Property Partners: Why Investing in Real Estate with a Friend May Be a Good Move

Buying a home together isn’t always a sweetheart deal; it can also be a great business opportunity between friends.

More and more people who are looking to become real estate investors, prior to saying their vows, are finding ways to avoid investing in property solo.

Ever the businessman, Chris Pendarvis jumped at the opportunity to purchase a town house in Sacramento a couple of years ago with a former business partner. Although they kept the property for a relatively short time, Pendarvis believes he got a bang for his buck.

“It was a good deal, and we ended up turning it around aft er about a year,” he says. “We used the money we made to capitalize the back end of a coff ee house. So it was a nice way to help us build the business and at the same time provide a tax shelter.”

According to the 2006 National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 7% of homebuyers are unmarried couples.

Elizabeth Weintraub, a Sacramento real estate agent, admits she wouldn’t follow a similar route. “If I were single, I’d never buy a home with a friend,” she says. “I’d live in a smaller home, or in a worse part of town, before going into partnership on a home.”

But Pendarvis believes he was the perfect candidate and that he would do it again with just about anyone. “You might not play the market or do real estate development, but home ownership is important,” he says.

Unlike Weintraub, Lois A. Vitt, PhD, founding director of the Institute for Socio-Financial Studies in Virginia and author of 10 Secrets to Successful Home Buying and Selling, calls investing in a residence with someone other than a spouse or significant other “good business”—as long as the friend or business associate shares the same investment motives. “[Partners] need to have compatible goals and expectations so they can together analyze trends in the general economy, run the numbers under diff erent scenarios, and know the local housing sales, mortgage and rental markets,” Vitt says. “That doesn’t mean they can’t split up these tasks, but they have to be able to work together to achieve a single set of investment goals.”

At the same time, Vitt says there are drawbacks and issues some people should consider. “What happens if their individual circumstances change and one partner wants to sell and the other does not? What happens if the market tanks and one partner wants to ride it out but the other wants to cut his or her losses?” she says. “Partners—including spouses and significant others—should discuss these potential circumstances thoroughly and know that they can work together in any housing market for their mutual benefit.”

When Jim Goodykoontz learned the owner of the fourplex in Sacramento, where Goodykoontz resided in a unit, wanted to sell the property several years ago, he thought it was a golden opportunity to invest in real estate. But because of the high down payment required, he needed a partner in order to make a transaction happen. So, in stepped his brother, with whom he knew he could work eff ectively.

And it certainly has proven to be a mutually beneficial deal for the brothers. “[The building has] appreciated quite a bit in value,” Goodykoontz says. “And we’ve been making a profit from the beginning. The rents pay the mortgage and then some.”

Although she would not buy property with a friend, Weintraub does acknowledge the difficulty of purchasing a home independently “With the affordability index being so low, three out of four people can’t aff ord to buy at today’s prices,” she says. “Plus, it typically takes two incomes to qualify [for a loan], especially since lenders are tightening their requirements for qualification. Builders are designing homes with two master suites to accommodate unrelated individuals buying together as tenants in common.”

Part of the cost of being a homeowner is taking on a major responsibility. And while investing in real estate with a partner does not lower these risks, it provides someone to share in the job—not necessarily what everyone is looking for

By Chuck Green - Friday, June 1, 2007

Most Resilient U.S. Real Estate Markets

When it comes to real estate, the questions on everyone's lips are: How low is low, and when's the perfect time to buy back in?

That moment has passed in Seattle and Charlotte -- both metros hit bottom in the first quarter of 2006 and have since posted price gains of 12.3% and 6.3%, respectively, according to National Association of Realtors (NAR)data.

Ripe for investment? Philadelphia and New Orleans. Based on housing inventory and local economic conditions, both should hit price troughs by year's end and bounce back with moderate gains around 4% in 2008.

In markets expected to recover more slowly, such as Boston and Denver, low buyer confidence coupled with a surplus of housing stock has lengthened the slump. NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun points out that buyers are looking for clear signs of a market bottom and are content to wait on the sidelines until then.

It's easy to see why. Most of the country's real estate markets are feeling the effects of overproduction. A strong market hovers near a 1.5% vacancy rate, but the national average currently stands at 2.8% and in cities such as Miami, Atlanta and Denver, figures hang around 3.5%. In addition, every nugget of good news (a May Commerce Department report said that new-home sales are at a 14-year high) comes with bad news (median price growth is at a 10-year low).

So which other metro area markets stand the best chance of recovery, and when will that upturn occur?

Behind The Numbers
Market corrections follow three basic recovery patterns. A V-shaped recovery where a market experiences a sharp, fast decline but comes out strong once it hits bottom; a U-shaped recovery, where prices decline gradually and recover slowly; and an L-shaped curve, a hard, fast fall with paltry price bounceback following the market trough.

The differences between a V-shaped market and a U-shaped one has to do with barriers to growth. High vacancy rates and high investor share can hurt a market, but if the local economy remains strong and housing stock affordable it's only a matter of how long it takes to absorb the excess inventory.

Tampa is a perfect candidate for a V-shaped recovery, according to research from Moody's Economy.com, an economic analysis, forecasting and credit risk firm. The local economy remains strong, and subprime lending is relatively low. Tampa's problem? A high investor share that lead to high vacancy rates. When the market turned sour in 2005, more than 25% of Tampa homes were owned as investment properties. Investors are quicker to flee during a downturn, thus creating a glut of available housing stock. In Tampa's case, vacancy rates now stand at 3.5%.

"As investors exit, the market revives," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at West Chester-PA based research firm Moody's Economy.com, as fewer speculative buyers results in a more stable market. "Tampa's a pretty affordable market and first-time buyers can come in once prices fall."

In the market for a seven-figure home? How much domain your dollar will net depends on where you look. Based on Moody's Economy projections, Tampa should burn off its excess inventory and hit a price trough in the first quarter of 2008, at which point prices are expected to increase by 10.6% the following year.
These projections take into account housing affordability, vacancy rates, the strength of the local economy and job market, investor share in 2005 and the share of subprime mortgages. Data comes from Moody's, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Reserve's Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

Predicting the bottom of any asset market, especially real estate, is a difficult thing. While these projections are based on sound data and advanced modeling by Moody's, no one can predict futures markets with absolute certainty.

