Exemplary Services

HOA is the problem?

2010-08-29T17:17:00.004-04:00

Home Owners Associations serve a very useful purpose in helping subdivisions and condominium complexes maintain uniformity and desirability by enforcing certain rules for the benefit of all. One of these rules that applies more to condominiums than to single family homes, is a rule that states only a certain portion of the condos in the complex are rentable. The idea is that owners would be

Random Act of Kindness

2010-05-31T23:33:00.000-04:00

In the cold, cruel world of foreclosures, here is an amazing story of a random act of kindness by a Foreclosure Angel.

Home buyer credit back in Gwinnet

2010-05-23T17:49:00.006-04:00

Let's Do Business Gwinnett is offering up to $5000 in down payment incentives and special interest loans as low as 3.49% on select homes and land lots valued up to $205,000 in the Gwinnett county through a coalition of local banks. They are also offering a 6.49% financing on select homes to borrowers that needs time to improve credit. The special interest loans are offerred thru a coalition of

Buying Forclosure Property

2010-01-03T18:07:00.018-05:00

If you are in the market for buying property, there are many advantages available to the fist time home buyers, including incredibly low prices, very low interest rates, the highest affordability and a $8000 Tax Credit. Along with all these advantages, it is hard to ignore the glut of foreclosures that have been priced well below the market rate of comparable homes. However, there are many

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:57:00.003-05:00

Wish every oneA Very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extended

2009-11-12T00:37:00.008-05:00

Realtor.org reports that the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has been Extended for contracts signed through April 30th, 2010 that will close by the end of June. The income limits have been expanded as well to include Single buyers making up to $125,000 and Married Couples making up to $225,000. Additionally, those who are looking to trade up may also qualify, provided they have owned and

Wish every one a Very Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T15:56:00.011-04:00

Today, the 4th of July 2009, we celebrate the independence day. "We the people" are guaranteed certain rights and liberties by the Constitution of the United States of America, to which we ALL should be grateful."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and

Bad advise?

2009-06-04T00:14:00.001-04:00

An article on Realtor.org is reporting that the pending home sales were boosted by record low mortgage interest rates."Record low mortgage interest rates boosted pending home sales for the third consecutive month, with some benefit now from the first-time buyer tax credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®."This is certainly good news just in time for the home buying season.

CDC Federal Credit Union offers $10,000 Mortgage Grant Program for Down-Payment Assistance

2009-06-02T00:22:00.004-04:00

In addition to the $8000 Tax credit offered to first time buyers, CDC Federal Credit Union and Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta has teamed together to offer $10,000 in down-payment assistance for qualified buyers. There are strict income limits in order to qualify, and the buyer must contribute $1000 towards down payment in order to receive assistance of $5000 or put a down payment of $2000 to

Housing blues

2009-05-13T21:58:00.002-04:00

MarketWatch is reporting that four states, Nevada, Florida, California, and Arizona (in order of the number of foreclosures) are the main culprits in dragging down the housing prices. These four states contributed 193,659 of the 342,038 foreclosure filing nationwide. This equates to these four states contributing about 60% of all foreclosures in the nation. Due to these foreclosure issues,

Wish everyone a joyous and peaceful Vesak

2009-05-08T09:47:00.005-04:00

Vesak, which is considered to be the holiest of the Buddhist religious days, signifies the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha, which occurred on the same full moon day (lunar calendar). Vesak is celebrated in a multitude of ways including going to the temple, food offerings, lighting colorful lanterns, meditating in quiet tranquility, enacting plays from Buddhist stories, colorful

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T11:39:00.002-04:00

Cinco de Mayo, is a calibration to commemorate the defeat of French troops in 1862 in Puebla, Mexico. Today, it is a calibration of the Mexican culture with music, food and street parties. For more information on where to celibate Cinco de Mayo, please checkout the following links.Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Atlanta-styleAtlanta Cinco de Mayo

Buy now or wait?

