Coweta Fayette Real Estate & Newnan Homes for sale blog by Richard Weisser of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers

I was at a holiday gathering over the weekend with lots of friends and family spanning the generations. And although each age group has their own entertainment agenda, there is one special binding force that hasn't changed over the years.

Music!

Since our circle is blessed with talented musicians ready and willing to provide competent accompaniment, it isn't long before the singing commences.

The seniors, middle-aged, youth and children all chime in, and as the volume escalates from to restrained to boisterous, the general level of gaiety and merriment rises proportionately.

And for those few hours, everyone was united in rapture by song.

And it was great!

Attitude is often touted as a key ingredient in the formula for success. And while that may seem cliché, it has proven to be true time and time again.

Because attitude is not only a state of mind, it forms the basis for our decision making process. Our choices are controlled by our level of optimism and our actions are motivated by the anticipated probability of success.

Conversely, the pessimist with will engage a defensive posture, and will seek to "hedge their bets" and will not allow provision for the possibility of growth.

I'm ready for a New Year and for all of the exciting opportunities it presents. And I'm going to meet in head on with a "can-do attitude!"

It’s a little unusual when Christmas falls on a Friday, because from Christmas Eve through the weekend there isn’t a lot happening.

That is, unless you’re a real estate agent trying to “beat the clock” on properties that are under threat of foreclosure. “Time is of the essence” never has more meaning than when trying to keep a listed property off the courthouse steps on the next first Tuesday of the month.

And with the New Year’s Holidays intervening, there’s even less time than usual. So we’re off to the races, and hopefully we can put a deal together that is satisfactory to all parties involved.

I have heard it said that in the real estate business you set your own hours. As I was working at 3:45 A.M. this morning I think it’s a bit more like:

There aren’t enough hours in a day!

It may surprise you to know that the day AFTER Christmas is usually one of the three busiest shopping days every year. And it’s not just returns and exchanges that make this the case.

The increased popularity of gift cards combined with tremendous discounts entices consumers to get out and into the stores. And many hosts and hostesses enjoy shopping with visiting guests as an opportunity to “get out of the house” for a while.

I used to enjoy buying decorations at deep discount on the day after Christmas, but over the years I have accumulated more than I can ever use so there’s not much to motivate me to get out there in the midst of the serious bargain hunters.

So instead I’ll spend the day finishing reports and paperwork and getting the upcoming week off to a good start.

And wondering what kind of deals I am missing!

I am sitting here in my recliner, full of holiday fare, warm by the fire, with a cat asleep in my lap. It's a perfect ending to another Christmas Day!

And now that the gifts have been opened and the dishes have been washed, it's time to accept the fact that that it's just about over for this year.

But Christmas doesn't have to end at this point. Because we can take the spirit of the season with us, and maintain it throughout the upcoming new year! If we can all extend the principles of generosity and benevolence beyond the boundaries of the holidays, especially in these difficult times, we will all be the better for it!

And that's something good to take with us into 2010!

It’s early Christmas morning in Newnan Georgia. It rained all night, which was kind of nice as we were snug and cozy inside as the torrents of water pelted the house..

Christmas Eve was a little different for us because we generally have overnight guests, but this year it was just me and the wife which was actually a very mice change. We couldn’t remember that last time we had a romantic Christmas Eve alone together!

Now is my quiet time to reflect and remember. It’s very calm and peaceful this morning. It won’t be long before my meditations will be interrupted as I begin to prepare Christmas dinner.

So to all my family, friends, and soon to be friends I wish that you have a wonderful day filled with the same kind of true peace, unconditional love and pure joy that I am experiencing on this special day.

Merry Christmas to all!

One thing that I like about Christmas is that it always takes me back to the days of my youth. After all, Christmas is an especially happy time for children and many of our best childhood memories occurred during the December holidays!

What I remember most as a small child are the ‘bright lights" on Christmas morning. I'm talking about those banks of spotlights that dad used to shoot his home movies of us coming down the stairs to open our presents.

