Looking Out From the Garage: April 2009

Talk about a deal...

While running a quick search for a friend, I ran across a few interesting listings... 

There are a few deals out there that stop me in my tracks for a minute.  Some catch my attention because they are priced well below the competition... and they don't need more work that the deal is worth.  Others grab me because their condition is amazing, and they are still priced competitively.  Finally, there a few that reach out because they are unusual... in a good way. 

These were of the third type... 

I saw the pictures... and they didn't fit the price.  Not that they were priced a little lower than I might expect, but low enough that I wanted to check to see if these were all mistakes.  There are around 4 of these that are literally priced hundreds of thousands below the other similar homes in the neighborhood.  But here is the catch... they aren't finished.  But, for the opportunity to buy a $400k+ home for $250k, one might have to put up a little sweat equity. The builder likely went belly up.

Obviously these aren't for everyone.  But for the right buyer, these could be a steal of a deal. 

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3 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 29 2009 10:11PM

That and $5 will buy me lunch, so leave me alone... mmmk?

I don't know what it is, but lately I have been hearing from more and more people trying to sell me their services... because they saw me here on Active|Rain.  Some are emails, some are phone calls and yet others are a combination. 

I know why some of these folks call...  And I have actually let a few of them go more than 43 seconds before freeing up my phone for a real call. 

Let me tell you one of my favorite...

I got a call from an SEO firm promising to get me on page 1 of Google for my keywords.  The representative mentioned that he saw my #2 position in GA here on A|R.  Of course, he was all about 'helping me out.' 

I guess that while he was reading my blog (he had been following my posts for a while... ;^ |) he hadn't noticed any of the keywords I used.  He really thought I was going to try to get to #1 for Atlanta Real Estate.  Not Lilburn, not Gwinnett County, not even Garage Homes.

But here is the fun part... 

Instead of telling me to go to his website, he told me to Google the name of his company.  He didn't show up... until page 3.  For the name of his company.  These people wanted me to give them money to increase my SEO, and they can't rank on page 1 for their own name.  And it wasn't like it was John Smith, Inc... it was a unique name. 

Bottom line...

I'm probably not interested in your service.  If I was, I probably would have found you.  If you do happen to think you have the coolest thing on the planet, you better be ready to prove it.  That isn't to say that nobody should contact me... but you should have an idea about what I do and what I might need before you contact me.

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7 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 29 2009 11:47AM

Cheap sex and real estate...

I don't know why, but I was reminded this morning about two very different people, one quote from both, and how cheap sex is like real estate success... for some. 

Back when I first got into real erstate, a local "power agent" told me that the goal was to list as many properties as possible.  She said that I needed systems in place to spend as little time as practical for each listing, and to avoid spending money like the plague.  Seriously.  She was all in favor of spending money, but not on marketing property.  Her quote was, "It is a numbers game, the more you list, the more you sell."  She didn't care if the houses were over-priced, in bad condition... whatever.  It was just a numbers game. 

And then there is a 'friend' of mine from my early college days.  He had a pattern... and it worked on occasion.  At a party or a bar or a gathering, he would casually ask girls if the wanted a one night stand.  And every once in a while... he would find one that said, "yes."  He told me that it worked out to about one in 50 or 75...  It is a numbers game, don't waste time getting to know people... ask and move on," he said.  I think it goes without saying that the girls that responded with a "yes" weren't the girls that the rest of us were looking for... 

In both case, these very different people weren't looking out for the needs of their 'target'.  They didn't care about the other person.  An agent that takes an over-priced listing without reservations and then refuses to market it isn't helping anyone... and someone that will have a fling with anyone that agrees to it obviously isn't exactly responsible. 

But their attitude was the same.  It's a numbers game.  The goals, needs and desires of the client/target aren't important.  Don't invest in the relationship.  Meet your personal and selfish needs and/or move on. 

I lost touch with the 'friend' decades ago.  The agent is still listing property in the area... 

Sorry, but I don't think that is a way to effectively conduct business or personal life. 

Is this a bit racy?  Absolutely, but I bet you get the point...

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8 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 28 2009 10:31AM

SRBC Car Show, May 2nd

As one door closes, another opens in its place. 