2009-04-30T00:59:00.007-04:00

The real estate market has been in a downward trend for a while and many buyers have been holding out for the market to bottom out. While this is a good strategy, it is worth your while to figure out what its going to cost you to wait for the market to bottom out. Here are my thoughts about it. I want to make the disclaimer that I am not advising you to go out and buy a home. As always, you

This side up!

2009-04-23T22:44:00.004-04:00

Bloomberg is reporting that the home prices rose 0.7% in February, which was preceded by a 1% increase in January. This is the first time home prices have gone up for 2 straight months in almost 2 years. In addition to this, MarketWatch is reporting that the mortgage applications rose 5.3% last week.That was yesterday while I was in the midst of writing up this blog about the January and

Headaches with buying bank owned properties

2009-04-22T00:05:00.002-04:00

Washington Post is running an article that would be an interesting read for any one considering buying foreclosed properties. While there are many good deals to be found, you must have a lot of patience as banks work like banks generally do... Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 5 pm with many bank holidays that most people don't get... add to it that there are practically no incentives for them to

Spring is in the air

2009-04-07T22:24:00.004-04:00

The signs of spring is everywhere... the plants starting to turn green with fresh leaves, Cherry Blossoms starting to bloom, the stock market went up for some time and even the housing market is starting to show signs of life! In a market where some states have seen steep losses, seeing only a -2.4% forecast for Atlanta is definitely good news! Click here to check the Real Estate Forecast for

Rick Santelli vs the "looser home owners"

2009-03-05T23:43:00.008-05:00

Rick Santelli of CNBC expressed his opinion about the bailout of what he called "looser home owners." I have not been a fan of bailouts either, however I cannot agree with his position when the rich are bailed out at the expense of the poor and he is angry at the few bones thrown at bailing out the poor. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander as well!The amount of bias some

Citigroup to give a break to unemployed

2009-03-04T01:09:00.006-05:00

I read this article titled "Citi to Allow Jobless to Pay Less on Loans" on The Wall Street Journal, that would be welcome news to those who have undergone financial hardships in this ugly and uncertain economy. Citigroup's program claims to lower the mortgage payment for those who have lost their jobs and are at least 60 days behind on mortgage payment. The offer applies only to loans serviced

First time buyer incentives abound

2009-03-01T23:51:00.011-05:00

There are numerous advantages to purchasing a home this year. In addition to the low interest rates, high levels of offordability, and incredible deals due to the financial crisis, there is an additional $8000 or 10% of purchase price (which ever is less) tax credit for first time home buyers. In order to qualify for the tax credit, you would not have owned a home for the past three years, and

Snow in Suwanee

2009-03-01T19:18:00.005-05:00

We have been pretty lucky to have a mild winter so far. It rarely snows in Atlanta and the first snow of winter fell today to remind us that the winter isnt over yet! Here are some pictures I took from the Sims Lake Park in Suwanee.StreamHiking TrailSmall Pond

House Designs

2009-02-25T23:48:00.004-05:00

When it comes designing houses, people come up with ideas as diverse as the universe itself. Here are some interesting ones I saw on youtubeGoing green? Here is a guy that is making Recycled HomesAnd homes that the big bad wolves dream of blowing downHere is an interesting Sliding HouseThis is a nicely built cave house, but unfortunately being foreclosed.

Can you change the world?

2009-02-21T19:15:00.009-05:00

Can you change the world? Can a single person determined to make a change for the better succeed in a world full of obstruction and negativity? More importantly, what if you were to believe the world of negativity that you cannot make a difference and join the self defeating ideas of a world asleep? Surely, you would have lost even before you ever started. However, if you believe you can give

Atlanta Properties Group

2009-02-17T20:11:00.004-05:00

Today I swithed to a different broker; Atlanta Properties Group. Keller Williams Realty has served me well, but I decided it was time to try out a different broker in order to find a broker close to where I am. I believe Atlanta Properties Group is well positioned to help me serve my clients in the best possible ways.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T17:25:00.004-05:00

February 14th marks a day set aside for the lovers and the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of valentines... but the history of the Valentines day is far more amusing when you look at its history. According to the Wikiedia, the Valentine's Day was originally a pagan festival that was renamed after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. Yes, you read that right! If you want to

What are banks doing with the bailout money?

