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

Memory has become less and less expensive every month since the early days of computers. I was in a discount shopper's club a few weeks ago and something occurred to me.

They had two 4GB memory cards on sale for $25.

And even at a resolution of 10 megapixels, a four gig card will store over a thousand photos. That's about one and a quarter cents each. Even if you NEVER move the photos off the card!

And since a DVD writer can back up 4 GB on a single dollar disk, you can have a permanent backup of your memory card for less than a penny a shot!

So now I buy SD cards like I used to buy film ... strictly for one time use. I can keep the photos on the card with a full disk backup for pennies a photo. I don't even delete anything anymore, at these prices, what's the point?

That's good to know but here's the better news? Memory will only get cheaper and smaller as time goes on!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Here in Georgia, spring is upon us! The early flowers are blooming, and it's time to get all of the yard chores done in anticipation of a new growing season.

And although the calendar New Year officially starts on January 1, the practical New Year commences when you get out of the house and you get busy outdoors. Slowly, over the next two months the "secondary living space' will be pruned, fertilized and weeded in preparation for the warm season.

It's time for allergies to go into overdrive, and for the home improvement stores to bulge with frantic homeowners trying to make their estates the envy of the neighborhood.

There's a lot to do and only a short window of opportunity to get it done. It won't be long before the pleasantly warm days five way to the blasting heat of the southern summer.

Yeah, I need to get on that. Maybe Mañana!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

There are so many shades of green, and equal number of meanings attached to it. You can be green with envy, you can be new at a job and still be green, and you can turn green around the gills when you've had a little too much too drink!

Green can be money, a place to putt or bowl, a signal to go or a fruit that is not yet ripe. It can mean that you are environmentally conscious or eaten in a bowl hot with pepper sauce.

Enjoy the "Green" photos, it's the photo theme for the day!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

One of the most elemental concepts of photography is often one of the most overlooked principles in many photographs. And that often misunderstood concept is the planer nature of the photograph.

In photography, you are actually capturing a three dimensional subject and transforming it into a two dimensional plane. And the simple truth is that not all subjects translate well as depth is removed from the formula.

So the savvy photographer seeks elements that will enhance the apparent depth of the finished picture. Proper use of light and shadows is one way, as well as including both foreground elements and distant objects.

Practice "thinking in 2D" and learn to "see" your photos in your minds eye as information that needs tweaking and adjusting. And make those decisions BEFORE you open the shutter.

There isn't a photo editing program in the world that can make up for poor composition!

Photo Top Right: Use of light and shadows to produce depth.

Photo Bottom: Use of foreground and distant elements to produce depth.

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

We are bombarded every day with new state-of-the-art products and services. These cutting edge technologies promise to propel the quality of our lives and our businesses to extreme levels of prosperity and success.

But the cusp of innovation is fleeting, and it today's world, the latest and greatest replacement may be less than a month away.

When I started in real estate in 1984, the very first portable terminals became available for accessing the MLS. Essentially, you dialed the phone manually, and then placed the phone handset in the acoustic modem.

There was a built-in typewriter style keyboard. There was no screen or CRT, all of the data was delivered via a built in line printer, including your commands.

There were no images or pictures, and to conserve paper and ink, everything was abbreviated. Once you got through the search process you could reference the "book" for a photo of the property.

But in 1984, this product had a "wow factor" of 100! And since the system was proprietary, only licensed real estate agents had access to the data. Clients were astounded, blown away by the possibility of instantly acquiring valuable information about which houses were available!

But, like a flash in the pan, the terminals gave way to personal computers, and were made completely obsolete in a few years. And although these devices cost thousands of dollars, they were now worthless.

Purchasing "state-of-the-art" is buying time, plain and simple. It is not a long term investment, but a short term solution. So choose your technology carefully!

You'll save money and keep more obsolete equipment out of the landfills!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Unless you have been living in a vacuum, you know that there are some serious problems associated with the American economy of today! The downward spiral is fueled by many factors, including over-expansion and the abuse of readily available credit.

