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

Hoarding seems to have become a hot topic these days. Television coverage of the phenomenon has led to an open discussion of the disorder. Some people are just unable to throw anything away.

And while my better half might suggest I suffer from a touch of the malady, I definitely suffer from it when it comes to computer files. It seems that I am unable to delete ANYTHING!

I continue to purchase drive after drive, the last two being a full terabyte of capacity. But filling them only takes a month or two.

And some of the largest files that I keep will never be useful to me. Many are large advertising layouts for now sold listings by defunct real estate companies. I keep the files for future use as “templates” even though I have rarely, if ever, modified one for current usage.

My email inbox has ten thousand messages in it, despite the fact that multiple spam sorters have filtered out the most flagrant violators. Even then Ifeel compelled to review them all “just in case!”

I am a virtual hoarder. These files are using up all of my storage space and cramping my virtual lifestyle.

I need help!

We all have our reasons for residing in our little “neck of the woods.” And the answers are as diverse as the life experiences of each resident.

There are a few that have lived in the same house all of there lives. Born and raised and producing new generations whose destinies are intertwined with that of their communities.

And there are others that want to remain near to family and dear friends, and they choose to remain close in both affection and proximity.

Others are relocated by their employers, and know very little about the region other than the fact that it offers them continued employment.

Some areas offer attractions that draw residents, such as being near the beach or national parks. These area offer unique lifestyle opportunities that cannot be duplicated in other parts of the country.

Climate can also play an important role in many decisions to move. There are as many micro-climates in North America as there are potential home buyers, as many desire warmer, cooler, wetter or dryer regions.

Local economies and levels of taxation are also a huge factor. Many local economies are still growing while others are shrinking, leaving the burden of taxation to an ever dwindling number of residents.

And finally, there are those that simply want a change of pace or something different from their current situation. They seek out communities that offer something of particular interest to them. Whether it be good schools, excellent shopping, recreation or transportation, they all have their reason to select a relocation destination.

So if someone were to pose the question: “Why do you live where you live,” what would be your response? How would you sell your community to them?

Because your answer could make the difference between a new neighbor or a lost opportunity!

Real estate is cyclical. There is no doubt about that. And although today’s buyer’s market is unprecedented, the market will inevitably shift into one in which sellers are in control.

Those that have been unable to sell during this down market will be set on vengeance for all of the low-ball offers and one-sided terms.

Additionally, since many of today’s buyer’s will at some point become sellers, there is a good chance that the “demand it all” philosophy will be in full force in the opposite direction.

It’s going to happen at some point. The only question is when.

And when it does, there is going to be heck to pay!

Sometimes, it is human nature to second guess ourselves. After all, we have all made mistakes, and hopefully, we have learned from them.

But sometimes, NOT following through on a major decision might be an even bigger mistake. Not all choices are wrong, and sometimes the upside potential far exceeds potential risks.

Many potential homebuyers have been frightened out of the market by doom and gloom prognosticators that insist that purchasing real estate is a risky endeavor.

But many buyers are getting fantastic deals on great houses that will serve as their homes for years to come. And low fixed interest rates are a great hedge against any future inflation.

Home ownership is more affordable than ever!  Get the facts today from a knowledgeable Realtor in your area!

As many of my readers already know, I play guitar in a band every Friday night. We have a standing engagement at a local watering hole so I guess you could say that we have a steady gig.

But there is another kind of gig that may not be as easy to manage. The gigabytes of information that we have committed to the realm of cyberspace over the years may be an out-of-control archive of old data and irrelevant information.

Placing information on the Internet for all to see is so easy, that it doesn’t take long to amass a huge disorganized repository of ancient and sometimes conflicting media of all sorts.

Conversely, removing data from the realm of webdom is next to impossible. Even if the offending information is located, attempts to correct it may be futile. Passwords long forgotten cannot be sent to email addresses that have since been abandoned.

I stumbled upon an old website of mine the other day. Long ignored but still fully functional, it could be used reinforce my arsenal of business generators.

That is, if I can figure out how to log on!

Yesterday was a particularly stressful one for me. It seemed that every phone call or email conveyed a major problem with a deal in process. In addition, two of my dear friends are immersed in life and death personal crises

As the pressure builds, and the realization sets in that these there is no way around it, the fires must be put out one at a time. No matter how hard it is to do so or how long it takes.

