Peachtree City, GA

A house does not need to be vacant to need staging when it comes time to sell . . .

Sometimes it takes an out-of-the box presentation to be the best in the neighborhood.

It's all about the Web pictures that can lure in showings from the Internet . . ,

Presentation that can aide the Realtor to create multiple showings.

Creating warmth can often be simple . . . work with the furnishings the home owner has . . .

Then add the accessories that they need to make the look . . . let the showings begin!

Peachtree Home Staging works with the owners furnishings, comfortably re-designs the layout and flow of the various rooms, and then added the accessories. WA LA . . . as the magician would say . . .

How folks live in a home is their business, how folks present the home for sale is my business!

For tips on how to prepare your home for sale and information on staging a home in Atlanta, visit the web site of PEACHTREE HOME STAGING or call us at 770 595-8809.

We do occupied and vacant home staging with professional perfection!

Peachtree Home Staging is a proud APPROVED AND ACCREDITED Business of the Greater Atlanta Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Georgia State President of the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)

Hey AR, it has been a pretty sobering experience to speak with some many folks who now face the simple fact that their homes are now worth less than they owe on then. Hence the terminology being "underwater". For the people that have not experienced the joys of home ownership yet, it equates to the same thing as your car being "upside down" where you actually owe more that its worth. I have been impacted by this behemoth phonenomon because we decided to build a custom home in a brand new golf course community. Being the 2nd or 3rd home sold, we felt we got in on the "ground level" before the word got out and prices got jacked up.

Now I probably need to preface that statement because I don't want it to be taken out of context. We are investors and have other real estate and the house was an investment for us. Not only financially but it was part of my dream to be able to afford our aging parents some serenity and affirm to our grown children the meaning and sense of family ties and values. If that sounds hokey to you...blame my mom for sending me to catholic schools and coronating herself as the patron saint of care-taking.

Anyway, just the other evening a noticeably excited neighbor stopped by to give me some news about how he was able to modify his loan. Of course, he got my attention because we both have similar styled custom homes which we have watched lose about half their value. He then proceeded to tell me that his mortgage company modified his interest rate to 4% and his actual mortgage balance to coincide with the current market value of the home. He went on to tell us about the friend (who told him) that he got mods to his loan to include only paying $200 per month for a max of 24 months which will allow him to find reemployment. "But today is the last day and you gotta get down to the World Congress Center before 8pm!" As I closed the door, I jumped on the computer to verify what he just stated. A few days earlier I had just learned that the $320 Billion Hope-4-Homeowners had only modified one mortgage. Just that quick, I was greeted by the wife's shriek...."Let's go!" I guess that assumption was relevant enough to move her to action.

All I can say is with Blitzkrieg the wife and I jumped in our car and headed downtown. I had a notebook
full of certified letters I prepared to the mortgage companies that also contained BOPs, Appraisals, Recent Homes Sales, and info from Zillow and what ever else I could find and use to verify that our area and specifically my home was in distress. You see my subdivision was started by very reputible builders that had successfully developed other golf course communities. These builders and their vision along with several others who built spec homes around us are now all gone. The leftovers were numerous vacant lots, plenty of new foreclosed custom and spec homes, and tons of promises. Of course, the golf course is the goose that laid the golden egg so its still the focal selling point of the community. So sell they must and did! The foreclosures started to be sold by the banks as we watched the value of our investments get desecrated.

Well it turns out that the program that our neighbor was describing is The Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (Hope Now)as part of the President Obama's strategy to help families restructure or refinance their mortgages to avoid foreclosure. To be honest folks as Realtors and Mortgage professionals most of us have seen the mortgage meltdown and the down turn of the economy impact our ability to make a living in the industry. I won't even mention job losses....they speak for themselves. Our family had it cutting both ways. My wife was in the mortgage business (until recently) and I was in real estate. All I knew, is that I have a family to protect; 3 kids still in college, a son with a new baby and my dad fighting diabetes and cancer. As astute as I felt I was in investing, money and finances, it seemed that I was looking at the only viable alternative...walk away from my home rather than to continue to invest in a asset that would never regain its original value. Even a short sale was eliminated as an option because the bank would report the difference from the short sale and send it to the IRS where then it becomes subject to taxes. Uggghh!!