Other Bounce Backs
Like Tampa, Phoenix is similarly afflicted by high investor share (26.1%) and it has a vacancy rate over 3%. Good affordability rates and a surging job market suggest that once Phoenix bottoms out, price growth will be strong. Moody's projection model has Phoenix reaching its price trough in the fourth quarter of 2008 and then growing by 7.7% the following year.

Slower recovery rates are expected in markets such as Minneapolis and Boston, where a slumping local economy, slow job growth and negative migration numbers hamper long term prospects. Along with other U-shaped markets like Sacramento that have double-digit subprime lending share, Zandi says it's going to be harder for these markets to get going again.

That doesn't necessarily mean V-shaped markets are in the clear. The labor markets in cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Diego, whose future economic success will be critical to recovery, are heavily in housing-related industries, according to Moody's. So long as those economies can weather their respective corrections, they should be all right.

"These markets are going to experience more substantial declines in the coming year," says Zandi. "Gauging the bottom is a very intrepid affair and the job market is very important to recovery."

By Matt Woolsey, Forbes.com
June 11, 2007

Welcome to the *NEW* City of Johns Creek, Georgia!

As of June 1, 2007, Johns Creek residents in zip codes 30022, 30097 and 30005 could begin using Johns Creek, GA, as their official mailing address! For those of you unfamiliar with this North Atlanta community, the city was created during 2006's election period in a heated vote (see timeline below).

We are proud to be Realtors in the new City of Johns Creek! Here are some interesting...

...Johns Creek Facts

The City of Johns Creek is located in the northeast corner of Fulton County; bounded on the south by the Chattahoochee River, on the east by Gwinnett County and the Chattahoochee, on the north by Forsyth County and on the west by the cities of Alpharetta and Roswell.

Johns Creek has an approximate population of 65,000.

Johns Creek is the 10th largest city in the state of Georgia, Marietta being the 11th largest.

Johns Creek officially became a city on Dec. 1, 2006, when governance of the new city tranferred from Fulton County to Johns Creek's elected officials and city government.

Johns Creek's transition from six unincorporated northeast Fulton communities - Newtown, Warsaw, Ocee, Shakerag, Autrey Mill and Johns Creek - to cityhood was initiated through the state legislative process, as follows:

March 31, 2005 - pre-bills introduced by State Rep. Jan Jones (Dist. 46) to incorporate both northwest and northeast unincorporated Fulton County.

Feb. 13, 2006 - House Bill 1321 introduced by State Rep. Mark Burkhalter (Dist. 50) to incorporate unincorporated northeast Fulton County into the City of Johns Creek.

March 2, 2006 - House Bill 1321 approved by the Georgia Assembly.

March 29, 2006 - Governor Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 1321 into law.

July 18, 2006 - Voters of unincorporated northeast Fulton County approved incorporation.

Nov. 7, 2006 - Citizens of Johns Creek elected Mayor Mike Bodker and City Council members Randall Johnson, Karen Richardson, Liz Hausmann and Bev Miller as the city's first officials.

Nov. 14, 2006 - Inauguration; first City Council meeting.

Dec. 1, 2006 - The City of Johns Creek assumed governance from Fulton County.

Dec. 5, 2006 - Run off elections for Post 2 and Post 4 brought Dan McCabe and Ivan Figueroa, respectively, onto the first Johns Creek City Council.

For more information about the new City of Johns Creek, click here.

You can also visit: http://www.ilovejohnscreek.com/!

If you have any questions about the new City of Johns Creek or the North Metro Atlanta area, please give us a call or send us an email! We'd love to help you!

Got Mold?

There's no way to sugarcoat it: Mold is an unwelcome guest in any home. And like your unpredictable cousin Harry, it can show up without warning, even in the cleanest abodes. Mold is a type of fungus that grows from tiny spores that float in the air. It can grow almost anywhere there is moisture and a temperature of between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The most common type of mold, called mildew, is easy to spot. It's the black stuff you see in the grout lines in your shower, on damp walls and outdoors on the surface of deck boards and painted siding, especially in damp and shady areas. To test for mildew, dab a few drops of household bleach on the blackened area. If it lightens after one to two minutes, you have mildew. If the area remains dark, it's probably just dirt.

Besides being unsightly, mold can cause health problems, including hay fever-type symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. More seriously, mold can cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold.

To get rid of minor mold and mildew infestations, disinfect the area with a mild bleach and water solution, then seal with several coats of a primer/sealer and repaint with washable paint. Improving the ventilation in damp areas of your home, such as the bathroom, will tend to minimize mold problems. For more extensive mold infestations, contact a professional who can help you determine the best way to deal with it.

If you have concerns about mold in your home and would like a referral to a trustworthy service provider, please contact us today! We'd love to help!

Five Quick Tips to Enhance Curb Appeal

In a buyer's market, it's important for sellers to do what they can to get their home to stand out.

Here are some quick tips you can use to generate some excitement for your home in today's market.

1. Use paint: A new coat of paint can go a long way to making your home look up to date. Neutral colors work best because they appeal to the most number of people.

2. Mow the Lawn: Take the time to mow the lawn and clean the yard. Rake leaves and grass and put away any tools that may be lying around. Don't turn buyers off with a messy yard. If they like what they see on the outside, you'll improve your chances of getting them to take a look inside.

3. Plant Flowers: Seasonal or perennials can bring a splash of color to your home and brighten things up from the street. Flowers throughout the house will please the senses and make it feel like a home.

4. Spruce Up Your Walkway: Dressing up your walkway with bricks or paving stones will lead people to your front door. Inexpensive solar lighting can enhance your entry even more!

5. Window Treatments: Keep your home from looking plain or boring with some decorative shutters. Windows are so important to the overall appeal of your home. Take some time to add plant boxes underneath and you'll see an immediate improvement that doesn't cost a lot of money!

By following these tips, you will be able to capture the hearts and minds of today's buyers, as well as improve your chances for a quick sale at top dollar!

