Lilburn, GA

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 ticking to get on with finding the property you want to buy. The end of November seems like it is a long way off, but the average short sale takes about 4 months to complete... Even "regular" sales can take 60 days in the current climate.
  
• Banks are shooting themselves in the foot by taking an unreasonable time to bring a transaction to close. They want to impose timelines on buyers, but want none imposed on them. There is just NO reason for the process to take as long as many of them take... and the proof exists in a couple of banks that can apparently turn them around in a much shorter timeframe.
  

But... a bunch of bad apples are spoiling it for the few that aren't.

So, if you are a First Time Home Buyer in Lilburn GA, or the surrounding area, and you are looking forward to the Tax Credit, it is time to give me a call.

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 area, although they travel the country providing top-notch video services for clients large and small. 

Their bread and butter is video tours of homes.  They range from the elaborate, hosted tours to simpler productions with voice-overs.  Here are a couple of examples. 

The people responsible for this are Tara Jones and TJ Hedges.  They launched the company a little over a year ago.  Soon after, they produced one of the videos above, the hosted one of 9010 Brixham Court in Laurel Springs (Suwanee, GA).  I have worked with them on several projects since then, and each time they have met and exceeded my expectations. 

Simply put, if you are selling a home, you NEED to have a video on the home's website.  Buyers are visual, and want to see pictures and videos and everything else they can get their eyes on...  And I think that the quality of the video Tara and TJ provide is exceptional... AND it is reasonable.  Ok, if they have to fly to your town then it might not be as reasonable unless you have several properties for them to shoot at one time, but if you are around Atlanta, they have excellent rates. 

One other little thing...  Tara and TJ are people that really care about their clients... both agents and consumers.  They previously produced a series of videos on using tools likr the Flip Video camera.  They are in the process now of producing a series of videos for sellers on how to better prepare their properties for sale.  Tara gave me the advance word on this while we watched my 5 year old on the ice for hockey camp... 

I guess I should list some of their other services...  Community Profiles, Video Business Cards, Business Profiles, Agent/Broker Profiles...  You get the idea.  Whether the purpose of the video is to have website content for a business or a listing, or a TV commercial, they can make it happen.  Both Tara and TJ come from a TV news background and they are award winning journalists.

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 likely be able to find one for me, get it shipped in, and make sure it was ready to go.  He also let me know that they could set me up with rider classes (I have ridden dirt bikes... but it has been a LONG time). 

Millenium Cycle Works also keeps abreat of the many charity rides and events around the Atlanta area.  Stop by, pick up a new toy or some new accessories for the old toy, and say hello.  They are on US78, near the Yellow River Game Ranch.

BTW, Ken didn't get a heads up.  He knows his product, so despite the time from me walking in asking if he wanted to do this to him coming up with the "script" was about 3 minutes.  The audio is a little rough, and that owuld be all my fault...

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 poop.
• the kitchen looked like a school had prepared dinner... then left.
  
• there were people sleeping in the beds... during the showing...
• the remnants of the previous night's party were still all over the house... floors, counters... everywhere

Apparently the parent left the "kids" for the weekend. They knew there was a showing in the morning, but it wasn't nearly as important to them.

Obviously my parents bought the house anyway...

And they stole it. My Dad offered low, and stuck to his guns. Nothing else was happening for the sellers (any wonder?) so they pretty much had to play our game. By not prepping the house to sell, they limited their options.

Sure, they tried to blame it on the kids, but the pool took a LONG time to get where it was. The mess in the house was not a two day event... it was weeks in the making. The dog that was no longer on the scene had eaten a bedroom door... some carpet... and part of a wall.

Five years later we moved halfway across the country.

The house sold in 30 minutes. My dad called the agent that sold us the house. He was there five minutes later (he lived around the corner). They talked about price. We needed a quick sale for the job related move. The buyer was there about 15 minutes after the agent... he had made a call. Full price.

Could they have held out for more? Probably. But in the 5 years we had the house, my parent more than doubled their money. That would be including the deferred maintenance and upgrades. According to my dad, it also included the riding mower...

My mom deserves some credit...

The house was ready to show within minutes of the real estate agent getting the call. It was clean, free of smells and ready to host. My dad deserves a little, too. I will never forget the work he did on the pool... I think he swam in it twice, but he spent countless hours rebuilding every system he could.

Bottom line...

Selling a home is a process that starts WAY before the listing contract is signed. And it is a process that continues AFTER the paperwork is signed. The house HAS to be kept up. To really make it rock, it needs to be maintained. Even now, with foreclosures grabbing all of the attention... for sellers to compete, they need to show that THEIR homes are ready to go and don't need the time, money and attention that the foreclosed and short sale homes need.

And it is WAY easier to just keep it up all along than it is to fight back the deferred maintenance. Right here in Lilburn, GA, there are some pretty good deals. There are some that are just amazingly cheap, but may need some love. There are others that appear to cost a little more, but they are in excellent condition and don't have the hidden pitfalls.

Don't forget that the REAL price is seldom on the contract.

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 have 3 car garages. One is a 5 bedroom/4 bath, and the others have 4 bedrooms/3.5 baths.

The properties that are currently available are priced at:

• The Waterford on a basement - $563,400 $489,900 5br/4ba
• The Addison on a slab - $589,900 $439,900 4br/3.5ba
• The Addison on a basement - $614,900 $479,900 4br/3.5ba
• The Victoria on a basement - $735,000 $524,900 4br/3.5ba

As an aside, I really like the Addison. It has an exceptional garage. Aside from the spaces for 3 cars, there is about an 8' wide area along one side that would be perfect for motorcycles and/or tools.

Obviously the prices are pretty well discounted for the remaining units in the Legends at Parkview. There aren't that many opportunities to jump into this level of luxury in a bank-owned new home community. The foreclosures have really pushed the prices down here... They have sold 4 homes since June. These will sell before long... There were several buyers coming in to visit while I was there... on a Wednesday afternoon.