Tucker Cruise-In ShowAs I started to look over upcoming events, I ran across a blurb that the Snellville Days 'Orphan Vehicle Association' Car Show had been canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances."  I have no idea what those circumstances might be, and I hope that the OVA is able to recover and present the show again next year. 

But, as a car guy looking for someplace to take the boys, I ran across a replacement.  Smoke Rise Baptist Church has been holding a Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show since 1999.  And the date this year for the show is May 2nd.  

Registration begins at 9:00am.  Judging begins at Noon.  Trophies will be presented at 3:00pm.  

I know that I will be there early... we have a T-ball game at the church at 9:30.  We will probably come back later in the day to shoot more pictures.   

 

from GarageHomesUSA.com

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5 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 27 2009 08:08PM

101 Cars, Part 52

Second Generation Renault 5 with 3 doors
Image via Wikipedia

Take a seriously weird and boring... and very economical economy car, and take it completely to the other end of the scale.

For those that were around in the early 1980s, there was the LeCar...  The suspension was NOT even close to sporting... the car cornered on the door handles.  The power was disappointing... 0-60 was measured with a calendar.  And it only had 3 lug nuts... seriously.

But just to prove that all it takes to make speed from ugly is money...

The Renault R5 Turbo.

Never mind that it was only related to the LeCar by the furthest of stretches... The LeCar was actually the R5...

Klik hier om het video filmpje te bekijken

4 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 25 2009 11:18PM

101 Cars, Part 58

I have had a lot of Fords, ranging from my Mustangs to my current F-350. And I think this is one of the coolest rigs Ford has put out in quite a while.

Lane in the raptor before security arrived

Think of it as a vehicle for racing in three dimensions. It has 13" of travel in the rear and 11+" of travel in the front. It can bomb down bumpy roads at 100mph with its 400hp Boss 6.2L engine.

It is the F-150 Raptor... and it is a pretty cool rig. I got the opportunity to hang out with some of the guys from the Raptor Project at the Atlanta Auto Show, as well as the opportunity to hop into the truck and see how it felt. I couldn't fire it up and drive it, though... security was too quick.

This thing has power and a really cool suspension... and you can buy one at your Ford dealer... in July... or November if you want to big Boss engine.

from LaneBailey.com

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0 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 25 2009 11:09PM

Mud 4 Blood... LOTS of Pics... and some blood, too!

Today was the day.  I have written about it a couple of times, and it went down today. We had a blast, and we collected 100 pints or so of blood for LifeSouthMud4Blood had its sixth event. 

It was our first year at Dixie Speedway, and it turned out to be a great venue for the event.  We had space to stretch out.  The last few years we have been in shopping center parking lots and we have been restricted on our space.  So, in order to grow the event, we decided to move to  a larger area. 

We couldn't have asked for better weather... ok, we might have liked it just a touch cooler... but sunny skies and puffy clouds made a perfect backdrop. 

Our corporate sponsors were many...  We really appreciate all of the companies that generously donate product, gift certificates and promotion to Mud 4 Blood.  We do it all for free...


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

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0 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 25 2009 10:43PM

Can I tell my sellers it is a good idea to offer seller financing?

Looking at the legislative landscape, I see a new danger on the horizon.  In addition to the existant dangers of financing a mortgage for a buyer such as their credit-worthiness and ability to repay, there is another risk which could soon be inserted into the pool... 

Cram-Downs

If you aren't already familiar with the term, take a moment to read the definition...  From the perspective of a lender, it is a scary scenario.  In effect, a bankruptcy judge could force down the balance of a loan based on their view of the value of the property. 

Regardless of whether the seller is in the first or second position, they could face financial danger in this situation.  While helping out the buyer and hoping to make a little extra money on the sale of their home, they could find their investment principal... in effect, having the base value of the loan reduced. 

Congress is looking at allowing cram-downs in residential mortgages again.  It is the second time this year that the subject has come up.  Currently they are saying that the new rules would only apply to loans before January, 2009, and that there would be other safe-guards in place to protect the investments of the lenders.  And remember, the lenders aren't actually the banks and mortgage brokers.  The lenders are investors... and that means that they range from school teachers (through their pensions) to corporate portfolios... and anyone else that has money in the MBS (Mortgage Backed Security) market. 