2009-02-12T00:39:00.009-05:00

Many have been wandering what the banks are doing with the bailout money as they seem to be hoarding it, instead of helping to ease the credit crunch. In this article titled "Bank CEOs flogged in Washington" CNN is reporting the CEOs of 8 top banks being questioned by the law makers for the unwillingness to lend to consumers. So, the real question that we have to ask as tax payers is "what are

Bottom in sight?

2009-02-11T08:00:00.016-05:00

Lately, I have seen a number of articles looking for a bottom in real estate. I tend to agree since we have been in a recession for well over a year, housing affordability is better than ever, along with lower mortgage rates and the government taking corrective action in multiple fronts. Although I dont have a crystal ball, I believe there are many reasons to expect the prices to stabilize in

Free markets not so free

2009-01-31T23:01:00.011-05:00

I had to wait in line for little over half an hour today to return my Charter cable TV receiver and modem. Our bill for cable TV and internet jumped from the $79 promo to $140 at which time I decided to switch to DirectTV ($39) and naked DSL (without a voice line) from AT&T ($37). I also subscribe to VOIP phone service through Packet8 for $20 a month. These 3 services from 3 different vendors

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-25T22:33:00.005-05:00

The Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of the year 4706 in Chinese calendar, begins on the 26th of January 2009. According to the Chinese Zodiac, this is the year of the Ox, which signifies prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Taipei Economic and Cultural Office is hosting a 2-day New Year celebration festival from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, on January 31- February 1 at 5377 New

Every "drunk" has his day!

2009-01-25T21:29:00.009-05:00

We have all heard of research articles that keeps popping up every now and then about how wine is good for your heart. 60 Minutes ran a story about a substance found in red wine called resveratrol that could prevent a number of age related illnesses. In the CBS article, "Fountain Of Youth In A Wine Rx?", Dr. Christoph Westphal of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc states that it maybe possible to slow

Inspirational Videos

2009-01-24T01:36:00.010-05:00

A few days ago, an African American man achieved the highest position in the most powerful nation in the world; the thought of which was just a dream less than 50 years ago. The power of the human spirit is amazing. If you really want something, it is truly within your grasp, if and only if you really, really want it, and are willing to work for it. Looking into the world of business, here

A unique day in history

2009-01-20T21:15:00.010-05:00

President Barrak Hussein Obama took oath as the 44th president of the United State of America today, marking a historic event in many ways than one. This day is living proof of the American and the human dream that every man is created equal, should be judged only by their actions, without prejudice, and not by any superficial features. This wondrous day has come to America, peacefully, through

Foreclosures rise in Gwinnett

2009-01-11T21:58:00.006-05:00

The number of foreclosures recorded in the Gwinnett Daily Post's legal section for the Gwinnett county has hit an all time high of 1,685 properties. These properties will be auctioned at the county courthouse next month. Even though you may be able to find a good deal, buying foreclosure properties has its own set of pitfalls. If you are considering buying foreclosure properties at auctions,

HBO secures rights to Presidential inaugural ceremony

2009-01-08T20:12:00.009-05:00

HBO has secured rights to telecast the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony for an undisclosed sum. HBO is claiming that they are working with Cable and Satelite providers to make the service available to the public for free, but this remainst to be seen. It is sad that such public events are up for the grabs to the highest bidder. From what I gather from the Wikipedia, inaugural ceremonies are

U.S. household debt decreases

2009-01-08T18:55:00.005-05:00

The Wallstreet Journal is reporting that the U.S. household debt declined in the third quarter of 2008 for the first time since The Federal Reserve started tracking it in 1952. The article states that the consumer spending groweth also declined for the first time in 17 years, painting a grim outlook for the future by focusing on 2 families that have been forced to save due to job losses. Being

