News just in from today's AJC:

No joke:  Highway signs intended to extend 'hospitality'   Drivers who creep their way up and down Ga. 400 may have been puzzled by the meaning of several tiny green signs.  The panels, which read "A Hospitality Highway Community," can be found beneath every city limit sign in both directions between Roswell and Dawsonville.

The signs are actually part of a promotion to tout Northside events and attractions in Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming, Dawsonville and Dahlonega. 

The signs are not the only part of the promotion. A brochure, which is designed like a map, takes visitors up Ga. 400 and also shows Ga. 9. It highlights such attractions as vineyards, wineries, and gold mines in Dahlonega and Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville.  Many nature spots are included, such as Sawnee Mountain Preserve, Autrey Mill Preserve and Chattahoochee Nature Center.  Also on the brochure is a listing of annual events through the year.  The effort has produced a Web site, www.hospitalityhighway.com.

Did you know that on this day:

• The Red Baron (Baron Manfred von Richthofen) was killed in action during WWI.
• In 1789 John Adams was sworn in as the first Vice President of the United States.
• In 1919, Mark Twain died
• In 1977 the musical "Annie" opened on Broadway.
• Queen Elizabeth II turns 80 today.
• In 1944, women in France got the right to vote
• In 1952, Secretaries Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) was first celebrated
• In 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" became the first Elvis Presley song to reach the top of Cash Box Magazine
• In 1962, the first revolving restaurant in the United States opens (Top of the Needle in Seattle)

OK, so recently my husband underwent cervical surgery.  It seems that some pesky disks in his neck were causing some major discomfort, numbness and a variety of other symptoms.  One of the first questions I asked him when he alert was "are you sure in sickness and in health" was in our marriage vows?   Here's what I learned from this experience.

1. If your husband is grouchy, cranky or irritable as a rule - it will be 10 times worse as the time of surgery approaches! 
2. Have some aloe on hand to apply because of all the times you "bite your lip."
3. If his surgery is postponed he may become, to put it delicately, almost unbearable!
4. Don't believe him if he says you don't have to be at the hospital during the entire surgery.
5. Pack an overnight bag for yourself as well as him.
6. Become familiar with the "eateries" in the hospital and the shortcuts in getting around.
7. If he is kept at the hospital longer than expected, be prepared for him to want to bolt (or so he says).
8. Make sure you have packed your chauffeur's cap in your overnight bag.  Cervical patients can't drive for a period of time.
9. There is nothing quite like spending 24/5 (5 days for me) with your spouse when he is in pain, bored and probably anxious.  Your acting skills come in very handy here.
10. Keep in mind that at the end of the process, the batteries in your halo will now recharge by themselves.

Disclaimer:  This little entry, written very much tongue in cheek, is in no way meant to offend those of the male species otherwise known as Martians.  In point of fact, I adore my husband and wouldn't trade him for anything in the world!

Why you should use a REALTOR®

Did you know that only members belonging to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) can use the term REALTOR®?

Did you know that REALTORS® must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and continually maintain and improve their skills and knowledge with continuing education and certification courses?

Your local REALTORS® are in essence, community experts.  We keep up-to-date on market trends, legislation that could affect the community and are in general, "good neighbors who are in the business of helping others buy and sell homes." (cited from Realtor.com)

There are many ways to choose a REALTOR®:

• Get recommendations from neighbors and friends.
• Look around your neighborhood for REALTOR® signs
• Look through classifieds and home for sale publications (real estate magazines)

Once you have narrowed down your choices, there will probably be a list of questions you might want to ask.  Some suggestions from Realtor.com are:

• What services do you offer?
• What type of representation do you provide? (There are various forms of representation in different states. Some brokers represent buyers, some represent sellers, some facilitate transactions as a neutral party, and in some cases different salespeople in a single firm may represent different parties within a transaction.)
• What experience do you have in my immediate area?
• How long are homes in this neighborhood typically on the market? (Be aware that because all homes are unique, some will sell faster than others. Several factors can impact the amount of time a home remains on the market, including changing interest rates and local economic trends.)
• How would you price my home? Ask about recent home sales and comparable properties currently on the market. If you speak with several REALTORS® and their price estimates differ, that's OK, but be sure to ask how their price opinions were determined and why they think your home would sell for a given value.
• How will you market my home? At listing presentations, brokers will provide a detailed summary of how they market homes, what marketing strategies have worked in the past and which marketing efforts may be effective for your home.
• What is your fee? Brokerage fees are established in the marketplace and not set by law or regulation. Typically, brokers who list homes are compensated on a performance basis - that is, the broker is not paid unless the home sells under the terms and conditions that are acceptable to you.
• What happens if another REALTOR® locates a purchaser? That is, who will that broker represent, and how will he or she be paid?
• What disclosures should you receive? State rules require brokers to provide extensive agency disclosure information, usually at the first sit-down meeting with an owner or buyer.
• How long do you want to list your home? A "listing" agreement is a contract that shows the broker's obligations and outlines the terms under which your home is being made available for sale. The length of the agreement is a negotiable matter.