20 Steps to Get the Best Deal on a Home in 2007

When it comes to real estate, timing is everything. And if you're buying this year, your timing is perfect.For most homes in most areas, it's a buyer's market. That means you'll see plenty of houses on the market with prices that have slowed, stabilized or, in some places, even declined. And motivated buyers will likely be more amenable to making concessions."For someone who's been sitting on the sidelines, it's a great time to buy," says Eric Tyson, co-author of "Home Buying for Dummies."The biggest problem many buyers may encounter: too many choices. But that's not a bad problem to have, says Colby Sambrotto, chief operating officer of ForSaleByOwner.com "See everything in your price range so you can make an informed decision," he says.Spring and summer tend to be the prime home-buying season. And in many markets, buyers will have a lot of options. Want to make sure you get the best home for you? Here are 20 steps to help you get the best deal on a home this year:

1. Know your score. Pull your credit report and purchase your credit scores. "It's especially critical this year because the government has started cracking down on mortgage lenders offering nonstandard financing," says Chicago-area attorney Diana Brodman Summers, author of "How to Buy Your First Home." A small change in your credit rating can make a big difference in the amount you pay for your home over the life of a loan, or even whether you'll be offered a loan at all.Do this early because if you find mistakes that lowered your score, you'll need time to correct the record before you apply for financing. And, if you find that your scores are correct, but lower than you expected, you can change your habits, pay down some balances and rack up a few more months of good marks on the record before you obtain financing.

2. Get preapproved for a mortgage. Preapproved, not prequalified. Prequalified simply means you're good for the loan -- if your income, debts, credit and other factors are exactly as you stated and can be documented. In other words, it's more like wishful thinking. Preapproved means these things have already been checked and verified. This is always a good idea in any market, especially now. Along with a lot of housing choices, there are many more selections on the mortgage menu in recent years too, says Tyson. Sorting out the mortgage first will let you concentrate solely on the loan terms, without the added pressure to choose something quickly or risk losing your "dream house." Since you're likely to have more options in terms of properties, this step will also help you narrow the field to only those homes you can truly afford.

3. Determine your dollar limit. Decide how much you want to pay, not just how much you can pay. The maximum for which you qualify isn't automatically the amount you want to spend, says Summers. You may want to buy less house to allow for a future where one of you might want to stay home with the kids or make a career change. "Everyone would like to see you move into a bigger house -- they would get a bigger fee," says Summers. "But that's no good if you're miserable." And if you get overextended and life throws you a curve, like a job loss or family illness, "you have to have a fudge factor," she says.

4. Make a list, check it twice. Another way to narrow your search in a market with many choices is to really zero in on the individual features of your future home. Which items do you really need? Which do you merely want? Which don't matter? And what would be a deal-breaker? "You've got to make sure that what you're looking for is really what you want," says Patricia Fitzgerald, broker/owner of Coastal Properties in Jupiter, Fla. If you're buying the home with a spouse, make up your own separate lists first, then try to integrate them. That way, you approach sellers and agents as a united front -- and you're more likely to get what you want.

5. Do your homework. If there are communities you like, do the in-depth research now. Buyers, especially in a market with a lot of choices, "get caught up in finding the 'perfect house,' and don't do their research," says Tyson. Instead, "you want to be able to take advantage of the fact that we've got a lot of choices."Study the quality and cost of living. If you're semi-local, shop in the community for a week or so. Buy groceries, gas and all the little necessities in the same places you'd patronize if you already lived there. Sample the way of life by checking out things you use, like libraries, health clubs, bookstores, restaurants and movie theaters.Test the commute. It's one thing to drive an area on Sunday morning and look at homes. It's another to roll out of the driveway at 7 a.m. Monday morning and fight commuter traffic. So drive it during rush hour. And if you want to use public transportation, check out those options, too.Scope out the schools. If you have kids, or are planning a family, research the neighborhood schools. What do they look like, and what kind of reputation and scores do they enjoy?Read the newspaper. Almost every community has a local paper. Subscribe -- via mail or online, and keep up with the local happenings. From water quality to zoning, you're likely to get the inside information you really don't get anywhere else.

6. Hire a buyer's agent. A good real estate agent can help you focus your search and avoid the pricing pitfalls. Ideally, you want "someone patient, someone focused on the neighborhood you're interested in," says Tyson. Talk to several agents. "Have they taken advanced classes or received a designation?" says Fitzgerald. "Is it somebody that you feel comfortable with, somebody who's going to listen to your needs? Is what you're looking for what they're showing you?" Don't fall victim to the trap that you can save money by not using an agent. The seller, after all is paying that agent in most cases, and even if there's only half a commission involved, don't you think the seller wants to save that same amount you have your eye on?

7. Don't trash the house. It's become almost routine to point out all the things you don't like about a house to shake the seller's confidence and try and bring down the price. This can be a crucial mistake. First, it makes them angry. Second, once you've insulted their house (and them), it's going to be tougher to get them to negotiate a good price. If you're at the stage where you're making an offer, but there are details you really can't live with, be tactful and kind, says Ron Phipps, broker with Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. Instead of declaring that their 1950s kitchen is horrible, say "I understand the kitchen is original." Then follow with something along the lines of "obviously, competing houses have been updated and that would be a priority for me," says Phipps.

8. Study comparables. Do this before making a first offer. When you look at the comps (which should be within six months and ideally within three months), what's the relationship between the list price and the sales price? That's going to give you a good idea of just how much room you have to bargain. And just how much your first offer cuts from the asking price can vary with the town, neighborhood and price range. "In some areas of the state, people wouldn't be distraught," at an offer than came in 15 percent to 20 percent below the asking price, says Phipps. "In my area, the sellers would be offended and you wouldn't get a counter offer." And that's why it can pay to have a professional on your side. Especially in today's market, "you need a buyer's agent to explain the nuances of the market," he says.

9. Stay current. Keep up with the market while you're shopping. In the areas you like, watch the for-sale signs go up and come down. How long are homes staying on the market? Look at the listing for the asking prices. Comb the local paper to see what they actually bring when they're sold. What's the relationship between sales price, value and asking price? The trends you see can really help when it's time for you to make those offers.

10. Determine the real value of the property. Buyers sometimes focus on how large an offer it will take to "get" the home, and lose site of what it's actually worth. But before you make an offer, sit down and determine, based on tax records, which can often be found online, comparables and the other data, just how much is the property actually worth? Then analyze the relationship between the actual value of similar houses and their selling prices. Often there's a pattern, and that can help you too, says Phipps. In addition, knowing the home's real value serves as a good touchstone to keep you grounded during negotiations.