For a look at how cram-down provisions affect mortgages, one only needs to look as far as the commercial mortgage market and compare it to residential.  In effect, rates are higher, down payment requirements are higher, reserve amounts are higher and credit is tighter.  Before the lenders are willing to part with their money, they need to be more sure that they will be paid back, because a judge could reduce the value of their investment if the borrower has a problem. 

And getting a higher interest rate for the increased risk might not help... the same judge could reduce the interest rate prior to lowering the principal balance. 

So, I am telling my sellers that they need to be MUCH more aware of the risks, and that those risks could increase if Congress gets too populist. 

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7 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 25 2009 12:34AM

Last Call for Mud4Blood... and a Social Networking experiment

Typical method of blood donation
Image via Wikipedia

Tomorrow is the big day!.. 12 hours from now... At 10am on Saturday April 25th, Mud4Blood6 will begin. It will run until about 5pm.

If you like cool events, this is something you should check out.

  • Truck Show... a very different truck show.
  • Kid's games... bounce around and such.
  • Blood Donation to LifeSouth... this is the reason for the entire event.
  • Raffle... thousands of dollars of cool stuff for the donors.
  • Free race tickets for a future race at Dixie Speedway... for the donors.
  • Free food... for the donors.
  • Silent Auction... benefiting Rescue Tellico.
  • Omix/Rugged Ridge Scratch & Dent Garage Sale... cool Jeep stuff.

If you are a member of a 4wd club in the Atlanta area, you will undoubtedly know people that are there. Most of the local clubs have some sort of presence. The host club, the GBR4wd Club, has invited all of the local clubs to come, donate, paticipate and recruit if they choose.

 

If you aren't a member of a 4wd club, but wish to be, this is a great way to meet others that enjoy the hobby of recreational 4wheeling. Hang out, meet some members, see what club fits your rig and your personality.

Even if you don't have a 4wd, it is a lot of fun to hang out, see the cool rigs, donate some blood and take your chance at winning some free swag.

If you can't make it, or just want to know more about what is going on throughout the day, I will be trying to update a few social networks live during the event.

I will be updating Twitter using the #m4b. You can search for it here.

You can follow me on Twitter @LaneBailey. you don't need to follow me on Twitter to get the updates through search, though.

I will be updating a photo album on FaceBook called Mud4Blood.

After the event, we will be posting up videos on YouTube and photos on Flickr. We will be re-tooling the Mud4Blood website with the photos, videos and diary entries. ANY participants are welcome to submit content to the site.

If you make it out to the event, look for me. I'll be in a red GBR t-shirt. Any of the members should be able to point me out.

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Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2009 Lane Bailey. 

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0 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 24 2009 09:19PM

Social Media Breakfast? Atlanta? Want to?

While surfing around some of my RE.net friends, I ran across this link on Teresa Boardman's blog...  I was intrigued... 

I like breakfast...

I like social media...

I like networking...

I like learning new stuff...

So, I got in touch with the guy that started it all, and asked if he knew of anyone trying to put together a program in Atlanta.  Bryan Person had recieved a couple of enquiries, but nothing had been put together. 

Atlanta is a social town... and we have lots of media, technology and breakfast.  So, I think this is something I would like to try to make happen.  I am currently trying to recruit a few people to help me make this into a reality...  I think I have one, and another one or two would be perfect. 

The idea would be to have a breakfast meeting once every month or two (to start with), alternating around town.  After we build a little bit of a following, we might be able to increase the frequency of the meetings and have similar programs in different areas of the Atlanta Metro. 

The other thing that we would need are sponsors...  hint, hint. 

By the way, this is NOT something that owuld be limited to real estate professionals, but rather for folks in a wide variety of professions that are looking for ways to increase their social media marketing and networking in a responsible, efficient and effective way

Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube and many other social networks are getting a tremendous amount of traction among desireable demographics... and it is fun. 

 

 

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3 commentsLane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy • April 23 2009 04:15PM