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T09:38:00.006-05:00

Wish everyone a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year! I was out on vacation in Daytona Beach over the new years eve and got back home late last night. Having lived close to the ocean in San Diego, the urge to go to the beach became too intense to resist :-) The weather was pretty nice, but the water was a bit too chilly to take a dip in the Atlantic."A loving atmosphere in your home is the

$50 Raffle for a Million $ house

2008-12-30T13:06:00.011-05:00

I was watching Market Watch on CNBC and saw this story about a home owner's quest for selling his house in this tough market. Instead of selling the house, he is raffling it off for $50 a ticket. That is a pretty enterprising idea when the credit markets have dried up and buyers are being cautious of buying high end homes.If you ever wanted to buy a million dollar home for $50, here is your

Wishing every one a Very Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T16:54:00.005-05:00

Wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Georgia

2008-12-16T22:17:00.004-05:00

Georgia generally doesn't have a white Christmas, but it makes up for it by having many places where you can go to see beautifully decorated Christmas lights. Enchanted Garden of Lights at the Rock City is worth the 4-5 hour drive, especially if you combine it with visiting the underground water fall, Ruby Falls as well. Lake Lanier Islands and Stone Mountain Park are also very nice attractions

Low interest rates

2008-12-14T22:42:00.006-05:00

I have been getting e-mails from builders and lenders advertising ridiculously low interest rates. I have received interest rates as low as 4.75% for a 30 year fixed, and some even giving added incentives of lowering the rate to 2.75% for the first year, 3.75% for the 2nd year, and a fixed rate of 4.75% thereafter. With the home prices and interest rates down to historic low levels, it looks

A lesson in Psychology

2008-12-14T16:42:00.004-05:00

My wife alerted me to this interesting article that she was given to read, and to write an essay based on it for her psychology class. She was pretty impressed about it as it had made an impression on her, and wanted to test it out on me. As I got to the second printed page, I made a comment that she interpreted as I "got it.""Most cultures exhibit a particular configuration or style. A single

Christmas Party/ Families First Charity!

2008-12-11T00:07:00.002-05:00

In the spirit of Christmas, The Atlanta New In Town Meetup Group is hosting a Christmas party by sponsoring a family through Families First, and giving gifts to the deserving family. The party is to be held on the 12th of December, and is a way for the new in towners to come together for a good cause. For more information, please visit their web site.

A cheesy bailout

2008-12-10T23:02:00.008-05:00

With all the stories of the banker bailouts and the auto bailouts comes this humorous story of the Italian government bailing out the cheese makers! It looks like bailing out these cheese manufacures is of national interest to Italy, akin to the bailing out of the bankers and auto manufactures here in the USA.At least the Italian government is going to get a lot of cheese for this... while we

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir

2008-12-07T22:35:00.004-05:00

BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest stone and marble Vedic Hindu Temple in the USA. It is located at 460 Rockbridge Road NW, Lilburn, GA 30047 and is a beautiful structure with very intricately carved white marble from the ceiling to floor! If you havent visited yet, it is definitely worth your time and is a must see place in Atlanta.

Simple projects for selling your home

2008-12-07T07:58:00.004-05:00

It is important to give your home a good curb appeal, especially if you are planning to sell your home. It is definitely a buyers market and the sellers have to work much harder to sell their home when there are so many options available to the buyer. In this market, the seller has to try make the home as desirable as possible; if you find your home very appealing, so will a prospective buyer.

World of Robotics

2008-12-06T12:22:00.005-05:00

With all the ongoing discussions of auto bailouts, it is interesting to see how the automotive robots are fast replacing the human workers. Once a work flow is designed, it is pretty much repetitive work that can be automated. This work flow has been automated through the use of robotics for not only its cost savings, but also in order to achieve a higher degree of precision, reliability and

Dont be a sucker!

