Looking Out From the Garage

How Good Are YOUR Market Reports?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:51:50 -0500

I ask myself all of the time...

How good are my market reports?
Are they compelling?
Why should a buyer or seller read MY market report instead of one of the hundreds of other reports out there?
Am I providing value?
What do consumers want in a market report?

I am specifically NOT leaving a link to one of my market reports in order for everyone to grade it. Rather, I would love to hear about what YOU think makes a great market report... whether you are an agent, broker, consumer or vendor.

What makes a great market report?

I'd love to hear from you...

180* Turn...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:08 -0400

I had a great thought for a blog post. I was surfing some of my daily reading, and ran across an item and after a few synapses fired in my brain... unrelated post idea sprang to life. So, I jumped into my Admin Panel, ran across a particular spam comment...

New Subject...

(the other subject will be on LilburnDwellings.com in a little while)

The spam in question was from someone that "buys homes for cash to help home owners." The part that is funny is that I can see the email address they leave in order to get the comment posted (Askimet caught the comment as spam and it never posted). His email was loball@hisdomin.com (not the actual one, but close enough).

So, the point is that he must be a heck of a guy. Beat someone into the ground on the offer for their house... after all, they are in trouble. And then tell them to email you at "LoBall." Nice.

Just so you know...

The sign along the side of the road advertising that they will buy your home for cash have a catch... And the catch is the price. Typically, they don't want to spend more than 70% of what they think they can fetch for the property in current condition. For some people, the fact that they close fast is worth it. But don't think they are giving you a market price. In fact, I'm hearing of a lotof them that are under 70% in the current climate. I don't blame them too much... their costs for carrying them are increasing as properties can be harder to move.

Most agents know a few investors that may actually beat those kinds of offers. Not by much... but instead of flipping, they are looking for homes to rent out. Their primary concern is that the house "cash flows positive." That means that they can rent it out for more than it costs to carry it.

The important thing to remember is that if you are in trouble, talk to someone before it gets out of hand. Talk to your mortgage company. Talk to a real estate agent. Find out what your options are BEFORE you run out of options.

from LaneBailey.com

I'd love to hear from you...

8 Cool Tools... Avoid Analysis Paralysis... #6

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:07:13 -0400

Analysis Paralysis...

If you haven't heard the statement, it is summing up the "Ready, Aim Fire, Aim Fire, Aim" menality. Basically, spending forever making the plan, and then never following through and actually "doing" the plan.

And then...

There is the opposite side of the coin... "Ready, Fire, Aim". That doesn't work, either. You can't do the plan before you make the plan...

But in the middle...

There is a balance where we analyze AND act. And this is about the analytics.

We all have our favorites. I personally like Clicky Analytics for my website. I like the way the data is presented. They have a free level, and it is a great alternative to Google Analytics. And GA is a great option as well. In either case, the idea is to see where traffic is coming from, what search terms are being used and tune your content accordingly.

Another great tool in the box is HitTail. It is a site that you can use to track your searches and see what material might be good to write about in the future. In fact, it even offers a "To Do List" for future blogs, based on the previous search volume.

And you are likely to be surprised...

I know that I am often a bit shocked at which posts gather the most attention. On ActiveRain, and LaneBailey.com, on LilburnDwellings.com. in each case, I see posts that I don't expect have great traffic. I see other posts that are never stellar... until looking at 30 days, or even 90 or more days worth of data. I have a post that has over 10,000 views, but it is never on my most viewed list for the day... or even the week.

Other posts have to be looked at OFF the grid. I have a post that garners a reasonable number of views, and few comments... but people call me about that post. Obviously it speaks to them.

So...

Plan
Write
Analyze
Adjust
Write some more
Analyze
Adjust
Repeat.

And don't worry that your plan is different than my plan, or Midori's plan or even Mike's plan. We are all different people.

I'd love to hear from you...

Al's Saga continues...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 23:29:00 -0400

If you haven't already, please feel free to read Ade For Al. A simple Lemonade Stand at the local Farmer's Market in Lilburn, GA raised over $2500 for Al Real's family in just one evening. It makes me VERY proud to be part of this community.

