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Lilburn, GA Real Estate News

By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I just got the confirmation from Corey at Garner Creek at Parkview.  We are going to be presenting a seminar and discussion about Active Rain, blogging and Social Networking at GarnerCreek at Parkview in Lilburn on Thursday, August 27th.  The program will start at 11:00am, and lunch will follow at Noon.  I'm pretty excited.  This was one of the first things I thought about when I entered the Ambassador Program here at Active Rain.  There is so much great information here, and getting the word out has been a priority for me for a long time.  I have often referred to blogging at the centerpiece of a solid Social Networking plan, and I think that Active Rain is a great place to do that blogging.  We'll only have about an hour, and I want to make sure that there is plenty of time for questi...
Comments 10
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
The "Lunch Lady" did NOT have an easy job.  One of the reasons that I embarked on my career in real estate is that I wanted to be able to spend more time IN the lives of my children.  And today has definitely been a rung in that ladder.  I volunteered to help the small kids with lunch at Arcado Elementary School in Lilburn, GA.  Basically, the kindergartners need a little wrangling as they go through the lunch line.  And it is kind of like herding cats... cats that don't really know what they want to eat, but have a plethora of choices in front of them... and, since they are cats kindergartners, they can't read.  Which led me to a few thoughts...  First, though, let me quickly run through the options for today: Milk Skim Milk Chocolate Milk Strawberry Milk Water Orange Juice Peas Carrot...
Comments 7
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Back a few months ago, my neighbor had a large tree come down in his yard.  Several of us came out to give him a hand.  To start with, the tree needed to get out of the street.  And then it needed to get down to a managable size to deal with.  In all, I think there were four or five chainsaws running until things were cleaned up.  When I started, my chain was dull...  Like "I wish I could be sharp like a butter knife" dull.  DULL.  I needed to take care of that.  I dropped into Total Power, picked up a new chain and left the old one to be sharpened.  I got to say hello to more than one of my neighbors that was doing the same thing.  In fact, folks that had trees down all over the Lilburn, GA area were there getting chains sharpened, getting new saws or picking up other supplies.  I had ...
Comments 4
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
It was one of the first clear words from our oldest son...  OK, it wasn't that clear, but we knew what he meant...  Boosters... I mean Bruster's... After a game at Parkview, a lap around the Mountain Park Park or even a hike up to the top of Stone Mountain, what could be better than a scoop from Bruster's?  Not much...  Ice cream rocks!  And getting it from the window, hanging out with friends and enjoying a waffle bowl with a giant scoop absolutely rocks.  My favorite location is the one of Five Forks Trickum Rd.  It is less than three miles from the house, and right in the middle of so many things our family does.  And the ice cream is SO good.  When my mother comes into town, there are two things she wants to do... a Braves game (she is now really liking the Gwinnett Braves even more...
Comments 4
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I was talking with a client last night... a first time home buyer.  He wants to take advantage of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit (FTHBTC).  As we were looking through the results, one thing became VERY clear...  In the price range, foreclosures and short sales dominate the market.  Of 40 listings, there were about 6 that weren't short sales or foreclosures.  Of those 34, about 22 of them were short sales.  And he doesn't want to get involved in a process that could end up with him missing the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit by a few days because the bank just doesn't care about a schedule.  So, all of those properties were cut in the first round...  This brings up two points...  It you are a First Time Home Buyer, and you are interested in getting the $8000 Tax Credit, time is ti...
Comments 0
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
For buyers, getting to know a home is part of the process.  Seeing it, feeling it, walking around the taking it in...  That is great if you are around the corner, or even across town... but what if you are unable to take that time to tour scores of properties before pulling the trigger?  Maybe you are a busy executive, maybe you are relocating and have a day or three in a strange town to buy a house...  Maybe you just want more than 8 (or 12 or 16) pictures from the MLS.  Video is one of the solutions.  It is part of a complete marketing package for a home... And there is a local business that I trust to handle MY video needs.  And, as with any tool, it isn't the tool that makes the difference as much as the craftsperson that wields it.  Reel Productions is based here in the Atlanta are...
