Michael Neville - Intown Atlanta Realtor

My broker is an incredibly successful guy, owning multiple brokerages, closing 300+ deals a year, vacation home on the lake, trips to the mountains & beaches, etc. Not bad for a guy who was a self-proclaimed party animal & former newspaper salesman. He enjoyed his rock band and "fun" lifestyle until the realization of becoming a father hit him & he became WAY more motivated about creating wealth for his family.

Back then it was about financial wealth, and now it's more of the balance between financial, spiritual, & emotional wealth. I say all of this because what he has achieved he has made clear I'm capable of too, as are you. It's not about being born into a family business or groomed for success - IT'S YOUR MINDSET.

More than mentoring me about how to navigate the Atlanta Real Estate market, delivering great service, anticipating needs & being proactive - he's given me tools to help change my life that I've told others about and want even more to be aware of and apply to their own life. He mentioned so many things and repeated the titles of these books (and trust me I hate to read - but these have been amazing/life altering tools).

"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne and "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill aren't real estate books, while they can DEFINITELY be applied to real estate - these are books that if you think, analyze, and apply their concepts properly will transform your life and the lives of those around you. It's not about merely the financials, these have concepts that can be applied to all aspects of your life. I want this for my buyers, sellers, colleagues, and everyone elses lives I can positively impact.

I appreciate the encouragement, the breakfasts, the talks, leading by example, etc. that my broker has taken the time to support me with - but honestly - his conviction to encourage me to read these books and have me apply them to my life has & will forever change me. --- realize - "your thoughts become things" (choose your thoughts and more importantly your feelings wisely).

- Thanks Rick

Anyone who has purchased a primary residence in the state of Georgia during 2008 should be applying for Homestead Exemption after Jan. 1, 2009. It is best to get this out of the way in Jan., but you have until the end of February to truly have it completed. I personally send the packets of info to my buyer clients depending on the county they live in during January so they have ample time to apply. Clients appreciate it when you save them money before, during, & after the purchase of their home - plus it just feels good to help people save money.

Every county's policies are different and it requires either contacting your realtor for them to advise you or gong on the website for the county you live in and check the tax assessor's page. As an example Fulton County and Dekalb County have different policies & procedures yet both deal with citizens of Atlanta. You may have to file in person versus on the internet - read carefully & ask questions.

You will DRAMATICALLY reduce your property taxes by filing for Homestead Exemption. There are other exemptions depending upon your status within protected classes (senior citizens, physically disabled, wounded veteran, etc.) Ask your agent for assistance and tell your friends & family.

Unfortunately, I know a person who didn't have a helpful agent & paid a few THOUSAND extra dollars in taxes for the first few years he owned his property because he had never filed for homestead exemption. Once you have filed for your homestead exemption you will not have to file for it again as long as that home is your primary residence.

You can only file for homestead exemption on 1 home at a time, not investment properties (primary residence only.)

I hope this helps save you some serious $$$$ with this tax benefit

In the current market place additional opportunities are presenting themselves that require specific skills & knowledge in order to best serve your clients. People need us more now than ever in navigating the process of attempting workouts & short sales. The following is a bried overview compiled from a number of skilled agents & resources available to the KW family.

Be very careful with short sales that involve different banks on the 1st & 2nd notes. The 1st is usually very cooperative, but the 2nd - while having no true power or likely chance of being repaid on the note considering their position have consistently been more challenging to deal with b/c of the tax benefits of them allowing the note to be lost to foreclosure vs. agreeing to short sales where they recoup $0 - eventhough they would/will typically get $0 in the foreclosure process since the primary note is the first to be compensated.

If a bank holds the 1st & the 2nd note, very often times they'll treat it as one note and if the following steps/procedures are followed, they are becoming more and more likely to accept a short sale and avoid the costly foreclosure process. Remember, the banks assets are notes, not property - so if they can avoid taking possession of more properties & the responsibilities of holding them then it's a win-win.

I hope these help you and those whom you can positively impact with your assistance:

Workout & Short Sales: A Quick Overview

1. Seller typically must be 60 days behind on payments to qualify.

2. Be sure your seller is for real.

- Ask for a credit report

- Search for any other properties titled in their name.