So pretty much we met with the officials representing our mortgage company(s) and began to discuss the program, options, and requirements. The requirements were minimal, the reps really helpful and the stated time it would take to find out if we qualified went from the months that I have been sending certified letters to a matter of days. Now, it should be mentioned that all the qualifying financial instutions do not have a finalized plan in place but it looks like most are very close to closing that gap. You don't really grasp thefull magnitude until you looked at the sea of people waiting on this the 3rd and last day. It should be noted that from the explanation we received from one of the mortgage reps it appears that the banks will somehow assess the market value of these troubled assets and modify the loan amount to current market values and work out terms that are advantageous to the homeowners and investors based on their financial conditions and ability to pay.

As we left and was driving back home exhausted, my mind drifted back to earlier in the day. I had just completed an afternoon of looking at homes with an out of town client. But on the way back to my client's hotel I noticed a man on the highway. He looked about 30-something...unkempt, his clothing tattered and in his dirty hand was a sign soliciting drivers for money to buy something to eat. People past him annoyed but I stopped rolled down my window and gave him a dollar bill. Just then I noticed a shinny-new black Mercedes slowing and literally stopping traffic. A man's suited hand emerged and it had a large number of bills in it. I slowed down so the man could run up and get the donation. Then as I exited off the highway I was stopped by the light. looking left, I noticed a young lady in a wheelchair with a QuikTrip cup. Both her legs were missing and it looked like the amputation was recent because the wounds were still healing under a dirty nylon stocking dressing.

It almost broke my heart because I have a daughter too! I looked at her, smiled and crazily all I could think of to say was to ask how she was doing. I got a broken smile back but what got me more was what I saw in her eyes. It was like all the humanity was gone but the reflection went much further and it seemed as if I looked into her soul and there she was a person with all her appendages....flesh and blood just like me and the only thing that made us different were our circumstances. What was a short time seemed like forever, as the light changed to green. I again reached in my wallet. I felt bad because she said I had to throw the money at her because the curb restricted her so she literally could not meet me to get it. I drove off trying not to let my passenger know my emotion at that moment. That emotion must have sparked another image in my head. But this time it was someone I had recently spoke with that in our initially meeting seemed to have it all and now other personal circumstances seems to have pierced through to the spirit. It was the eyes.....not the same color but just the same as I had seen twice earlier!

I immediately looked over at my beautiful wife and grabbed her hand. in an instant it seemed like all the problems that I personally was experiencing seemed so small. I remembered her saying that my preoccupation with my business and the economy was consuming me and that I was missing out on what life was really all about. No it wasn't that I was a bad husband or father. It wasn't about the house or all the things we had accumulated or some now even lost. Then I remember the question she asked me, "Greg if we lost everything....we would still have us, right?"

Folks, I can't predict what will happen to our economy....heck I can even see to type this post without having glasses on. However what I am sure of is that through it all remember and hold on to those things that really matter......close!

What a statement!

"There are many ways to avoid success in life, but the most sure-fire just might be procrastination."

What can you do?

1. Make a list for the week. On Sunday night, make your priority list. Arrange it with #1 being the highest priority (and the most profitable for your business) and continue through to the low priority tasks. Start with #1 and do not move to #2 until it is finished! If you have a large project, you could break it down into smaller tasks. The most important could be #1 and the next could be on the list as #4. That way you get a break from the project but you will get back to it soon.

2. Figure out what your distractions are and turn them off. You know what I'm talking about: email, Facebook, surfing the net. That's right, just don't do it until it is absolutely necessary.

3. Give yourself a pat on the back. Look at your list on Friday night. What have you accomplished? Reward yourself even with the smallest accomplishments. Small or big, it doesn't matter. Just so it makes you feel good and makes you want to start all over on Monday!

