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Lilburn, GA Real Estate News

By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
'tis the season for 10 Best Posts.  They are everywhere.  Here two...  Maybe I could even do a "10 Best of the 10 Bests" post...  (that might be going too far)  I think these are my 10 Best Favorite Posts for 2009...  From LaneBailey.com Think you have time to mull over that house buying decision for weeks? Cheap Sex and Real Estate... My home is worth what? Can a $29,000 Home be overpriced? Where in the World is Lilburn, GA? And from ActiveRain/GwinnettGarageGuy.com The best agent to use is the one that tells me the highest price I turned down a listing today... because it was the right thing to do...  Thomas Edison, Kids' Hockey and Failure... Lesson? Absorption Rate?  What is this all about? What IS the value of an Open House? All of these posts were from Calendar Year 2009.  For the...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Keeping the theme from yesterday regarding improvements and their return on investment, I thought I might mention a few upgrades/improvements that can be done on a budget AND that will add value to your home.  The following links ARE affiliate links to Amazon.  Most of these products can also be found at your local Home Depot or Lowes store.  Let's start with the floor.  When there aren't any cars in the (hopefully) clean garage, that floor is awfully big.  To make it look nice, an epoxy coat is a great addition.  Regular floor paints do NOT stand up to hot tires.  Epoxy, IF APPLIED CORRECTLY, will stand up to hot tires and a lot of other things...  There are several products from Valspar and Rustoleum that fit the bill.  And while the products may say they cover up to 400 square feet, ...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Without a doubt, EVERYONE is looking for a deal if they are in the real estate market.  Barely a day goes by that I don’t get a call asking me about foreclosures and short sales. Image via  Wikipedia However, those aren’t always the best deals.  In fact, on foreclosures I have seen multiple properties go above list… and in some cases higher than they should have gone.  At the same time I have seen private party sales that went at great prices.  Short sales still seem unwilling to close in most cases. Regardless, those that move boldly AND logically are the ones that will be the winners. Take a look at this post from December 12, 2008.  While the average value in much of Gwinnett County has dropped 6% or so… people that bought last year when there was little activity in the foreclosure ...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
And more importantly, why does it matter?  A little about Lilburn... Lilburn is a little city in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA, in southern Gwinnett County.  It is the home of Parkview High School and Berkmar High School.  And while the City of Lilburn has about 11,000 people (as of the 2000 Census... it has grown since then), there are a couple time that many people with a Lilburn mailing address.  In fact, the most recent numbers show over 53,000 people residing in 30047, Lilburn's ZIP code.  The City of Lilburn was founded by the Seabord Airline Railway in 1890, but it was previously called McDaniel (until around 1900).  It was renamed in honor of Lilburn Trigg Myers, a Superintendent of the railroad, and incorporated on July 27th, 1910.  In the 1920s, Lilburn suffered a devastating fir...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
This morning my wife woke me up to tell me that her desktop computer wouldn't turn over.  She pushed the button, and nothin'... It is old, and although it has had a little bit of updating, it isn't going to get much money input because it just isn't worth it.  We knew it was likely a power supply.  They don't cost much, but sometimes when you have to get something quickly, and local is the only option... prices seem to get a little higher.  Off we went to HL Computers in Lilburn.  They actually rebuilt her computer a few years ago.  She set the computer on the work table, and 8 minutes later we were pretty sure it was the power supply (they plugged one in to test it).  A couple more minutes and we had a power supply...  $29.  The best price I could find in an online search (without spen...
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By Kathy Nielsen, Atlanta Georgia Home Stager
(http://atlantahomestaging.net)
Home Staging Metro Atlanta Saturday, I had an appointment in Rex, Ga. Last week it was Lilburn and another apointment in Stone Mountain. Today, we're staging a home in Decatur.  While we've staged many homes in Atlanta, we've had the good fortune of staging many for homeowners who live in metro Atlanta. No worries, we cater to all. Speaking of Lilburn, here are a few of the after photos: Home Staging Lilburn, Georgia To see more Home Staging after pictures visit our Atlanta Home Staging gallery of photos.