I believe that a lot of people my age have 8mm film of themselves covering their eyes  and waving off the camera. However, it was a seasonal ritual that was an essential rite performed on Christmas morning.

Another exciting thing about Christmas morning was "the train!" Santa Claus not only brought the presents and filled the stockings, but he also set up the Lionel train set complete with the accompanying village and figures.

The train and the lead figures are among my most prized possessions today, not because of any monetary value, but because they are a tangible piece of my childhood that I can hold in my hand! It is treasure in its truest form.

Since my mother was Italian, Christmas always meant cookies. Lots of cookies, Unbelievable amounts of cookies. Mother would start baking before Thanksgiving and filled the freezer with every kind of cookie imaginable. And visitors always brought more cookies. There were so many varieties that you could not eat one of each before you were too full to eat any more,

And speaking of visitors, our house was always full of people on Christmas. There were twelve of us, plus my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and most of my cousins would visit on Christmas. The result was a cacophony of noise and chatter that at times would be overwhelming.

And although these shadows of the past become more distant every year, I look back with fond remembrance of the happiness surrounding the occasion! There is nothing else in my childhood that even comes close to having the same meaning for me.

I wish all of you the merriest of Christmases this year and I hope that you create many happy memories for you and you loved ones!!

The Internet has evolved dramatically over the last ten years. It has been transformed from a mammoth file repository into something much more ethereal and interactive.

There are still those that are locked into “old-school” thinking about static websites and work constantly on schemes designed to attract more visitors. The battle for recognition was always an uphill campaign, as the Goliaths of webdom had invested millions and had taken control of the medium.

But something very interesting has happened along the way. It seems that the focus of both web surfers and search engines has shifted from Internet “places” to fresh, new content.

And the only thing that matters is that the content is quickly indexed and available SOMEWHERE! As a matter of fact, the more places that the content is delivered, the better.

It is no longer about getting visitors to “your site!” It is ALL about getting them to “your content,” wherever it is and by any means they might use to get to it.

So it is backwards thinking to use content to drive visitors to a static website. You ALREADY have them, why would you focus on driving them somewhere else?

The forward thinking content creator understands that the content only has merit if and when time it is presented to an end user, no matter where they find it.

Content should be designed to stand on it’s own as a complete entity. It is of no consequence where the file resides. The only significant issue is whether or not the content can be readily found!

It’s a hard concept for some to accept, as they may have a significant investment in web properties. But it is reality that cannot be dismissed if one is truly seeking a notable web presence.

It is so much easier and more productive to embrace the new trends than it is to resist them.

And it’s a lot less expensive too!

Yesterday, there were some tell-tale sneezes. Last evening, my throat felt “cottony.” And during the night, the congestion started building in my chest and I started aching all over.

Christmas is three days away and it seems that I’ve picked up the bug that has been going around the office for some time. By Friday morning, based on the experiences of my friends, I will have a full blown cold.

But I can’t stop December 25 from coming and I won’t “wait until next year!”  Sick or not, I will fulfill my holiday obligations so that we can all enjoy nice meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Food has always been my forte, and I always plan on making the feast memorable!

My eyes are watering as I write this, so I know that it’s going to be tough sledding from here on through the weekend.

But I’m determined that Christmas will be merry …even if it kills me!!!

It’s always extra tough to schedule work when Christmas is on a Friday. This of course means Christmas Eve is on Thursday, which translates into a very short and frenzied work week.

And the things that need to be done are often more exacerbating because a needed vendor or contact is on vacation or out of the office preparing for the holiday. It’s a game of cat and mouse between now and January 4^th.

Oh yeah, that’s another thing, Since New Year’s Day falls on a Friday there are two weekend days before offices open on the following Monday! So it’s going to be tough sledding over the next two weeks!

But there is also the excitement of the season which mitigates a lot of the frustration. And that’s what makes all of the fuss and bother worthwhile!

I love this time of year! Don’t you?

Snow storms have left affected communities with a major dilemma …getting rid of it!

Although we rarely get snow in middle Georgia, we occasionally get enough to know that is it both very beautiful and quite a nuisance at the same time!