As if the actual injuries little Al suffered weren't enough, now the family is having to fight for his treatment.

To catch you up, Al Real is an 8 year old boy here in the Lilburn area. He and another little friend were playing a few weeks ago. While they were playing, they apparently decided to stage a toy plane crash. They put some gasoline on a toy plane and lit it on fire. Al suffered 3rd degree burns over 80% of his body. He was rushed to Grady Hospital in Atlanta, which has one of the best trauma centers in the country. After a day, he was airlifted to the Shriner's Hospital in Cincinnati, OH... they have one of the best pediatric burn units in the world.

The treatment that the doctors want to use involves growing replacement skin for Al. This is more than just skin grafts, it is new skin. In effect, the hospital can grow Al's own skin in a lab, and then apply it to him. The FDA classifies it as an experimental treatment, even though it has been around for a over a decade.

But it isn't an insurance company denying coverage for the treatment. It is the FDA. They 'award' clearance for the treatment on a case by case basis. In Al's case, they denied treatment... because they didn't feel the paperwork was in order.

In order to get the treatment that the doctors recommend will require intervention by elected officials. This is from the journal being kept on Al's behalf by his family.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:33 PM, EDT

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP! I am going to work on contacting our senators about the FDAs denial of the procedure to grow Al's own skin. I would like to have as many letters from their constituent

s as possible. ANYONE, especially those LIVING IN GEORGIA. Please write 2 letters addressed to Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator Saxby Chambliss. People living outside of Georgia should address and send letters directly to their Senators. People living in Georgia should send the letters to me via email or mail, and also to the senators via email so that if I get a meeting with them I can go in with an armful of letters. Their address are:

Senator Johnny Isakson
One Overton Park
Suite 970
3625 Cumberland Boulevard
Atlanta, GA 30339
isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Senator Saxby Chambliss
100 Galleria Parkway
Suite 1340
Atlanta, GA 30339
chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm
Points to make in the letter:

* The FDA has denied the request for Alfred Real to recieve the best most effective and reliable method to heal his burns. The previous 143 requests for this procedure have not been denied. This request is not substaintially different from all previously approved requests. Alfred Real qualifies for the procedure and his Doctors believe it is the best option for his survival and recovery.

*According to the Doctors, this procedure is like driving a Mercedes and the next best procedure is like driving a Yugo.

*They also said that this procedue has an 80% success rate and the next best procedure has a 60% success rate.

*The other option for Alfred is a procedure that takes more time, which leaves Alfred at more risk. The longer he is exposed without skin the more risk of infection.

*In addition, although the FDA may have some problems with the way the clinical research program is handled administratively the FDA should not keep Alfred from having the best possible chance of recovery. Sanction the program, but don't sanction Alfred.

*Look back at the journal entry from 6/22/10 to get a clear explanation of what has happened in the program.

Again, Please send them to me via email at therealjourney@hotmail.com OR you can mail them to me at 734 Briar Park Ct., NE. Atlanta, GA 30306. You may give this information to whomever you want who is willing to write a letter. Please send as many letters as you can by MONDAY, JUNE 28th.

Thanks!

It is shameful that it has come to this. This is a clear cut example of the government stepping between a boy and the treatment his doctors... the best doctors in the world... feel is appropriate.

The good news is that since this was posted, the family has been contacted by both Senators from GA, as well as one of our Congressman and the Governor's Office. They are pressuring the FDA to reconsider their decision. Unlike insurance companies, the government gets to decide if they can be subject to a lawsuit.

We have to keep pressure on the government to do the right thing.

*Just to disclose, Al's mother was one of my older son's Pre-K teachers. I consider her a friend.

I'd love to hear from you...

Lane's Newest Toy... CCotD

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:43:12 -0400

It is NO secret around here that I am a Car Guy. I guess that would be why I am THE Garage Guy, too. For the last 4+ years one thing I have had NO problem being transparent about is my love of things automotive. Here on this blog, as well as my blog, LaneBailey.com, and my website, GarageHomesUSA.com, I have written numerous posts about cars, garages and cool tools.

