Atlanta Real Estate | Atlanta Housing News for Real Estate

I have just started using a new feature for Atlanta homes searches that I have not tried out before.  It is a "Thumbnail gallery photo search"  Now the viewer has the ability to search in different formats the search that suits them the most. When starting an Atlanta homes  search the viewer chooses their criteria whether it is homes for sale in Alpharetta, Lake Lanier Lake Homes, Atlanta foreclosures, Marietta homes for sale and chose the way they want to display the search results.  This is why it is so important for listing agents to have a good photo of the home they are listing.  I really like this option, because I am a visual person.  If I see 20 Atlanta homes  in a gallery, my eyes can quickly scan them for the homes I find most desirable.

I was responding to another Blog I recently wrote and created a simple diagram that explains it all.  Many times when a seller lists a home for sale they have a purpose.  In real estate agents call this motivation levels.  It isn't all about getting the most money, or pulling off the highest sales price in the neighborhood.  It is more than that.  A sale and a move must have some purpose or reason for doing so.  If a spouse or a loved one is transferred out of state with his or her job and the family is left behind to maintain the home until it sells that is a big reason to sell.  If a spouse loses a job in one city and has to relocate elsewhere to take a new job, or down size that is a big reason.  If a person has an illness or the death of a spouse that is a big reason to sell the big home and down size. The big reason are the loved ones we have...the tough decisions we must make to get things back on track.  The main reason to sell a home is part of a strategy that should include goal setting.  That will define your needs and priorities.  In other words...sellers create goals for themselves.  Getting from where they are in one place in life, to that other place where things should work out for the best.  I call this "Getting from Point A to Point B!"   I am not saying this is an EZ task, but it is a mindset that has to be formed.  In the movie the "Blues Brothers" they called this "On a mission from God!"

It may be tough, but it is more of how you look at the situation.  Do you have hope, or are you hopeless?  Is there a solution, or have you just given up?  I feel in many cases there are solutions.  If you take a loss on one side (selling a home), negotiate tough on the buyers side.  Take hostages until you get what you want!  There isalways that leveler in life where the playing field comes down to size, and the loss on one side may come down to size with a more affordable home, and much better mortgage rates.   Do not let the big task overwhelm you,  There are plenty of real solutions in life, you just need to work with someone that can provide them!  Ellen and I have been providing great solutions in Atlanta real estate since 1992.

Since I live on the computer and I am constantly checking my websites or web placement I come across a lot of agents websites that are dead, out dated and non factual.  Perhaps the agent has left the business, changed companies, or is not doing the business they used to.  Well do you think it is wise to reflect that change on the web?  If an agent belongs to Company "B" and still has their website showing you are affiliated with Company "A?"  How does the state look at something like that when you are required to have the correct affiliation posted? Is it a license law violation?  Is it a violation of using trademarks and affiliations you are not entitled to? 

Other items are real estate teams.  I came across a real estate website the other day in Atlanta that has a very large team.  The leader of the team is no longer affiliated with the original company, and most of the team members that appear on the website are no longer licensed to sell real estate.  Since the change occurred almost a year ago is it deceptive for a client thinking they have a massive staff when that is not the case, or is it just fraudulent advertising?  Advertising you can sell real estate and not having a license is a violation of law.

A few years ago when I switched companies I managed to change over most of my main sites within a week.  It took endless hours to do so, but I like to comply with state laws and paint a true picture of affiliation.  It is amazing how many do not feel the laws apply to them

I notice there are still so many agents pricing homes as if this was the real estate market 2 years ago.  What are they thinking?  How do they explain to their sellers why no one is coming to look at their home?  Do they even have an accountability from their peers or on a broker review of listed homes in inventory? 

