Ready for an Extra Hour of Sleep? Fall Back Tonight! Ah, the end of Daylight Savings Time 2011 draws near. Tick tock tick. Only hours to go before our sunlit evenings are shortened, but our now-dark mornings are brightened. Although I hate to lose my evening sun, I dislike dark mornings even more. Who really enjoys rolling out of bed at dark-o-clock? Not me. So, bring on the Fall Back! Besides, there is that other lovely, once-a-year benefit...... Yes, I know. It's only Saturday morning and I'm already anticipating that extra hour abed tomorrow. How decadent am I?  Well, I've worked hard this year and deserve my yummy extra hour to loll in bed on a Sunday morning. Don't you? So everybody remember to turn back the clock tonight before you go to bed. And enjoy the morning, dear ones. 11/05/2011

  Legacy Stagecoach, Ellenwood GA 30294 Real Estate Market Report    Large and Spacious floorplans coupled with good proximity to  everything Atlanta has to offer, are just two of the reasons why Legacy Stagecoach in Ellenwood, GA 30294 is one of the most popular subdivisions in Clayton County.   The Georgia MLS reports that there are currently 11 homes for sale in Ellenwood, GA Legacy Stagecoach subdivision, with asking prices between $86,400 and $175,000.  The median asking price is $116,900, meaning half of the current inventory is price above this price, and half is priced lower. Another 8 properties are currently under contract but have not yet closed.     So, if you are considering buying in Legacy Stagecoach subdivision of Ellenwood, GA,  know that the inventory is limited and si... 10/24/2011

  Ellenwood Georgia Renter, Stop Paying Someone Else’s Mortgage! If you’ve ever thought about real estate investing in the metro Atlanta real estate market, I know you’ve GOT to be thinking about it now. Interest rates are still at record lows and inventory and affordability at record highs. Should you buy now or wait until things settle?  Well, that depends on your current situation.  Are you living rent free somewhere or are you paying someone else's mortgage?    Yes! If you are paying rent, you ARE paying someone ELSE's mortgage.  Someone else is getting ALL the TAX benefits and all of the SECURITY and FINANCIAL FREEDOM …..of OWNING real estate …..and you are footing the bill.  Ellenwood Georgia Renter, tell me please....How long do you intend to keep that up?  If you want to... 10/15/2011

The Ellenwood, GA real estate market is truly heating up.  Ellenwood, GA remains one of the most sough-out areas for people relocating to or moving up in the metro Atlanta area. It's suburban-feeling location just minutes from the heart beat of Atlanta is a big reason for it's popularity among those in the know. Watching the market is an important preliminary step when deciding where and when to buy or sell your Ellenwood, Georgia home. There is good news in the market absorbtion rate shown below. After several years of excess inventory, months supply of homes for sale has been leveling out over the past year to more normal numbers. In most markets, 6 months of inventory is considered  a normal, healthy market. Increase in home buying activity, and lessening of distressed property flood... 09/27/2011

HAFA-  Still a Better Solution for Most Underwater Georgia Home Owners Recent reports from the Treasury Department indicate that the HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternative) program instituted by the current administration in April 2010 can still help underwater Georgia home owners save their credit from the long-term affects of a foreclosure.  HAFA short sale opportunities are still being made available, and increases have been reported in the number of successful HAFA short sales that have been completed in our communities. If you are facing a mortgage crisis due to inability to make your payments, the HAFA program might be your answer -- but you must get help soon.  The longer you delay in seeking help, the closer you get to receiving a dreaded foreclosure letter. Remember, a q... 09/10/2011

“I’m a Property Appraiser and I wonder if you can help me?” So, I've had some deals I'd worked on for months. After a major investment of time and money to research the comps, market the property for short sale and secure a viable buyer, I send in fair market value offer to the seller's lender and THEN they send out their appraiser. And when I get the lender's counter back, I have to scratch my head and wonder.....  "How did the appraiser come up with that value?" Have you ever had to ask yourself this question when a closing was derailed by an appraisal that came in too high or too low? As a short sales specialist, it’s happened to me a few too many times.  So my ears pricked up when I heard the news that big changes in appraisal standards were instituted this month.   Fanniemae and Fr... 09/10/2011

