Matt Hermes

In the past month or so we have seen a number of homes go into foreclosure in Hamilton Mill which are now being marketed for sale in the local listing systems.

What is going on here? Life, that is what is going on. As the United States economy struggles to gain its footing and jobs are being eliminated in many sectors, tough times are falling on some of our neighbors and friends and you know what, you may not even know it is happening around you.

Just the other day I was talking to someone in Hamilton Mill and he made the comment to me that he was totally unaware of "John Doe's" financial problems and wished that John had talked to him about it. He had a feeling something was going on. John always used to keep his home and yard very well kept and then 6 months or so ago he noticed things seemed to be a little different. John lost his home and now is looking for alternative housing and a decent paying job.

Here is something to think about.

The real estate market struggles as well as the mortgage crisis is hitting so many different areas of our economy that most of us do not even think of, but take a look at who is being effected.

If new or resale homes do not sell:

Loan Officers do not write new loans, Appraisers do not appraise homes, closing attorneys do not close loans, moving companies do not move you into your new home which means furniture stores do not sell furniture which is sold to them by salespersons for the factory, lighting stores do not sell lights, painters do not paint and landscapers do not put out new landscaping products which they buy from the nursery who hire people to plant and care for the beautiful plants you planned to landscape with. Also, since you will not be doing all the home projects you wanted to, Home Depot and Lowes and other stores are not selling the products they were a couple of years ago. If sales are down there, what about all the people that were selling their products to them.

Wow, that seems like quite a little list do is not. Wait there is more.

If new homes are not selling then the Builders are not selling homes which means that they are cutting back on their Project Managers and of course they are not buying building products like wood, brick, sheetrock, lighting, paint, and so on. By the way, all the homes that are not being built effect the plumbers, electricians, roofers, masonry guys, framers and so on. Also the builders cannot hire the grading companies to move the dirt which means a loss of jobs and if that is the case then the tractor companies do not sell new equipment which means that the factories have no orders which means they do not need to hire people, rather they need to lay them off.

Need I go on. I could for a very long time but I won't. Know why, I am optimistic we are getting out of this mess and will be a better, smarter people for it. I hope we save more (I know I need to), are smarter with our buying decisions (do we really need the biggest of everything or most expensive this or that), and realize that this mess can and probably will happen again and we need to plan for it.

Now go out and make it a great day. I plan to.

By the way there are a number of really great deals in Hamilton Mill right now. Prices have never been better. Give me a call and I will email you a list of Hot Properties. Gotta go show one now.

Matt Hermes

When is enough, enough?

In the past several months I have had a number of investors looking at some of our properties and the first question I always get it "How motivated are your clients".

How motivated are my clients you ask? Well, obviously they are looking to sell their home that is why it is for sale. Did you not see the current listing on one of the 100+ websites we link too?

The next question is "Are they ready to make a deal?". My answer always is the same. "Yes and no. Why do you ask." "I am looking for a deal" they say. Of course you are, everyone is during these times, but what is a "Deal".

Here comes the one I love that comes from either the investor or the Selling Agent, "We want to make an offer but we are looking for a 20-40% reduction in price". My reaction again is always the same. "If I thought they would take 20-40% of current asking then I would have found the $ to buy it myself days, weeks or months ago. Now there are some properties that are listed 20+% above market value but others are priced properly or below market.

We do all we can to price homes accordingly and yes sometimes we have clients that need to sell because of financial concerns, pending short sale or foreclosure but come on folks "Enough is Enough". The market is not close to where it needs to be but please start to make some educated decisions. Buying an investment home at this time is a GREAT idea and one that will pay off in spades in the coming years, but if you are looking for that Investor Special, look at hud.gov and find a property there or on any number of sites that specialize in foreclosures. We need to remember that usually it is a waste of a buyers time to make offers considerably lower than current asking price, especially if the home is priced properly, but at the same time, there is always that one in a milion that may negotiate with you and work out a deal.

Personally I love it when a client gets a great deal on a home and I enjoy working with clients to find that right property and gain instant equity for either a "flip" or rental property until the market turns. However, I also let my clients know that there are certain homes that you are not going to get your "Deal" and "Enough is Enough"

Hey Gwinnett County, with attendance limited to only 2,000 guests, Château Élan Winery & Resort’s annual Vineyard Fest celebration scheduled for Sunday, August 24^th, 2008 has been one of the hottest ticket items around for the past few years.

Tickets for the event are $75 per person and include parking, food, wine tasting, cooking and wine seminars with celebrity guest chefs, and wine experts, live music, dancing and grape stomping (yes grape stomping). Since the events inception in 2004 the event has been a sell-out every year.

In keeping with Château Élan’s desire to provide a comfortable, enjoyable experience for attending guests, the 2,000 limit on tickets has proved to be an ideal number. No Vineyard Fest tickets will be sold at the main gate of Château Élan. The Winery is closed to all non-ticket holders. Guests must be 21 years or older to participate in wine tastings.

More than 100 domestic and international wines will be available for guest tastings with wineries from Chile, Argentina, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia and New Zealand plus regional wineries from California, New York, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia participating.

Along with the wine tasting will be a variety of tasty foods prepared by Executive Chef Marc Suennemann, Spa chef Amie Reavis and sous chefs from Chateau Elan’s seven restaurants.

For more information give us a call at 678-279-4717.

Gwinnett County Public Schools students have set a record for the system's highest-ever composite score on the ACT. The ACT is a curriculum-based test designed to measure college preparedness. The Counties average composite score of 22.2 out of a possible 36 points is also higher than the state's average of 20.6 points and the national average of 21.1 points, a news release states.

A closer look also shows that more Gwinnett County students took the ACT during the 2007-08 school year than ever before, and the average scores on the individual tests also rose. (The) results are a direct reflection of the great teaching and learning that occurs in our high schools," said Jorge Quintana, the school district's spokesman. "Our teachers truly care about our students, and are committed to preparing them for a bright and successful future."

In Georgia, high school seniors made gains on the ACT, even as the national average for the college readiness exam fell.

The state's composite ACT score rose to 20.6 in 2008, up from 20.3 in 2007. Nationally, the number fell to 21.1, down from 21.2 last year. Georgia's scores increased in every subject area tested by the ACT and the state moved up three spots to 41st, up from 44 in 2007 and 47 in 2002. Gwinnett, Cobb and Fulton counties led the state in schools with the highest scores, as each school district had at least five schools with scores above 22.

The results of these test scores are welcome news to anyone who has children in the school system and we all should be extremely proud of all students, teachers and school administrative personnel. Congratulations to all.

Cirque du Soleil is coming to the Gwinnett County area early in the New Year with a new show called “Kooza.” The signature blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) will be erected at Atlantic Station from Jan. 2-Jan. 18.

If you did not get a chance to see the show last time, (I did not) this year is a must see. I am planning on bringing the Bride. Hmm, maybe a great Christmas present.

Tickets are on sale now on the Cirque website.

“Kooza” is described as the story of The Innocent, “a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.” It will emphasize the Montreal-based company’s love of clowning and acrobatic traditions.

Let’s hope “Kooza” will be as impressive as “Corteo,” which played Atlantic Station during the 2006 holiday season.

If past experience is any indication of the shows success, you can bet that Cirque will extend its Atlanta run beyond Jan. 18. Stay tuned for more details later.