I came across a blog post I wrote in 2008 for a contest. It was an SEO contest (search engine optimization) to see who could rank the highest for this phrase on Google in 30 days.

February 13, 2008

The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World

First and foremost the greatest real estate agent in the world is not the one you think he is. He isn’t the one who sells the most houses in a given year or the one with the best car. He is not the one who has the highest priced listings or the one who lives in biggest penthouse in Trump Tower. He is not the one who knows all of the best closing techniques or the one who could sell ice to an Eskimo.

The greatest real estate agent in the world is the one who tells the first time home-buyer the truth about the mortgage he is thinking of getting. He’s the one who can tell a Buyer that even though the bank will give them an adjustable rate mortgage to buy the house, he shows them where the payment could go, and explains what happens if he can’t make the payment. He doesn’t tell the buyer that they can always just sell or refinance, because he knows that the market could change and the prices could go down. He knows that just because there are 100% loans today for stated income borrowers with 620 credit scores, that two years from now the loan programs could expire. He knows that sometimes bad things happen to good people and pushing the envelope and borrowing the absolute max has brought many people to ruin. 

First time Buyers - How does the offer process work?

Picture this: I have shown you a number of houses but today we saw a house and wow, fireworks went off in your brain. You are ready to move forward. What next? Here is how the process works. 

First, Take a breath. There is a lot of paperwork to get through but it's all online and we are really in a paperless world now. So if you would rather not deal with a stack of paper we are good with that. If you still like books and paper, hey! we are about that too!

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Curious about local real estate? So are we! Every month we review trends in our real estate market and consider the number of homes on the market in each price tier, the amount of time particular homes have been listed for sale, specific neighborhood trends, the median price and square footage of each home sold and so much more. We’d love to invite you to do the same!

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This pages is full of links to great things to do while you are in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. Great info for visitors and locals alike!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens This is a beautiful resource on the west side of Piedmont Park near Midtown and Downtown Atlanta. There are great permanent exhibitions of horticultural interest and there are shows and events that come to the facility as well. There are acres of outdoor exhibits as well as several different conservatories and a large collection of orchids.

In 1996 Sally Wylde and Louise Jackson started a to develop interest in the Oakhurst community for gardening. Initially the began in the school working with children to garden some median strips. The following year they began a community garden on a half acre piece of property acquired by Sally Wylde and her husband, Britt Dean.

The Oakhurst Garden at 435 Oakview Rd

The first garden and the largest is located at 435 Oakview Rd Decatur GA 30030. It is at the corner of Oakview Rd and South McDonough St.

The Edgewood Community Garden

Agency

In any Real Estate transaction, it is possible for the Agent to represent different parties to the transaction. If he has been hired by the Seller as an Exclusive Listing Agent, then he is practicing Seller Agency. If the real estate agent is representing the Buyer in the negotiations, then he has agreed to Buyer's Agency. If the agent represents both the Seller and the Buyer he is involved in Dual Agency and if the agent represents neither party, it's called Transaction Brokerage. Seller's Agency All Agency agreements should be in writing. Verbal agreements are legal, but not enforceable, so they are only good if all parties co-operate.

When you are buying a home today, a vital step in the process is the professional home inspection. It is a very important part of the process and needs to be done correctly.

BEFORE THE INSPECTION

Generally when you find a property that may be "the one";  you view it, walk through the entire house, open the  closets and cabinets, check out the basement, and even might poke your head into the crawl space. Your first look is what tells you that you may have found your ideal home. Typically you are looking at several and at the end of the day it can be difficult to remember details. So most people go back to the house they are interested in pursuing and spend some time checking everything.

This pages is full of links to Art, Music, Theater and Dance Venues in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. Great information for visitors and locals alike!

Actor's Express

Atlanta Ballet

Alliance Theater Co

What is Disclosure?

First of all, a disclosure is a part of the purchase and sale contract that gives the Seller the chance to tell you about any defects he may know about his property. Why would he ever want to do that? Well, because it's the law. It's illegal for the seller to hide defects from the buyer. Yet there are some things that the seller doesn't have to tell you, some things that you may really want to know.

Do you have to tell if you have ghosts in the attic?

When I initially got my real estate license, I took the course that was required at the time to become an appraiser. The first thing the instructor said on the first day was that Appraisal is an art, not a science.  I think most people assume that it is a science, but it really isn't.