11. Research the sellers. Are they motivated? Do they have to move by a certain date? While your offer should be determined by how much the house is worth, "There's nothing wrong with doing some intelligence on the seller and using that to your advantage," says Phipps. Your best source: the agent or the sellers themselves. If the listing agent or the sellers are at home when you view the property try to engage them in small talk. Ask them where they're going and why. "It's amazing how many sellers and agents volunteer a lot," says Phipps. A buyer's agent can also help in that area too, says Tyson." Your agent should do as much inquiring as possible on the sellers and their situation," says Tyson. While you do have to get a handle on why they're selling, "If you lowball someone, they're not going to think you're serious," he says.

12. Look at the real numbers. Was it for sale by owner? Have the sellers used other agents? And how long has it really been on the market? The current listing may show that the home has only been on the market two weeks. But it may not show that it's been on the market before -- and recently. Some agents will pull a property off the MLS, and then put it back on the market to reset the clock, says Phipps. A buyer's agent can look at the listing records and determine just how long, in total, these owners have been trying to sell that home. And that can make a big difference in the offer you make.

13. Leave room for a second offer. Many sellers will assume that if you knock $20,000 off the price the first time around, you're looking for a counteroffer that will reduce the asking price by $10,000, says Phipps. But it's a fine line to walk. Offer too little and they won't believe you're a serious buyer; too high and you leave little room to negotiate.

14. Have a backup plan. Don't set your mind on one house and say it's that or nothing. "It helps you remain more objective," says Phipps. And you won't get carried away and pay more for a house than the house is really worth. And if you are seriously considering other homes -- and could be just as happy with other choices, have your agent convey that point, says Phipps. Doing the negotiating yourself? Be respectful and honest. Alert the seller to that fact without threatening them with it. Something along the lines of "we're looking at two other houses, we know the numbers there are workable and we can get either at a good price." But don't say it if it isn't true.

15. Put all extras in your first offer. Negotiations are more elastic in the beginning, when the buyer and seller are most likely to want to reach an agreement, says Phipps. It's a lot easier to include that entire list of concessions or repairs in the beginning than to drop it in at the very end. And that list should include a warranty deed and title insurance, he says.

16. Don't let them play mind games. "If you make a good offer, within the realm of reasonable, and the seller rejects it outright, move on," says Phipps. Some sellers don't really want to sell. Others like to play games. And that just slows your search for a home. "In this market, it makes sense to take advantage of the breadth of inventory and deal with a seller who wants to sell," he says.

17. Surrender where you can. You're going to be dealing with the seller throughout the process, so on points where it really doesn't matter, giving ground can be smart, says Phipps.

18. Call your insurance agent. How will the neighborhoods you're shopping affect your home and auto premiums? Your agent will be happy to tell you. And it's even more important since some areas are seeing large increases in premiums in the wake of natural disasters. "It's free knowledge," says Summers. And like the price of groceries in your new community, "it all goes into the cost of living and you never think of it until you move there."

19. Call the power company. Look at your current power bill to see just how much juice you're using each month. Now call the would-be supplier in the neighborhood you're considering. How much would it charge for the same power? "It may require a little math," says Summers. But it can save you from sticker shock after the move.

20. Educate yourself. "Education is more valuable now," says Tyson. "People have trepidation and fear because they realize that real estate doesn't go up every year." But with low rates and decent prices on housing, he says, "it's a good opportunity to get into the market."

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta. March 8th, 2007

Vacation Home Sales Hit Record High in 2006

A record number of vacation-home purchases was offset by a sharp drop in investment-home sales, bringing down the overall number of second-home purchases in 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. Vacation-home sales were up 4.7% to a record 1.07 million homes in 2006, compared to 1.02 million in 2005. Investment-home sales dropped 28.9% to 1.65 million homes in 2006, down from 2.32 million in 2005.

According to the NAR, The typical vacation-home buyer in 2006 was someone 44 years old with an income of $102,200. The report stated that 79% of vacation-home buyers wanted the property as a vacation or family retreat, 34% wanted to use the property to diversify their investments, 28% planned to use it as a primary residence in the future, 25% were motivated by tax benefits, 22% intended for a family member or friend to use the property, 21% said they bought because they had extra money to spend, and 18% plan on renting the property to others.

The most popular location for the homes was in rural areas; 29% of the homes were purchased in the country. But 24% were located in resorts, 22% in a suburb and 10% in an urban area or central city. Sixty-seven percent of the homes were detached single-family houses, 21% were condos and 8% were townhouses or row houses.

Investment-home buyers were younger and earned less than vacation-home buyers.

If you are interested in purchasing an investment home or a vacation home, please contact The Gebhardt Group today! With our international network of Realtors, we can help you find your dream property...anywhere in the world! Email us today at info@GebhardtGroup.com.

What's In and What's Out - Home Trends for 2007

Wondering what's in and what's out in home trends this year? Check out this list for what's hot (and what's not)!

Here's what's IN:

l Concrete and Glass Countertops. Concrete can take any shape, a plus for designers, and it is not as costly as some other natural stone materials. Glass - in all shapes, colors, thicknesses and textures - is also showing up in ultra-modern kitchen designs.

l Shower seating. Inspired by upscale spas, seats in showers have become one of the latest trends in master bathrooms.

l Outdoor kitchens. Whether built from the ground up or on an existing patio, outdoor kitchens boost resale value and offer limitless possibilities.

l Upscale garages. It's no longer the out-of-sight-out-of-mind dumping ground. Today's garage owners want them decked out with cabinet and storage systems, mini-refrigerators, insulation, heating and air conditioning and durable but residential-looking flooring.

l Caves. Man caves and Mom caves are coming out of the closet. Personal, dedicated space where one person in a household can go and work on projects or just "chill" without being disturbed.

l Two home offices. Rising gas prices and commuting times have created more two-work-at-home families. Size matters, make sure your home offices are each at least ten-by-ten feet.

l Rejuvenation rooms. A one-stop space for exercising, meditation, yoga, sauna and fancy steam showers. Showers are going upscale, too.

l Upscale showers. Waterfall fixtures, programmable temperature and water flow are the next big trends.

l Faucets. Personalized design aimed at providing homeowners with a relaxing environment while they bathe or shower.

