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

Come set your joy on golden fronds
That spice the meadow with saffron strains
‘Tis Spring that waxes, fresh verdure dawns
Awakes as Winter’s crescent wanes!
                    ( R Weisser 2012 )

Spring has come early to Newnan Georgia this year. The “jonquils” started blooming in January and the “redbuds” are resplendent in their awakening.

The trees are already budding out. And while I enjoy Spring as much as anyone, you have to wonder about the impact this unseasonably mild winter will have on agriculture.

The famous Georgia Peaches require a significant amount of hours below 45 degrees to properly set fruit. Not to mention the fact that if they bloom too early, a late frost or freeze can ruin a crop.

But like it or not, we have no control of the weather and must deal with it as it comes.

In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the flowers!

The woodpile and the furnace grate
Await the tardy guest waylaid.
Is Winter past or only late…
Asleep, to stir another day?
              (R Weisser 2012) 

It seems as if we haven’t has any Winter at all this year here in Newnan Georgia.

As a matter of fact, even though it’s still January, the yellow bells and jonquils are already blooming.

And although we enjoy a relatively mild climate here in the Southeast, we do occasionally get a real taste of Winter, as these photographs from previous years will attest!

Here's wishing you snow if you want it, and sunshine and warm breezes if you don't!

As a result of readily accessible information about property listings, many buyers like to search listings based on one criteria: PRICE

And we do have many value-priced properties for sale in Coweta County Georgia. And buyers want to see all of these properties in hopes of finding the “perfect” combination of price and livability.

The problem is that many, many buyers are looking for the same thing. And so the good properties sell very quickly. As a result the casual weekend property seeker is very unlikely to stumble upon the right house at the right price.

A good real estate agent can be an invaluable asset in overcoming this dilemma. We see new properties every day and can alert buyers when a “hot” one shows up on the market. It is no longer a matter of being in the “right place at the right time”

Finding the right house at the right price is not a lottery.

Rather it is a calculated strategy for getting an offer submitted on a great house before it is too late. 

So far this year, winter has not made much of an appearance. Although there was a freak early snowstorm in the Northeast here in Georgia Winter has not amounted to much more than a few frosty mornings.

Here is it, the second day of January, and I still have a few peppers than can be harvested from a still alive (although not exactly vigorous) pepper plant.

I guess from a purely economic perspective, a mild winter in a real boon as we save on heating fuel and the cost of snow removal.

But from an aesthetic point of view, it somehow does not feel “right.” It’s January and it’s supposed to be cold.

I’m certain that this is probably one of those cases of “be careful what you wish for,” as there is plenty of opportunity for some real winter weather in the upcoming months.

But for now, I’ll just take advantage of the nice weather and get some yard work done!”

The question I have been asked most often in the last few weeks is: What is the outlook for the real estate market in 2012?

It’s an interesting question, because there are many dynamic factors involved in the state of housing in North America.

First and foremost are the immutable laws of supply and demand. If there is more product than there are consumers, the market will continue to decline.

And while we can’t change the rules of the axiom, we can certainly control the variables. Either the supply of homes for sale has to be reduced or the number of buyers has to increase, a bit of both would be great.

The best way to increase demand is to make mortgages easier to obtain. We don’t want to return to the debacle of the early 2000’s but a little sanity in the underwriting process would help.

Many consumers with good credit scores want to buy houses but they can’t because of guidelines that have caused such trepidation regarding default that the money is kept safely tucked away and out of the hands of would-be buyers.

Alternatively, we need to figure out more ways to keep people in their houses that want to stay but have suffered a financial or personal setback. The flood of foreclosures continues, and many of the displaced homeowners that I have spoken indicated that they tried to work out an arrangement with their mortgage holders but were unsuccessful.

Unfortunately, nothing has been done to significantly affect real estate in the upcoming year. And so any real estate recovery is totally dependent on the economy as a whole. As the economy goes, and as jobs are created, so goes the real estate market.

And since 2012 is an Presidential election year, one should expect some temporary economic remedies being set into action to skew the numbers by November.

