Richard Weisser - Coweta Fayette Real Estate - Newnan homes for sale

These days, more than ever, it has become a lot more difficult to determine the value of a home’s intangible assets.

While everyone can assign a dollar value for the number of bedrooms and baths, the type of construction, or even the school district, home characteristics such as being designated as historic, having a great view, or possessing a unique charm are all subjective qualities that may be difficult to appraise.

And while sellers may wish to promote these properties as “one-of-a-kind,” real estate brokers and licensed appraisers alike often have difficulty finding suitable comparable properties.

True fair market value is what a buyer will pay and a seller will accept without duress. If a third party is thrown into the mix, the subjective nature of the purchase offer will have to stand the test of objectivity and be measured accordingly.

Here in Newnan Georgia, we have seen many of these intangible assets decline in value over the last few years. Lender enthusiasm for these attributes has eroded.

And evaluations have taken the charm out of the purchase process!

Laura Ellen Beckom, a member of the Newnan-Coweta Board of Realtors, a business associate, and a great friend of mine passed away on Wednesday, June 22 2011 at her home in Newnan Georgia after a brief illness.

To say that I will miss Laura Ellen in an understatement. We worked together on many deals, and her positive attitude and beaming smile would light up any room. She always greeted me with a bubbly “hey there” when I called on the phone or when we met in person.

Laura Ellen was one of the hardest workers that I have ever met. She fought tooth and nail for her clients, and always made certain that they were well served throughout their transaction.’

She was also one of the most honest people that I have ever met. She called me on more than one occasion because she thought that something didn’t sound just right or that she had suspicions that something underhanded might be going on.

Laura Ellen was diagnosed with a terminal illness just a few weeks ago. She came in the office one last time to turn in some paperwork, and she was as positive and upbeat as ever.

A little over a week later at Emory Hospital, she opened up her eyes and asked me “how’s it going?” I told her that she was going home that afternoon and she gave me one of her big warm smiles.

We laughed together a lot, because that is what we did. We always laughed about a deal that was terminated for no apparent reason, or a client that disappeared before closing, or a loan that was turned down at the last minute.

Laura Ellen always said that she needed a good laugh to keep from crying!

Right now, I need a good laugh.

Last night I had one of those experiences that restored my faith in humanity and proved that true champions still do exist.

I was out in my 1990 red Miata when I noticed a “flop-flop” sound under the hood. I recognized the sign as a fan belt that was about to give up the ghost.

I foolishly thought that I could make it home. Then at some point I heard the belt break and the alternator light came on. “No problem,” I thought, because there is enough juice in the battery to get me home.

WRONG!!!!

Apparently the same belt drove the water pump. In minutes the car was steaming.

I pulled over and raised the hood. Immediately a young man headed the other way asked if we needed help.

I told him that my fan belt broke and he said that he would be happy to take me to the auto parts store.

At this point, all sorts of things run through your mind. This man is a complete stranger, and his motives could be malicious. But I walked over and chatted with him a bit and decided that he was trustworthy.

On the way to the auto parts store we chatted. He was new in the area, and had just taken a job at one of Coweta’s largest manufacturers. As a recent college graduate he was looking forward to his new career and new life in Newnan Georgia.

He had just rented a place, and his wife was coming down soon. I mentioned that I was a real estate agent and that I would help them find a house when they were ready.

But I digress. When we got back to the car it was nearly dark.

This young man from Michigan did NOT just drop me off and go on his merry way. He pulled out his tools and went to work. The belt that broke was behind another belt which had to be removed first. It was an arduous task under adverse conditions.

It was not an easy job. This young man toiled in the sweltering heat, sweating and bleeding and doing the best that he could as I held a flashlight.

When he finished, of course he would not take any money. This sort of genuine hero never does. I did get his contact information, though, because I am going to help him find a house.

But I will never be able to repay him for his kindness.

I had a call from a potential buyer that currently lives in a Northeastern state. As we delved into a conversation about the lifestyle in Newnan, he made an interesting observation:

He said that after looking at many aerial photos of Newnan, he noticed that very few homes had swimming pools. I guess that is something that I had never really thought about before.

And come to think about it, nearly all of my clients that requested swimming pools as part of their search criteria were out-of-staters, most from the Northeast.

So I blurted out that “Pool Culture” was not part and parcel of life in Coweta County, and that adding a swimming pool to their “must-have” list would severely diminish their purchase opportunities.

But since that call, I have been trying to think of a reason WHY we are not all that big on pools here. We certainly have the weather for it! Already twenty days in the 90’s this year.

It’s an interesting question and I do not have an answer, but I do have a question:

Is “Pool Culture” part of your local lifestyle?

In tethered basins dangling free
Bright dabs against the azure airs.
Le Jardin thrives where all can see
Suspended o’er the thoroughfares!

Richard Weisser 2011

One of the special Summer touches in historic downtown Newnan is the numerous hanging baskets of beautiful flowers that punctuate the Old Courthouse Square.

Newnan takes great pride in the fact that one can still visit the downtown area just for the sake of being there and enjoying the sights and the ambience. Many locals meet after work just to walk and take it all in!

And of course, there are shops and restaurants for those that want to take advantage of ALL that Newnan has to offer.

Newnan Georgia is small town America at its best!