking odors, and cigar smoke.  If you close your eyes in a home that is just painted and aired out, he smell of fresh paint wafting through he home may even let you think you are in a new home.  Neutral paints can soften hard lime, lavender bisque, midnight mauve and many other decor infractions by well meaning home owners that watched one too many Flip this home shows!  When you think about it, paint is really an inexpensive fix, and cure all.  Years ago we had a seller that kept wanting to hold hands and pray why his home was not selling. He kept wanting to reduce price.  I reminded him  that I had not asked for one price reduction.  He still insisted on prayer.  After praying onetime, I turned to him and said "I hope you got the same answer I did!"  He said "What was that?"  I Said, " You need to paint your pink walls!"  He said "They are not pink, they are mauve!"  I told home, "Do you hear yourself?  The same way you keep avoiding painting your home, is the same way the buyers are avoiding it!  I cannot help it if the word paint contains PAINt!"  He relented and painted, and we received multiple offers.  The lesson is he was on the market for 1.5 years as a FSBO, and 3 months with us.  The cost of teh paint job was about $1000.  He reduced the price of the home over 30K, all because the seller did not want to listen to the voice of experience.  Buyers want to buy a home, not buy into a project.

Have you been in real estate long enough to spot a home that may be going into foreclosure or that is in financial distress?  I think most seasoned real estate agents can pick out the homes that are in financial trouble.  Piles of newspapers strewn upon the lawn adn driveway, weeds, lawn unattended to, and lacking that manicured look.  Even if homes have maintenance schedules, they appear to have a domestic 5 o'clock shadow!  A few weeds popping up through the shrubbery, maybe a blind in the garage is bent or broken,  the windows just don't sparkle and say buy me!  In the fall the leaves on the driveway show no signs of being disturbed or moved by cars going up or down the driveway,  Listing agents sometimes try to cover up the fact it is a foreclosure by trying to pass it off as corporate owned, corporate..but they cannot fool the real estate sleuths of old!  The home does not cry out "Buy me too loudly!"