2008-12-03T22:42:00.002-05:00

I received a letter from a company named National Deed Service, Inc. informing me of the importance of obtaining a Certified copy of the deed, and that they can get me that certified copy for a fee of $59.50 and $20 extra for a 2nd copy. While having a certified copy of the deed is useful, you shouldnt have to pay $59.50 get it. If you are willing to go to the court house in your county, you

One life to live

2008-11-29T18:34:00.007-05:00

My heart goes out to those affected by the terror attacks in Mumbai, India. Terrorism of any sort is a sheer display of pure cowardice by extremists trying to further their claims, without regard to the rights of innocent people. Control at gun point is certainly not the quality of a leader, but that of a coward, who is fully aware of it; so they must hide behind a religion or some other agenda

Thanksgiving treat

2008-11-22T14:05:00.003-05:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced that they will be halting foreclosures from November 26, 2008 until January 9, 2009. The six week suspension of foreclosures will allow those facing foreclosure to retain their homes while Fannie and Freddie work on unveiling a streamlined loan modification program to be unveiled on the 15th of December. For more details, please read the announcements from

Thanksgiving

2008-11-19T23:01:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is a time for families and friends to come together to share in the fun and festive times. Atlanta has many new in towners and if you happen to be one of them, and wandering what to do for the Thanksgiving in a new city with no friends or relatives, you are just in luck. A group of nice and friendly people are getting together to host a Thanksgiving

Runoff Elections

2008-11-17T21:48:00.001-05:00

Gwinnett County General Runoff Election will be held on the 2nd of December, 2008, between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. For those that would like to take advantage of early voting, you may do so from the 17th of November to the 26th of November. According to the Gwinnett county web site, Georgia voters no longer need a reason for voting prior to election day.

Sweet Home not so sweet

2008-11-13T21:49:00.002-05:00

Just read this amazing story about a woman in Sweet Home, Oregon, who lost $400K to a "Nigerian scam". Going against everyone's advice, she had been adamantly pursuing a get rich quick scheme to get her share of $26.6 million in exchange for helping a long-lost relative. The con artists had her believing FBI Director "Robert Muller" and President Bush were in on the deal as well!

Help to ease foreclosure pain

2008-11-12T07:42:00.003-05:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac unveiled a plan to help struggling home owners reduce their payments in an attempt to reduce rising foreclosures. Separately, Citigroup plans to expand its Citi Homeownership Assistance Program to help troubled home owners keep their homes. Read my previous article about Foreclosure Prevention for more information about what other help is available.Act Now to Avoid

Congratulations President-Elect Barak Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden!

2008-11-05T01:17:00.007-05:00

Let me join in with millions of Americans in congratulating you on becoming the 44th president of the USA. People of diverse backgounds, despite obvious differences in race, color, creed, age groups, and beliefs, came together to vote for you with one voice, for the hope of a better tomorrow. Your victory is an inspiration to all, and living proof that the American Dream is well and alive.

The Last Chance

2008-11-03T08:18:00.007-05:00

Here is the story of a Real American, who unlike Joe the Plumber, faught the war in Iraq when asked, without question, and kept a blog of his life story. This is the Real American that we should be talking about, not a Joe Blow the Plumber! Continuing on the Bush's footsteps, here is the story of students being escorted from a McCain campaign event to the tune of Minority Report, a 2002 movie

Cast your vote

2008-10-28T08:51:00.033-04:00

The poll booths are now open and we should all try our best to cast our vote. Not doing so is a waste of your rights, and an irresponsibility not only to your own future, but to that of future generations as well. It has become exceedingly clear that it is our only weapon against self centered, mediocre leadership. All I have seen with the McCain campaign is primarily negative ads highlighting

Home sales improve in September

2008-10-25T08:46:00.006-04:00

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) report that existing home sales improved slightly in September by 5.5% and the total inventory has fallen by 1.6%. According to NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, low home prices and low interest rates have been attracting buyers and this is the first time since November 2005 that home sales have been above year-ago levels. However, NAR chief economist

Marina’s 'fall festival' for a good cause Saturday Oct 25th 12-6PM

2008-10-23T19:14:00.004-04:00

Come and enjoy music, food, hay rides, a boat show and lots of fun activities for the kids, while helping a good cause. The fundraiser will help Lesli Smith, a real estate agent with Keller Willaims Realty, fight her battle against cancer. The event will be held at the Aqualand Marina, 6800 Lights Ferry Road, Flowery Branch, GA 30542. Read more about the event at the Gainesville Times

Sugar Hill Festival

2008-10-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

City of Sugar will be celebrating the 8th Annual Sugar Hill Fall Festival on the 25th Saturday of October 2008. Plan for an exciting fun filled day with food, rides and a Car and Motorcycle show. You can also be a part of a good cause by choosing to participate in the food drive. Please visit the City of Sugar Hill web site for more details.