Recently, I started a blog solely targeted to other car lovers. It is called CoolCaroftheDay.com. And because I seem to be a glutton for punishment, I also created a network of supporting sites:

Cool Car of the Day on FaceBook
Cool Car of the Day on YouTube
Cool Car of the Day on Twitter
CoolCaroftheDay.mobi on Posterous

Blogging here on Active Rain and meeting so many influential and successful bloggers has taught me a LOT about creating content and delivering it. I've tried to take some of that knowledge in a new direction.

I still enjoy blogging about real estate... but I have also written around 2000 posts. I have 1780 posts here in the Rain, and there are around 1600 on LaneBailey.com... there is certainly a lot of crossover between my blogs. I am slowing down a bit on real estate. I have trimmed back from 7 days a week on LaneBailey.com down to 3 days a week.

The new blog has been up around a month. There have already been some really cool cars... and there are more coming.

Road Atlanta preview

I'd love for you to check it out...

I'd love to hear from you...

Get out of your mortgage for FREE?!?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:21:34 -0400

Probably not...

But that doesn't mean that people aren't trying it... and it doesn't mean that people aren't getting in trouble for it.

Here is the way it works (and it all sounds so legit...):

Mr. and Mrs. Consumer buy a house and get a mortgage from MonsterMegaMortgageCompany (MMMC).
MMMC sells their mortgage to Investor Pool #1.
Then it is bundled and sold to IP#2... and #3 and #4 over a span of a few years.
Mr. & Mrs. Consumer start having problems, and despite everything they are facing foreclosure.
To try to get help they contact a "Foreclosure Mitigation" Law Firm that fights the foreclosure by filing a "missing title" lawsuit.
The law firm (or other entity) charges an up-front fee (maybe $2000) and then monthly fees (maybe $1000 or $1500)... as well as a contingency fee upon settlement of either 50% of the reduction or 75% or 80% of the value if the mortgage were completely eliminated.
After stringing along Mr. & Mrs. Consumer for a few months or longer (collecting fees), they fail to actually prosecute the case.
Mr. & Mrs. Consumer lose their home...

According to a few of the sources I looked at, their are no recorded examples of any suit of this type EVER being resolved in the consumer's favor.

The basis of the lawsuit is that if the mortgage holder can't produce the documents from the mortgage, it will be set aside and the consumer will own their property free and clear. Sounds nice, huh?

Before getting sucked into something like this, here is a little more reading...

Source 1

Source 2

The State of California is going after one of the firms involved in this practice. I would expect that there are similar cases in other states.

Times are tough... scamsters know it, too

People being foreclosed on are all over the place. They are vulnerable to people that approach them to "help." There are a variety of scams and plans that mostly just revolve around generating a profit for the "helper."

Be careful! There is help for many home owners that are in trouble... but the easy sounding solutions often aren't what they are cracked up to be. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is...

I would love to lose my mortgage, too... but this isn't the way...

from LaneBailey.com

I'd love to hear from you...

Black Friday Shopping? Save $100,000!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:09:40 -0500

Ok, you’ve seen the TV commercials and scoured the Thanksgiving paper. You know that the best deals require that you get to the store by 5:00am… or even 4:00am, right?

Sleep in, call me, and let’s go get you a new house (ok, a new to you house…) and save $100,000. That is even better than picking up a new flat screen for $300 off!

I have found a few deals. They range in price from around $100k, to just over $300k. The deals range from 5% off of what you would have expected to pay last year, to 25% off what someone DID pay last year. I wrote a little bit about each of these properties last week. Here you go…

Instead of fighting a bunch of people to get the last Speed Racer Mach 6, get something that is going to make you happy for years… And make you money!

Give me a call.

from LilburnDwellings.com

I'd love to hear from you...

The Real Estate Alchemist, Part III

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:48:25 -0400

This one has been kicking around in my head for a few days. I read this around the same time that I read the info for the previous installments of The Real Estate Alchemist. (I & II). As I read it, it was troubling me. I know that from what I have seen, the limited service brokerages haven't done well for consumers, but here was evidence to the contrary... I had to think a bit...

Here is what started occurring to me...