As a result, the real estate market should fare slightly better in the second and third quarters of 2012. The market will be far from robust, but it will be a bit stronger than 2011.

2012 offers some promise for better times ahead. However, just how much better it will be is still anybody’s guess.

With each passing year our standard Georgia Association of Realtors (GAR) contract forms are revised to adapt to an ever changing real estate universe.

Generally speaking, most changes to preprinted real estate contracts are reactionary and not preemptive. Whether successful or not, litigation drives change and most contract updates are specifically designed to avoid lawsuits.

These annual tweaks cost money. A lot of money. And the money comes from the dues paying members of the Board of Realtors. For years non-members have been getting a free ride.

Beginning in January 2012, the GAR contracts forms will no longer be available free of charge to brokers or agents that are not Realtors. Any agent or broker that wishes to continue to use the GAR forms that is not a Realtor will have to pay an annual license fee of $199.

It is not a punitive measure. The intention is to share the burden of expense with everyone that uses the forms, board member or not.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. There is some expectation of contract chaos in the first few weeks of the year.

Only time will tell.

The 2011 Newnan Candlelight Tour of Homes is scheduled for Friday December 2 from 4:00 until 9:00 P.M.

The annual event is staged by the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxiliary and this year will feature five homes in the Cole Town Historic District.

The tour homes this year will include Victorian, Craftsman, and Cottage styles and were all constructed in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries.

Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on the day of the tour. Advance tickets may be purchased at Scott’s Bookstore on the square, the Coweta County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in the old courthouse, Morgan’s Jewelers in Ashley Park or the Newnan Piedmont Hospital Gift shop.

There is free parking at the Old Train Depot which will be open and offering light refreshments to tour visitors.

The auctioneer’s gavel drops and the deal is done. But do you ever wonder what the auction profession is all about?

It is one of the most ancient ways of conducting a sale and determining a price. As the purest form of setting a true fair market value “on the spot,” auction can be one of the best methods for selling anything of value quickly.

But there is a lot more to auction than meets the eye. In the state of Georgia, auctioneers fall under the auspices of the Secretary of State and must be licensed to advertise, conduct, and to close a sale at auction.

In order to auction real property in GA, both an Auctioneer license and a Real Estate Broker license is required, not only by the principle auctioneer, but also by anyone (ring man or ring woman) accepting bids from attendees.

All auctions in Georgia are auctions with reserve by default. However, if an auction is advertised as “Absolute,” an auctioneer must accept any bid on the property. In addition, neither the seller nor anyone bidding on behalf of the seller may participate in an absolute auction.

And most importantly of all: When the gavel drops and the auctioneer cries “SOLD” the sale has become legally binding and both buyer and seller are obligated to perform.

If you have any questions regarding auction in your area, feel free to ask any auctioneer about how it works and if it might present a good alternative for you for selling your property or property that you have listed.

Auctioneers love to talk about auction.

After all, it’s our big mouths that got us into auction in the first place!

As a CSX Northbound freight rumbles past the old Madras Depot, the fate of the historic building is still in the hand of local benefactors.

Built along the Atlanta and West Point Railroad in the mid 1850’s, the antebellum structure is in danger of being razed.

The county has left the fate of this piece of Coweta County history in the hands of private citizens that wish to move the building from the right of way to a safe location which it can be restored and preserved.

It’s hard to even fathom how much human history occurred along this historic route. Everything from soldiers being deployed during the Civil War to generations of local farmers shipping their goods toAtlanta and the world beyond.

As a lover of both history and railroads, I hope that the building will be saved.

It’s an interesting piece in the puzzle of Coweta County history!

Beginning January 1, 2012 non-Realtor® brokers will no longer have free access to Georgia Association of Realtors (GAR) contract forms.

Brokers and agents that wish to continue to use GAR forms will now have to pay a licensing fee to do so. An annual license will cost an agent $199.

The original intent of the standardized forms being offered for free was to make it easier for all licensees to have a uniform instrument that was easy to understand and universally applied.

But as more and more brokers dropped their memberships in local boards across the state, it became more apparent that many were simply cutting costs and luring agents who no longer wanted to pay board dues.