Occasionally, the rescue attempts succeed, and all that is needed is a some minor repair work and some clean-up!

And sometimes when the smokes clears the charred remains are a total loss. There is nothing left to salvage.

At that point, one must move forward and not look back!

In this day of multiple addenda, additional disclosures, and mandatory reviews, there has been one interesting side-effect that restores some of my faith in humanity.

More often than not, verbal negotiation is employed as a means of expediting acceptance of an offer. And while verbal commitments may or may not be legally binding, the trend seems to be leaning towards honoring verbal promises.

The result is significantly less time expended achieving a meeting of the minds. In this day of instant communication and the “I want it now” philosophy, this is a great way to keep all parties “talking!”

However, once the deal is ratified, it’s important to get all of the I’s dotted and T’s crossed as soon as possible.

Because the written contract is still the embodiment of the transaction, and it alone remains as the instrument of enforcement should anything go awry!

Point of clarification: Typically, the initial offer is in writing with earnest money collected, and proof of funds or a pre-approval letter in hand. If the deal is "workable" to the offeree the verbal negotiation is utilized during the countering process. However, all offers, including verbal ones, should be presented!

With temperatures in the 90’s and very high humidity, Summer is in full swing in Newnan Georgia.

But working in real estate was even hotter today for agents at my office, as the air conditioner cried “uncle” and decided to quit working. And as the temperature rose inside, so did the frenzy of activity.

Everyone was up for the challenge. After all, our clients come first and if that means if we have to work in the heat, so be it.

Fax machines faxed, copiers copied, and printers printed continuously as the offers and signed contracts made their way from office to client to office to another office! We were all working furiously and oblivious to the less than pleasant conditions.

So when I say that the real estate business was hot in Newnan today, I mean both literally and figuratively.

And hopefully, tomorrow will be even hotter!

When a problem is encountered with a product or service and assistance is needed, most companies provide a toll-free number where you can get live customer service. On the surface, this appears to be a good thing.

But when a frustrated consumer utilizes the toll-free number,  a few things are learned about the company’s commitment to customer service in the first few minutes of the call.

I think the worst possible scenario is when a recording states “we are experiencing a high call volume at this time, please try again later.” At that point you already know that the product or service is not only having a lot of customer service issues, but also that the company doesn’t really care whether you get help or not.

Next on the list is the call center in a foreign country, where the customer service representatives only have the ability to read scripts. I am a literate adult, and I don’t need to have information read to me over the phone. If a customer service representative does not have the perspicacity to engage in rational dialog, then I am wasting my time.

And finally, there are the companies that ask for a credit card number first. What? You sold me something that doesn’t work and now you want me to pay you to make it operational? At least those calls are answered quickly because I assume that the preceding calls were dispatched as quickly as mine, with a response of “no way!”

The best and most reliable source of information is always from other consumers that are posted on the Internet. Somewhere, someone has experienced the same problem and has come up with a fix or a workaround. Many even post videos on YouTube.

I often wonder why companies spend millions on advertising and then short-change customer service?

I guess that “word of mouth” just doesn’t carry that much weight anymore.

At exactly 7:28 A.M. EDT the Earth’s position in its annual trek around the Sun relative to the tilt of its axis established the maximum amount of daylight hours for the Northern hemisphere!

One popular misconception is that the Earth is closer to the Sun in the Summer. Actually, the opposite is true, as the northern solstice more closely aligns with aphelion, when the Earth is most distant from the center of the Solar System.

Here in the south, we have been experiencing the heat of Summer for the last three weeks, with daily high temperatures in the 90’s. That’s really hot for early June, even for Newnan Georgia!

I can only imagine what July and August will be like!

First of all, do not try this at home. Electrical repairs are not for novices or those that are not knowledgeable about wiring systems and equipment. You should always seek the help of a competent professional when dealing with potentially life threatening forces.

I decided that today would be a good day to catch up on some much needed maintenance around the house. The lights in the basement have not been working for a week or two, so I thought today would be a great opportunity to diagnose and correct the problem.

