About Clayton County, GA

I hope that the worst is over for Clayton County. I am looking forward to reduced crime and an improved school system, among other things. An improved school system in my mind involves: (1) a board that functions in accordance to its rules and regulations, with our children's best interests at heart; (2) committed teachers who realize that they have a challenging position, but who have a heart and an earnest desire to teach our children and inspire them to become the very best that they can be; (3) diligent principals and staff members who pay close attention to detail to ensure that every child gets what he or she needs, and that all operations run as smoothly as possible; (4) loving parents that take responsibility for their children, teach them right from wrong, and reinforce the lessons that are being taught at school; and (5) hard working students who will obey the rules of the land, get a good education and aspire to make a difference in our ever-changing world.

We each have a ‘continuous' part in bringing healing to our community. Crime prevention and creating good schools are only the beginning.

As a Realtor®, my vision for the county also includes economic development (bringing new businesses into the community) and smart growth initiatives (revitalizing old neighborhoods, making existing commercial infrastructure attractive to businesses and residents, and creating desirable mixed-use developments with green space that create a sense of place).

If we work together, I believe that we can and will achieve great success. Please join me in ‘bringing healing to our community.'

Altimese L. Dees is Broker/ Owner of The Real Estate Gallery of Georgia, LLC. For more than a decade, Altimese has been studying and consulting individuals, families, investors and corporations on topics related to real estate, housing and mortgage financing. She is an associate broker for RE/MAX Advantage in McDonough. Altimese serves as a local director of the Metro South Association of Realtors®, and a member of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., MECCA Chapter. She can be reached by calling 678-644-1712, or email: altmd3@aol.com.

Only 3 Times in 40 Years nationwide has a counties school accreditation been pulled. Well, welcome to my world at this moment. Not only is our market down, now our schools no longer have accreditation. Yes, yesterday SACS announced they are pulling the county accreditation.

My phone is ringing off the hook. Sellers wanting to sell and move out of the county. Bittersweet, I am getting business and our county is going down the toilet. Governor Perdue has removed all the remaining school board members and has the authority to replace them. His words were, "Today can be the beginning of a new Clayton County"

For months I have been working with people who have had their homes on the market 6 months to 2 or more years. I hear the same thing over and over, "My agent said my home would not sell because it is in Clayton County". I am here to tell you different!!

I also believe that this can be a new beginning for Clayton County, but it is up to those of us that live here to make sure it happens. We cant just sit back and watch things happen, we need to be a part of the solution. I have always been taught if your not involved, then you cant complain. Kind of like the election of a President, if you didnt vote, then you have no room to complain.

If your going to leave the county, DO NOT list with an agent who does NOT believe that Clayton County can turn around. If you do, you should expect less than good results. It is hard to sell something you dont believe in. I see this all over the county. You also need to list with somene who KNOWS the county, not someone from the other side of Atlanta, who it takes an hour to even get here. It CANNOT be about an agent who just wants a listing, it needs to be about YOU SELLING YOUR HOME in a heavily affected market.

Bradford Realty Group came about and still resides in the heart of Clayton County. Many of the homes on the market today where built and/or sold by our family. For 50 years we have been here serving the community, and the current situation saddens us.

Today is a rather sad day.

If your going to be staying in Clayton and want to be a part of the solution, email me at brande@bradfordrealtygroup.com Now is the time to take a stance and make your feelings heard. This goes beyond the school system, we have to band together to save our local businesses, the schools and all the other areas that this decision will have a rippling effect on.

If your going to sale and move on, call me. We are here to stay and see that things somehow turn around. When the community is back up on their feet and our schools are recovering, I will be there to see and experience the excitement as we come together as a community. I have a personal interest in selling your home.

Today is a new beginning if you want it to be.

Mixed Reviews for Single Family Residential in April and May of 2008.

In May, average sale prices in Fayette County, Georgia,  ended at a low point just below their February 2008 levels, and Clayton County was at a new low just below their April 2008 level. Henry County was up a fair amount. 

While overall, the local market continued its downward trend, graphed, it appears much different than 2007. Are we at the bottom yet? Out of pride, I hope so. I had been predicting the local housing market would hit bottom in spring or summer of this year I don't like to be wrong, but the number of house sales occurring is disturbing. 

Number of Home Sales Way Down too!

During our investigation this time we compared the number of sales which have occurred each month during 2006, 2007 and 2008 (as reported by GaMLS) in Clayton County, Fayette County and Henry County. While we were not surprised by the numbers, they did give us pause.

For example, in the month of May 2006 there were 616 detached single family residential home sales in Clayton County. During the same month in 2007 there were 571 such sales. 2008 yielded only 229 such sales. Fayette County and Henry County experienced similar reductions in the number of sales.  All three counties are experiencing sales levels of 30% to 50% of what they were in 2006, with the greatest decline occurring since the first of 2008. Of course, the numbers in Clayton County are skewed by the school system problems.

For the last couple of years, May has been the annual high point in the number of sales occurring.  In Clayton and Henry Counties this year it is the low point thus far. The question is will this low number of sales translate into even lower sale prices in the months to come?. 