It's a mess, all right, and there are a lot of occurrences every day can make even the most optimistic prognosticator squeamish. But there is one reason that America will emerge from all of this as a stronger and better nation.

And that reason is the American spirit.

We are not fatalists. We don't give up easily, and we fight for what is ours.

As Americans, we won't go down as a collective cadre of commiserating craven quitters, but rather, we will emerge as victorious soldiers, purged by fire and battle-tested that have vanquished the approaching enemy and plundered the spoils of combat.

So to those that are on the front lines now, I bid you courage, perseverance and determination. But let's not sit idly by and wait for the infiltrators to erode our confidence in our own abilities. It's time for the onslaught against the invaders and their message of doom and gloom.

Who is ready to fight?

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

There is something extraordinary about an Eastern Mountain Stream. The swift waters tumble and careen over rounded boulders that have been smoothed after eons of erosion.

The rivulets flow cold and clear, rife with fish and salamanders and other aquatic creatures that depend on the continuous flow of sustenance. Plants thrive in the luxuriant and moist environment of the stream bed and animal are attracted to both drinking water and plentiful fodder in stream locales.

Although these photos capture some of the visual beauty of the mountain stream, they are a poor substitute for the actual sight of the splashing, dancing torrents sparkling in dappled sunlight. Nor can they convey the fresh organic perfume of the river valley, or the cacophony of sounds generated by the splashing and crashing of liquid over stone!

And although a photo of water cannot refresh the body, it can certainly rejuvenate the spirit!

Photos courtesy of Richard Weisser and SmokyPhotos.com

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

This is not a post about politics. Rather, it is about a shift in one of the basic underlying principles that made this country great and the most powerful nation in the world: personal responsibility.

Our country was founded by refugees and settlers from distant lands that gave up everything they had in their native nations and sought independence and the right to self-determination.

And above all, they wanted less government interference and intrusion in their lives and businesses. The principles of capitalism and free enterprise allowed this nation to grow and flourish, and it became a model for the rest of the world to follow!

But somehow, these basic tenets have eroded over the last century, and personal responsibility and common sense have given way to political expediency. It is now fashionable to not pay your just debts and to blame your lack of personal responsibility on someone else.

We are teaching our children that the best way to renegotiate a deal is to break your promise to repay, and to use loss mitigation or bankruptcy as a vehicle to take advantage an already desperate situation. Lenders are being painted into a corner; the system is on the verge of collapse.

Are those that are actually paying their debts fools? Why should they continue to pay when there is a tremendous financial advantage to be gained by simply refusing to honor their commitment?

Today, the Congress is considering legislation that will FORCE lenders to take less money at a lower rate of interest from delinquent borrowers. And it will probably pass.

Can anyone please tell me how this will improve the current crisis?

 

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Due to the vast number of failures and errors in judgment that I have made in the past, I have determined that there are some simple truths about life that cannot be altered.

There are certain unfailing immutable laws that I have found that persist despite any attempts to modify or override them.

And although some are contrary to mainstream thought, if you study and abide by them your life will be all the better for it! So here we go:

1) First and foremost -NO good deed goes unpunished.

2) God often punishes us by answering our prayers.

3) You never SAVE money by buying something.

4) If a business client picks up the lunch check, you're about to get fired!

5) Never consider anecdotal information, always rely on statistics.

6) And finally, never talk about binary code ... there's no way to make it interesting!

So what do you think? Am I on target with these proverbs?

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

It seems that it years past; I had a lot more free time than I do now. I used to spend countless hours on my hobbies and passions, but now the available moments for diversions are few and far between.

About 20 years ago, when I took the photograph attached to this post, I started from the very beginning! I raised the roses in my garden. I had climbers on trellises and hybrid tea roses of every color and description. As a matter of fact, most of my flower photographs are from this era.

I carefully lit and set up the shot, setting an iridescent blue vase in front of a black backdrop. I methodically cut and arranged the flowers over and over until I got the "look" that I was seeking to achieve.