Which is fine, because everyone may choose what is best for them. But all should share the burden of expense for the benefits received, and so the fee for copyrighted form access was instituted.

Only time will tell on how this will all play out. It’s going to rock a lot of agent’s worlds.

And when the dust settles, we will see who is left standing.

As the first chill of the season stealthily descended into Newnan Georgia last night, I turned on the furnace for the first time this year.

It served as an unpleasant reminder that the cold, dark days of Winter are just around the corner. And although I can’t do anything about it, it is a bit depressing to say the least.

One of the reasons that I moved to Georgia so many years ago was to escape the frigid Winters of Western Pennsylvania. By contrast,Georgia enjoys a relatively temperate climate.

But with each passing year of living in the South, it FEELS colder to me. Perhaps it is just age, but my preference would be a life of perpetual Spring and Autumn with mild days and cool nights.

But ready or not, Winter is on the way. And it’s time to prepare for it!

And I’m already looking forward to Spring.

Inventories of REO properties and HUD homes in Coweta County Georgia are at one of the lowest levels in years.

In addition, the number of foreclosures advertised for sale on the courthouse steps is about a third of what it was at the peak of the madness. But what does this really mean for the Coweta County real estate market?

For those of us in the business, there is a sneaking suspicion that this reduction in distressed property for sale is NOT an indicator of better economic factors.

More than likely, it is the direct result of lien-holders working with owners that are in trouble and allowing them to stay in their homes longer. And as the tine between default and foreclosure increases, inventory shrinks proportionately.

It’s a short term effect, and not a long term fix. And it may be a case of delaying the inevitable.

Only time will tell.

Chattahoochee Bend State Park will allow hunters to harvest deer and feral hogs and kill coyotes for two days this December.

Thirty bucks will allow you to harvest two bucks (or does) after a mandatory pre-hunt meeting with park officials.

After debating the issue on the “Friends” Facebook Group, I was a bit surprised to see that many support the hunt. One commenter even complained about seeing three herds of deer on a twilight ride. Another said that deer were a dangerous threat to park visitors.

That prompted this reply from me:

“I guess I'm just a silly old man, but when I go to a park I WANT to see deer and coyotes and other forms of wildlife. If I saw three herds I would be thrilled!

The park speed limit is 20 MPH, so I don't think that the threat of injury is all that great. If the herd needs to be thinned, I think that it should be done by professionals and not by anyone willing to pay 30 dollars. (sic)…

You’ll notice I don't use words like "slaughter" or "murder" although I do see the wanton shooting of coyotes as cruel and unnecessary. I understand a harvested deer or hog is food on the table rather than road kill. But as I have reiterated, I would prefer to see the herd controlled by professionals.”

To me a park is a park. It is NOT a wildlife management area, a state forest, or a game land. Hunting by amateurs should not be part of population control because of potential damage to fragile ecosystems.

I have nothing against hunting at all. I am absolutely opposed to hunting within the boundaries of a state park.

Period!

The Kiwanis Coweta County Fair is one of the most popular annual events in the Newnan area.

The fair attracts thousands of visitors during its ten day run and features agricultural competitions, arts and crafts displays, and of course, the electrifying midway.

The main attraction is replete with carnival rides, games of skill, thrilling shows and my favorite: fair food!

The Coweta County Fairground is a magnificent facility with easy access from Interstate 85 (exit 41) and plenty of free parking.

For complete information about ticket prices, hours of operation and directions visit the official website for the Kiwanis Coweta County Fair.

HUD homes for sale in Coweta County Georgia are becoming more scarce with each passing day.

And while at first that seems like good news, it really has me thinking that there is foul play afoot,

Because the number of foreclosures has not abated one has to wonder if the so called “shadow inventory” is growing as fast as the National Debt.

Is this a Keynesian attempt at market stabilization or is the motivation purely political? Either way there is trouble looming ahead when these houses are finally released into an already tenuous market.

My preference would be to sell them as soon as they can be sold. Otherwise they will simply be stripped by vandals and left to decay into oblivion.

If that is the intent of the powers that be may I offer this admonition?