l Heated patios, walkways and driveways. Northern baby boomers are tired of shoveling and are looking for ways to decrease winter maintenance, plus many have discovered how also heating the patio can add an extra couple of weeks enjoyment in spring and fall.

l Snoring rooms. Offered as options in new homes, adjacent second bedrooms to the master offer relief from the "buzz saw" and an alternative to the couch. A godsend for millions of relationships nationwide.

l Energy-efficient materials and appliances. Windows and doors, washing machines, dishwashers, ranges and refrigerators feature sleek designs, innovation and all the latest amenities to help homeowners become more energy- and resource-efficient and save money.

l Sustainable design. Sustainable design is based on three areas: energy conservation, indoor air quality, and resource conservation. Viewed as new-age in construction circles, sustainable design looks at homes holistically, and not just a group of unrelated systems thrown together. Natural forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and geo-thermal if available on site, are maximized.

l Structured wiring. Right up there with all the buzz about green homes is structured wiring, not entering the main stream must-have for technology-savvy home buyers. Coaxial TV cable (RG-6), Category 5E voice and data lines, distributed radio, and remote camera security are wired throughout a home into multi-outlet boxes called, in the trade, home network centers.

l Mixing finishes on kitchen base and wall cabinets. Matchy-matchy is out in kitchen design. The new look is to have stained-wood bases and painted wood upper cabinets. The old-Europe look rules, but with today's appliances.

Here's what's OUT:

l Loads of glass upper kitchen cabinet doors. Buyers say it looks great, but many who specified and experienced it first-hand don't have the time to keep their kitchen cabinets organized. Plus if you hate washing the windows, having more glass in a greasy room like the kitchen is high-maintenance.

l Bowl-shaped above-counter sinks. The splashing and over-all up-keep have earned these the reputation of nice to look at, but don't want one.

l Any shiny metal finish. Brushed nickels and pewters are in, while chrome and antiqued and polished brass are out.

l Stainless steel refrigerators and dishwashers are a fading trend. The cold look and higher maintenance of steel is shifting buyers to specify warmer colors in kitchen appliances.

l Spiral staircases. Once the rage for mid-seventies makeovers, now death to a home seller. The boomers have aged, their kids don't like them, unfriendly to pets and young children. Take yours out and put in a standard staircase (inside or out) before you sell.

l Bedrooms not large enough for a bed. In the boom, rehabbers and developers learned the fastest way to boost profit was to increase the room count of a home. Bedrooms shrunk to walk-in closet size when a four-room one-bedroom was gut-rehabbed to a four-room two-bedroom. Or the doorways and windows eliminate required wall space. Savvy agents kept asking, "Can you fit a queen-size bed in either room?" and the answer was usually, "No."

The Luxury Homes Topping the Market

America’s priciest real estate is just getting more and more expensive. Why? A good mega-mansion is hard to find.

"God's not making any more land. [Trophy properties] are a true microeconomy with much less supply than demand," says Mauricio Umansky, an associate at Hilton & Hyland in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Many of the deals are done in cash — and as in lesser markets, some of the properties sell quickly and some don’t.

"Think of it this way," Umansky says, "I could put three mega-yachts in a line — one contemporary, one traditional, and one Mediterranean. I don't know which one is going to sell because I don't know which one Larry Ellison or Bill Gates is going to pick."

Here are the top 10 priciest properties for sale in the U.S.

1. Hala Ranch Aspen, Colo., $135 million: Owned by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, this 95-acre estate boasts a 56,000-square-foot, 15-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion.

2. Fleur de Lys, Beverly Hills, Calif., $125 million: Suzanne Saperstein's 45,000-square-foot home is modeled after Louis XIV's palace at Versailles.

3. Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach, Fla., $125 million: In 2004 Donald Trump bought this property at a bankruptcy auction for $41.25 million. The refurbished version comes complete with a ballroom, conservatory, 100-foot-long ballroom, and 475 feet of ocean-front.

4. Tranquility, Lake Tahoe, Nev., $100 million: On the tax-free Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, this 210-acre property is owned by Joel Horowitz, co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger. The 20,000-square-foot main house is modeled after a northern European mountain home and has a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.

5. Three Ponds, Bridgehampton, N.Y., $75 million: This home on 60 acres features its own USGA-rated Rees Jones golf course. Surrounding the main house are 14 gardens, a 75-foot-long swimming pool, golf pro shop, grass tennis court, and a guest house.

6. The Portabello Estate, Corona del Mar, Calif., $75 million: Built in 2002, this home has eight bedrooms and 10 full baths in nearly 30,000 square feet of ultra-modern space on a triple ocean-front lot along the Pacific Ocean.

7. Malibu, Calif., $75 million: A beach home located on a flat seven-acre lot with two riding stables, a riding ring, swimming pool, tennis court, and private access to the beach.

8. The Pierre Penthouse, New York City, $70 million: This penthouse occupies the top three floors of one of the most posh hotels in New York, located on the edge of Central Park. The balconies and windows have 360-degree views of Manhattan, Central Park, the East River, and the Hudson River.

9. Belvedere, Calif., $65 million: This six-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot home offers breathtaking views of San Francisco, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the bay.

10. San Francisco, $65 million: This limestone mansion’s neighbors on billionaires’ row are the Getty family.

Source: Forbes.com, Matt Woolsey (05/23/07)

Ideas on How to Improve Your Credit Score

The recent meltdown in the media over subprime loan losses is no surprise to me. The financial press has never understood real estate and seemingly wants it to behave like Wall Street. But the truth is that when you make loans to applicants with very low credit scores, you are bound to experience a higher rate of loss.

What's surprising to me is not that people with terrible credit scores are not paying their loan payments on time, but that anyone would allow their credit score to get that low. It turns out that there are many subprime borrowers who make plenty of income. They just don't handle it well.

Lest you fall into the subprime category for any reason, I have decided to review a list of my suggestions for improving your credit score. These ideas will benefit anyone, but will be especially helpful for those planning to borrow in the months ahead.

As we have discussed before, your credit score is a mathematical expression of the information contained in your credit report. Because you have three credit reports, each with different information, you also have three credit scores, although they are often close to each other in value.