I know I'm getting started this week!

Hey AR...you know I often wondered what Ben Franklin was really thinking about when he wrote the phrase "the only thing certain is death and taxes"in a letter sent to his friend Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789. We all know that our day is enviable but have you ever really thought about which one really comes first.? Oh come on.......you know the taxman always cometh first!

But the truth be told folks look at how much of our lives are regimented based on the simple premise of trying to avoid tax liabilities. Just how bad is it? Let's pause to reflect for just a moment. We spend enormous amounts of time and money looking for investments, shelters, tax loopholes, and yes some folks even plan to have their babies just at the end of the year to get that extra tax credit! Shameful you say? Well, just like Sargent Joe Friday from Dragnet, I'm here just to give the facts. Speaking of facts, 20% of all American wait until the last week to file and 5% to 10% wait until April 15th. That when in a rush we ambush our accountants and CPA with the phrase coined from Larry the Cable Guy...'"Just Git-R-Done!"

By the way speaking of death and taxes, were you aware of the new law that has slayed the so-called death tax? Yep, back in June of 2001, President Bush made good on his promise to slash taxes by putting his John Henry to the trillion dollar tax cut package that has become infamously known as the Economic Growth & Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. Of course, that nifty piece of legislation proved to contain the biggest cuts in over 20 years but some of these changes may or may not even go into effect.

One of the biggest and most complicated is the repeal of estate taxes set to go into effect in 2010.
Stay with me folks...the estate tax exemption increases from $675,000 in 2001 to $3.5 million in 2009.
Then in 2010 "poof" its gone! But guess what, it reappears again in 2011 at a $1 million dollar exemption! Why? Get this....In order to meet budgetary restriction a "sunset" provision brings the rule back in force in 2011. Here is the 411.

Under the current law when you die, your assets receive a "step-up in basis." This means that real estate, stocks and other inherited assets are valued at their market price on the day of your death, not the price you originally paid for them.

This will of course change after the estate tax is repealed but it could create a paperwork nightmare for folks who inherit a large amount of appreciated assets because you will need to get your hands on records that will document the original purchase price of the assets. May I suggest that for more information please consult your attorneys, financial planners, Accountants, or CPAs for more information on the tax, probate, trusts, credit-shelters, and other questions related to handling your estate.

But not to worry! I'm certain that President Obama and Congress will soon revisit this issue prior to the end of the year. Word out is that the Prez is not in favor of a full repeal but looks to keep the exemption at $3.5 million. I believe that the gift tax will also stay. Yeah, I know what you've thinking....All this crap is really taxing your patience.

Okay AR...can we talk for a moment? It's official! After the meeting of the G20 all of the World's Governments are now focused on "fixing" the problems at all costs. Hmmmmm...so when did government get bigger than the market? Don't know. Back to the G20 in uno momento.

First...what you may or may not know is that recently the Financial Accounting standards Board (FASB) suspended its rule #157-e...the Fair Value Rule. Basically this rule requires banks to value their assets using a "mark-to-market" method. Not sure what mark-to-market valuation is all about...go back and check out an earlier post of mine. Anyway, the FASB reports that the new measure purports to guide asset holders who mark their holdings to market through a two-step process to help them decide "whether a market for a financial asset that historically was active is not active and whether a transaction is not distressed."

Okay so hurdling all the legal mumbo jumbo this basically means that banks now have greater flexibility and can use their own valuation methods. This could lead to reduced bank write-downs and boosts to their net income. However, what scenario have we created by allowing these institutions to mark up prices on assets? Are we not attempting to expose all these toxic assets and further create incentives for investors to buy them up? Is this more lying to investors and taxpayers to shore up the financial markets bottom lines so they can report higher earnings? On the other hand, if the new changes caused some growth on bank balance sheets..does it not make sense that they should be in a better position to lend? Regardless of either way is Valuation not the real problem here? Did the lie on wall street stem from utilizing the face value of assets? Got you scratching your head now, right?