Now when making electrical repairs, most people would simply throw the main breaker and cut the entire service off to the house. But it’s pretty darn hot in Newnan Georgia, and I didn’t want the air conditioner to stop running so I went to the panel and cut off the three breakers that were labeled “basement.”

Now any good inspector will tell you to never trust the labeling in the panel box. Breakers may have been moved over the years or it may have been mislabeled from day one.

And since the lights weren’t working, one might have assumed anyway that the hot feed was corrupted somewhere along the line, and that that was little or no danger of getting shocked.

But when I grabbed that light switch and pulled it away from the wire bundle, an all too familiar and unpleased sensation screamed through my arm!

Light a thousand stinging bees, the pulsating tingle hummed all the way through to my brain, and as I jerked my hand back, all I could utter was “hot!”

Two interesting facts were instantly revealed to me at that time. One, was that I nearly killed myself. And two, was there wasn’t a problem with the hot feed! In a very painful way, I had diagnosed the problem.

I went back to the panel, took the cover off, and began to examine the neutral bar. Sure enough, it appeared that one line did not penetrate the lug. I gingerly loosened the lug screw, pushed the wire through, and tightened the heck out of it!

Problem solved, and a lesson learned! The phrase “never assume” has once again been reinforced into my psyche.

And in the future, I’ll try not to use my body as a test device!

My father was truly a man of his time. He was a WWII veteran that married after the war, moved to the suburbs, and raised a family of ten kids as the sole provider.

For many of those years, dad worked out of the house. He had a drafting room downstairs in the basement where he created incredible drawings by hand.

He had a unique niche that kept him busy. He drew HVAC layouts for large industrial mills, particularly steel mills. He could hand letter with the precision of a computer, and every dimension had to be verified manually.

My dad and I shared a love for photography. When I married and moved to Georgia, any trip back home involved a photo expedition with my father. Looking back I realize that this was the only time that I had dad “all to myself.”

Whenever I take a photograph to this very day, I think of my father, I still want to make him proud of me and my craft. And I’m pretty sure that he would be thrilled to see what I have produced.

Dad didn’t live to see the age of the digital photograph. Which is just as well, because although his caches of transparencies are fading, the memories of the photography jaunts are not.

After all, he was a man of his time!

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads reading this!

During the past week, I have encountered several individuals that expressed interest in getting into real estate as a profession.

In years past, that was not an unusual occurrence. Real estate was red hot and was seen as the path to easy money and a life of luxury. And even though most new real estate agents failed in their first year, every pre-license class was packed!

The real estate business of today is vastly different than it was three years ago. Even the most experienced agents struggle to get buyers and sellers to the closing table.

So why would anyone want to get into this crazy business now?

I think that in many cases, that although the real estate profession is very demanding, it is also very interesting and challenging. Every day brings a new situation that makes the job exciting and gets the adrenaline flowing.

And those that wish to accept the challenge today are going in with eyes wide open, fully aware of  current state of the real estate market.

I haven’t seen any statistics to confirm this, but I’ll bet that the failure rate of agents that get into the business now will be significantly less than in the heyday of the buying frenzy.

Because they know in advance that it’s going to take determination, dedication, and a strong work ethic to succeed!

Note: If you love in the Newnan / Coweta County area and would like to learn more about real estate as a career, please call or email me! I'll be glad to help.

Everyone in the real estate industry is pressed for time these days. The push to get properties closed by June 30^th (now extended) may have created an unprecedented amount of business for many in the profession.

So it is likely that there will be some slip-ups along the way. After all, we’re only human and mistakes are inevitable. This is especially true when workloads are overwhelming even the most stalwart worker and pushing them beyond their limits.

But I still believe that the responsibility for correcting an error falls directly upon the shoulders of the offenders. Instead, it seems that day after day were are generating more and more paperwork and inconveniencing clients keeping alive transactions that should have already closed.

And what this  it even more irritating is when a deadline is issued to get the fix completed. “We need this done today” has become the bane of the real estate agent.

And the assassin  of schedules!

Drama in photography can often be heightened by limiting the numbers of colors in the overall palette of the composition.

Reducing the sensory input generated by the color attribute can force the brain to cogitate more intently on other more linear qualities such as form.

Images are a very powerful mode of communication that can transmit large amounts of complex information nearly instantaneously.