Most lenders obtain all three, then select your middle score as representative of you. In other words, if a lender could describe the likelihood that you will pay back their money as a three-digit number, it would be your credit score. The higher your score, the better you are as a risk. The lower your score, well, the more likely you are to be a candidate for a subprime loan.

Credit scores were originally the creation of Fair, Isaac & Company (FICO). In recent years, other credit vendors have entered the field, including some of the major credit-reporting agencies themselves.

In brief, the computers which calculate your credit score examine various categories of information contained in your credit report on that particular date. Each of these categories carries an approximate weight in totaling your score. These include your payment history (35 percent), amounts currently owed (30 percent), the length of your credit history (15 percent), your most recent credit activity (10 percent), and types of credit in use (10 percent).

The computers use a scoring model to compress your information into a three-digit number, which is then reported as your credit score at that moment.

In their company literature, Fair Isaac is careful not to give away secrets which might allow you to influence your credit score through your behavior. In other words, we can't know for sure what the computer is looking for. But we can try to pick up clues as to what might hurt our chances of being approved.

Here is a summary of my suggestions to improve your score:

1. Pay your bills on time. Because your payment history accounts for more than a third of your credit score, it is imperative that you pay on time. And keep good records of payments so you can prove your payments were timely. Also, check annually to make sure creditors received payments on time. Always challenge late charges.

2. If you ever fall behind, get current as soon as you can and stay that way in the future. The Fair Isaac model weights recent activity more heavily than past problems. The most recent six months appears to be critical in the scoring process. Make sure you stay squeaky clean in the year preceding your application for any major loan.

3. Check all three of your credit reports regularly for errors and identity confusion.

Remember that your credit score is composed strictly from historical data contained in your credit report, and from nothing else. If that data is wrong or belongs to someone else, your score will not be an accurate reflection of your situation.

Credit reports (not scores) are free to Georgia residents two times each year. It's best to request your report in writing. You may download a Request Form at http://money99.com/ by pressing Additional Resources and then Free Documents. And know that errors can take several months to correct -- the process is slow and painful.

4. Keep balances low on credit cards, and work toward paying off balances instead of just moving them around. Balances near the maximum limit indicate poor credit management, and will result in damage to your score. Also, owing the same amount but having fewer active accounts may actually lower your score. Don't close or open accounts in an attempt to improve your score. It may backfire.

5. Avoid "maxing out" any account at any time. The computer model thinks this means you may be in trouble. Instead, try to show a steady decline in balance owed over a period of time, even if you have to open additional accounts. Also, try to show installment balances below 80 percent of the original loan and credit card balances below 25 percent of your credit limit.

6. If you are relatively new to the world of credit, take it easy. Don't go out and apply for a bunch of credit cards all at once. New accounts lower your average account age, and that hurts more when you have been managing credit for a shorter time. But do have at least one active credit card account.

7. Avoid unnecessary credit inquiries. Every time you make an application for credit, that creditor makes an inquiry to your credit history. And each inquiry lowers your score by approximately four or five points. If you have few accounts or a short history, each inquiry hurts even more. Furthermore, multiple inquiries are considered a credit danger signal, so take it easy.

Fair Isaac claims that no inquiry is reported when you request your own credit history or when a creditor makes you a "pre-approved" offer in the mail. They also claim to compensate for rate shopping by counting multiple inquiries duwing any 14-day period as a single request. So if you plan on doing any rate shopping, get it done in two weeks or less.

It is important to know that FICO scores do not consider your race, religion, gender or marital status. That would be a violation of federal law. In addition, these scores ignore your age and any information regarding your employment or income, even though your lender may consider this information. Likewise, where you live is not a factor in your FICO score.

As you might imagine, the three major credit bureaus resent having to give you a free copy of your credit history. They intend to make up for it by charging you ten or fifteen bucks for your score. Fair Isaac has put together a package deal offering three reports and three scores for $48 at http://www.myfico.com/. But you can usually get loan officers to share your scores with you after they pull them. Typically, mortgage lenders pull all three scores, then use only the middle score on the application.

By John Adams. The Georgia Real Estate Report, June 2007.

Single-Family Home Bargains Make for Excellent Long-Term Investments

Current Year Likely to Set Record of More Than 50,000 Foreclosures in Atlanta Area

For the average American family, the best investment they ever make is usually their own home. In fact, residential real estate has consistently been one of the safest investments available over the past thirty years.

I like little houses, especially for someone just getting started. It's not because this form of real estate is better than commercial real estate or raw land or apartment buildings. It's just easier, for a variety of reasons:

= Bargains are readily available in single-family homes. Because there are so many people who live in houses and because people's lives change, there are lots of sellers who need to sell quickly and can afford to be flexible on their price or their terms. This creates lots of opportunities, especially in a major metropolitan area like Atlanta.

Just look at the 4,000 or more homes being advertised each month as going into foreclosure in the metro area. Each one of these is an owner who needs to sell quickly, and may be wiling to offer a bargain just to get out from under the foreclosing loan. In contrast, multi-family properties and commercial properties are typically owned by investors who have more resources and less urgency in their financial lives.

= Financing is easy to get for single-family homes. If you have even decent credit, you can get a thirty-year loan for almost the entire purchase price. To make things easier, the lender will offer you this loan at less than seven percent interest, even as an investment property, and guarantee that the rate will never go up. That makes it easy to plan expenses in the future.

= Single-family homes are readily available in my community. I can drive past them on the way to the office. I know what's happening in my hometown, and can keep an eye on things easily. In contrast, someone recently sent me a brochure on an office building for sale in Charlotte. I have never been to Charlotte, and I don't want to go to Charlotte. I don't even know how to get to Charlotte.

= Single-family homes are easier to rent. I know that this is a tough rental market, but almost everyone would rather live in a house than in an apartment, and there are ways of making a house rental much more attractive than renting in an apartment. For example, I can offer my tenant an option to purchase the house they are renting and rebate part of the rent to them toward the purchase price. And I have found that houses attract better quality tenants than apartments as well. In contrast, how in the world do you lease an empty gas station?

= Single-family homes are easier to sell. I know this is a tough sales market, but the truth is, even in a slow market, there are plenty of homes selling in this marketplace. And in the vast majority of sales, the seller moves to cash if desired. This is in contrast to commercial real estate or raw land, where it is assumed that the seller will participate in the financing in order to complete the transaction.