Since I give out quite a few leads to very experienced agents it is interesting to listen to the comments when contracts are written on homes in today's market.  Many of my friends are experiencing posturing from the listing agent.  Saying the offer is an insult!  How unlicensed like of the listing agent.  Under state real estate license law they are required to give the offer to the seller.  It is the seller's choice to accept, reject or counter, not the agents.  It is not the listing agents home or money.  One real estate professional should not have to advise another agent of the law.  The only time an agent could theoretically reject an offer is when they have explicit instructions from the seller or they have an equity position in the property.  If not, shut up and present the offer.  They should be grateful they received any offer, and focus on the common ground and good in the deal.  Over the years, I have seen many a bad offer close.  Total rejection of an offer is not a smart thing in this market...is a stake through the heart.  If you want to close more deals, take the emotions out of the mix.

1. Accept the offer... asking only questions that clarify the offer.
2. Do not posture - it is not your home or money!
3. Don't get personal!
4. Don't take it personal.
5. Present the offer to the seller with out comments.
6. Never use terms to enrage the seller such as: stealing, low life's, dreamers, thief's etc.
7. Focus on the good in the offer
8. Come up with a reasonable counter.
9. Do not have your counter sound final. Always leave the door open for the buyer to come back.
10. Present current sales data and trends to make your point to either side.
11. Ask your broker for advice  - perhaps have your broker accompany you or assist.
12. Do not lose your temper!

The latest figures for Atlanta real estate sales were just released this week for November 2008.  I thought I would share some of those numbers with you, and offer some perspective as November Atlanta town home and condos sales are compared to the same time-frame in November for a 4 year period.  This November 2008 we saw a substantial drop both in sales, and prices.  In this blog we focus on falling Atlanta condo and town home prices.  The average Atlanta single family attached sale price for November was $161,192. It was the lowest monthly average since February 2001.  Last November the average sales price for an attached single family home in the Atlanta Metro area was $202,943 Vs. this Novembers average sales price of $161,192.  When you consider there are probably greater concessions from the seller as far as upgrades, paid closing costs etc...this drop in price is substantial.  It is definitely a buyers market in Atlanta metro area.

Our first multiple listing service FMLS which is our primary Atlanta MLS just released the most recent sales data and statistics for November Atlanta real estate sales.  The sales of Atlanta condos and Atlanta town homes (attached single family residential) have changed dramatically.  Total sales have contracted to only 362 sales for the entire metro Atlanta area.  FMLS is reporting a drop in condo sales of 50.1% since last November.  I have figured 49% decline since November 2006.  I created a 4 year November chart below to show you the sales trends.  Please keep in mind this is directly impacted by high inventory, new layoffs and consumer uncertainty.  When you think of it that we have some of the lowest mortgage rates historically, this is not good news.  Buyers have taken off for parts unknown.

Atlanta real estate statistics for November 2008 were just released by FMLS on December 20th, and I thought I would share with you some of the events that unfolding.  Along with a fall in demand for Atlanta homes, comes a fall in prices, Fewer homes sold, means prices will decline. It is a basic in the laws of supply and demand.  Prices do not rise in times of excess inventory and seller sand agents need to start understanding the fundamentals at play.  The average sale price for all single family homes was only $193,688 in November. This is the first time this has occurred where the average monthly sale price fell below $200K since February 2001 and the lowest monthly average sale price since February 2000's $191,454.  The average sales price for a single family detached homes in Altanta metro is now $198,621 a full $78K below last years all time high set in June of 2007.

Below is a comparative chart of Atlanta average single family detached home sale prices for November 2008 as compared to previous November sales prices.  These numbers are for Metro Atlanta FMLS Service area, and are meant as an area price average rather than confined to one specific area.

The most recent statistics for Atlanta homes sales were just released the other day. They are issued on the 20th of the month for the previous months sales*.  The numbers for sold homes in the Atlanta area are not good.  I have created a chart to show you November 2008 sales for Atlanta homes (single family detached homes) in our FMLS that were sold in November...and compared those sales to previous Novembers.  The results are not not good.  There term "Atlanta" applies to all homes in the system in our Atlanta FMLS and in the Allanta Metro area and not limited to homes in just the city of Atlanta.  On this blog, the focus is just on units of single family detached homes that were sold in the region in November 2008.  It is a great drop in sales form previous years.  FYI - I will do more blogs on price, and other Atlanta homes statistics in the days to come. (*FMLS - Source)

