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

After the record breaking floods in the Atlanta area over the past few weeks, we are still discovering some unpleasant after-effects of the disaster.

We are having some closings delays as appraisers for some lenders are being asked tp re-evaluate potential damage from floods and excessive rain and also are analyzing the potential risk for future flooding.

And as you can imagine, the appraisers are already burdened with all of the activity already in progress due to the expiration of the $8000 first time homeowner's tax credit. This new issue of re-inspection could add delays across the board.

It's just another chapter in the continuing saga of Coweta County real estate!

I had a catastrophic crash on my computer a few weeks ago due to a hardware failure. I had been eying new laptops for some time, but now there is a new sense urgency pressing me on to a purchase.

In addition to my hardware requirements there is a new wrinkle in my selection process. On October 22, Microsoft will be releasing Windows 7 and will be laying the much maligned Vista to rest. I have managed to avoid the pariah of operating systems for the last few years, and if I can hold out three more weeks I can bypass ever having used the system altogether.

If I were to purchase today, I would get a free upgrade to Windows 7, but the notion of going through a major update just weeks after purchasing a new computer isn't very appealing.

I also would prefer to have my chipsets optimized for the new operating system so it looks like I'll elect to play the waiting game and hold out for a factory installed version of the new OS.

I could consider a Mac, but I have a grudge with Apple that goes back some twenty years ... but that's for another post.

And so I'll patiently wait and do workarounds for the next few weeks as I wait for the release of Windows 7. Only time will tell if I am making the right choice!

Yes it's true. Years ago I used to generate the bulk of my income from trading stocks on a daily and sometimes an hourly basis. My computer monitor was always displaying trades as they happened, and all of the pending bid and ask prices of my favorite trading stocks were prominently indicated.

I didn't care if a company was financially sound or not, as my investments were never long term, usually no longer than 24 hours. All I cared about was volatility, or how much a stock moved during the day.

I watched the "tick" and would "ladder" stocks both up and down, playing long and then selling short following the sine wave of price to the best of my abilities. And I was pretty good at it.

And catastrophic losses were prevented by placing "stop losses" on my equities. My rule was seven and a half percent. If a stock moved in the wrong direction by that margin it was automatically liquidated.

Thousands of dollars were made or lost in hours. And those around me knew not to interrupt me in the last ten minutes before the markets closed. That was the time when I put my investments "to bed" for the night in anticipation of "after market" trading.

Does it sound complicated? Well, after a while it got to me and I had to stop. I was constantly on the edge and eventually decided to give up the trading and concentrate more on my real estate career.

Man, was that a mistake! Day trading was a walk in the park compared to this real estate market!

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

I am a big fan of both college and professional football. I enjoy watching my favorite teams compete each weekend in the fall.

But it irritates me when coaches call the same plays, use the same strategies, and fields the same complement of players week after week in losing efforts. At what point does somebody say: "Hey, what we're doing isn't working so we need to change our game plan?"

I guess that we all could ask the same question regarding our businesses. If we haven't changed our marketing strategy, learned about new kinds of sales, and updated out technology products despite using the same tired old techniques over and over we just might not be thinking correctly:

And if we are truly expecting different results, well, that's just insane!

Wow, that's a tough question. With the first time homebuyer's tax credit deadline just a little over two months away that is the $8000 question. And it is, of course, impossible to answer.

Every case is different, and while it may be possible to get the deal closed by the deadline, there are no guarantees in the world of short sales. We have closed some with local banks in just over a month, but this is a large institutional lender that would require approval from the investor. It could happen, it really could, but I still cannot answer that question less than truthfully.

My answer was that I would make this deal my top priority, and that I would do everything I could to make it happen. Beyond that, it is out of my control.

I sure would like to give it a go and see what happens!

After the catastrophic crash of my computer last week, I decided to purchase a new mass storage device.

I purchased a one terrabyte external hard drive for about a hundred bucks. Wow, that's an unbelievable ten cents a GIGABYTE!

I remember purchasing one megabyte of RAM back it 1990. I thought that I got a good deal as I paid $164 dollars for the four 256K modules. The single 3.5 inch drive that I bought today contains as much memory as FOUR MILLION of those old memory modules!