= The single-family home market is extremely stable. Economists describe home prices as having downward inflexibility. That's because people live in them, and if they can't sell for at least what they paid, they will just stay there until they can. The last time there was a sustained downward trend in real estate prices was during the Great Depression. In contrast, take a long look at your 401(k) balance.

= Single-family homes are relatively easy to understand. The most common problem encountered in home ownership is the failure of the water heater, which can be replaced for less than $500. Major expenditures are most often predictable, and many maintenance functions can be performed by the owner. You can learn to put on a new roof or build a deck or paint the walls. In contrast, it is beyond the skill level of most to repave a parking lot or repair an elevator.

= Single-family homes offer tax benefits that are just too good to be true. Where else can you buy an ugly duckling investment with little or nothing down, live in it and fix it up for a couple of years, then sell it and keep all the profits totally tax free? Only in residential real estate. If I were younger (or my wife would let me), we would be moving every 24 months. You are almost crazy not to do so. I know people who do nothing but find bargain homes, move in and fix them up, then sell every two years. They pay absolutely no tax. No federal, no state, and no social security. I will admit that they are limited to half a million dollars tax free on every sale.

= I also like houses because they make great retirement plans. You can retire comfortably on as little as ten little houses, and they are extremely flexible as retirement vehicles. For example, you can continue to rent them as income, you can refinance them to pull out tax-free cash, or you can sell them individually under the installment method to generate excellent income while managing the tax bite. All at your pleasure.

By John Adams. The Georgia Real Estate Report, June 2007.
John Adams will be teaching his latest seminar on real estate investing on Tuesday, June 5 in North Atlanta and Thursday, June 7 in South Atlanta. The name of the seminar is BIG MONEY IN LITTLE HOUSES.

Is Your House Making You Happy?

Your home can be a powerful influence on your emotions. Life coach Martha Beck shows you how to fall in love with every room of your house!

Places have power - not only the physical power of sheer presence, but the emotional clout to alter our moods. Of course, the converse is also true: We have power over places. If we don't take advantage of that fact, we're squandering a major opportunity to bring positive energy into our lives. What luck, then, that you happen to know the world's leading authority on creating an environment that nurtures your most contented self: you. By tapping your instincts and noting your reactions, you can begin to create a home that will make you happier - right now.

TAKE A VIRTUAL HOUSE-TOUR
To begin, grab a pen and a piece of paper. Then picture yourself heading home after a day of working, attending yoga class, or whatever. Your house is in its usual state of orderliness - or disarray - though at the moment no one else is home. As you imagine walking up to your front door, notice your mood. Are you feeling tense or relaxed? Are you happy - or anxious, angry, or depressed? As you walk in, do you feel relief, excitement, anxiety, dread, joy, or despair? Briefly write down your feelings.

Continue to pay attention to your emotional reactions as you visualize entering the house. Envision yourself touching the wall to your right and walking through your entire home. This "hands-on" approach will help you to remember to visit spaces you might skip if you merely formed a mental picture of each room. We tend to forget about places that make us feel uncomfortable; the discipline of mental wall-touching ensures you'll include them.

As you imagine entering each room of your home, write its name on your piece of paper. As you proceed from one area to the next, note how your mood changes. Perhaps the soft light and scented soap in your bathroom make you feel relaxed, but you tense up when you near the disorganized pile of unpaid bills in your home office. Maybe you love the thought of snuggling into the soft cushions on your living-room couch, but you feel gloomy as you approach the darkness of your bedroom closet.

Give each area of your home a number representing how you feel in that space. If your breakfast nook fills you with bliss, give it a score of +10. If the basement feels scary and disgusting, it gets a -10. If you feel nothing at all about a room, it gets a score of 0. If a room is okay but not great, it may get a +4, and so on.

If all the rooms in your home are +10, then you obviously don't need this article. Have some champagne. Enjoy. If you're like most people, however, you will feel better in some areas of your house than in others. It's time to figure out the reason.

PINPOINT THE PROBLEMS
Go to the lowest number on your list. Imagine standing in the designated space, and scan it slowly with your mind's eye. Observe how your mood reacts to different elements of the room. For example, you may dislike your kitchen's drab color but like the fixtures and cabinets. If you have trouble figuring out what bothers you about the space, consider the following categories:

Sensory elements are everything you experience physically. Start with the visuals. How do the room's colors, lighting, and patterns make you feel? Touch-elements, such as texture and temperature, are also important; if your fabulous industrial-modern chairs are hard and cold, you'll never be able to fully relax in them. Don't forget the smells and sounds that waft through a space - the fragrance of aromatherapy, the laughter of friends, the quiet that means your children are plotting some outrage.

Utility refers to the usefulness of a space. Is it convenient to do whatever you need to do there? A friend bought a zillion-dollar refrigerator, which, it turned out, could be opened only by a strong man, preferably one using explosives. My friend's kitchen was spectacular - and she was miserable in it until she trashed that fridge.

Organization is about order and chaos, ranging from absolute precision to the full-on catastrophe of a teenager's bedroom. Nothing is more depressing than clutter run riot - except for antiseptic cleanliness, complete with plastic upholstery covers. Is your space too tidy, or too spartan? Either merits change.

Association can charge even a perfect-seeming space with negative emotions. If you decorated your bathroom to please the ex who dumped you, or you slavishly copied your mother's taste until therapy revealed you're absolutely nothing like her, then your home may be dragging you down. Time to redecorate.

THE FIX
Once you've identified your least favorite part of your least favorite area of your home, write out a list three adjectives that describe your less than delighted assessment of it. For example, your kitchen might be "disorganized," "cluttered," and "crowded." Perhaps a corner of your family room is "stark," "unremarkable," and "boring." Write your adjectives below. Then list an antonym for each one. For instance, an obvious antonym for disorganized is organized. For boring, you might use exciting.

Now think of objects that (1) could be described by your antonyms, and (2) would suit the space. When I consider kitchen items that fit the word organized, drawer dividers and ceiling-hung cookware racks come to mind. If the antonym for a stark family room is comforting, I think of big pillows and homey wallpaper.

