I stumbled upon a pretty cool website that I would like to share with you. It is called ScanGeorgia and it is a collection of forum-based websites that feature access to the various county police, fire, and ems scanners.

The scanner feeds are collected via volunteers who provide the equipment as a public service. The signals are converted and streamed to the web in a variety of formats including Windows Media Player; RealPlayer; iTunes; WinAmp; and WebPlayer.

The site also features a service called Community Watch, where you can sign up to get alerted if someone in your neighborhood is added to the Georgia Sex Offender Registry.

Here is a list of the current counties that are served:

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Just For Fun, On The Web, Technology | 2 Comments »

With several email addresses… some of them more than seven years old… I seem to be on the email list of every spammer in the country - maybe the world.

Now don’t get me wrong - it’s not like I haven’t sent out an occasional unsolicited email in the interest of business… I have. I won’t do it in bulk - and I have never mounted a repeat campaign. I think it’s rude.

You want to see how bad it’s getting in the blogging community? Here you go: (click for larger image)

I have used a few mail filters, but somehow the spammers figure out how to get the spam in - or worse yet - it filters out mail I should get. In real estate, that can be tragic.

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Blog Buzz, Rants, Technology | No Comments »

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head in disbelief.

I spent my Saturday looking at condos. No, not In-town Atlanta condos. Condos in Marietta. Nothing high-end, mind you - but that doesn’t matter. Nowadays, a qualified and serious buyer is as good as gold - in any price range.

Yesterday, my client sent me a list of the units he was most interesting in, and I mapped them out and set up a route with estimated arrival times. Once I had them all mapped out, I proceeded to call those sellers who were still living in their units.

Most of them were vacant - which is a good thing. Nothing more motivated than a vacant property owner in the winter in a buyer’s market. As a bonus - you don’t have to phone ahead.

It’s the ones that weren’t vacant that just make you wonder “what on Earth are they thinking??”

The first one I called, no one answered the phone. Kinda hard to give the sellers a courtesy call when they don’t have an answering machine.

The second one was on the phone - with no call waiting - just a busy signal. A very busy signal.

The third one is occupied by a tenant, and the listing instructions are to set an appointment with the tenant - and no one answered the phone. Did I mention that the tenant did not have an answering machine? I didn’t? Must’ve slipped my mind. Consider it done.

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Rants, Real Estate News | No Comments »

For years I have been bullish on investing in real estate in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area. The weather is good, the culture is diverse, the economy is varied and vibrant - and the Atlanta real estate market has been a tremendous value.

While other parts of the country have seen higher appreciation rates - that simply means that Atlanta remains a “sleeper” market that should be considered for investment.

One area where the smart money is focused is rental properties - of all kinds. For most people, buying an apartment complex is out of the question… but acquiring single family residences is an attainable goal for many investors.

With so many option ARM’s (adjustable rate mortgages) resetting this year, we are going to continue to see a rather high foreclosure rate that is going to force lenders to take heavy losses on their REO (real estate owned) properties.

These properties represent a huge opportunity.

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Foreclosures, Trends | 3 Comments »

Santa only drinks Coca-cola when he comes to Atlanta - but then you probably already knew that…

Merry Christmas to everyone… and a Happy New Year!

Personal Journal | No Comments »

There’s been a lot of talk lately about discount agents and disintermediation. The fear by many traditional agents is that the online brokers will depress brokerage fees to a point where only a few agents will be able to earn a decent living.

The metro Atlanta Georgia real estate market is no different than many other areas around the country. We weren’t part of the real estate bubble, and we won’t be part of the bubble busting. Our market has been slower, but properties are still selling (albeit at lower prices) for those who choose to do what is necessary to sell in a slower market.

What I find interesting with sellers is that the discussion often quickly turns to brokerage fees - as if agents were a commodity. In a sense, I guess that has become part of the nature of the business… and in a softer market some sellers are looking for ways to retain their dwindling equity.

In my article “Can Discount Agents Save You Money?” I point out how the discount agent can spell big trouble for a seller - and could actually cost the seller a great deal of money. Today, I will analyze one of these discounters strictly from a performance perspective.

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Disintermediation, Trends | 5 Comments »

Mark Nash is a real estate Broker and author in Chicago who sends out a year-end survey to 1000 real estate agents, managing brokers and association executives.

The following is his compilation of the 923 replies he received that he is so gracious to furnish:

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Consumer Alerts, Trends | 4 Comments »

As I have been analyzing our Atlanta Georgia real estate market, I am starting to see a pattern in what is selling… and what is not.

New homes, as usual, continue to sell. People like “new”. They always have… and probably always will. With “new” comes new features, energy-efficiency, and amenities.

No surprise, there.

But I am more interested in resales. That’s the toughest segment of the market… and one that’s needs constant monitoring.

The recent sales and pending sales seem to weigh very heavily in one of two camps. In one camp, we have the mint condition - upgraded - renovated - good as new homes… and in the other camp we have the foreclosure - fixerupper - fire sale - sweat equity homes.

It makes sense, really. In a slowing market, buyers have more choices - so the choice will be to either have the nicest condition home… or the lowest priced one. In my article “Five Factors That Affect The Sale of Real Estate” I point out this fundamental rule:

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Real Estate News, Trends | No Comments »

I tend to over-analyze the market. Call it a character flaw, if you will. Sometimes I will go into the Atlanta MLS and look at what is NOT selling, if for no other reason - to make sure I’m not doing whatever it is that those guys are doing.

Today, I noticed a few old listings have finally closed - so I thought I might share them with you.

Our honorable mention goes to 735 Talon View Court in Auburn. Listed for $262,725 in October 2005 as new construction, this home spent a total of 404 days on the market.

After two months on the market, the builder thought it wise to raise the price by $3000… kind of a year-end present for themselves, I guess.

Hardly more than a month later, they jacked it up another $10,000. Two months later, it went under contract… for a week. A few weeks later, they dropped the price $2000… and put it under contract six weeks later.

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Atlanta Area News, Blog Buzz, Trends | 4 Comments »

As I have been ‘memed’ by Greg Swann, our poet laureate at Bloodhound Blog, I now have the task of presenting you with five things you didn’t know about me… but now you shall.

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Blog Buzz, Just For Fun, Personal Journal | 6 Comments »