The impact of that message can be elevated by accentuating the most significant elements of the subject matter.

It has been said that “less is more.”  That tenet can truly be applied when creating images!

Over the years, online banking has become quite popular. It’s great to have immediate access to transactions and balance information.

There are always concerns for security when banking on the Internet. One of the banks that I use is obsessed with online security. That’s a good thing.

But when security is so tight that not even a customer can log in, the service becomes impotent.

My bank requires a series of passwords, followed by a real-time code generated by this little thingy-dingy that they provided for me. The code is only good for one minute so you have to move quickly.

And while the process is safe, it is quite cumbersome, so I am less inclined to use online banking unless it’s absolutely necessary.

The kicker is this: If you don’t log on in a 30 day period, the online account is deleted. Not disabled. Not locked. It is deleted. To get back online requires a new application, new passwords, and a new thingy-dingy.

Worst of all, all of the data is lost from the prior account. You start all over with a blank slate.

It seems to me, that whoever made the decision to approve this process was much more concerned with the possibility of loss than creating a tool that would be useful for customers.

It’s always important in business to always put the customer’s needs first. Apparently, in this case, that was not part of the formula!

I got a frustrating call from a loss mitigation department employee telling me that the property that I had submitted a short-sale offer on was foreclosed last week.

Of course, I already knew that but was a bit irritated that they answered my last inquiry two weeks after the fact. It was a lot of “too little too late" and I was underwhelmed.

When I suggested that I was going to write a national blog about the entire episode her response was: “If you do that I will refer the matter to our legal department.”

I laughed and informed her that there was little legal peril in writing the truth, and she began repeating the mantra over and over, “If you do that I will refer the matter to our legal department.”

First of all, I doubt that a loss mitigation department that doesn’t even bother to answer phone calls for over two weeks has the business acumen to follow-up on any threat. Secondly, I don't mind if their legal department reads it at all.

It might be useful in preparing THEIR defense!

Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave?
O’er the land of the free,
And the home of the brave?

                        Francis Scott Key

June 14 is Flag Day, and I have a brand new star-spangled banner that will replace the ensign on the front porch that is beginning to show its age. There is nothing that adds more patriotic color to the house than the red, white and blue of Old Glory.

There is nothing that compares to a bright and crisp American flag fluttering in a gentle breeze on a gorgeous sunlit day!

It is an awe-inspiring palette, that's for sure

I was born and reared in Western Pennsylvania. About the same time that I graduated high school, many industries were making economic decisions to move their operations overseas.

One by one, the blast furnaces were extinguished and the great mills were shut down forever. The great industrial complexes soon disappeared, as did the thousands of good paying jobs that were associated with them.

As jobs became more and more scarce, many were forced to leave the area. I was one of them. I packed everything I owned into my Dodge Dart and headed South in search of not only a job, but a new life.

In many ways, I was not unlike those settlers that sailed the Atlantic to a New World, or the pioneers that pushed west of the Alleghenies seeking survival. In those cases, the lure of the unknown is a better opportunity than certain failure at home.

Today, more so than ever, we are a mobile society. It is more common for an entire family to pack up and move as a new opportunity presents itself. As technology continues to shrink effective distance, more and more people will elect to follow their dreams in a new place.

And it’s up to the citizens of a community and their government to determine whether or not THEIR municipality will be one that fortune seekers will abandon, or rather, one that they will choose as their economic destination!

Photo: The United States Steel (USX) Homestead Mill prior to demolition courtesy of RichardWeisser.com.

I was just watching a PBS special about music in the 1960’s. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Beach Boys, The Miracles and the Temptations were chronicled, just to name a few.

Now I understand in my head that every generation has its music, and they are in part defined by it. But in the sixties, music also reflected the societal changes that were evolving as young people rebelled against the stoic establishment.

During a decade that endured assassinations, the civil rights movement, the Viet Nam War and its associated protests, the new drug culture, and the moon landings, music provided the steady beat that bound people together.

And in my heart, I know that the music was also very good. The proof is in the test of time. The songs are still being covered by current artists, and the music will live beyond the generation itself.

So I’m not saying that I grew of age during the most epoch musical era of modern times. That is for history to judge.

I’m just saying that I consider myself very fortunate to have lived during one of the most influential music periods of all time!