Comments 10
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I have been visiting Millenium Cycle Works since before they moved to their current location.  They always seem to have a lot of cool cycles in stock.  Cruisers, Sport Bikes, Dirt Bikes, ATVs, UTVs, Scooters and even Personal Water Craft.  They carry Kawasaki and Yamaha motorcycles and other vehicles, as well as accessories and parts... and service.  With a wide variety of each.  Best of all, they are a friendly bunch.  I've stopped in several times, asking questions or letting one of my boys "drive" a Rhino, Mule or ATV.  This was the first time I had the opportunity to introduce myself to the owner, Ken Shiver, although we had actually talked about one of my favorite bikes a few years ago, the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter.  He told me that even though they were out of production, he would ...
Comments 3
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Earlier today I read a blog my Anne Rains about a house she took a buyer to see... it was a mess.  It had smells.  It had clutter.  They left.  It reminded me of a house.  I was six.  And it was a cool house... in that 70s sort of way.  That was only appropriate, since it was the 70s.  it had a pretty big yard, a GIANT family room and a pool.  I made friends pretty fast, and walked to school.  It was a great five years in that house.  But the day we saw it for the first time, it was a disaster.  Honestly, I don't think that any of the homes I have shown as an agent have been on the level of the one my parents bought when I was 6.  the pool was green... and one could almost walk across it... NASTY there were several neat little piles of dog poop in the large family room.  No dog... just ...
Comments 6
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Back in February, 2008, I attended an event for agents at Legends at Parkview.  At that time I was impressed with the quality of the homes offered in the community.  I was also impressed with the philosophy of the builder, Sean Mayfield of Mayfield Homes.  I also liked the style of the homes, and the layouts were quite nice.  The problem was that they launched the community just as the market was collapsing around them.  And while they were strong at the time, it didn't last...  This premiere community has slid into foreclosure.  The remaining homes (there were 8, now there are 4 left) and the lots are all for sale by the bank.  So, now is the opportunity to buy into a luxurious community at fire sale prices... bank-owned prices.  Three of the properties are built on a basement, all hav...
Comments 0
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I took a few minutes today to stop in to Garner Creek at Parkview, in Lilburn, GA.  I have been there a few times before, just checking things out. Each time there several more homes that are built and sold.  But I hadn't taken the time to really check out the properties that were available.  There are currently 11 properties showing up in my MLS in Garner Creek at Parkview.  I went in 5 of them today and shot a few pictures in each.  I was actually quite impressed with several of them.  The construction looks solid, and the fixture are luxurious.  While one of the floorplans seemed a little odd to me, the others were quite nice.  Several of the properties also featured unfinished basements, and one had an unfinished upper level bonus room that would be an excellent teen suite or office...
Comments 0
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I held an open house today in Lilburn, on 590 Baltimore Ave.  During the open house I had the opportunity to speak with several first time home buyers.  The conversations with first time home buyers in Lilburn, GA, were certainly enlightening...  Keep in mind that the home I as holding open was priced at nearly $400,000.  In this area, that isn't the normal territory for first time home buyers.  And these folks were no exception... looking primarily in the $150k-$200k range.  Of course we talked about properties that were available in their price range, and Lilburn has some really nice properties for sale in that range, but we talked about something else.  The something else was the tax credits that are currently available.  Basically, there are two tax credit propgrams currently availa...
Comments 5
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Dogs in Lilburn, GA, want to walk, run and play...  They want to go to the park...  Luckily, Ronald Reagan Park at Five Forks has a pair of doggy recreational areas for our sniffy companions.   The two areas are set aside for dogs under or over 20 pounds.  There is also a dog run that connects the two areas and allows drag racing dogs room to get up to speed. Both areas also feature some obstacles for the dogs to play on, and even a Doggy Water Bar.  Dogs in Lilburn have it made... being able to shirk the leash and spend some quality time running with the other four legged floor vacuums.  But, Ronald Reagan Park isn't just one dimensional.  There is a great play area for kids, a large field that is excellent to kick a ball around it, horse shoe pits, a small skateboard park, basketball,...