And when you start measuring snow in feet instead of inches, you’ve got a major snow removal problem on your hands. Municipalities can run up some huge fuel and overtime expenses trying to deal with the excess of white stuff!

And with local budgets already suffering from decreasing revenues, a really bad winter can be a budget breaker. And it looks like it’s going to be a particularly bad one this year.

So be prepared to open your wallet and dig a little deeper. And hope for an early spring!

The are a lot of misconceptions about the current state of the real estate market. Many are led to believe that money is not available for the purchase of a home, or that a large down payment is needed to make a purchase.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is plenty of money available for “qualified” borrowers.

Buyers don’t need a lot of cash for a down payment, but they do need a good credit score! There are also requirements for verifiable income without a disproportionate amount of debt.

And the best part about being qualified to purchase a home RIGHT NOW is that there are plenty of good deals on homes combined with historically low interest rates. The dream of home ownership has never been more affordable!

To receive step-by-step assistance,, call a Realtor® and set up a buyer’s interview. The agent can advise you about the best way to proceed.

It’s a great time to buy a home, why not take advantage of the opportunity.

Last week our office became part of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers. And since that is a completely new brand, the logistical changes that had to be implemented are dramatic.

Yesterday our office was scheduled for a sign swap. A new brand necessitates all new signs, riders, apparel and marketing items. The swap should have been relatively routine but Mother Nature had other ideas.

The storm that bombarded most of the eastern seaboard with snow was a cold, hard, driving rain in Newnan Georgia. The word blustery comes to mind, and when temperatures are in the thirties and everything is soaking wet it is not pleasant to be outside.

But despite the elements, the sign swap continued. And those that were working out in the hypothermia inducing storm were NOT hired hands or temps. They were company executives and recruiters.

And these hardy souls braved the tempest all day, at times holding the tent in their hands to keep it from blowing into the next county. They methodically made certain that al of the agents had what they needed to work and recorded it on rain-soaked forms.

And although they were drenched from head to toe and freezing, they did all of this with a SMILE on their face, and with a determination to make certain that everyone was properly served.

And the reason they kept smiling was because it wasn't just a job that had to be done, it was a mission! And that mission preached this inspirational message:

From the top of the company on down through the ranks, we are a team! A team that works together to get the job done no matter what happens!

When service goes beyond what is expected, only good things can happen. My impression of my new company is that together, we can achieve anything! And we won't quit until the job is done.

And that's what teamwork is all about!

Kudos to Craig, Gail, Jim and Vinny. You guys went above and beyond yesterday and are to be commended!

There was a time when a job consisted of a five eight hour days, Monday through Friday. But as our society has evolved, it seems that less and less workers face regular schedules each week.

Of course, independent contractors set their own hours. And in today’s economy, that generally means working eighty or more hours in an attempt to get a forty hour paycheck!

Then there are those that work for retailers and restaurants. Some are open twenty-four hours, seven days a week and worker’s schedules are adjusted weekly to meet the requirements of the employers.

Many employees also work on varying shifts for industries such as transportation or public safety. These workers have to readjust their internal body clocks on a regular basis,

We often use the term “banker’s hours” to refer to those with a traditional work model. But the drive-up windows at our local banks are open late now to better serve their customers.

So I wonder…if the banks aren’t keeping “banker’s hours” anymore …who is?

Wow, December is racing along at an astonishing pace, Christmas Eve is a week from today and there’s precious little time left to complete any unfinished holiday chores.

This is also the “point of no return” for a lot of the activities and tasks that we have planned. We are at the point where if it doesn’t get done in the next day or two it will probably have to “wait until next year!”

And although we have reached the annual Christmas “event horizon,” the fact of the matter is that it’s not all that important to get every hall decked and every gift wrapped.

The true treasure of Christmas is the precious time that we allot to share the season with our loved ones, and the pure joy derived from fellowship and camaraderie of all those that are dear to us overrides any breach of seasonal responsibilities.