Since I am also my own webmaster most holidays I would revamp my entire site and put up holiday greetings...  I enjoyed it, but it is very time consuming.  I would like to think the public viewing a website notices the difference also.  I think it can make a great difference in how they view you and perhaps even put them at ease that you just are not a static sales person only looking for your next deal.  Since we conduct real estate primarily from the web - a new search engine that we are using for out of state has the ability to change instantly the look of the web and change the look for the holidays.  There are many choices for each holiday and I love it.  I was commenting to the owner of the company yesterday how much I loved the look of the product, and he advised me it is a brand new template I am using.  He is rolling out anohter new one for New Years.  The one below is from our Virginia, and Maryland real estate website.  The site is designed by ewebengine.com

This is a very special day in our lives each year.  25 years ago our son Thomas was born on Christmas eve in Southern Maryland.  It was a great event, but one that was filled with loads of complications. He was born at 3:33 PM in the afternoon, and started to go down hill fast.  By 10 PM I was summoned to come back to the hospital from home. He ws dying.  I got in the car again and felt like a zombie. I had not slept in 2 days.  It was the coldest day on record in over 50 years, and even the gas froze up in my Subaru.  I had to drive 15 miles with my car bucking to make it back to the hospital.  I arrived at 11PM and was briefed by the doctors, and we waited for the Ambulance to arrive from Children's Hospital in DC.  It was too cold and windy for a life flight that night, and my son wasn't given any chance to live.  I had my son baptized immediately by the nurse in the intensive care ward.  he was then rushed away to a neo-natal intensive care ward in Children's Hospital.  That night was a Christmas morning unlike any I have ever lived through.  I was later stranded on the road for hours, and arrived home at 5 AM.  My wife Ellen was in one hospial because she had just had a c- section, and my son Thomas in another.  Mentally I was exhausted. When I awoke - the feeling of acceptance of the will of God numbed me.  The reality is that life is not always the way you want it to be.  Life is acceptance of all, not just the great stuff, but the entire package.  I felt blessed that I was given the strength to be there by the bedside, when he made a turn for the the good.  Thomas made a miraculous recovery.  This one son of mine ( we have 2 sons) has seen more than a few life events where he was a deaths door.   A year later after he was born, half the children in that ward started to die of AIDS - we had to go through months of testing.  Thank God it was negative.  Thomas is also a severe asthmatic, most of his early life was filled with constant emergency room visits, adrenaline shots, and severe troubled breathing.  Today this Christmas eve my son Thomas turns 25.  We have 2 sons, and each are gifts. 

For years I could never share this, but this was a Christmas gift unlike any other.  I never felt we could share how deep God's love is.  But it is awesome.  You see we could not have Children.  My wife had seen fertility specialists for years.  We had given up having our own child, and had decided to adopt.  The evening before we were to adopt a child with Catholic Charities at Irving Street in Washing DC... I had a dream.  In the dream the Blessed Mother was holding up a child.  I asked for that child, and she turned to me and said "Your wife is pregnant!  You do not need to adopt!"  I got up that morning, and shared the news with my wife, and our local priest.  Two weeks later the new came my wife was indeed pregnant.  My son Thomas was born on Christmas Eve.  He has turned out to be one of the greatest gifts one could hope for.  He delivered the gift of faith.  God exists, and he listens constantly to our prayers, our fears, and out thoughts.  He is with us in the darkest moments, and in our most joyous ones.  Last year, both sons graduated Catholic University in Washington DC.  It was a few blocks from Children's hospital where all the drama unfolded, and Irving Street, where we went to adopt so many years before is on campus.  Life is sometimes bitter sweet, but the grace of God is woven throughout the entire tapestry.  This is a time to give thanks and rejoice!   Let us not forget all those that are not celebrating to day, but wrapped in fear or dealing with sickness.  Pray for them, and remember to give thanks for all we have.  It has really taken 25 years before I could really even share this, but it needs to be shared.  God is real, and all about love.  He listens and loves always.

Merry Christmas to all!

John 3:16   "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."