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Atlanta Foreclosures By City - Search Atlanta Metro Foreclosures

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:05:47 -0400

Search Atlanta area Foreclosure Homes for Sale by City!

The Atlanta area is massive georgraphically and there are over 25 counties that make up the Metro. I decided to place a few of the more popular city searchces for Atlanta area foreclosures online to make searching for forclosures easier.

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Real Estate Recovery is an Oxymoron

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 08:16:30 -0400

There term "Real Estate Recovery" is an oxymoron because it isn't occurring! It is interesting to look at what is taking place in our industry these days, and it is even more interesting to see what isn't. Historic low mortgage rates are not bringing buyers out in droves as they normally would. Massive builder incentives and bonuses are not whetting the appetite of cashed starved agents and brokers to sop up excess inventory some of which has been sitting for years. Buyers sense there is something else is about to occur. There is a pervading sense of dread that the other shoe is about to fall. Pending contracts, building starts are down...the message is loud and clear..."Slow times ahead!" In the Atlanta area, new contracts are the lowest level in over 10 years!

Rising unemployment and lack of any real job creation after massive amounts of Federal Funds have been spent... have set an uneasy mood across the nation. Consumers are finally watching their spending which in one way is good, but it also means less money is going back into the economy. Even a blind person can read the writing on the wall. It is not working. We are in a deflationary cycle that no one is acknowledging. For the consumer, it translates into a major loss of confidence. Buyers are afraid of job loss, and that they may be the next persons laid off, or their wages could be cut. They are also concerned about the future devaluation of real estate property values, inflation, higher taxes, and in turn they are afraid to take a calculated long term risk. Can we blame them for being prudent and wanting to buy right? No we cannot! This is real money they are risking. Our industry acknowledges that recently closed sales are still comprised with more distressed homes sold than anything else. That does not bode well for future property values, and according to most industry experts there is no end in sight to this vicious circle.

Washington is sending the wrong signals...are they really fixing the economy or wrecking it? The banks that were awash with taxpayer dollars are not making loans as they should. In fact the complaint many loan officers and those actively engaged in real estate have noticed that loan processors in many banks were short staffed. Instead...many banks were taking the Federal funds and creating their own hedge funds with taxpayer dollars and are making billions a month in profit mainly buy betting against the market. The interesting thing is that Congress did not foresee this before they freely gave away a trillion dollars of stimulus monies with basically without any oversight. Nothing in the last year has been done to correct this. Big bonuses in government bailed out firms that were not tied to any real performance and political cronyism has sent the message to the public at large that it is business as usual in Washington DC. It is all about them, Congress's political futures and not the welfare of the nation's.

Meanwhile if we learned any lesson from history it is not to repeat mistakes of the passes, In the 1930's immigration was suspended because what is the point of letting more persons into the country while our own neighbors were out of work? Yet Congress defiantly does nothing to correct immigration issues, or crack down on those that hire those worked that are undocumented. We are a nation that cries out equality, yet openly has a slave labor class that in our current economy only compounds the problems. Never before in the history of this nation have we had 30 million illegal aliens, and compound that with less work to go around. History also teaches us that the government interference into the economy in the 1930's actually prolonged the Depression from 1929 to 1940. There are no incentives or innovation when the private sector is removed from the equation. Higher taxes in dire times will not spur on a recovery. It will turn the United States into a feudal state and lower further the standard of living which we have learned to love in the one "Land of Opportunity!"

With federal Tarp funds and bailout monies for the economy now expiring, I see trouble ahead both short and long term for our economy. Higher taxes, less government services, high unemployment, and a contraction in home values not unlike what Japan went through for many years to come. The reason I say this is that Washington has not taken any of this seriously. They have just taken advantage of the situation for their own gain. The solutions coming out of Washington are political solutions, not real fixes. I can fully understand buyers that are afraid to risk their own capital and jump into the market. Reluctance, apprehension! Are you seeing I what I'm seeing? Where Does Real Estate Go From Here?