And although one terrabyte of storage seems like a lot now, I am certain that it will be thought of as small when a one petabyte drive becomes available. That's a thousand trerrabytes! And in case you're wondering, next is exabytes, zettabytes and yottabytes.

I wonder what I'll live to see in my lifetime! It's positively exhilarating!

I receive many calls every day inquiring about listings or requesting other information. And I can usually tell within a minute or two whether or not the caller is a serious prospect.

I base my responses on what I perceive to be the level of sincerity of the caller. After all, I am very busy, and I have to make a quick determination as to how much time I can afford to spend with the caller. So here are some tips to employ when you are calling a business of any kind:

The first thing that you should always do is identifying yourself with your first and last name. When you begin a call in this manner, you are immediately conveying the fact to the recipient that the call is sincere and that you are a legitimate caller.

You should also state the purpose of you call in the first sentence. It is always important to let the person on the other end of the line know if your are a potential customer or whether or not you are trying to sell something. There is nothing more disheartening to find out five minutes into the call that the person you though was a potential client is actually trying to sell you something. It's bad technique and it rarely works.

Make your questions as specific as possible. When you ask general questions, you come across as a "tire-kicker" and not as a serious prospect. But if you narrow down the scope of the conversation, you level of immediacy is escalated, and you will get more time and attention.

And finally, don't withhold contact information. Businesses are not free research sources, they have the ultimate goal of engaging in a mutually beneficial transaction. The more contact information that you provide, the greater are you chances of being considered a top-notch prospect. When a caller volunteers their information, I know that they are extremely serious.

Always be mindful that the person that you are calling is spending their time and their money to speak with you, and that calls from legitimate customers are welcomed and encouraged. I love it when a new customer calls and will go out of my way to help them!

After all, that's what I'm here for!

Coweta County Georgia was rather fortunate during the devastating Atlanta area flooding that occurred over the last few days. We did not experience the record rainfalls that pummeled the metro area with deluge after deluge of precipitation.

However, Coweta County is downstream from Atlanta and the Chattahoochee River serves as the western boundary. The Chattahoochee is the principle watercourse that stretches from north Georgia through Atlanta on to the Gulf of Mexico. The water crested yesterday at record levels setting a new 100-year flood mark for the region.

The short-term effect of the flooding is devastation for property owners in low-lying areas that had their homes inundated with water. It will take a lot of time and effort to rebuild and move forward with their lives.

The long-term effect can be as equally devastating. Many property owners will now find themselves suddenly thrust into the 100-year flood zone that will make their properties difficult, if not impossible to sell. Flood insurance is costly, and most buyers will shy away from the additional expense of insuring properties in designated flood areas.

The most important lesson to take from this is to be informed about the changes. As the new flood maps become available it is important to know which properties are now affected by the flood-zone designation.

The waters are receding and the clean-up will commence. Only time will tell what the long-term effects of this record-breaking flood will be.

It's the official first day of Autumn 2009, and that always get me excited. Fall is my favorite time of year for several reasons.

I love the cooler crisp weather, and the brilliant sunshine dancing on the yellows, reds, oranges and purples of the foliage.

I love the smell of the fallen leaves and the crunching sound when you walk on them. I love the smell of fried apple pies and the sweet and refreshing taste of ice-cold cider.

I love snuggling by a warm fire on a chilly evening and listening to the embers crackling and hissing as they dissipated into ash.

In honor of the arrival of the season, here are some photos from past autumns. I hope that you enjoy them!

Our team played trivia last night just as we always do every Monday night. It's a regular social event that we we enjoy and we do quite well at it, and at the same time we all get to enjoy a night out!

Last night the crowd was a bit sparse, I presume due to all of the wet weather that we have been having. There's been quite a bit of flooding and more rain is on the way.

As it turns out, there were only three teams playing, so we were guaranteed at least third place. So we were in pretty good shape until the dreaded final question was asked: Name the four elected vice-presidents that ascended to the presidency but were never elected as president."