This will help you to detach from the unpleasant space and focus your attention on the objects, colors, and lighting you'll use to transform the room into a mood mecca. We get stuck in decorating ruts because, once we get used to a space, it's hard to imagine it being much different. The way to unstick yourself is to think of items that correspond to the antonyms on your list, rather than focusing on the space you dislike. Bring in one thing that makes you happy, and you'll think of ways you can complement that object.

If you can't figure out the answer on your own, hire professional help or ask an arty friend for advice. Show that person your list of adjectives and antonyms. Say something like, "To me, this space feels cramped, stuffy, and fuddy-duddy. I want it to feel open, airy, and hip." This specificity will give your advisor the best shot at creating a solution that will have just the right effect on your mood.

Transforming one area of your home from an emotional downer to a source of uplift has a double benefit: It cheers you up and reminds you of your capacity to create places that shelter you emotionally as well as physically. It also gets you ready to work the same magic on the next most unsettling area. By recognizing and embracing your power to change one small space at a time, you can use your gut, heart, and brain to make sure your home takes you further toward happiness and satisfaction.

By Martha Beck from O at Home , February 2006
© 2007 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

America's Most Overpriced Home Markets

San Diego has plenty of sunshine but little affordable housing. Only 5% of local residents could buy a median-priced home -- one reason the city grabbed the dubious honor of ranking No. 1 on this list.By Matt Woolsey, Forbes.com

No matter the locale, denizens almost always gripe about the stiff cost of living, housing and doing business. But in some places the financial pain is clearly more acute than others.

Take San Diego. A slumping housing market, where only 5% of residents could afford to buy the median home, and a high price-to-earnings ratio have made the oceanfront city the nation's most overpriced real-estate market. Had weather been included as a statistical measurement, there's no doubt San Diego would have avoided our list of top 10 most overpriced cities, but we didn't factor in sunshine.

Arriving at the relative value of a given market isn't as simple as calculating median home prices, income rates and the cost of living. Instead, our list of most overpriced real-estate markets incorporates a more meaningful methodology.

Behind the numbers
Using the 40 largest metro areas, we started by estimating a price-earnings ratio for each market. (Like the P/E ratio of a stock, this value attempts to measure the price a homeowner would pay for $1 of return.) Using data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, we took each market's median home price and divided it by annual rents minus taxes and insurance for those properties. For this exercise, we assumed other costs don't vary drastically from city to city.

The average P/E ratio for the 40 markets is 28. Note: Unlike, say, the S&P 500 Index of stocks, ours is not a weighted-average ratio. If it were, certain cities with greater overall sheer market value would carry more weight.

We incorporated a second metric: an affordability index. Calculated from National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo data, the affordability score is the percentage of the population that can afford to buy the median-priced home, assuming a 6% mortgage rate. In a city such as Los Angeles, No. 4 on the list, a wee 2% of homes are affordable for residents pulling down a median income.

Consider Detroit. Almost 88% of its homes are available to those with a median income, and its 17.5 P/E ratio appears relatively low, but that doesn't make real estate in the Motor City a good investment. Already-stagnant home prices have decreased at a rate of 1% over the past year, and, of the major metros, Detroit is the only one on our list to have lost jobs since 2005. (New Orleans also lost jobs, but it was left off the list because after Hurricane Katrina its statistical figures were such anomalies that it wasn't comparable to the rest of the cities.)

So which markets are in bubble territory? Look for a high P/E ratio, low affordability, low income growth and a high cost of living.

San Francisco, ranked fourth, fits that bill. Despite home prices growing at a 2% clip over past year, according to the NAR, the city by the bay ranks third to last in expected income growth, reports Moody's. That's not good news in a market where only 7.5% of housing is affordable for the median-income earner. Combine that with a housing P/E ratio over 50, and it isn't difficult to imagine some softening on the horizon.

The usual suspects littered our list: Miami came in second, followed in order by Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Honolulu; New York; Los Angeles; Boston; and San Jose, Calif.

The 5 most overpriced places in the U.S.

Rank -- City -- Median home price -- Housing price trend (change over the past year)

1 -- San Diego, CA -- $601,800 -- (-4.5%)

2 -- Miami, FL -- $371,000 -- (-6.2%)

3 -- Sacramento, CA -- $374,800 -- (-4.1%)

4 -- San Francisco, CA -- $736,800 -- 2%

5 -- Washington, D.C. -- $431,000 -- (-4.1%)

Posted May 18 on Forbes.com

What Can The Gebhardt Group do for you?

As full-service real estate consultants, we can do more for you than list your home or help you buy a new one! Here is just a sampling of our long list of services. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

H Refer you to a real estate agent, anywhere in the world - Through our extensive referral network we can help locate and set you up with a qualified and knowledgeable agent, one that we would trust with our own family, so that you don't have to guess!

H Refer you to a mortgage lender - We have strong relationships with reputable and trustworthy mortgage brokers and lenders and we would be more than happy to refer you to them!

H 1031 Tax-Free Exchanges - We can help you with the ins and outs of a 1031 tax-free exchange, whether you are in the market for a vacation home, a second home, or an investment property - and we can help save you money in the process!

H Refer you to a trusted group of service providers - Through our Preferred Partners Program, we can refer you to service providers of all types, including electricians, painters, builders, contractors, interior decorators, dentists, banks, and many more!

H Help you with property tax disputes - We can provide valuable market analyses to help you achieve a fair property tax bill.

H Give an evaluation on return-of-investment - If you are considering remodeling/renovating and/or updating your home, we can help you decide where you can get the most for your money.

H Assist you in finding a second home, vacation home, or investment/rental property - Real estate is a great investment. Let us help you diversify your investments by helping you choose the kind of real estate purchase that is right for you!

Welcome to The Gebhardt Group's blog!

Welcome!

The Gebhardt Group is a top-producing real estate team in North Metro Atlanta. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer in need of step-by-step guidance or a veteran homebuyer who values a high level of knowledge and expertise, we want to make your experience buying and selling real estate as enjoyable as possible. We pride ourselves on the highest level of client service!

We at The Gebhardt Group would like to welcome you to our blog. Our company has taken advantage of the current technologies available to realtors, so it was only natural that we hopped on the "blogwagon." Look to this blog to inform you of our new listings, trends in home design and real estate, helpful tips, and other news and information pretaining to the North Metro Atlanta area and its hot market.