First, let me toss out a couple of quotes and some links. These are in chronological order as the data has been revisited several times. Also, please note that the market was cruising pretty well during the study period.

The results were striking; Redfin customers paid on average under asking price, whereas customers of all other brokerages paid on average over asking price. The difference in negotiations was .9% of the home price, equivalent in King County to over $4,000, on top of a commission refund of nearly $10,000.

What makes this noteworthy is that the data did not come from Redfin, but from the MLS, from the brokers themselves who contribute to the MLS. Any brokerage can validate the data by following the instructions available in the appendix of our report.

Already, the Seattles Times reviewed the report and picked up the story in yesterday’s big Sunday spread.

Perhaps there is another way to evaluate whether traditional agents negotiate better than Redfin agents; until there is, the most likely conclusion is that Redfin agents negotiate better than their more expensive counterparts. Redfin Blog entry. A year's worth of data...

Publishing MLS data that shows that Redfin got a better deal for buyers than agents at other brokerages sparked a riot yesterday: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. We also showed up in Freakonomics (holy cow!). Redfin Blog entry. Here we stand...

We originally reported that our King County buyers got a final price of 99.329% below list, whereas King County customers of other brokerages paid 100.233% above list. This is factually correct. But one transaction should have been adjusted to account for a commission refund applied to the purchase price, so as to isolate the negotiating capabilities of Redfin and its customers. Making this adjustment leads to an average final price 99.340% below list.

With this adjustment, the negotiating advantage we claimed to be .904% is .893%. This reduces Redfin’s negotiating advantage by $54, from 4,474 to $4,420. This advantage is still financially meaningful and statistically significant, but we are nonetheless unhappy with ourselves for the error. Redfin Blog Entry. OK, we can be moved...

Doesn't look good, does it? I didn't think so. But, then I started thinking. When the smoke cleared, I came up with a list.

How were unrepresented buyers handled in the statistics?
How were other discount broker clients handled?
How were closing costs and other non-price concessions dealt with?

I'm going to handle these one at a time. There are some significant problems here.

How were unrepresented buyers handled in the statistics?

The whole study is about the negotiating ability of Redfin agents v. traditional agents. However, in the methodology, Redfin didn't appear to strip out transactions where the listing agent and selling agent were the same. So, where there was NO agent negotiating on behalf of the buyer, if the price was higher the penalty went to the traditional agent. This could be significant.

How were other discount broker clients handled?

This one is probably a wash, because there could have been discount brokers handling the seller side as well, but Redfin isn't the only discounter in the market, and there are plenty of cases (including within Redfin) where their agent does nothing but present the offer. They don't study the comps, they don't consult on the price... the consumer does all of that. It is an unknowable. It might not have a significant effect... but should be acknowledged.

How were closing costs and other non-price concessions dealt with?

This is the biggest one of these objections to their data. Purchase price doesn't always reflect the cost of the property. In fact, in about 70% of transactions, it doesn't reflect the net price. The most common alteration would come from "seller paids" and the most common of these is closing costs. Of course, it is the first thing that buyers (and even sellers) forget after the sale. Redfin doesn't address how they dealt with it. Almost as a matter of course, I ask for 3% in closing costs for my buyer client. This money will cover things like loan origination fees and other costs. Generally, we try to get any balance over what is needed as a decoration allowance. So, Redfin quotes their advantage as just under 1%. What percentage of costs did they get covered for their buyer? And, what percentage did the other agents get? Did they pay 101% of list but get 3% in costs netted back to the buyer?

The other side of the coin, related but more difficult to track is improvements. For me it has normally come from new home sales, but it has also happened with resales. One of my new home sales was 115% of list price. Looking at that, I must be terrible. But, my clients loaded the house with upgrades. LOADED. In fact, we negotiated the builder down to half price on the upgrade package. We are talking about a savings of $45,000. And the builder kicked in 3% for closing costs and a further 5% for a decorator's allowance. So, the list price was $300,000. The sales price was $345,000. The total without the discounts and allowances was $417,000. But, according to Redfin's methodology, my client didn't get a discount from $417k, but rather an overpayment from $300k. That can be a pretty significant change.