** Ensure that they aren't filing for bankruptcy, because if they do it haults the short sale process entirely.

3. Contact the lender and submit a letter of authorization.

- Who is servicing the loan? This usually your first stop.

- Who holds the note? Ask for a representative from the loss mitigation department authorized to negotiate a workout.

4. Document the hardship.

- Be accurate – confirm everything in the hardship letter and documentation. Reliability is golden.

- Provide full and accurate financial disclosure.

- Submit a preliminary net sheet with a comprehensive market analysis.

5. Negotiate a workout.

- Ask the lender for forbearance – to suspend, roll back, forgive, or add to mortgage or reduce payments.

_ Ask the lender to refinance the note with more favorable terms.

- Ask for a short sale. If you receive an offer on the home, check it for accuracy and submit it to the lender as a short sale. This is most likely when the lender will share the terms they’ll accept on the house. (It can take quite a while for them to produce an appraisal and final terms, so the faster you can get something into the lender the better. It will be necessary to manage the expectations of the buyer(s) & seller(s) that it may take awhile for the bank to respond.)

6. Don’t buck the system.

- Follow the lender’s workout systems.

- Be persistent, patient, and even-tempered.

- Be available and respond to any communications promptly. Whatever you do – don’t duck the lender, the more open & cooperative you are the more likely the short sale will be approved.

At a time when lending institutions are weary of giving money to anyone, here are 7 Don’t s of Mortgage Funding that WILL help ENSURE you DO secure a loan and CLOSE on the home you want.

1) Don’t change your employment status.

2) Don’t make any major purchases (cars, furniture, home theater, vacations, jewelry, etc.)

3) Don’t increase your credit card debt or miss any payments.

4) Don’t change bank accounts or make undisclosed large deposits.

5) Don’t apply for a credit card, co-sign a loan or make a credit inquiry.

6) Don’t spend money you have set aside for closing – not any, not ever.

7) Don’t delay in providing all paperwork asked for by the mortgage company.

I had a client who wanted to upgrade his wife's wedding ring prior to starting their life in their new home, but thankfully I showed him how if he purchased that ring prior to moving in - there would be no move in b/c he would no longer qualify for the loan. He listened well, so they closed on the house in the morning and then in the afternoon he went an upgraded her ring -- ensuring that we were able to fund the deal with his credit in tact.

Communication & Timeliness are vital components to making the process from contract to close go as smooth as possible in ensuring the funding of a loan at closing. Stay diligent and you will have plenty of time to relax in your new home.

So buy now most people are aware of the gift certificates to restaurants through restaurant.com which is a national service, but few are aware of a website that serves the Metro Atlanta Community with half off or more. The website is halfoffdepot.com - They have arrangements with LOCAL restaurants, establishments, businesses, etc. that aren't affiliated with national services. This is a great way to enjoy Metro Atlanta.

They have huge discounts in the following categories:

1) Restaurants(Carrol Street Cafe, Carpe Diem, too many more to name)

2) Pubs, clubs, & bars(Pub 71, Highland Cigar)

3) Performances & Events (free museum & movie tickets, plays)

4) Retail & Services (Spa Flow , Atlantic Therapeutic Massage, Juiciest Fruit)

5) Golf, Sports & Country Clubs ( Ten Pin Alley at Atlantic Station , Stone Mountain Gold Club, Cross Creek Golf & Country Club)

Halfoffdepot.com services Alpharetta/Roswell, Buckhead/Sandy Springs, Decatur, Downtown Atlanta, Midtown Atlanta, Dunwoody/Doraville, Marietta/Smyrna, and the Gwinnett areas.

If you're having trouble with finding a good deal on the website or looking for suggestions - both with food and/or real estate, stop by my website, michaelneville.com , or just drop me a line at mike@michaelneville.com I'm more than happy to help. Whether it's lifestyle/creature comforts or real estate, I pride myself on ensuring that the people I serve get great service/products with incredible value.

All The Best,

Mike