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Gwinnett Bank Owned Homes for Sale

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:05:42 -0400

Bank owned homes Gwinnett County GA! The time to get a great deal on a Gwinnett bank owned properties at a steep discount is now! Mortgage rates area at historic lows, and yes foreclosures are still on the rise. That presents a great opportunity for a smart home buyer that is working with an experience real estate agent that can provide the right way to move forward and buy the Gwinnett bank owned homes of their choice! For Gwinnett bank owned homes in Sugar Hill, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Peachtree Corners, Lawrenceville, Snellville, Sugarloaf, and Hamilton Mills.

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North Atlanta Bank Owned Real Estate

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:05:33 -0400

Atlanta Bank Owned Real Estate For Sale

The Atlanta real estate Metro market is still a buyers market, and will be for some time to come. Despite fewer Atlanta homes for sale this year over last year, the reality is that fewer Atlanta homes are being sold. With a still increasing mortgage rate, that means the banks that are holding these mortgages have more to sell. So if you are interested in buying Atlanta bank owned times this is the perfect time for some great deals! Yes even though interest rates are at historic lows for fixed rate 30 year mortgages, Upper price ranges and luxury homes are being avoided right now, and now we have more foreclosures even in the Atlanta luxury real estate market. It's my opinion it is a perfect time to buy a luxury bank owned homes or property in North Atlanta right now!. This applies to especially to Atlanta homes, condos, townhomes, houses, commercial real estate lofts, and also high end Atlanta luxury homes market which has been immune until just recently.

Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and City of Milton!

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Atlanta Homes Foreclosures for Sale Government, and Bank Owned Properties

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:41:15 -0400

Atlanta Foreclosures for Sale

Despite record lows in 30 year fixed mortgage rates, and record refinancing waves ...Atlanta foreclosures are still on the rise! This is a great time to buy not just any foreclosure but to pick the best properties! Better hurry when there are still a lot of good choices. Foreclosed properties occur when the money that was lent buy a lender to a borrower is not repaid. Then the lender has the right under the law to repossess that property and sell it for the deficiency. Usually the lender is a bank. In the real estate industry they are referred to as "REOs" Real estate owned. Then we have tax sales from non payment of taxes. There are also Atlanta new homes foreclosures, condos for sale and foreclosed Atlanta townhomes for sale from builders that have gone into bankruptcy. Wow that makes for a lot of Atlanta foreclosures!

Search Atlanta foreclosures listings - Atlanta Foreclosure real estate specialist for Atlanta and suburbs. Atlanta foreclosures homes for sale. Find Atlanta foreclosed government, and bank owned foreclosures for sale in Atlanta. Government foreclosures and bank owned foreclosure properties and real estate for sale. When most persons are afraid to buy is the perfect opportunity to purchase Atlanta foreclosures!

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WordPress 3.0 Update!

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:02:41 -0400

The 13th major release of WordPress is now available for download (or upgrade within your dashboard). Major new features in this release include a sexy new default theme called Twenty Ten. Twenty Ten is an incredible FREE WP Template that in my own opinion is really very clean, and easy to work with. I've tried it out on a few of my Blogs today and I love it. Check it out!

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Search Gwinnett Homes for Sale By Map Search

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:20:52 -0400

Find Gwinnett Homes for Sale Map Search by Listed City

Gwinnett Real Estate Map Search! Find Gwinnett County GA homes for sale by a map search of Gwinnett Cities. Map search for Gwinnett homes for sale and real estate by map search in Berkeley Lakes, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Grayson, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Norcross, Snellville, Sugar Hill, and Suwanee.

Gwinnett County GA Map Search for Homes by City:

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Do You Have Right to Advertise Another Agents Listing?