So, I think Redfin needs to go back and look at the data more closely. I would love to have the raw data set to look through. Although, there are the unknowables (in the previously example, the $45,000 in discounts on upgrades would not show up unless one had the contract and the builder's price list), it would give a much better picture. The bottom line is that stats can be manipulated pretty easily to show what the presenter wants to show.

But, I don't know that Redfin really wants to run those numbers...

I'd love to hear from you...

Achieve...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 22:13:35 -0500

Image via Wikipedia

For Christmas, I thought I would talk a little bit about gifts... and one that you might consider giving. Give a kid a Junior Achievement experience. For free...

Yes, I said FREE...

Sure, you can donate some cash to Junior Achievement, but what the kids REALLY need is adults that will come in to the classrooms and deliver the material. Seriously... this takes an hour a week (plus commute time), or just one day if you do the "JA in a Day" program.

There are programs for kids from Kindergarten up through High School. They cover topics ranging from where goods come from to business ethics. For the last two school years I have been presenting a program to 5th graders. It is an amazing amount of fun. And despite what you may hear, the kids are incredibly engaged and curious. We talk about entrepreneurship and how businesses play to their strengths... and how businesses interact with each other.

We have talked about everything from Henry Ford to Phineas & Ferb. The secret seems to be to find things that the kids can identify with (cartoons and cars work for me...) and then use those to bring the lessons home.

But there is another cool secret... The kids will LOVE having you in the class because you are different. You aren't the adults that they see every other day of the school year...

Sure, JA could use a monetary donation, but what the kids REALLY need is you. Business people, entrepreneurs, creative folks. The kids need you to introduce them to business, and show them how people like you make their lives better every single day.

Parents Can Help Delaware Schools by Volunteering with Junior Achievement, Time Says (eon.businesswire.com)
New National Poll: Risk and Failure Top Deterrents for Aspiring Teen Entrepreneurs (prweb.com)

I'd love to hear from you...

Office 2010… FREE…

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:20:44 -0500

I like free stuff. Free stuff is good. Good free stuff is better...

Right now, Microsoft is running BETA tests on MS Office 2010. And it is a public BETA, so ANYONE can download and install the total MS Office suite. This includes:

Word
Excel
PowerPoint
One Note
Outlook
Access
Publisher
InfoPath
SharePoint Workspace
Communicator

This depends on exactly which version you download. I didn't get InfoPath, SharePoint Workspace or Communicator.

And there certainly are some things to keep in mind. To start with, these are only going to run until October

of 2010 (I have been told...). Also, they are BETA releases, and so there may be bugs. Microsoft has some specific instruction for trying it out.

Outlook 2010...

The reason I even ran across this is that I needed a calendar. I have been sifting through a

PILE of calendar solutions over the last couple of weeks and not found a single one I liked as much as my old Outlook Calendar. And I like the new one, too.

I haven't even opened the rest of the software, nor have I set up Outlook to handle my email... I am using Thunderbird 3... but just having the calendar function makes it worthwhile for me.

In the coming weeks I will likely dive into Publisher, and One Note has long been something I like to use with my Tablet PC. I will also try to compare the functionality of Word and Excel to their counterparts in Open Office.

In the mean time, they are free to try.

One last thing to keep in mind, this is a BIG download. Expect it to take quite a while to download...

Here is the download link...

from LaneBailey.info

I'd love to hear from you...

rebarcamp Atlanta... A Date and A Venue...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:09:30 -0400

and a FaceBook Page... and a Twitter Hashtag...

That's right, yesterday on the FaceBook Page for rebcAtlanta, we announced the date and location for the first ever rebarcamp Atlanta.

Friday, October 1st, 2010

CoolRay Field, Home of the Gwinnett Braves

#rebcatl

At the moment, we are putting together the team that will put on the event. The search for sponsors is underway. In the next few days we will roll out registration. It is a busy and exciting time for those of us that have learned so much from rebarcamps and want to extend the reach of the experience.

So, you don't know WHAT rebarcamp is...

Well, to sum it up quickly, it is the unconference. Chaotic, diverse and flexible. It is kind of like the balancing force to all of the seminars and workshops we normally attend. The agenda is literally put together the morning of the event and is largely driven by the attendees.