Let the houses go!

Coweta  County Schools will open for the new school year on Monday August 8. The kids seem to go back to school early around these parts, and as real estate, we are often asked about how “back to school” affects real estate sales.

Back in the day, there was a noticeable up and down cycle relative to the school term.  Activity would peak in the Summer and then taper off once the new school year commenced.

However, in today’s world of instant communication and readily available information, sales remain somewhat level throughout the year. Oddly enough, if we have a “peak” month now it is usually December.

It will probably be slow this weekend as parents frantically shop for last minute back to school items. But by next week will return to normal..

How does the reopening of school affect real estate these days?

We have to drive slow in the schools zones and stop for the buses loading and unloading children.

Other than that it’s business as usual!

Yesterday I went on a photography expedition to Chattahoochee Bend State Park. It’s Georgia’s newest state park, and it is located right here in Coweta County.

Since it has opened on July 1, I have made over a dozen trips to the park and I now know my way around, and I have a great feel for where I am.

What makes the exploration a little more interesting is that I knew this area BEFORE it was a park. And it has been a challenge to locate old landmarks relative to the new access and park roads.

But parks are not just about facilities and roads. It’s about the underlying reasons that the park was created in the first place. And once I had a firm grasp of the “big picture,” it was time to take a closer look.

As I wandered around a rock outcropping, I took notice of the “small” world of tiny wildflowers punctuated with fluttering skippers!

On a 97 degree day on a HOT rock, it would have been easy to miss the small wonder of the park in its most basic and natural form.

But fortunately, I was able to grab some shots before the heat addled my brain!

I am now making plans to document every wildflower in the park.

And that should keep me occupied for years!

The economic foundation of any community is jobs. And jobs in the healthcare sector are considered to be some strongest in terms on both longevity and compensation.

So the Newnan Piedmont Hospital will provide a much-needed boost to an economy that has suffered a significant slowdown over the last few years.

There were several snags and roadblocks along the way, including a halt on construction as some of kinks were worked out on the project. But the hospital will be a reality soon, thanks to persistence and the skill of construction crews erecting the facility.

In addition to the hospital, a new Cancer Center is also being constructed, and soon Newnan will become a Mecca for those seeking superior healthcare services.

And the thousands of people that will be working there will need housing. I would not be surprised at all to see inventory level off in the next two years.

Coweta County is on the road to economic recovery and the Newnan Piedmont Hospital is playing a huge role in that effort.

And it can’t happen soon enough for me!

In just a few short weeks since it has opened, Chattahoochee Bend State Park has transformed Newnan and Coweta County into a “destination!”

People now flock to visit this natural treasure which is now open to the public. And it’s not just people from around the state of Georgia either. I have seen license plates from many states and Canada in the park since opening day.

Chattahoochee Bend State Park is not just an amenity. It will now play a major role in the future of the county.

No longer will I have to explain where Coweta County is located or what we have to offer, From now on, many will find our beautiful area on their own!

And while they are here, many will like what they see. And some will even want to stay!

And even though completion of all of the facilities of the park is still ten years distant, there is still plenty to see and do right now, from kayaking to hiking to camping and fishing and anything else that one can imagine in 2900 acres of forest bounded by seven miles of river shoreline!

The destinies of Chattahoochee Bend State Park and Coweta County are now inescapably intertwined.

And the future for both looks very bright!

Summer in Georgia is always hot, that’s a given! But the typical Summer weather pattern is one of both heat and humidity.

That translates into hot days, and muggy nights punctuated with late afternoon and early evening thunderstorms.

And typically that continues into October when the nights cool and the air dries out a bit. The only respite from the constant and oppressive heat is the sanctuary of the air-conditioned structure!

This kind of weather leads to jungle-like growth in the garden, and it’s hard to control unwanted weeds and volunteer plants as nearly perfect growing conditions occur. It’s a time of lush growth and various shades of the color green are everywhere!

No drought, no floods, just day after day of a tropical atmosphere that is the legendary backdrop of the Southern novel.

It’s hot, and if you don’t like it there’s only one thing that you can do about it:

Learn to love it!