Needless to say, we stumbled on this question, and finished in third place out of three teams. But I'm always one to put a positive spin on everything, and so when asked how we did I said:

"Great! We came in third place but our arch-rivals The Goonies came in next to last!"

I am NOT a young man. And I have experienced a lot in my life, and one thing that I know for certain is that everything is cyclical!

We had been experiencing a severe drought the last few years. Now it won't stop raining. It's the cyclical nature of weather, the dryer it is, the dryer it gets. And the wetter it is, the wetter it gets!

Economics are cyclical too. The stock market has enjoyed boom years and bust years. People have made millions of dollars and then lost them again as the cyclical nature of the market ran its normal course. It takes only time for the winds of the market to shift in a different direction.

And of course, the real estate market is cyclical too. I purchased a home in the 1980's that came replete with a mortgage at an astounding17.5% interest rate. The market ground to a halt as the restricted pool of buyers that could qualify for a loan at the rate competed for the limited funds that were available to lend. In time, the money supply grew and the market recovered.

So there isn't really any quick-fix for what ails the economy right now. But in time, true market forces will prevail against all of the counterproductive Keynesian efforts to accelerate the process.

The net result is that a lot of buyers are getting some bargains right now. But these low prices combined with low interest rates won't last forever, It's the cyclical nature of things.

And those that seize the opportunity now will be sitting pretty!

The real estate profession is stressful even in the best of times, but even more so these days. The constant struggle to make deals happen can gnaw away at even the hardiest soul.

There are many sleepless nights spent wondering if "I should have dome this or I should have done that."  It's life on the edge, and it can take it's toll on the psyche over time.

But there's a popular saying these days that brings inner peace to me during these times of intense pressure. When those situations arise that are out of my control I simply say to myself:

"It is what it is."

Once we realize that we do not have ultimate control over the universe, and that we can only do that which is possible and achievable, we can take a deep breath and relax. There are bad things that happen every day and we can't fix it. No matter how much we stress about it.

I only have control over me. And that indeed "is what it is!"

We all know that the real estate market is a pretty difficult work environment these days. Ands as good professionals we want to go the extra mile to do what is best for our clients.

But there are cases where reality clashes with expectations that put even the best agent in the precarious position of pitting a genuine knowledge of what really works versus a client's desire to prevail against all odds and beat the system.

There is no sorcery that can blind others from the truth. There is no magic that can provide immunity from common sense. You can do as many dog and pony shows as you like but the fact is that none of these efforts will entice any buyer to pay more than they should for a property that has comparable lower priced competitors in the same neighborhood.

So before we resort to carnival acts, let's price the property correctly.

I think that's the safest bet in the long run!

We lost a HUD bid a few months ago. And not by a little bit either, as the winning bid was about $10,000 higher than ours on a $100,000 house.

We were in second place, and indicated that we would accept a backup position. As time passed, our clients purchased another property and we have already closed and they are satisfied with their purchase.

Today I was notified that the house is back on the market.

I can't help but wonder why it took three months for the original HUD purchase and sale to fall apart. In most cases with a HUD home, title is cleared before the home is placed on the market so I have to assume the issued was on the buyer's side of the deal. If there was a financing issue, wouldn't that be discovered in less time than three months?

I hate the fact that my client lost a great opportunity because someone else did not have his or her act together. And I can't help but wonder if the extra $10K bid had anything to do with either qualifying for the loan or contributed to buyer's remorse.

Hopefully, we'll find another buyer for the property. In the meantime, we'll just keep pressing on! 

I always enjoy taking photos of Newnan Georgia. The town is nearly pristine, with a real movie-set quality that takes you back forty years in time.

As a matter of fact, many movies and television shows have been shot on location here in Newnan. The TV series "October Road" actually showed some of my listings in the background! The latest is movie is Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson which was filmed here earlier in the year and set for release on October 2, 2009!

Hollywood comes to Newnan for the small town charm and appeal. I photograph it for the same reason!

My trusty notebook suddenly died yesterday. First the infamous blue screen popped up, and then nothing. It appears as if the hard drive is gone for good,

I am generally prepared for such eventualities. But the sudden loss of an important tool can be disruptive at the least, and devastating at the worst. And even though I am typing this post on a backup computer, everything is more difficult because it's not set up the way I want it and I don't have all of my usual tools at my disposal.