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:55:42 -0400

First of all, let me say this is not about IDX or broker reciprocity. This subject is more about social media postings. Routinely I notice on online social media real estate marketing agents showing pictures of other agents listings, and Blog about the listing with all the details as if it were there own. I often wonder does the real listing agent know this is occurring. For a consumer if they look at the post quickly, it will appear as if it is the listing of the poster...it is not! That is very deceptive to the public and may violate state real estate license law, and or local MLS rules and regulation and the NAR code of ethics. State laws may vary but usually agents within the same brokerage company may do so if they have their brokers permission. Agents are not allowed in most states to advertise another brokers listing. In Georgia it is not allowed.* Before you act, it is always wise to check with your broker first, abide by all state real estate license laws, and the NAR Code of Ethics!

*It is now allowed, but with permission of both brokers.

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Real Estate - The Biggest Investment of Your Life! They Weren't Kidding!

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:27:46 -0400

Everyone has heard the statement "Real estate is the biggest investment of your life!" Well they weren't kidding. Many homeowners are finding out now the hard way they got themselves in big trouble way over their heads. They may not even be able to set themselves financially right in this lifetime they made such a bad mistake. Marraiges have failed, homes have be lost and credit for many will probably be unrepairable for many in their remaining working careers. The fact of the matter is that many persons purchased the wrong homes, in the wrong locations, and overpaid to boot! To make matters worse they put no money down, rolled in the extras, and had the closing costs rolled into the loan. Money was no object especially when it came to granite counter-tops, and stainless appliances especially when it was all done on credit. Then to make matters even worse they borrowed against the already leveraged home's equity. Wasn't this absolute insanity? To the seasoned agent, we asked ourselves, "Who would be so foolish to do this?" "Who is advising them?" Buying a home is too big an investment to be treating the facts so lightly!

You've heard it all before. "Ask your real estate agent for advice!" "Ask your Realtor" However most real estate agents never sold more than 1 home, and many have never sold anything. How could anyone advise a client if they had no experience whatsoever? A few years ago it was very common for a home buyers agent to be their cousin, a handyman they knew, a relative, their hairdresser, a friend from college or just a drinking buddy from the bar. It was a true to life story of the blind leading the blind. The sad thing is that if you never sold a home, you really are not in a position to advise a client. An agent without experience does not have the foresight to warn a their client against buying the most obvious of faulty homes, mold, structural flaws, pending zoning changes, the quality of the product, proximity to roads and power lines etc.

Many times as seasoned agents we are asked to list a properties that we cannot sell. It is not uncommon that good agents will not list a home when they know there is no chance of a sale. They do not need 6 months of aggravation and no chance of ever getting paid by a commission. We are not social workers. The reasons are many and obvious that a home will not sell...the sellers are way upside down, the home is on busy road that is about to be widened, it is under a power-line, the home is in a designated flood zone, there is obvious mold, the home is made of EFIS, they have polybute plumbing, aluminum wiring, have problematic siding issues...or all of the above! To simply put it...we cannot help them. We are not miracle workers. They had little if any advice from their inexperienced agent before they purchased the wrong home, and then overpaid on steroids.

The point is that before persons buy or sell...buyers and sellers need to work with real estate agents and Realtors that do have experience, and extensive knowledge. In the past it was the real estate agent that qualified the buyers first before ever giving the buyer or seller to a loan officer. We were more involved in the practicality of a sale then in "Doing a deal!" There were many times in my own career I advised a client or prospect that the home was not a good deal. The phrase "NEXT!" was a part of my daily dialog. That was just sound advice, and was appreciated. Buyers and sellers must realize that a home is a massive investment, and even though there are many rewards to home ownership, there are also many caveats, and responsibilities. Once the mistake is made, some problems cannot be undone.

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MagicJack for an Extra Phone!

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:46:19 -0400

I must admit I never buy products that are pitched online, but I have got to share this one. I recently had breakfast with friends of mine in Atlanta that were talking about a relative is visiting them, and had purchased MagicJack. He was using it to make local and long distance calls. It is easy to use and plugs right into your computer or laptop. The phone call is made via the Internet (VOIP!) So you use your computer and USB port for a phone connection. Once you plug MagicJack into your computer and then plug your phone into Magic Jack guess what? You have a real phone. They told me it was incredible. The interesting thing is it is cheap. So I thought I would try it.

