Jasper, GA

Our job as professional Realtors^® these days is to listen to all the excuses people use to put off buying a new home. "The market will keep going down. The interest rates are staying low. The windows are a little dirty. There is no reason to hurry in a buyer's market. I'm looking for a $350,000 home for about $140,000." I'm sure my fellow agents can come up with a few more. It would be hilarious if it were not so tragic, watching people wring their hands in "analysis paralysis" while the deal of their lives slips away before their eyes.

Yesterday, President Obama signed legislation to extend the home buyer tax credit, and to expand it to include all buyers. THAT IS ALL BUYERS! We can thank our own Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson for hounding everyone in Washington until the legislation was passed by both houses of congress and the president. Not an easy task in this environment. New buyers get $8,000 and repeat buyers $6,500 subtracted from their taxes, and the qualification limits were expanded as well. Of course that is the way the bill should have been passed the first time, but don't get me started!

So let's examine the excuses.

Both the fed's FHFA Housing Index and S&P's Case-Shiller Index agree that home prices seem to have stabilized and are showing signs of recovering.

Interest rates are indeed staying low ... for now. They're only going up from here.

The new tax credit will expire on April 30, 2010. Even Senator Isakson says he will not support another extension since anyone who is interested in buying a home has plenty of time to act or go home empty handed. So, you don't have that much time left anymore.

If you are looking for someone to practically give you a house for nothing, you will probably be disappointed. However, there are some fantastic buys out there if you get up and get moving to take advantage of the opportunity instead of the seller. It is amazing to me how rude some people have been in this market when making a ridiculously low offer on a home, and getting "miffed" at rejection.

Take charge of the opportunity you have sitting right in front of you! Make the deal of the century, wash the windows, and enjoy the fruits of your wise decision for the rest of your life. The selection is fabulous and the prices are right.

If you are looking for a Mountain home or land now is the time to look. NOT because of the 8,000 credit. NOT because of the new 6500 existing home buyer credit. NOT because prices are very very good. NOT because interest rates are low.

NOW is the time to look because the leaves are off the trees! Now you will see your views that may have been hidden. Also you can get a really good look at the lay of the land. Also temperatures are wonderful for walking right now. So if you are looking in the North Georgia Mountains and think you need to be here in spring or summer. Not so. Now is the best time to look, especially if you are looking for land or views.

If you are looking for a loan modification and have been turned down you may wonder why. If your loan is commercial you will almost always be turned down. The question is why. After all weren't we all taught that 80 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing ?

Here is one answer. If your loan is through Fannie and Freddie then you stand a really good chance of getting a loan modification if you meet the criteria. But if your loan is held by private investors then your chances go way down. The reason is that the clauses that allow banks to change a loan are cloudy. So while a bank can usually modify a loan that is in the "best interest" of their investor, what best interest is, is debatable. And in this case you can substitute the words law suit for debatable. Yes that's right . If you go under the bank is not liable. But if they modify the loan then the holder of the note can sue the bank for their money.

Ain't life grand? This problem needs to be fixed going forward and lets hope banks are working with investors to be able to modify loans. You may think banks are being paranoid. But when asked, Willy Sutton said he robbed banks because that was where the money is. So banks are paranoid and investors will sue. Let's hope this problem can be worked through and potential foreclosures can be modified for the benefit of all

The following was a press release we issued.

PRESS RELEASE

All Mountain Realty Acquires Ash-Car Realty

Charlie Ragonesi Broker for all Mountains Realty announced today that All Mountain Realty has acquired the assets and customer base of Ash-Car Realty. Ash-Car Realty has operated in the North Georgia Mountains for about 4 years. The focus of Ash-Car is on commercial property and developed lots.

“We are adding about 15 million dollars in listings along with a group of buyers” said Charlie Ragonesi. “It is a lot for us to bite off . But the acquisition of these commercial properties fits our model of seeking buyers for residential listings. After all these commercial folks that are moving into our North Georgia Mountains will need places to live. So through the acquisition of Ash-Car we will enhance our abilities to market houses to executives in Communities like Big Canoe.”

Asked if there were other acquisitions on the horizon Charlie would only say that, “other expansions will be forth coming in the next 6 months. We are very bullish about our market and will continue to grow and expand to serve the needs of our sellers and buyers.”

I have to say that many of the things I learned here at ActiveRain helped position us to acquire this company.

The North Georgia Mountains are pretty year round. This fall in the Big Canoe / Jasper area the rains came and washed away many of the leaves. But today in the sunshine as I was driving I managed to get these shots.

These pictures are from about 3000 feel up. The air was clear and the breeze was blowing. Temperature was in the 60's

It was pretty bright out but you get the idea. The North Georgia Mountains are Beautiful and a great place to live and raise a family. Contact us at All Mountain Realty . We would love to work with you.