I placed the camera carefully upon the tripod, and selected a thirty second exposure at minimum aperture with a rear curtain flash from slightly to the right of the still life.

While the shutter was open, I "painted" the vase with a flashlight to make it glow eerily. Since this was a film photograph, I took only five or six frames. And I hoped for the best as I patiently waited for the transparencies to be developed.

The result was one of my all-time favorite photographs. And although I had spent a lot of time on it, the results of the time that I invested thrill me to this day.

And so I am determined to find more time to do the kinds of things that are lasting, enduring and satisfying. And I firmly believe at some point down the road of life, I'll be very glad that I did! 

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

 

This is not going to be a long diatribe, I'll keep it short and sweet:

You can't move forward if you keep looking back.

You can't undo mistakes of the past, you can only accept them, learn from them and move forward. There is no "Back to the Future" ability to go back, change your actions, and alter the future forever.

Never let the "What might have been" affect the "What is," because while resolution may be important to you, it may be hurtful or troublesome to those that care for you now.

Life is a chronological series of events, not a mismatched set of dishes that can be changed or replaced at will. The picture we paint of the past is often brighter than the reality.

We CAN however, successfully manipulate the present! Your future is yours to define by taking control of the here and now, but only if you can let go of what already has past. 

 

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

 

I am now tinkering with the Google Chrome web browser, and I have to say that the experience isinteresting if nothing else.

This browser is sleek and slim and lightning fast, with pages being rendered much faster than Internet Explorer. The look is nice and clean, with few distractions and allowing the web page itself to utilize most of the screen real estate!

Probably the best feature is the start page, which loads every time you open a new tab and features thumbnails of your most visited sites and links to your bookmarks and your recently closed tabs. It’s a great resource when you are browsing.

Unfortunately, what is missing are all of the great Google SEO tools or even a compatible Google Toolbar. I expected that these tools would be incorporated directly in the browser, but this is not the case. So for SEO data, I’ll have to stick to Internet Explorer for now.

But I’ll use Chrome while I’m reading blogs or newspapers online. The speed advantage and nice layout makes it a great addition to my browsing arsenal! And I hope that SEO enhancements and tools will be added in the near future,

 

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

 

It's time for another photographic theme! In this post, the common link between all of the photos is the color blue.

I love capturing deep blues in my images. They translate well to both film and digital formats, and the resulting pictures project a deep richness that is perfect for printing!

And although the word blue is generally associated with melancholy, there is a soothing quality to these images that can actually be uplifting or even inspirational!

I hope that you enjoy seeing my "Blue" theme for these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

It has been very clear for some time that most buyers of real estate start their search on the Internet. The Internet has a wealth of information and tools for buyers that can't be duplicated in print or any other medium.

What also has been true is that few sellers use the Internet to hire a listing agent. Agents and sellers have relied on their sphere of influence to make the broker/client connection. Referrals have always been considered the highest quality lead with the best conversion rate.

However, now that most listings expire at least once, sellers are starting to scrutinize the efforts of their agents. They go to the Internet to try to seek answers as to why their property hasn't sold.

And when they do, they discover that some agents have an Internet presence that stands out over and above the rest. These agents have websites and blogs that dominate the search keywords in their area, and are returned organically in many searches.

Sometimes the proof is in the pudding. Sellers can verify for themselves which agents are the Internet powerhouses in their area.

As a result, SELLERS are now calling agents prior to the expiration of a listing. It's a new trend that will continue as more and more properties languish for month after month on the market.

And this trend will continue to escalate during the foreseeable future!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Coweta County Georgia really enjoys the best of all worlds. As a bedroom community of Atlanta, it features all of the modern amenities and conveniences that a large metropolitan area has to offer. Nearly every National chain has a store in Newnan.

And yet the downtown area retains its historic charm, with locally owned shops and restaurants. It's a nice change of pace from the big box stores and large franchises.

Not every part of the county has given way to development.  Coweta still has a vast agrarian community, with picturesque horse and cattle farms dotting the countryside.