It costs less than $40 for the part and I think about $20 for an annual subscription. I had a spare phone lying around so I did not incur any additional expense. There is no charge for local calling, or Canada calls. You can even choose the telephone number city or area code you want. It is very easy to set up. There is also a voice-mail feature. I have now been using this for several days, and cannot see any difference to my regular land lines. I just thought MagicJack was a good enough item to share with all my ActiveRain friends. It is a cheap easy and inexpensive way to pick up an extra phone line that is also portable.

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REMAX Paramount Properties Alpharetta. We've Moved and Changed Real Estate Offices!

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:53:01 -0400

This is just a note to all that Ellen and I have changed real estate offices this past weekend to a new RE/MAX office in Alpharetta. The new RE/MAX real estate office is located just off the GA 400 Exit 8 on Mansell Road in Alpharetta. The new office is "REMAX Paramount Properties!" We are excited about the new office and wish our broker Victor Salerno and Patty all the best! Ellen and I both feel that REMAX continues to provide the best platform for us to best serve our clients.

James & Ellen Crawford Broker Associate ABR
RE/MAX Paramount Properties
1605 Mansell Road Suite C
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-649-0661 X 112 Office
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WWW.OwnGeorgiaHomes.Com

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The Term 'Pending Sale' What Does It Really Mean?

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:31:32 -0400

Many times buyers that are searching for homes on the Inernet contact us to ask us what the term 'Pending Sale' means. Basically, what it means is that you are too late and out of luck. It means that no other offers are being considered. This happens a lot to persons that believe they are search for homes on the MLS just because the homes appear to be active on the Internet...when it isn't. They believe they do not need an agent. They cannot beleive that each home they look at is no longer available. The reality is quite different...they are viewing ads on the Internet instead of live MLS data.

The term 'Pending' means the home is going to closing and that no other offers are being considered. If you are search for homes on the web, you may be making the same mistake that many potential home buyers are making...they assume they are looking at live data the MLS, they are not. What buyers are looking at is a shared listing of other brokers called "Broker reciprocity" or "IDX." That data is only required to be updated in many cases once a week. So you may be missing out on a lot of fine homes that would have been available to you if only you knew about the updated listing or status change.

If you are working with a buyer's agent they could have easily set this up for you. This way, you will be notified automatically if a new listing comes on the market, the price is reduced, the home has come bck on the market, or that the home has changed status and is no longer available.

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The Slowest Day in Real Estate

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:38:51 -0400

Tax day and the week of April 15th has in my own experience always been one of the slowest days in real estate. Homebuyers are not to be found. Instead they are fretting having their taxes out in the mail and want to know how much they have to pay out. It is a time of high anxiety for sure especially if you are paying. In that sense, I am sure this year is no different from other years past. However in real estate ther emay be some differences.

Years ago...a few days after the taxes were filed the phones would normally start ringing again. Persons that had to pay taxes and were renting would normally come out and buy a home. Their CPA would have advised them that they had no write offs or deductions and were just throwing their money away on rent. Then again, Turbo Tax and online tax services won't do that! So in that sense it may be different this year. Persons may not want to rush out and buy if there is a possibility their investment may go down. Another item to note is that many persons are borrowing from their SEP IRAs, retirement funds, and IRA's. The problem with this is that there are very hefty tax penalties for doing that. let's see what activity occurs in the coming week. Today will be a day of reckoning for many!

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Search Atlanta Homes for Sale Mobile Cell Phone IDX

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:32:57 -0400

Saearch for Atlanta homes for sale and real estate by a cell phone? Yes it is true! For years you've enjoyed searching for Atlanta homes for sale on Atlanta's Best real estate website www.AtlantaBestHomes.com, but now you can take it one step further! You can now search for Atlanta real estateand Atlanta homes for sale and real estate via your cell phone!!!! Imagine search for a home for sale via your cell phone! Search MLS listings, homes for sale, condos, lots, and land!