While you're checking your scalp, back to the G20. President Barrack Obama stated at the G20 meeting last week in London that, ".....he came to listen and not to lecture" Yes...listen we all should, and watch very closely. Talk of US economic supremacy is now being replaced with collaboration, diplomacy, and cooperation. Yeah you saw the picture of President Obama with Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, China's president Hu Jintao, and the President of Italy, Georgio Napolitano looking like a reunion of old frat buddies. But did you get past the smoke and mirrors to see some of the things that were really going on...How about talks of a New World Reserve Currency!

Oh but the Oligarchs are at it again! Just to bring you up to date an economic alliance has been formed between Brazil, Russia, India, and China back in 2008. The B.R.I.C. nations represent the 4 largest oil production countries in the world lead by Russia. (You probably didn't know that Rusia produces even more oil that the Middle East) Essentially, what is happening is that with the US national debt soaring at over $11 trillion and expected to grow another $10 trillion over the next 10 years, some countries are worried. China hold $2 trillion in foreign reserves with two-thirds of that in US assets. Then came the announcement that the central bank was to buy $1.1 trillion in securities. Xie Xuren, China's Finance Minister, and Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of China's central bank are becoming increasingly vocal as one of the world's emerging and evolving economies focused on reshaping the global economic landscape.

Of course with this type of bulging debt, a concern UN panel has publicly stated that the world should replace the dollar. Not only that, China, Russia and its partners have all called for the establishment of a New International Reserve Currency. Oh no folks, this consortium won't be be looking for something based on the gold standard but more so on something that would allow oil to be reflected independently. Remember, under the OPEC agreement oil has been traded in US dollars since 1971. Opps..of course there are always pundits. Remember, Iraq switch to trading oil in euros. Iran has been asking customers to pay in non-dollar currencies and have converted all its oil export payment to non-dollar currencies. Hugo Chavez has little love for the dollar and Venezuela has been bartering with oil.

Could the rise of the Euro be partially the reason for the Iraq attack? Check back to 2002. Saddam Hussein may have seal his doom when he announced in 2000 that Iraq was no longer going to accept dollars for oil and decided to switch to the euro. Even stranger, this change somehow missed being reported by the big media conglomerates. By the way, the dollar was reinstated again about mid 2003. However, what has been revealed is that there was active Pentagon planning for operations against Iranian suspected nuclear facilities. Okay, Okay we all know the publicly stated reasons and consequences for Iran housing "weapons of mass destruction." What you did not know was that Iran had the ultimate nuclear weapon aimed at the financial system of America.... The Iranian Oil Bourse. Just think about it, Iran was about to commit the mother of all sins....creating its own exchange to compete with the US NYMEX and London's IPE when it came to trading oil.

Getting back to B.R.I.C...in a surprise move at the G20 meeting, China suggested the world move towards greater use of the International Monetary Fund's Special Drawing Rights, created by the IMF in 1969 as an international reserve asset. The expansion would include the rouble, the yuan, oil,and gold.

Now I'm sure we can all make a point about what will come to past and maybe even predict what is about to come. Perhaps we will all be partially right. But the truth be told, the Chinese and Russians are taking the first steps to plant the seeds at the G20 that the US is jeopardizing the dollars as the world currency by printing massive amounts of money. So while thousands of blokes in London gathered to protest at what some feel is the epicenter of financial hijinks, I can't help but to ponder on the fact that the financial structure of the US is truly broken and what will be the repercussions to the average guy like me; or why the lack of oversight and greed that was allowed to fester and permeate for such a long time.

How can we trust anyone? The security and investment community contributed $146 million in campaign
contributions and the banking industry added another $34 million. How do we stop the Bernie Madoffs, Mark Dreiers, and AIGs of the world who use fixed financial reporting, payoffs, corrupt elected officials and fear to perpetrate their criminality. All for the love of money. But alas..these folks and opportunities would not exist if not be for greed disguised as the American Dream that allows the average person to become the next rape victim and the rising professional to become a criminal.