Sims Lake Park

2008-10-18T18:45:00.001-04:00

Sims Lake Park is now open and is a welcome addition to Suwanee's commitment to providing a quality life style through its Open Space Initiative. It is a very tranquil park with a 7 acre lake and 1.2 mile hiking trail, a playground for kids and a picnic pavilion. This adds yet another reason to why Suwanee was chosen to be the 10th in the list of Top 100 Best Places to Live by the Money

Swanee Day

2008-10-18T17:08:00.000-04:00

Suanee Day was held today at the Suwanee’s Town Center Park. It turned out to be a beautiful day with sunny blue skies, lots of entertainment with music, and a variety of food.

Open House 10/18-10/19 in Ellijay

2008-10-16T00:17:00.000-04:00

I will be hosting an open house this Sunday the 19th in Ellijay for Cindy (Listing Agent), who will be available on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Coincidentally, it also turns out to be the Georgia Apple Festival, held at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairground. So take some time off to enjoy the short scenic drive to the North Georgia Mountains and check out these beautiful homes at

Happy Meal or Home?

2008-10-06T08:36:00.000-04:00

MSNBC is running a story about a Chicago resident, Joanne Smith, who won an e-bay auction for an abandoned home in Saginaw, MI for $1.75! Yes, thats cheaper than a Happy Meal! Seller probably forgot to put a minimum bid!

Is America worth more dead than alive?

2008-10-05T15:07:00.002-04:00

I ran across this blog about Credit Default Swaps, and another titled A Credit Default Swap Primer, which led me to raise the above question. Imagine the game the short sellers could/would/have played naked shorting stocks that they have taken CDSs for. If, as the articles mention, there are $58 Trillion of CDSs to insure the $6 Trillion of US corporate debt, there seem to be a lot of

Deal Reached on $700 Billion Bailout Plan

2008-09-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

Just read on Seeking Alpha that the arrangements have been made to take the cow to the slaughter house.

$700 Billion Bailout

2008-09-28T11:03:00.000-04:00

I have been reading about the $700 Billion bailout issue and been pondering about it for a while. The more I think about it, the less it makes sense to me. The government wants to buy foreclosed homes from banks and hold on to them till the market improves. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this not a plan to help the foreclosure crisis. Its a plan to help the corporations write

How to improve your credit score

2008-09-01T21:29:00.000-04:00

Your credit score is an important measure of how well you manage your fiances. This is important to a lender because they expect you to make good on your promise to payback the money you borrow, with interest in a timely manner. It should be very important to you as well, because the higher your credit score, lower the risk to a lender, which translates into better loan terms for you. The

Open House (8/17/08) at 2-4 PM

2008-08-13T00:36:00.000-04:00

I will be hosting an open house this Sunday the 17th from 2 PM to 4 PM at the Wild Timber subdivision in Sugar Hill. The address is 376 Westwater Ridge, Sugar Hill, GA 30518Beautiful home in sought after Wild Timber. Huge, private, wooded flat yard. Very large kitchen. Open floor plan. Finished basement with bar & media room. Large master suite. Room for a 7th bedroom. Lots of trim, on a

$7500 Tax Credit for purchase of a new home

2008-08-10T02:38:00.000-04:00

As part of the economic stimulus bill that was signed by the president early this month, a $7500 "tax credit" is available to first time home buyers who purchase a new home between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009. This is not a rebate or a tax deduction, but rather an interest free loan that must be paid back over a period of 15 years. Interesting choice of words, I must say. However, an