So everything that I do today will be harder, and it will be weeks before I get a replacement computer properly set up for my business. And it's an expense that I could have done without for right now.

But all in all, it's just a minor inconvenience in the perpetual drama of everyday life. Things happen, and we just have to deal with it.

It's just another day in the life of a computer dependent businessperson!

It is common knowledge that the way business is conducted in the real estate arena has drastically changed over the last few years. The difficulties encountered during the home finding process can really test one's mettle.

It starts with attempting to find an available property. It takes time and patience to actually determine if a property is available for sale or not. It should be as simple as looking at an MLS printout but that is not the case. It's an endless game of phone tag during multiple attempts to get the information. And it's frustrating.

If a suitable property is found, it is probably desirable enough to produce multiple bids and then you must compete with other buyers for the property. You can work long and hard on making your "highest and best" offer. In many cases, even after offering more than the list price, the bid is lost and it's back to square one. More frustration!

If you are fortunate enough to go under contract, there are endless numbers of hurdles to overcome. Utilities that must be activated, increased documentation for lenders, and trying to coordinate everyone within the time frames allotted in the contract. It doesn't always go as planned, requiring call after call trying to get things done. And it produces more frustration.

And then there is the appraisal crapshoot. No one is ever happy with this part of the process. An appraisal can kill the deal by being too low; disappoint the buyer who thought that they were getting a great deal by coming in at just above the sale price, or throw up a red flag to the lender if it is evaluated too high. This is the one part of the process where you NEVER win and it's frustrating.

And finally, after you get everything done to the point of exhaustion the seller often has a last minute problem clearing the title for property. "Yes, we know your lease is up and that you have to move, but we just need a few more WEEKS!" Is there a word beyond frustrating?

Yet even with all of this stress, we persevere. After all, we are professionals and this is what we do. And we will work hard until the job is done.

It's all we can do!

There is a real estate company in the Newnan Georgia area that ramps up recruiting efforts every year at the time the Board of Realtors dues are collected.

Since this company is not a member of the board, the affiliated agents are not required to pay the annual fee that is used to fund all of the activities, amenities, and protections offered to Realtors.

There is nothing wrong with not being a member of the board if one chooses not to participate. That's a free choice and everyone is entitled to make there own decision.

What I find somewhat disingenuous is the fact that not participating in the board is presented to prospective agents as a perquisite and not a detriment.

What does that say about an agent that will change companies to save a mere dollar a day? How dedicated are they to the profession, to ethics, or to cooperative networking?

I know that times are tough these days, but the survival of the profession depends on the solidarity of the member boards across the land.

Realtor dues are cost of doing business. Without them, there might not be a business to worry about.

As fall starts to set in, the real estate market in my area of Newnan Georgia seems to be invigorated with new energy!

Whether it's due to the current tax refund that is available, or the terrific prices combined with low interest rates, the pool of buyers that are ready to commit to a purchase has grown exponentially over the last two weeks.

We have always been busy, now we are busy getting deals done. There's a different sense of urgency in the air that is calling bargain hunters to action!

And even though we have a full schedule this week, the new leads are flowing in and we are going to have to work really hard to accommodate everyone!

It's going to be very interesting ... and busy!

For nearly thirty years, I played golf every Sunday. It was a ritual that was repeated week after week and month after month.

And it wasn't just about the golf, it was also a social outing. My golfing buddies and I caught up at the end of each week and shared the things that were new and interesting in our lives.

But this January I came to the rather difficult conclusion that I no longer enjoyed the game enough to continue to pay the rather expensive dues and green fees. Golf is not an inexpensive proposition, and since my game was on the decline and I have become more injury prone, I gave up the game and my Sunday custom of teeing it up and playing eighteen holes.

And to my surprise, I really haven't missed it all that much. I now have an extra day every week to do whatever I want. It has opened up a lot of opportunities to me that were not available while I was playing.

So it's true ...when one door closes another opens. I look forward to Sunday now because it is my time to do whatever I want!

Of course, being a real estate broker, that means working but hey: At least that's my choice!