Rather than having a bunch of one-way presentations from mostly vendors or experts, rebarcamp seeks to have a more interactive experience for the participants. Learning by discussion rather than PowerPoint.

But I'm not a 'Tech Genius'...

That is perfectly ok. There WILL be some bona-fide uber-geeks there. There will also be a lot of folks that don't know Foursquare from Fortran. And it doesn't have to ALL be about technology. The participants will be the ones that will drive the agenda, so whether it is short sales or property marketing, mobile apps or personal branding, Tweet-ups or buyer seminars, it is on the table.

In fact, we are pushing the envelope on the breadth of sessions we will be trying to set up... More on that later.

I saw on the FaceBook Page that you said you were going "Old Skool"...

I was at the original rebarcamp in San Francisco in 2008 (lo, these many years ago). One of the amazing things at that camp was the way it went down. There were no PowerPoint presentations on overhead screens. There were no real 'Presenters'. Rather, it was an amazing peer-to-peer learning experience. It was largely group discussions and a few panel discussions.

Lately, some of the rebarcamps have seemed to adopt the presentation format. There isn't anything wrong with that... in fact, Atlanta's own REtechSouth is an amazing event in its own right, and is very much in the presentation model. But, we are trying to offer something a little different... something more personal.

What is the venue like?

It is a baseball field... We'll be holding break-outs in the batting cages...

Actually, we will be holding up to 10 break-out sessions at a time in the VIP Suites overlooking the ballpark. We will also have the Suite Lounge and Bar as well as a couple of Patios... and if the weather cooperates, we'll be holding the Welcome and Closing sessions out in the stands...

We have the capacity for about 250 people, and the break-outs are designed to be small (only about 20 people). There will be a LOT going on.

What about "Other Stuff"?

I haven't been to a rebarcamp event yet that didn't have a lot of 'social' wrapped up around it. Pre-event mixers, post-event mixers... We'll be working on that, too.

And if you are coming in from out of town, CoolRay Field is only a few minutes from the Mall of Georgia, Lake Lanier and a lot of other entertainment facilities in Gwinnett County... and not that far from downtown Atlanta attractions like the World of Coke, Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center and the Atlanta Zoo...

There are lots of nearby hotels, and we'll be checking into putting together deals for those that might be interested in those accomodations, too. There is even camping ;^)

Stay tuned, there will be a LOT more info coming on #rebcatl. We hope to see you there. Feel free to re-blog this to spread the word!

I'd love to hear from you...

Will the 4.5% 30 year fixed mortgage do the trick?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:01:08 -0500

Something leaked... We don't know who leaked it, but there is a plan being considered by the Treasury Department to give a boost to home sales. Basically, the plan is for the Treasury to push rates down to a target 4.5% for a 30 year fixed mortgage.

From what I am reading around the internet, it would only be for purchases of new or existing homes, not for refis of current loans.

So, let's do a little stacking here...

Ken over at Novation has some 95/5 programs available... so, 100% financing - check
The government is offering a $7500 refundable tax credit for first time home buyers... so, cash for expenses - check
Treasury floating the idea of 4.5% 30 year fixed mortgages... so, butt-kickin' mortgage rate - almost check
I have come across some properties that are offering closing cost money for owner/occupants... so, closing costs paid to reduce cash at closing - check
I am finding properties in Lilburn and the surrounding areas that are well below comps... so, well priced deals - check

Now, we don't know that the Treasury going to work out the 4.5% mortgage deals yet, but we have everything else checked off... and if the 4.5% mortgages DO come through, the best deals are going to disappear even faster. Already I am seeing good deals go under contract is a couple of weeks or less.

So, if you are thinking of buying a home, especially if you are a first time home buyer, we might be hitting a great season to do just that.

Give me a call and let's start your home search. Ken can get you qualified and we can get you into a home before the Superbowl... maybe even in time for a New Year's Party!

from LaneBailey.com

I'd love to hear from you...

Fox 5's iTeam at my listing... updated...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:57:21 -0400

Wow. I don't know what else to say, but... Wow.

