About Baldwin County, GA

I will work on my full market report for the year 2011 vs. 2010 very soon. I thought it would be done by now, but I've been busy busy busy. Yesterday when out high was only 39 degrees (for those of you who know me, I do NOT love cold) I was out showing property. They were REOs and I was miserable. But when a client wants to see property in the cold or the in the rain they are usually serious about purchasing a home.

But what I did check on today when I was making sure the house was still available in the MLS before I emailed the agent to double check was that in 2012 thus far we have had seven properties go to pending status. So I did a quick check and discovered it was only three in the first 4 days of 2011. Better than a 100% increase. I think it would be great if we could keep it up the rest of the year.

That property I was inquiring about was indeed still available and I was thrilled. I wrote an offer on it for my client this afternoon and emailed it over to the listing agent. Perhaps it will make the pending list tomorrow. The rest of the week the weather will be warming up so if you want to find that perfect lake house or first home we won't have to bundle up as much. Give us a call and we'll be happy to show you property & recommend a lender who can help you get a quick approval so you'll be prepared to make that offer before the property is gone like my client did today.

Chase- ing for a cure! 5 k fund raiser for Chase Daniel on December 10th!

Imagine that one day when you take your child to the pediatrician a test got run that made the doctor call and tell you to immediately take your child to a children's hospital. Chase was diagnosed with leukemia this past September and has been having treatments at Eagleston in Atlanta. In the most recent weeks he has also gotten meningitis. Chase is one very sick little boy.

And this was suppose to be such a joyful time and now not only are his parents worried about Chase, but with medical bills and missing work to be with their son find themselves in financial trouble. It's our job, as a community to come together and help them.

Chase's Aunt Brandy has planned a 5K fund raiser. The event will take place at West Georgia College Campus on December 10th. Milledgeville's Bodyplex has gotten on board and any non member of the gyn can have a free 30 day membership by bringing their race registration into the gym.

This was a photo of chase last summer. Today his is on a ventilator. His parent had just closed on a new home and are now facing the worst days of their lives in a hospital at the bedside of their young son.

Please participate.

You can send your donation to:

Robins Federal Credit Union

2584 N. Columbia Street

Milledgeville, GA 31061

checks can be made out to Landon Chase Daniel fund.

And of course you can also go register for the race and those proceeds also will help.

This beautiful family could also use your prayers. The latest news is that Chase is non responsive and perhaps if we all pray for a miracle for this family they will get one.

If you want to be an event sponsor for the race you can get in touch with me and I will get you Aunt Brandy's information so that you can help.

Lane Realty is one of the event sponsors. Donald and my daughter Abigail are both friends with Chase's mom and his uncle used to work on my computers for the office. Please join us in helping this family.

Even if you just have $5.00 to give, every little bit will help.

You can also help by sharing the fund raiser event on Facebook or by "LIKE" ing this post and making it appear of your Facebook wall and Google + ing it also. Help spread the word even if you can't donate. Thanks for your prayers and support for Chase and his family.

It's the rare day that I leave the office early. As a general rule you can find me at my desk for up to an hour past closing time on any given day. Yesterday I had one of those rare days. And I used to time to go and check out our new Kroger. It's 93,000 sq. ft., so that was a LOT to check out. It even has a Starbucks. I used to have to drive nearly to Atlanta for Starbucks... now it's just 5 miles from work.

Now our new Kroger has a little bit of a situation. There is a very unhappy man living next door to Kroger. I will spare you the details, but give you a warning that if you come to Kroger from Log Cabin Road or park over on that side of the parking lot you won't miss him. In protest of all the crime and invasion he feels Kroger has brought upon him he has placed signs, hung underwear that has been painted to look stained and dirty. He is posting about his alleged infringement on you tube. (not recommended viewing) as it's full of filthy language.

The lesson and irony come in at me... typical human... like everyone else staring at his man. (had to bite my tongue) I got out of my car, made a quick call to my daughter and I was off to shop. I was wandering around in that store for an hour and a half before I checked out. Then there were actually cashiers fighting over who got to check me out. (how refreshing) Someone even unloaded my buggy onto the conveyor belt. So I pay for my groceries and begin to look in my purse for my keys. And umm, they are NOT there. Checked my pockets, not there either. I truly started to panic. I actually emptied my purse and actually NO keys. So with bag boy in tow for his afternoon laugh we headed out to the parking lot to look to see if I had left the keys in my car.

Upon arrival at my car I found my keys. Oh yes, right there in the ignition. I never do that. I can't even remember the last time I did that. I had actually turned the car off thank goodness. I had been so engrossed with the man next door that I'd left my keys in the car. And as usual I had parked right next to a buggy return in the parking lot. So dozens of people had been right next to my unlocked car with camera on seat and keys in the ignition and nothing bad happened. Now I'm not advocating that you try this, but I do hope that the underwear man next door happens to read this post and know that Kroger didn't hurt his home value or the neighborhood and I feel pretty good knowing that my car was still there when I was so totally careless.

My Donald says... "THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES". So I guess I was fated to test out the theory of all the crime that Kroger brought to the neighborhood. I just didn't see it. Well unless it's unlawful to hang your undies on a fence.

I hope you enjoy the new Kroger in Milledgeville as much as I know I will. I was impressed with the service. The employees all seemed well trained, knowledgeable and helpful. And the well priced gas is a bonus too.

And if you needd to buy or sell real estate in the Lake Sinclair area please call me. I'd be happy to help and remember... I usually work late.

I was at a party when I first saw one of Vicki's paintings and I just instantly fell in love with it. I wanted one from the moment I saw it. My mom has painted a couple of beautiful pictures and my mother in law has painted many beautiful pictures and I can't draw stick people. As a young woman I didn't know or care much about art. Now I look for art that speaks to me or touches me in some way. I have found that when I know the heart of the artist I am the most attracted to the art.

This painting now hangs in my office where I get to see it every single day. I also purchased one for my parents to go in their new house, but I haven't given it to them yet, so you don't get to see it.

On the other hand I also got one for my mother in law, which I am about to give her so you will get to see that one. I'm also gonna give you the link to Vicki's Facebook page where you can go and friend her and see more of her art. She has some beautiful bright colorful and fun ones and some that are just nature in her imagaination. Do you see the woman in this one? I immediately saw her. She's complex and complicated... like me.

This is the painting I got for my mother in law. It reminded me of her. The bright pink flowers are the spots of joy and life that are so much of the the kind of happy here and happy there that my mother in law has lived. She sprinkles joy and happiness whereever she ventures in life and very rooted and down to earth. Still was what Vicki named this painting and I just love it. I am now in San Diego and my mom in law has seen her brithday gift, so you can see it now. And if you want to see more of Vicki's work I hope you'll hope over to meet her on facebook.

Enjoy your day.

I hope to buy more of Vicki's art to gift to some friends in the future. I just know they will love it.

The Baldwin County data for August 2011 is in and there were a total of 26 sales* reported. The good news is inventory is down to less than 25 months worth.

And in 3 were waterfront

23 were not on water.

2 were vacant lots off water

August of 2010 saw only 18 properties close.

The average sales price in Putnam County in August 2010 was $166,339

The average sales price in Putnam County in August 2011 was 85,800

Reflected in the average is that two lots sold for $9,500 each.

Average days on the market for August 2010 was 153 and average days on the market for August 2011 were 135 So the good news here is days on the market are down in the new lower price of things.

So for those people who don't want to price in the current market value range, please don't list your house. Perhaps if we can draw down the inventory prices can begin to shift the opposite direction. Supply and demand.