Comments 3
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
We will be holding open a really cool home in Lilburn that has two 2 car garages, 4 bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms, a full finished basement, sitting on over 3 and a half acres. Lots of folks are wondering what is hiding up the hidden driveway... now is the chance to find out. The house will be open from 2-5pm on Sunday, July 26th, 2009.  The address is 590 Baltimore Ave, and the website is the same. from LaneBailey.com
Comments 3
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
from LilburnDwellings Have you been to the Mountain Park Aquatic Center?  If you live around Lilburn or Mountain Park, I'm sure you have noticed there on Rockbridge Road near Five Forks, just up the road from Kroger.  But have you been there? It is a great facility.  In addition to the community center which hosts a variety of events, there is the outside recreational pool, an inside instructional pool and the lap pool. There are different programs available ranging from Parent Assisted Swim Classes to Aqua-Aerobics for Seniors. There are swim team competitions and swim classes for older children and adults. The gem, though, is the recreational pool.  It has a "zero entry" which means that one can walk into the pool with no steps.  There is a small slide with a water-works theme for the...
Comments 3
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
I had a buyer call me recently.  He wanted info on a property I had listed.  It wasn't what he was looking for, so I asked what he was trying to find...  Reluctantly, he shared a little with me.  I knew of another property that was listed with another agent.  I told him I would be happy to show it to him.  He wanted the address, but didn't want me to show it to him.  I asked why...  He wanted to deal with the listing agent in order to get a better deal... I let him know that it doesn't work that way...  The seller isn't going to save money that they will pass along to the buyer, the listing agent will just make more money... and NOT represent the best interests of the buyer.  I can't force him to use a buyer's agent...  And I wouldn't try to force him to.  But, I CAN let him know what t...
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By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Times are rough... they are rough for many of us... especially in the real estate industry.  We are finding our belts and sucking them in a few notches...  But not just in the real estate industry.  Last night I was talking with some friends that are in the business of state and local government.  Furloughs, hours reductions and no raises are just some of the ways they are being affected...  Out in the private sector, pay cuts, layoffs and other cutbacks are all over the place.  But that isn't news... One can barely turn on the radio, TV or computer without seeing rough news about the economy... and the news is getting rougher.  Instead of stemming job losses with the "stimulus package", it seems that losses are still running heavily.  Increased governmental debt and looming tax increas...
Comments 41
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
  Image via Wikipedia I just got an email from the production company that does House Hunters for HGTV.  They are calling for buyers that are ready to buy.  The specific quote is "in the late stages of buying."  I would assume that would mean that they are looking for people that know what they want and will be ready to make an offer in just a few outings to view property.   There is a compensation package for the buyers, $1000 for those they select to follow.  And I think it might also be a lot of fun. If you are a buyer, not currently working with an agent, and you think you will be buying in the next month or two, give me a call and let's see if we can get on HGTV's House Hunters.   from LaneBailey.com
Comments 2
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
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 set...
Comments 74
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Changes might be coming... and they aren't good. Buried in the 1500 page bill is a very long section on the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance program, REEP for short. It calls for varied provisions such as "Green Guidelines" for new and existing homes, Federal Code Inspectors for those provisions, nationally cohesive building codes and a slew of programs around those items. It doesn't seem that bad...  right? The guidelines aren't mandatory, but it only takes a stroke of the pen to make the guidelines into requirements for any home that is going to have a federal guaranteed loan.  So, while a seller wouldn't HAVE to make the upgrades... they would be locked away from the majority of mortgage programs for the buyer of their home unless they did... And nationally cohesive ...
Comments 6
By Lane Bailey, Realtor & Car Guy
(Century 21 Results Realty)
Ok, don't panic, it doesn't end until December 1st, 2009.  But don't get complacent, either...  That is sooner than you think. If you aren't familiar with the FTHBTC (First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit), here is a little reading.  The first thing to know is that not owning a home for the last 36 months qualifies one as a First Time Home Buyer for this tax credit... So, back to the timeline... Loans are taking a little longer to close lately...  The end of November is going to be VERY busy with closing attorneys...  The good deals aren't on every corner... So, getting a home under contract 45-60 days out from the December 1st date would be a really good idea.  That means that you really want to have the right house picked out by September.  If there is a failure on a deal... or a short sal...
Comments 2