Good News for Georgia Home Owners: Low Rates Encourage Refinance Applications Many Georgia home owners have been discouraged from applying for Home Equity Loans due to an uncertain economy and more stringent lending guidelines recently adopted by most banks. The word on the street was the nobody could get a loan, so why bother trying. But this week’s lending news was good as reported by Atlanta Biz Journal and Atlanta Journal Constitution: Lending activity is up slightly, due to a surge in mortgage refinancing applications last week  which seems to have created a bump in lending activity, with mortgage rates holding below the 4.5% level.  Applications for refinancing jumped more than 30% this week to their highest levels of the year, and over the past month, refinance application volume... 08/13/2011

Hello to my Friends online and my neighbors in Ellenwood and Surrounding Communities! Are you a person who dreads Monday mornings? I used to be, but recently my outlook on Mondays has changed. I'm not sure exactly when this major change in perspective happened, I just realized recently that Monday is not a drag anymore. Maybe it's because an agent's week so often runs right into and through the weekend, so that Monday becomes just an extension of the last week. I don't know. What I do know is that lately, I find myself looking forward to Monday as the beginning of a brand new work week and full of business-building possibilities. Of course, it could be just another sign of aging. You know... I'm getting older, don't have as many days to waste as I used to, so I'll do well to get the bes... 06/20/2011

In the market for a bargain home purchase in the Ellenwood, Georgia area? There are hundreds of desireable and affordable properrties available right now in and around Ellenwood, South Dekalb County and Henry County. Everyone knows that this is one of the greatest times in generations to be a real estate buyer! Don't miss out on this window of opportunity. Become a property owner at the best prices many of us will ever see. Let our Buyer Specialists from the Best Atlanta Short Sales Team bring their extensive local neighborhood knowledge and real estate expertise to your next property search. We're here to help. 05/17/2011

An Open Letter to Ellenwood, GA Home Sellers Dear Ellenwood Home Owner, A new client, having found me online, wanted to make sure she was hiring a short sales specialist who could get the job done. Before listing her Ellenwood GA home with me, she asked that I send her a list of my references and short sale sucesses over recent months and specifically in her area. I hope you, also, may find the following list useful in deciding to call on me to assist in the sale of your property. Successful short sales I recently closed in your area: (these lists do not include my traditional sales, buyer sales or other transactions, only short sales) 5540 Brenston Way, Ellenwood - February 2010 3705 Arminto Drive, Ellenwood - June 2010      5532 Brenston Way, Ellenwood - July 2010 19C Little Mountain ... 04/20/2011

Who is celebrating another Ellenwood short sale success. Elva's client, that's who! What a review! I just received this email from one of my Ellenwood, GA home sellers after closing a particularly long and challenging short sale. Folks, THIS is why I keep doing them: Hi Elva:I would like to thank you for all of your hard work in getting thishouse sold. Your job was much harder than ours and you nevercomplained. Through the obstacles, the difficulties and even throughlack of effort from the sellers and the lenders, you remained committedto helping selling this property. There are no words to express howmuch I appreciate everything that you did. From the moment you walkedthrough the front door of the house you were committed to getting thishouse sold. Emotionally I was a wreck, and when I... 07/01/2010

Is "Strategic Default" a Good Strategy for You? You've proabably heard the term by now. It's making headlines in Georgia and from coast-to-coast. Underwater homeowners are increasingly considering "strategic defaults" as a possible foreclosure-avoidance option. But is this "strategy" really the best choice? Perhaps not. Strategic or not, it is still foreclosure -- and that's almost never good for the homeowner nor their community. Desparate circumstance may seem to call fro desparate measures. But get all the pre-foreclosure facts before you choose this route. Many are making this choice without weighng all of their options. In fact, of the millions of homeowners in distress, it is widely reported that more than 70% of homeowners proceed without seeking assistance or getting the facts a... 06/18/2010

Ellenwood, Georgia -- the Gem of South-East Metro Atlanta! The secret is out. One of the most inviting features attracting newcomers to the metro Atlanta area is it's diversity of neighborhoods. Located just a few minutes south and east of downtown Atlanta is the Gem of the Southern Crescent -- the charming city of Ellenwood. As of 2009, Ellenwood's population was 35,203 people and growing. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 29.53 percent. Ellenwood's recent popularity among those relocating to the ATL owes much to it's many family-friendly neighborhoods and subdivisions with roomy homes and spacious yards. Ellenwood GA is one of the most charming suburban communities in the south-east metro.  Like the famous song, it's a little bit country, yet a little bit rock and roll, su... 03/28/2010