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
One of the things that I learned in the retail management world was that customer service is perceived VERY differently on the other side of the counter.  And it doesn't matter which side of the counter you were on... the person on the other side of the counter might not have an easy time seeing your side...  My photo lab ran in excess of 95% on-time orders.  Literally, several hundred rolls of film on an average day, and there might have been a dozen that weren't ready on time for whatever reason...  95% looks pretty good.  99% looks even better. I felt pretty good...  But what about the person on the other side of the counter?  If THEIR roll was late, that was 100% of THEIR experience.  They didn't know that 200 other rolls were on-time.  And they didn't care.  Maybe this person had b...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
One area of consumer confusion revolves around the use of the words Client and Customer in regards to a real estate transaction.  And there are some VERY important differences between the two.  Let's start with the basics...(this applies specifically to GA, but might be true in some other states) What is a Client? A Client in a real estate transaction is the person that a particular agent represents.  That means the client has a written contract with the agent to represent the Client's best interests.  In essence, the agent is required to put the best interests of the client above their own.  They are also acting at the direction of the Client. There are some situations where the direction of the client might be contrary to the law... in those cases, the agent MUST follow the law. What ...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I was talking with one of my mortgage guys a few days ago, and the subject of mortgage timelines came up… and there is still time to get your dream home for the holidays…  OK, not Thanksgiving… but Christmas is still possible for a few days… New Year’s is possible for about a week. Image via Wikipedia But think about this for a minute… You could start the New Year with a New Home… Happy New Home! Don’t forget, there are a couple of presents that you might find under your tree… Uncle Sam is giving a First Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit of up to $8000 or Move Up Buyer’s Tax Credit up to $6500. Uncle Sam also has favorable treatment for mortgage interest…  It is deductible for many home owners, and can results in a tax savings. Don’t worry, Ken Cook & I have something to put in the stocking,...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
A few days ago I wrote about how the purchase offering process is having issues… issues that are especially apparent on Bank-Owned Properties (we call them REOs). Banks are often requiring that ALL offers be accompanied by pre-qualification letters from specific approved lenders (perhaps even from their own loan department).  In other cases, the brokers representing the properties are interjecting this “requirement” on their own. This morning, local (and nationally syndicated) radio talk show host, Clark Howard mentioned one of the reasons that these things chap my hide.  The specific reason he doesn’t like them is that the “credit pulls” for the pre-qualifications can actually damage the credit of the offeror (buyer).  It isn’t one or two credit pulls that will likely be a problem (unl...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit isn't just for First Time Home Buyers anymore.  Previously the credit only applied to purchasers that hadn't owned a home during the previous 36 months, and that restriction still applies for crediting the full $8000.  Here is a little bit about the old credit.  The new credit was expanded: It is still 10% of the purchase price, up to $8000 for first time buyer and up to $6500 for move-up buyers. The income limits have been raised from $75,000 up to $125,000 for singles or $225,000 for couples. The deadline is now April 30th, 2010 to be under contract, with closing to be completed by June 30th. Purchase price must be under $800,000.  That might seem like a long time, but lending guildelines have become a bit more snug, and even with the additional fi...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Clark Howard was talking about this a couple of days ago, and Fox News is talking about it today.  And it doesn't involve a pole... Foreclosure Stripping... In effect, some folks that are losing their homes are "fighting back" in their own little way.  Prior to departure, these folks are looking to get as much cash from the house as they can before they are out. They are removing items from the home and selling them via Craigslist and other means: Appliances Countertops Cabinetry Flooring Light fixtures Wiring Plumbing... including copper pipes Wood from the deck Most of us in real estate have been in a house like this.  The refrigerator, dishwasher, stove and a bunch of light fixtures are gone.  In some cases it might be legal... in other cases, the home owner might be committing a cri...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I'm making some modifications to another one of my websites...  This is when it would be really nice to have a staff like the AR folks to design scripts to convert terms and so forth with the theme change.  But the end product will be worth it.  And yes, this is a tease... Here are some of the ingredients... I am ready to make a change on my WordPress site... Brad and Bobby Carroll (Dakno Marketing) have made a very good point that sites need to carry a brand identity... I have a LOT of content and I would like for more of it to be "caught" by site visitors... Posterous.  WordPress.  Joomla.  RocketTheme.  Flickr.  Twitter.  YouTube.  FaceBook. Are you curious?  I am...  