Back around the end of June, I found out that the Fox 5 iTeam wanted to shoot a segment in one of my listings, 9010 Brixham Court in Suwanee. At first I only knew that it was about home managers and live in stagers. I found out that they wanted to shoot the positive side of a bad situation...

It was going to air in July, but didn't actually air until the last 10 days.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

And after seeing it, WOW. I am beside myself.

I am quite happy with the home stagers that we have in the property. They are doing a magnificent job of keeping the house ready at all times. They are flexible and responsible. Obviously it isn't that way for everyone.

I knew from the conversations at the house that there was another homeowner/seller, using a different company, that was having a terrible experience. I had NO idea it was going to go where it did.

As a side note, the owner of the other property got someone from Showhomes of Atlanta into her home as a home manager after this was shot. There is no doubt that this is a solid concept... and that I have a good company for my listing.

I'd love to hear from you...

Numero Uno... "Everydog" has his day!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:06:54 -0500

I had a thought (always a danger sign, according to my wife!)...

Practically every real estate agent in the country is number one... #1... in something.

And then, I see in the results of the Westminster Kennel Club Show that for the first time ever (and they had 130 chances before this year), a beagle has won the top honors.

It's about time.

For over 100 years, beagles have been in the top three most popular dogs. And they are everywhere. The beagle is an "Everydog", that icon of normality. To have a beagle, one doesn't need to be royalty, rich, or even have a home. They aren't exotic or rare. In fact, for many people, when they think of a dog, the beagle comes to mind pretty quickly.

They have all of the features people seem to want. They are good natured, playful, and smart. They like to hang out, or go for a jog... especially in the woods. They are low maintenance, but have a high return. Beagles are pretty safe with the kids, but they are courageous.

And they are so flippin' cute, too.

So, there is Uno winning his group...

So, real estate... oh yea...

Uno really is Numero Uno. He is now officially the top dog. As normal as he may seem, he is an exceptional dog. Like many of the best real estate agents, he isn't screaming it from the roof-top. He doesn't have to. He won't tell you he's number one. He'll just keep doing what he did to get there.

So, I'm stretching a little... because I really like beagles, and couldn't let the opportunity pass...

Enjoy the videos, and remember that you might just pass Uno on the street... and never even notice that he is exceptional.

I'd love to hear from you...

7000+ sf Log Home on Lake Lanier

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 13:01:13 -0400

I've been waiting all week to post about this property. It isn't my listing, but I know the sellers, and it is a fabulous home for the right people.

If you are looking for a unique home on Lake Lanier, this might be it. It is a Hearthstone Log Home, with over 7000 square feet on three levels. It also has several acres and several hundred feet of corps line frontage. It is almost like having your own deep woods lodge on the lake. The dock is nestled into a private cove, and a gentle walk down from the house.

There are 5 bedroom and 5 baths. Not only is the master suite on the main, but there is a guest suite there as well. There is also a nice sitting area between the upstairs bedrooms. The sitting area overlooks the two story great room. Without a doubt, this is a stunning home and property.

It is only a few minutes from Gainesville, and convenient to the northern suburbs. It is quite close to Brown's Bridge.

The home is currently listed for $1,995,000.

If you are interested, please give me a call. As I mentioned, this isn't my listing, but I have been to the house a number of times. I know the sellers, and they had this home custom built and have maintained it to a level that will even amaze your home inspector.

I'd love to hear from you...

Looking Out From the Garage

How Good Are YOUR Market Reports?

180* Turn...

8 Cool Tools... Avoid Analysis Paralysis... #6

Al's Saga continues...

Lane's Newest Toy... CCotD

Get out of your mortgage for FREE?!?

Times are tough... scamsters know it, too

Black Friday Shopping? Save $100,000!

The Real Estate Alchemist, Part III

Achieve...

Yes, I said FREE...

Related articles

Office 2010… FREE…

rebarcamp Atlanta... A Date and A Venue...

Will the 4.5% 30 year fixed mortgage do the trick?

Fox 5's iTeam at my listing... updated...

Numero Uno... "Everydog" has his day!

7000+ sf Log Home on Lake Lanier