Construction and Development Notes

We also caught wind of two more fair-sized local developers reportedly filing for bankruptcy protection. We do notice a few new homes being built here and there, but primarily in very low volumes.

Nations Building News (NBN), the publication of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported on June 2, 2008, that lenders are now demanding that a high number of builders and developers pay down their loans and/or increase their collateral. Although this helps reduce the lender's exposure it may also increase foreclosures if a builder or developer is unable to produce the necessary cash or collateral.

HousingEconomics.com, a service of NAHB, reports that single family residential building permits year-to-date as of April are down 50% from last year's numbers for the State of Georgia.

Commercial is in a Stall Pattern

From the commercial end, sales are occurring but at a slower pace. We do note some continuing softening of the marketplace. This is readily evident in the number of new and almost new strip retail centers sitting vacant or almost vacant. A few years ago they would have filled up in a heartbeat.

Like with residential, the commercial market stalls before it drops. Prices remain stable for six months or a year as vacancies increase until the owner is faced with lowering the rents to attract tenants. In response to the higher vacancy rates and lowering rents investors begin demanding higher capitalization rates which also depresses sale prices.

Lower rents and high vacancies reduces income and sometimes leads an investor into default as such properties are often over-leveraged. The resulting resell of a foreclosed commercial property further serves to depress the commercial marketplace. The result is a downward spiral very similar to the one faced by the single family residential marketplace.

C-Store Invasion

Surprisingly, we have noticed a significant number of new c-stores/fueling stations under construction. With the high price of gasoline you might think this would be anticipated... more folks trying to reap the windfall profits made by the oil companies. But that is far from the truth. The percentage profit earned by oil companies are no greater than most other businesses of similar size, although it is a lot, and I mean a LOT of dollars.

Station operators make very little off each gallon of gas they sell. (If you question this statement, note that CoStar reports that Uni-Mart/Choice Gas C-store operators just filed for bankruptcy protection citing, in part, the high cost of fuel as the reason for their lack of financial performance.) Most C-Store operators will tell you their money is made off the items sold inside their convenience stores. Last year, one regional chain store manager told us that well in excess of 50% of the profits earned from her store were earned from the sale of tobacco products alone.

With the increasing gas prices many c-store owners are reporting a corresponding drop in inside sales and a disproportionate drop in overall profits. People only have so much money to spend and when faced with deciding between getting to and from work verses getting candy bars and Cokes for the kids there really is no choice.

Prices for Small Multi-Family Appears to be Holding, for now.

According to GaMLS, there were 48 sales of multi-family properties (typically small multi-family like duplexes, triplexes, quads and small apartment buildings) in Clayton, Fayette and Henry counties between January 1st 2007 and May 31st, 2007. For the same period of time this year there has been only 10 such sales.

Even with the reduced number of sales, it appears that Gross Rent Multipliers (the relationship between rent and sales price) are running about the same as they did last year. But, we do not expect that to hold since there are in excess of 80 such properties now on the market in the tri-counties.

In regards to larger apartment communities NAHB reports that confidence in the rental market is weakening and that demand was lower for all classes of apartments in the first quarter of 2008, but in what appears to be a contradiction NBN  reports that "Outlook for Rental Housing Strengthens as Condos Sag". So, the news is mixed -  even coming from two arms of the same organization.

HousingEconomics.com, a service of NAHB, reports that multi-family residential building permits year-to-date as of April are down 62% from last year's numbers for the State of Georgia.

We have noted some very high apartment land sale prices of late in Henry County. We will continue to monitor this closely.

Summary:

The detached single family residential (houses) market is really suffering  However, although the number of sales are extremely low the residential market appears to be starting out better than last year in regards to trends, at least in Fayette and Henry Counties. These two counties do not show as severe of a downward trend as they experienced last year, but that could change. 

It would be interesting to know how Clayton County would have done were it not for the actions of the Clayton County School Board (elections coming soon). 

At this point my major concern with the house marketplace is the low volume of sales. Will this translate into lower prices in the future?

The commercial market is well past its peak, having stalled and began its downward spiral. We shall see where that leads.

The multi-family marketplace is teetering in stall. Small multi-family properties still retain their value although there are few sales. Values of larger properties are still holding their own but the financing crisis is expected to take its toll.

As we have said in recent months, with single family residential it remains a strong buyers market. With most other property types it is quickly becoming a buyers market. If you are wanting to buy a house, residential lot, or acreage tract, buy NOW. If you are considering selling anything else (with a few exceptions) place it on the market TODAY at a reasonable price or plan to wait several years.

Proudly Serving South Metro Atlanta Over 50 Years!

The sale of your commercial property, land, multi-family property or other real estate investments is an important step towards your future. You deserve to have someone that is willing to work on your behalf, who is aggressive and will negotiate to make sure you're getting top dollar for your property. You should expect to be a priority, receive weekly updates and know your property is being marketed in a manner that can get a SOLD sign on it. Our market is changing daily; you deserve the knowledge and experience of a well-rooted company that can get your property SOLD.