So forget those last minute to-do items, and give a friend or kinsman a call!

That will go a long ways towards making “the season bright!”

It's never easy when you are forced out of the familiarity of your comfort zone to face the unknown. Fear and apprehension are often associated with facing adjustments in the way we conduct our business.

But when faced with these challenges, we only have two options. One is to give it a go and the other is just to give up.

I have always believed that it is better to try something new and fail than it is to not try at all. And while new policies, procedures, and methods might seem overwhelming at first, only time will tell if the changes are for the better and will ultimately result in more business opportunities.

And that's a chance worth taking!

sakHave you ever relayed a really funny incident to a third party after the fact, only to get a blank stare instead of a chuckle? In most cases, the awkwardness is covered with the cliché: “oh well, you had to be there!”

The fact of the matter is; that sometimes it is not the material, it’s the skill in the presentation. You have to know when to pause, and when to deliver the punch line.

The same thing is true in sales. You need to hone your skills, know your material, and deliver the message with the appropriate cadence for maximum effect. You also need to intuitively adjust your timing to your audience.

If your prospect is impetuous or impatient, you need to move forward to the bottom line quickly and effectively. However, if the potential customer is expecting the complete dog and pony show, you have to methodically do your “bit” with intermittent bridges and tie-downs.

The key is learning how to gauge reactions, interpret facial expressions and listening carefully to any questions of concerns and addressing them in a timely manner.

And practice makes perfect. If you don’t make the sale, do not hesitate to ask what you could have done better.

Building on your failures will enhance your chances of success in the future.

In 1971, at 4 A.M. in the morning, I was working on a keypunch machine in the bowels of the Computer Science Building at Carnegie-Mellon University. It was a tedious process to write a computer program, as each punch card carried only a single line of code.

After the finished cards were entered into the reader, there would be a long delay as the mammoth IBM 360 labored under the workload of jobs awaiting execution. During that idle time, discussions naturally ensued among the students watching the lone line printer and waiting to see the finished product of their efforts.

In our conversations, we talked about the future. We talked about how one day, we might be able to connect to the computer from home, and avoid the graveyard shift in the keypunch room.

We dreamed about computers in various locations being connected, and that one day they would have the ability to share data with each other. Of course, when we thought of data, we only considered cold, hard numbers and strings of text. Photos, videos, and music were beyond the realm of our comprehension.

Now, nearly forty years later, connectivity occurs in every aspect of our lives. The availability of cheap memory storage, extremely high speed connections combined with incredible bandwidth has created a HAL-like monster that is overtaking our lives.

And while it is theoretically possible to turn the machines off and walk away, in reality it won’t happen. We are a society that is completely dependent on our technology. I wonder what would happen if I really tried to give it all up and turn the computer off for good?

I’d probably get a response like this from my laptop:

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that Richard!”

I have written over a thousand blog posts in my two year writing career, and have laid my soul bare in a public forum. The journal of my trials and tribulations is available for anyone that cares to read it.

Like anyone else, I have my ups and downs, and because I am passionate there may be extreme emotions connoted in my musings that can at times make a reader uncomfortable.

And that’s okay. I want a reader to get more than just mere words from my articles. I want to evoke feelings, and to continue to explore the human condition by getting heartfelt responses.

On occasion, I might even get a comment that is mean-spirited and intended to be hurtful. They might even go to great lengths to verbally assault me with derision and demeaning epitaphs.

When I get one of “those” comments, I sit back and smile!

Because at that point, I know that I have succeeded in my writing efforts!

My computer‘s hard drive failed a month or so ago. So as a short term solution, I worked from a home back-up computer and I also borrowed a laptop from a friend until I could purchase a new computer.

And now that I haveaquired  a new laptop, I’m trying to synchronize the files on all three systems so I can return the borrowed laptop to it’s rightful owner! The trouble is trying to figure out where I put everything and how to easily transport it to my new computer.

It sounded easy, but I have been working on it since early this morning and I’m only half done, My eyes are flickering and I can’t see straight,

And I was supposed to be relaxing this weekend.