Fair Housing

2008-07-27T12:50:00.000-04:00

Fair Housing Acts prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, or familial status in real estate transactions involving residential property. It is sad that it has to be written up as a law, rather than us realizing for ourselves that it is wrong to discriminate in the first place. Some of the noted forms of violations as it applies to real estate

Foreclosure Prevention

2008-07-07T21:56:00.002-04:00

Foreclosure is a process through which a lender can recover the loan by taking ownership of the property used to secure the loan if the borrower defaults in making payments.A property goes into pre-foreclosure when the lender files a public notice of default after a borrower defaults on the loan payment. During pre-foreclosure, the borrower has the right of redemption within a grace period

Independence Day

2008-07-03T21:47:00.000-04:00

On the 4th of July 2008, we celebrate the 232nd occasion of The Declaration of Independence from the British which occurred on July 4, 1776. This certainly is a great cause for celebration, as we all are grateful for the fruitful lives we enjoy today due to the sacrifices made by those before us. This is also a time for us to think of our own independence; independence from debt, which leads to

Should I buy or rent?

2008-06-22T09:58:00.000-04:00

If you are in it for the long term, this is a great time to buy with the low interest rates and dropping home prices. However, the decision to buy or rent should be based on many factors such as your financial stability, stability of your job and what stage of life you are in. In a nutshell, buying may be a good option for you if you have a steady income and a stable life and would like to plan

What to do about high gas prices

2008-06-08T23:18:00.001-04:00

The price of gas has been going up too much too fast. The pain at the pump is starting to affect people to the point of having to worry about gas thieves as illustrated by this story. Here is a car that that 157 miles to the gallon, and is affordable. Hope this will come to the USA soon.Lowest Gas Prices in Buford, Cumming, Duluth, Johns Creek, Norcross,

Would I get a better deal from a builder without an agent since they don't have to pay the agent?

2008-06-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

This is a very good and valid question to ask; after all, if a buyer can avoid the 3% or so paid to the selling broker, shouldn’t the buyer be able to negotiate for that much less? At first glance, it would seem like a good assumption to make.As much as this seems to make sense, this is not the way it works in real estate. The reason has to do with how the commission for selling is set aside,

Who are you? A Client or a Customer?

2008-06-07T16:47:00.001-04:00

To those not familiar with the real estate law, the words Client and Customer may mean the same. However, these two words have a huge difference to the real estate law and how the Fiduciary Duties of an agent is determined.A customer is simply a buyer that an agent may offer assistance to make his or her purchase. A salesman at a clothing store, assisting a buyer with the purchase of a suit is a

Exclusive vs. Non Exclusive agreement

2008-06-06T07:17:00.001-04:00

When you enlist the services of a Real Estate agent in Georgia, you will be asked to sign one of two forms; either an Exclusive or Non Exclusive agreement. The Georgia Real Estate Law requires that one of these two forms be signed prior to buyer representation, which determines the capacity at which a real estate agent owes his or her Fiduciary Duties to a Client or a Customer. You are a Client

Agent Compensation

2008-06-06T06:42:00.000-04:00

The question of who compensates for the buyers agent is well understood, except under very rare and unusual circumstances that can easily be avoided. It is always advantageous for a buyer to enlist the services of an agent rather than buying on your own, because an agent is experienced in the process and knows how to protect you and give you advice about unforeseen circumstances.There are

Agent, Broker, what’s the difference?

2008-06-05T22:59:00.000-04:00

A real estate agent is one who has obtained a real estate salesperson's license and works under a broker. A broker is an experienced real estate agent that has obtained a brokers license. Only a broker is allowed to operate a brokerage company and every real estate brokerage company has a managing broker. The listing agent is an agent acting on behalf of a seller, after having entered into an

Living Frugally

2008-06-01T19:44:00.000-04:00

Unless you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth, we all have to learn to live frugally. The sooner we come to terms with it, the better. This is even more pronounced now with the down turn in housing due to foreclosures, and the rising cost of everything due to high energy costs. What I write here are things that we all know about intrinsically, but fail to recognize some times, because