Call Chris Bradford today at 770-961-5520 to buy or sell commercial real estate in south metro Atlanta, Georgia including Clayton County (College Park, Conley, Ellenwood, Forest Park, Lake City, Lovejoy, Morrow, Rex or Riverdale); Henry County (Ellenwood, Fairview, Hampton, Locust Grove, Rex, McDonough or Stockbridge); Fayette County (Brooks, Fayetteville, Peachtree City or Tyrone); Spalding County (Griffin, Orchard Hill or Sunnyside); South Fulton County (Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Lakewood Heights, Palmetto or Union City).

Copyright 2008: Bradford Realty Group, All Rights Reserved.

Currently located at 5020A Highway 42, Ellenwood, Georgia (the southeast corner of Highway 42 and Campbell Boulevard) Fleet has been leasing space in a multi-unit facility.

The industrially zoned site acquired by Fleet has dual frontage, fronting on the Forest Parkway and backing up to North Lake Drive. It is currently occupied by a dilapidated house which Fleet reportedly plans to remove from the site rather than restore.

The location is a strategic location for any trucking related operation as the Forest Parkway intersects with Interstates 75, 285 and 675 and provides easy access to the Atlanta Airport and numerous trucking related business along U.S. Highway 42 (Moreland Avenue).

The transaction was brokered by Bradford Realty Group who represented the seller. Fleet was unrepresented.

Proudly Serving South Metro Atlanta Over 50 Years!

The sale of your commercial property, land, multi-family property or other real estate investments is an important step towards your future. You deserve to have someone that is willing to work on your behalf, who is aggressive and will negotiate to make sure you're getting top dollar for your property. You should expect to be a priority, receive weekly updates and know your property is being marketed in a manner that can get a SOLD sign on it. Our market is changing daily; you deserve the knowledge and experience of a well-rooted company that can get your property SOLD.

Call Chris Bradford today at 770-961-5520 to buy or sell commercial real estate in south metro Atlanta, Georgia including Clayton County (College Park, Conley, Ellenwood, Forest Park, Lake City, Lovejoy, Morrow, Rex or Riverdale); Henry County (Ellenwood, Fairview, Hampton, Locust Grove, Rex, McDonough or Stockbridge); Fayette County (Brooks, Fayetteville, Peachtree City or Tyrone); Spalding County (Griffin, Orchard Hill or Sunnyside); South Fulton County (Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Lakewood Heights, Palmetto or Union City).

Copyright 2008: Bradford Realty Group, All Rights Reserved.

Homeowners..YOU HAVE OPTIONS.

Now that I HOPEFULLY have your attention, please let me explain a few things about what Clayton County, Ga is facing besides a bad market.

You guessed it, the fact that Clayton County is facing losing their Accredidation. The school system has been a struggle for many years. However, you MUST understand that it is NOT the education that the students are getting.  It all boils down to the mis-management of the school board.

I heard today the UGA announced that as long as the students grades were good, even if accredidation was lost, they would accept Clayton County students.  There are several other schools saying the same thing.  This is great news!  In fact, the house has passed a bill, and we are just waiting on the Governor to sign it.  This bill will allow the state to step in and over see the school board and make sure that the accredidation is NOT lost come September 1, 2008.

Does this ease your mind at all?  Nope, we have been battling this for years in Clayton County.  In fact, truth be told, the citizen that voted for the board members need to rethink their criteria when it comes to voting. Ok, that might have ruffled some feathers, but the board is elected.  Same thing with the other ELECTED officials that everyone is screaming about.  As a community, we need to step up and turn things around. It is up to us!

We live in Clayton County, we work in Clayton County and most importantly, we BELIEVE in Clayton County.  We have been serving Clayton County for over 50 years and are dang proud of it.

So, everyone is thinking of moving. Some are literally moving and just leaving their homes.  Calm down! If your a homeowner and you want to move, do it right. If your wanting to sell in todays market, you can do it!  Just take the right steps and understand your options.  You dont want to make a mistake that will haunt you for years to come.

If your contemplating selling your home or buying in Henry or Fayette County, please contact us.  We know and understand what your going through. We have worked through this situation before and will gladly get you through it.

You deserve to know your options!

Proudly Serving South Metro Atlanta for over 50 years!

The sale of your home is an important step towards your future. You deserve to have someone that is willing to work on your behalf, who is aggressive and will negotiate to make sure you're getting top dollar for your home. You should expect to be a priority, receive weekly updates and know your property is being marketed in a manner that can get a SOLD sign on it. Our market is changing daily; you deserve the knowledge and experience of a well-rooted company that can get your property SOLD.

Call today to sell your property or buy your next home in Atlanta Georgia, South Atlanta Georgia, Henry County, Jonesboro, Stockbridge, McDonough, Clayton County, Mallard's Landing, Heron Bay, Crystal Lake, Eagle's Brook, Eagle's Landing Country Club, Lake Spivey, Lake Spivey Country Club, Lake Jodeco, at 770-961-5520, Brande Bradford, Licensed Real Estate Professional.

Copyright 2008: Bradford Realty Group, All Rights Reserved. *Clayton County Homeowners: Calm Down, There are Options!*