About Walton County, GA

today as a realtor (edit/delete)

keeping it real, having a career in real estate is certainly not for the faint of heart. when i first got licensed in january of 2006, i was entering the field where it seemed that any home with a sign in the yard sold in 90 days. wow. i kind of missed that bus unfortunately.

today it takes more than a lockbox, 1 digital picture and a steel yard sign to get the job done. i really believe that it's down the bare basics now.

1. get in front of people: "belly to belly" as I've heard it said. meet people, network, pull in leads, and FOLLOW UP. you need 3 times as many listing to make the same money you were able to make years ago.

2. price it right the first time. back to my memories of when i first got into real estate. as long as you were "in the ballpark" your listing would sell eventually. now, you have to be vigilant and to the point when you set your list price. i often joke with my sellers that i need a grief counselor to accompany me on my listing appointment now. "i'm sorry mr. seller that you bought your house a year ago for $389000, but today it's worth $229,000." that's a tough pill to swallow no matter what their needs or abilities are.

3. show your own listings! get your buyers and show them your listings. no one will sell your house like you can. remember that. there is no place for a lazy realtor in this market! point out the deal the buyer is getting, the advantages of your listing, location and key features.

4. stay in the game. stay in the game! if you have to chant it every morning at breakfast, do it! you cannot and will not succeed in this career if you start to dabble in others! if listings aren't selling the way you need them to, then go get more listings and price them right! go pick up buyers and specialize in them! find a way to set yourself apart from the Realtors in your area and draw buyers to you.

5. the key is perseverence. if you are able to survive this market then you will be standing heads and shoulders above the rest in your market share when the market rebounds.

Step 1:

Get the listing. Be upfront and honest with your seller about the advantages and disadvantages of attempting a short sale. PRO: no foreclosure CON: your credit will suffer a bit from missed payments, the process in lenghty and frustrating and no money can be made by the Seller.

Step 2:

The buyer must stop making their mortgage payments. The bank need to believe the buyer when they say that they can no longer afford their payments.

Step 3:

The buyer should write a 2-3 paragraph letter explaining to the bank what type of financial hardship they are facing. It does not need to be technical, just straight forward and direct. In all communication reference the property address and loan number associated with the property.

Step 4:

Get copies of your seller's most recent mortgage statements.

Step 5:

Have seller call their bank, ask to speak to short sale dept/not customer service, inform them that they need to attempt a short sale and ask that they add you, their real esate agent, as an approved agent. Draft a form that authorizes this and get your Seller to sign, date. Include loan numbers.

Step 6:

Get a closing attorney to draft a HUD 1 statement. The bank will want this when you recieve an offer. It's better to get this in place prior to recieving and offer so that you're not rushing around at the last minute.

Step 7:

Call your seller's lender and ask for short sale department. Explain that you are attempting a short sale and ask what documents they require to submit a short sale offer. Some banks will have a package they will send to you. Often they require: listing agreement, hardship letter, W2s, 2months paystubs, 2 months banking statements, HUD 1 statement, Offer, preapproval letter.

Step 7- 11,362

Wait

Hi Everyone,

I know that there's a bit of confusion over the new economic stimulus tax credit for 2009 and how it differs from the 2008 credit.

First of all, the most radical difference is that this tax credit is NOT a loan! The 2008 credit worked like a zero percent interest loan and the buyer had to pay it back within a period of years. The current 2009 credit does not have to be repaid!

The program stipulates that you must be a first time home buyer to recieve the credit and you must purchase from Jan 09- December 31, 2009.

The purchase price must be a minimum of $80,000.

The buyer will recieve the credit when they file their 2009 taxes. If they owe taxes, the credit will go towards that debt. However, if the buyer owes no money for taxes, they recieve $8000 from the government, no repayment necessary.

The 2009 has some income requirements: Single person must make less than $75K and couple must make less than $150K. There are partial credits for some buyers whose income exceeds these limits.

There is never before seen opportunity and advantage for today's first time home buyer. Deflated prices, Realistic sellers, Incredible interest rates, and now $8,000 dollars in a tax credit.

For any question you may have, go to this link:

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/2009/faq.php#3

I just wanted to stop in and tell everyone that things are starting to look up for Walton County, GA! The inventory is moving and the foreclosure presence is reducing.

We're probably still quite a ways from "healthy" but things are moving in the right direction!!!

Everyone loves watching a sporting event, right? Well, come on out and support your local high school basketball games...only 1 more game left until the tournaments start. Here's the line-up for the high schools in both the Walton and Barrow counties...

Photo by: laffy4k

WALTON COUNTY:

Loganville High School:

*Varsity Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School
• Location: 2400 Granade Road SW, Conyers, GA 30094
• Current statistics: won 17 games out of 24

*Varsity Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 7:30 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School
• Current statistics: won 14 games out of 24

*JV Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:30 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School

*JV Boys:

• Next game: Saturday, February 7, 2009 Noon
• Playing away at North Oconee High School
• Location: 1081 Rocky Branch Road, Bogart, GA 30622

Monroe Area High School:

*Varsity Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing at home against Salem High School
• Location: 300 Double Springs Church Road, Monroe, GA 30656

Photo by: Doug L

BARROW COUNTY:

Apalachee High School:

*Varsity Girls and Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing at home against Madison County High School
• Location: 940 Haymon Morris Road, Winder, GA 30680

*JV Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:15 p.m.
• Playing at home against Madison County High School

Winder-Barrow High School:

*Varsity Girls and Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6 p.m.
• Tonight is SENIOR NIGHT!
• Playing at home against Clarke Central High School
• Location: 272 North Fifth Avenue, Winder, GA 30680

*JV Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:15 p.m.
• Playing at home against Clarke Central High School

Thanks for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!