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
AgainWell, yes, you can.  The question is "Should you?" There are a few things to keep in mind as you decide about timing on purchases using the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit (up to $8000)... and Move Up Buyers Tax Credit( up to $6500).  How is the inventory in your local market?  Will it be going up or down over the next several months?  Here in the Atlanta area, inventories generally increase in the spring and decrease around the holidays.  This means that there are more homes to choose from during the spring and early summer.  What about buyer competition?  Will there be more buyers competing for the available properties in the future? Suppy and demand has two variables.  Demand is the other one.  Here in the Atlanta area, there are generally more buyers in the market during earl...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
One of the things that is challenging for families selling homes is dealing with toys and other things that clutter up the house. We still have to live in the home, but we also need to make it attractive for buyers. In the video are some great tips for accomplishing both goals. We can even do this in the garage... same idea, we still need to be able to work on the toys, but we need to keep it neat and presentable. from LaneBailey.com
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
We are thinking about migrating to the Clear Internet plan.  they are running a special for two devices at $50/month.  We could have home and mobile internet...  The Home package is supposed to run between 6 - 12 Mbps.  The local computer store that we use is running on clear and even though there are officially on the edge of the service area they are running around 6 Mbps.  The Mobile device will run up to 4 Mbps.  That is easily in the 4G realm...  The biggest downfall we see is coverage outside of the Atlanta Metro.  We would love to be able to take the home modem with us in order to fire up the network when we are on vacation.    So, what I am wondering is if any of you are currently using Clear, and what your experience has been... 
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Do you know what those initials (FTHBTC) stand for?  First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit... If you aren't already familiar with it, it might be gone before you get a chance to get more familiar...  It is currently slated to expire at the end of November.  And the clock is ticking.  In a nutshell, the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is the governments way to push a few first time home buyers (people that haven't owned a home for 36+ months) off of the fence and get them buying sooner rather than later.  It is $8000, in form of a refundable tax credit, for those targeted buyers if they buy a qualifying home.. and don't earn over the income caps.  There are a LOT of posts written about the tax credit... this post is about the clock.  Or calendar, rather.  While talking with one of my "Go To"...
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By Buddy Snipes
(Trusted Agent, Inc.)
While I don't generally serve the Lilburn area, I do have a lot of friends there. I just thought I would post this chart of average homes sales prices for the area. The info is captured straight from Georgia MLS. It's hard to come up with an intepretation of the data. It's all over the place so take it for what it is: just raw data.
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Have you heard about Fusion 41?  Ford is grabbing a handful of social media and leveraging it to promote the 2010 Ford Fusion. I'll give you the link to check out the contest.  It is pretty cool.  Go buy a 2010 Fusion, grab a few friends and have some fun.  BTW, I'll be happy to be on a team if you have the car... ;^ ) The Fusion 41 from LaneBailey.com
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
My son's Kindergarten teacher and some of his classmates families gathers this morning at the Movie Tavern at Northlake Festival in Tucker.  It is right by Northlake Mall... look for the giant tower in the parking lot.  The reason for the gathering was Flapjacks and Flicks (pdf) and Where the Wild Things Are...  On the menu is a drink and unlimited pancakes...  The price is reasonable... considering the breakfast involved.  We each had a couple of plates of pancakes (3 pancakes a plate), and a fairly big soft drink.  The pancakes were pretty good.  Now, I am a "popcorn and barrel of Coke" kind of guy when it comes to a movie... but I also haven't been doing a lot of 9:00am movies.  It was a great experience... and the 5 year old was pretty calm... I'll take that as a testament to his fu...
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