The Mobile IDX Website URL for this account:

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Social Media Policy - A Must for Real Estate

Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Paramount Properties) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:11:35 -0400

Public Social Media Policy - A Must for Real Estate Brokers

By James Crawford

The most recent new story of a Florida real estate agent blogger and his broker being sued for "Libel" by a developer for 25 million dollars is a sobering story of the unintended consequences of Blogging. Brokers need to take very good notes on this story, and form some strategies or office policy to avoid being involved in a mess like this. We must remember that we are real estate agents and are not investigative reporters. Hearsay, innuendo, direct comments and inference may be very damaging to others especially when posted in print or media...then the problem is compounded.

We live in a high tech age and social media is the new buzz word or hottest fad these days. There are conventions, camps, and well attended seminars, but not many of those attending or participating really understand what it is all about. Too many agents are pre-occupied with "Tweets and Twitter" and need to worry more about their actions and online behavior. Social media can include many items such as Blogging, WordPress, Blogger, Facebook, Linkedin and so many more. It is the latest real estate craze that is supposed to increase our online presence, and close us more business. The idea is that the public, your network of friends or associates will learn more about you and think of you when they need your services. So far so good? The problem is a few agents may have figured out how to use it effectively while others are out there just blasting away writing about everything. Agents on-line routinely bad mouth construction and name the builder; they will talk about clients and competition while trashing the reputation of others! On any given day... they will put in writing materials that they have copied and pasted from others, and use it as their own, and use copyrighted pictures or photos that they have no right to use. Have you ever heard the saying, "Restraint of tongue and pen?" Well with the advent of viral marketing, social media can magnify their errors on steroids for the entire world to see! The problem will arise when someone they have wronged finds it! Then what?

Some agents will talk about a deal online that they are working and break the trust of their fiduciary privilege with their clients, bad mouth the competition, a product, service or put in writing something that is in direct contrast to the real estate laws which they are compelled to abide by. To compound this, other agents will comment back and forth on the same issue, and the topic can become very volatile.

It is very scary that most agents do not understand their actions may cause irreparable harm to others. Once a blog or comment is in writing, it is fair game for all to read. The Internet is an online platform that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is global in nature. What you write for the most part is also available in archive. So even long after the post is written, it may be retrieved by others. Why is this important to know? Under the law real estate brokers are responsible for the actions of agents that are licensed under them. In most states, a broker is to review and approve all advertising before it is published. The Internet is no different. A Blog by a real estate agent is considered advertising unless the Blog is totally a personal Blog that mentions nothing of real estate.

Slander, libel, plagiarism, defamation of character, invasion of privacy, hate speech, spamming, copyright infringement, violations of real estate law, misinforming the public with wrong or erroneous information or data, violations of Fair Housing Laws, RESPA violations, and making false accusations against others may be the basis of a major lawsuit for a Broker that is unaware of what his agents are writing on-line. This is one case where ignorance is not bliss, but rather a clear indication that the Broker in charge is not fulfilling their responsibilities under the law. Once any of the above has occurred...it's too late to correct the wrong.

Since the Internet is here to stay, it is more important in this day and age that each broker develops an "On-Line Policy" for social media. This will include the "Do's and don'ts" for on-line writing and behavior of the agents that are under the broker and guided by his policy. An on-line policy will lay out the specifics of what an agent can or cannot do on-line. First a good on-line office policy should adhere and comply to all state real estate license law, and state law, the NAR Code of Ethics, but it should not end there. Agents need to use common sense before anything is put into written form, and their broker should be reviewing their Blogs, and on-line activities as they relate to real estate. Agents and brokers need to understand fully that once anything is put into writing it will be their own words that can convict them. If a real estate broker is proactive and develops an on-line policy and then addresses this issue with agents that are under their tutelage the consequences.

Items to be addressed should cover:

Advertising properties
Compliance to state real estate license law for advertising
Copyright laws - plagiarism
Defamation
False or unsubstantiated claims
Fair Housing
Fiduciary to clients
Identification of licensure and license affiliation
Libel, personal opinion
RESPA
Slander

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