Thanks, Rainers, for such a great response to this series idea. I promised to share my penny-saving habits with the world. So, let’s start with a great way to save on almost anything: Promotional Codes. What’s so great about promotional codes?  They allow you to save and/or get additional savings on thousands of items -- even when you are already shopping a sale or using a coupon.  At   www.promotionalcodes.com   you can get free promotional codes and discounts on all sorts of items and merchandise for home and for business. You can even get codes for discounts on discount web sites such as buy.com or Travelocity. They have codes in every category: ·         New promotional codes·         Most popular / most used codes·       Free shipping codes·        Expiring codes·         Printable... 03/16/2010

  The Wise Agent’s Guide to Earning Money by...Saving Money. The days of free-spending and conspicuous consumption are over for me. The times have changed and my modus operandi has had to change with them. In economic conditions like these we now face as a nation, it’s good to remember a few things our Mamas taught us -- such as, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Particularly now, when it’s a little harder to earn that penny in the first place, we’d be wise to heed our mothers' good advice and trim our expenditures where we can. So I'm writing this little blog series on how wise agents can save a little more money each month. I'm talking about putting  SHIFT tactic # 2 into action -- except that you don't stop with re-margining your business. No. You can extend expense management into ... 03/15/2010

Ellenwood GA-Stockbridge GA Brick Homes for Sale Weekly Report 2/5/10 Three brick homes sold in the Ellenwood-Stockbridge area of south metro Atlanta, GA  in the last week. (The subject area also includes some parts of Conley, Morrow and Rex) The average sale price for a full 4-sided brick or 3-side brick home in these areas last week was $276,767, with four sales closed. Additionally, four brick homes went under contract, with an average list price of $258,800. Good news for Buyers: Six brick homes for sale came new on the market this week at an average list price of $237,000. Four others were recently reduced to an average reduced price of $198,500. For more information on these and other brick homes in the Ellenwood-Stockbridge area, or for help selling your Ellenwood-Stockbridge are... 02/05/2010

Nice home for small family.  Home features hardwood floors in foyer,eat-in kitchen, DR, LR, partial basement and 2 car garage.  House is located in quiet cuddlesac. To directly access this property, use this shortcut:  http://www.fizber.com/georgia-buy-single-family-home-11646032.html 11/30/2009

What Comes After the NOD?Many of my blog readers have asked why the Georgia foreclosure process happens so fast. The only answer I have is...because our state law is set up that way -- to favor the lender, not the borrower. That's why it is so imperative that Georgians contact their lender and an experienced real estate professional as soon as they begin having trouble making their mortgage payments.The Georgia foreclosure process begins when the homeowner fails to make payments of the money due on the mortgage at the appointed time. Proceedings typically start with a formal demand for payment which is usually a letter issued from the lender. This letter of notice is referred to as a Notice of Default (NOD). In Georgia, the lender will issue this notice when the homeowner has been 30 da... 08/26/2009

This hidden gem is a four sided brick home with all the basics to make turn this into dazzling gem. Hardwood floors, 9ft ceilings, large wooden gazebo in wooded yard, back deck for entertaining, shed for storage, large kitchen, family room with built floor to ceiling wall to wall book shelf and much more. A must see. This does need some work but with $15k in improvements you will be @ less than 50 cents on the dollar and have essentially a brand new house. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/georgia-buy-single-family-home-11647359.html 08/06/2009

While the understandabe first reaction to a notice of pending foreclosure may be panic and despair, don't linger there. Pull yourself together and see if there is any way to fight back.Put your fear aside and get ready to wrestle.These days, most lenders would rather work with you than foreclose on you. It's not quite altruism on their part -- rather, it's for their own benefit in most cases. Did you know that it can cost the lender more money to foreclose than to work it out? According to my research, lenders spend an average of $40,000 - $50,000 and sometimes much more in total expenses, fees and losses when they foreclose. In some cases they even have to fight it out in court before they can take your house tot he courthouse steps.Could restructuring the mortgage solve your problem?F... 07/18/2009