So whether you are seeking the trappings of suburbia, small town charm, or pastoral country tranquility, Coweta County should be on your short list of possible destinations

It truly does have something for everyone!

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Winters are short in the Southeastern United States. And February is the time to start those outdoor chores that are necessary to get the garden ready for spring.

If you have been thinking about transplanting anything, now is the time, before the blistering heat of summer makes root development impossible. Also, it's time to prune, especially all of those beautiful Roses, Crape Myrtles and Butterfly Bushes.

Lawns should be treated for emerging weeds, and overseeded as early as possible. Vegetable gardens should have organic materials added and tilled deep into the soil. and fresh soil added for this year's plantings.

Don't do anything to you azaleas and rhododendrons until after they bloom, as the buds are already set and fertilizer will cause the flowers to burn off into an unpleasant shade of brown.

If you wait until the warm weather arrives, it will be too late. Gardening not only makes your property more attractive, it is an endeavor that exercises the body and rejuvenates the weary spirit!

So don't put it off, why not get started this weekend?

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

One of my favorite places is the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's located on a serene ridge, and features the church, erected in 1889 and the churchyard, which is the final resting place of many former residents of the area.

To get there, you'll have to exert a little effort. It takes some tricky driving along miles of narrow gravel roads to get to the almost invisible trailhead, and from there it is a two mile hike along a broad, maintained trail to the church!

The Great Smoky Mountains National park differs from other National Parks which were created on land already owned by the government. People lived, worked, had babies, farmed, went to church, and died in the Smokies. The park was established by purchasing or condemning property already owned by thousands of title holders.

As a result, there are six churches still within park boundaries, and countless burial grounds dotted throughout. It's a great place for both lovers of natural beauty and aficionados of history!

The next time you are in the Waynesville area of North Carolina, plan a short hike to the Little Cataloochee Church. You won't be disappointed.

 

Photos Courtesy of Richard Weisser and Smokyphotos.com

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

Like most adults in the country, I watched the Super Bowl last night. It was a great game, one of the best and most competitive of all time, and my Pittsburgh Steelers triumphed over the worthy Arizona Cardinals.

And like most regular Super Bowl watchers, I looked forward to the commercials. When advertisers pay three million dollars for a thirty second spot, you know that they want to make it count and really go all out.

Instead of being entertained, though, I was sickened and disturbed. About half of the commercials were very demeaning to both men and women. The men were portrayed as sex crazed animals while the women seemed all but too willing to participate in perverted sexual fantasies.

As my regular readers know, I am not a prude. I think that consenting adults should be allowed to do anything they wish behind closed doors.

But the Super Bowl is our annual festival that projects our image around the world. Is this the kind of depiction of women in America that we want for our daughters to emulate?

So to all those marketers out there using sex to sell, here's a message for you: "I ain't buying it!" Take your sleazy sideshow somewhere else.

And I'll purchase the product with the Clydesdales ... now those are good commercials!

Photo: Lovejoy Middle School football courtesy of RichardWeisser.com.

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and Lake West Point Lots.

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the Piedmont Fayette Hospital, waiting for word on my mother-in-law's condition. We brought her to the emergency room because called and said that she wasn't feeling good, and when we got to her house, we decided that she needed to see a doctor.

So we drove her over to the emergency room, and as you might expect on a Sunday afternoon, the place is packed.

It used to be that you just sit around and waited and waited and waited. But no more!

With my laptop and public Wi-Fi, I can conduct "business as usual." And while I am working, I can also listen to great music on the headphones. It's amazing, what used to be an excruciating wait in an unfamiliar environment is now no different than sitting at my kitchen table.

Technology never ceases to amaze me, and the ability to utilize it in every day situations can make unpleasant circumstances more palatable.

It's a tiny thread on normalcy in an uncertain world.

Note: They admitted her to the hospital, so she will have excellent care through the night.

All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of ERA United Realty and Coweta Fayette Real Estate of ERA United Realty Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Rochard Weisser 770-827-6225