Greg Lyles

If you are selling your Buckhead home, turn that spare bedroom into an office to appeal to the growing number of home-based businesses. New research shows the economic importance of home-based businesses: They account for more than half of all U.S. businesses and employ more people than venture-backed companies.

More than half of all U.S. businesses are based at home. These companies often are dismissed as quaint hobbyist ventures, but new research suggests that's a mistake. An estimated 6.6 million home-based enterprises provide at least half of their owners' household income. Together these "homeprenuers" employ one in 10 private-sector workers, and by many measures they're just as competitive as their counterparts in commercial spaces.

A few trends are driving the growth of sophisticated home businesses. First, technology has made it easier to start and run a business from anywhere. But just as important, there has been a change of consciousness in the business world to recognize home-based enterprises as legitimate.

By clearing out an extra bedroom and staging it with a desk, file cabinets and shelving, you can demonstrate to potential buyers that the space could be a very suitable office. Make sure that the room has adequate electrical outlets to accomodate a variety of office equipment. By promoting your in-home office through your FMLS listing and other marketing, you appeal to potential buyers for whom an in-home office is a neccesity - or at a minimum, just a nice extra. It may also be the one feature that separates you from the competition!

For more ideas on selling your Buckhead home, call Greg Lyles at Conrad Lyles Realtors. (404) 841-9634

Source: Business Week

Buckhead homes for sale are starting to look like bargains.

Falling real estate prices are becoming as much a feature of high-end neighborhoods as wine cellars, infinity pools and four-car garages.

During-and after-a bubble, investors often hope that "quality assets" will hold value. It's usually a vain hope. Just ask people who owned luxury condos in Tokyo after 1990, or investors in Cisco Systems (CSCO) after the tech-stock bubble popped. Real estate is not that different.

To continue reading, click here http://blog.conradlyles.com/?p=437

One River Place has great amenities, fine finishes and spectacular views of the Chattahoochee River.

What it - and nine other major Atlanta condo projects backed by failed lender Corus Bank - doesn't have is clarity.

The Trammell Crow Residential development along Powers Ferry Road is part of the Corus condo loan portfolio that is locked in limbo as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and private equity firms jockey for terms on nearly $4 billion of the failed lender's assets.

The loans, including 10 in Atlanta totaling more than $600 million, will be sold for perhaps 20 cents on the dollar to 40 cents on the dollar, and the fallout for Atlanta is a giant question mark. To continue reading, click here. If you are interested in purchasing a condo or townhouse at dramatic savings, contact Greg Lyles.

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Renovating your Atlanta home? Greg Lyles, the founder and broker of Conrad Lyles Realtors, was featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Atlanta Business Chronicles' Living in Atlanta magazine. The article addressed the decision many Atlantans are making to renovate their existing home rather than purchase a new home. The veteran real estate broker, who built and developed for twenty years, shared numerous tips for Atlanta homeowners planning a renovation;

• Lyles suggests that homeowners begin collecting an "idea file" of rooms or details they've seen in magazines. This enables the architect to see what you are trying to accomplish and saves time and money.
• Meet with your CPA to determine the best financing options, from a home equity line of credit to refinancing your mortgage.
• When meeting with an architect, discuss which rooms you spend the most time in and budget your remodeling expenditures accordingly.
• Atlanta homeowners should always get a written contract that includes materials specifications, a schedule and targeted completion dates.

Conrad Lyles Realtors is a full service, boutique firm specializing in Buckhead, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs and Vinings. For more information click here

The Southeastern economy showed signs of stabilization in August, according to the latest Federal Rerserve Beige Book report, released September 9. Reports from real estate contacts indicated that the pace of decline in home sales continued to moderate in most areas compared with the same time a year earlier. The inventory of unsold homes remains elevated, in part because of the continuing supply of foreclosed properties, and this is said to be keeping downward pressure on home prices.

Reports from most District homebuilder and Realtor contacts indicated that the pace of decline in home sales continued to moderate in July and early August from a year earlier. Both Realtors and homebuilders noted that increases in supply because of foreclosures and short-sales were partially responsible for the price declines even as sales increased. Georgia homebuilders also cited difficulty competing with foreclosed home prices. Demand for starter homes remained relatively strong across the region and a pickup in sales of mid-market homes was also noted in some areas. The majority of homebuilders and contractors reported that new home construction remained at very low levels. The outlook among both builders and Realtors continued to rebound, with the majority anticipating positive year-over-year sales growth over the next several months.

Banking contacts continued to remark that credit availability remained tight. Several reports mentioned that the commercial real estate market continued to be affected by tighter lending standards. Banks were cited as remaining cautious on loan approvals, subjecting borrowers to increased equity requirements, continued scrutiny of appraisals, and generally applying stricter credit standards.

Conrad Lyles Realtors is a full service boutique firm specializing in Atlanta's most desirable neighborhoods, including Brookhaven, Buckhead, Sandy Springs and Vinings. For more information, visit http://www.conradlyles.com