Your REALTOR® should present you with a written marketing plan of action which tells you exactly what to expect so that everyone is clear.

The Georgia Association of Realtors (GAR) sent a member update out today stating that the Governor has announced legislation to limit eminent domain abuse.    The legislation known as "The Private Property Protection Amendment" to the Georgia Constitution seeks to protect private property rights of Georgia citizens.

The legislation includes the following (cited from GAR): 

Only elected bodies will have the power to exercise eminent domain.

Marketing tips:

Buying or selling a home is a unique experience.  Although floorplans can be "identical," can any two homes really be the same?  And, the real estate market and variables that affect it are always changing.  Interests rates go up or down.  Real estate markets become Seller or Buyer markets. 

What does that mean to you?  I means you need a REALTOR® to prepare a personalized marketing plan for YOUR home and YOUR market conditions.

The general steps might be to put the sign in the yard and the lockbox on the door, get the home into the various multiple listing systems, (FMLS and GAMLS in Georgia) - hopefully with multiple photos and onto realtor.com, one of the largest sites for consumer real estate shopping.  As a Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agent, my listings are also place on the national Coldwell Banker site as well as the local one.

Other marketing tools might include e-mail and regular mail of new listing announcements, advertising in the local real estate magazine and/or newspaper and networking with top agents in the area. 

Many of the things that your REALTOR® does are behind the scenes, but exceedingly important.  Your REALTOR® spends time on the phones working with contacts, calling around your listing, contacting people in "move-up" markets, following-up with Buyers' agents and keeping current on exactly what is going on in YOUR real estate market.

Did you know that according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that 37% of all buyers check the internet and that most sellers move within 10 miles of their current home?

Did you know that one of the first cities to "strike" gold was Dahlonega, GA?

Did you know that the "gold" dome of the Georgia State Capitol was mined in Dahlonega, GA?

     Well now, according to the Gainesville Times, one of Dahlonega's famous eateries (and hotel), The Smith House, may be sitting on a gold mine and might have been sitting on it for over 100 years!

     The Smith House is currently undergoing renovation and it is believed that workers uncovered the entrance to what might have been a gold mine built in the late 1800s.  The workers went into the hole for the first time yesterday afternoon and discovered a 4-foot hole in the ground where the main dining room used to be.  Rumor has it that this hole leads straight down to the alleged gold vein which is supposed to run from The Smith House to the Dahlonega Gold Museum in the downtown square.

     As the story goes, the home was originally built in 1884 by Captain Frank Hall, but the City wouldn't permit him to dig for gold on the property for two reasons.  First, it was too close to the downtown square and secondly, because he was a Yankee!  It is speculated that he built the house to hide what he was doing and that when his health failed, he sold it to the Smiths (in the 1920s).

     As of now, the family plans to check through dirt samples for signs of gold, coins or tools that may have been used to mine the property. Eventually, they would like to preserve it as a public historical site.

For more information on "Dahlonega gold" see http://www.dahlonegagold.com/dghist.htm

How to price your home:

When you get ready to put your home on the market, a couple of things usually happen.  You find out how much your neighbor's home sold for and use that for comparison, even if that home has features that differ from your own.  Some of us look at the price we originally paid and add a random appreciation figure to come up with a price.

Pricing a home is really based on market value.  What is market value?  It is the price that the Buyer is willing to pay.

Here are some suggestions to help figure out how much your home is worth:

1. Put your personal point of view aside.   Buyers don't generally care about how much the home means to you, how much you have invested in painting or landscaping or how much cash you need to walk away with.  They DO care about how your home stacks up against other comparable homes in the area and in getting the most house value for THEIR investment.

2. See for yourself what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for (or have sold for).   Educate yourself and try to make an impartial evaluation as to how those homes compare with yours in terms of condition, location and features.  If all the asking prices were approximately the same, would you buy YOUR home or someone else's?

3. Consider the condition of your real estate market.   What are the real estate trends in your area?  Here in the North Metro Atlanta area we are and have been in a Buyer's market.  Do you see prices moving up?  Does there seem to be an overabundance of homes for sale (buyer's market).  Are homes in your neighborhood selling quickly or are they staying on the market for longer periods of time? 

4. Think about what incentives you can offer the buyer to put YOUR home at its stronger advantage.  Sometimes the bottom-line (price) is not the only way that you can attract a buyer.  In the North Metro Atlanta area we are in the unique position of having many families relocating in and out of the area.  Can you be flexible in your closing date?  Can you see yourself offering a Home Warranty for the Buyer to help level the playing field with new construction?  The more flexible you can be, the better chance you have of pricing your home and getting ready to hire that moving truck!

Don't forget, the best place to get house selling assistance is with a licensed REALTOR(r)!

Are you ready?

Once you decide that it's time to begin the home selling process, it's also time to look at your home objectively - not an easy task.  Ask yourself, if you were buying this home today, what would you see?

Walk outside, look at your home...how is the curb appeal?  Does the exterior view make you say "Wow, I want to see this home"  Or, does it make you say "Nope, not for me.  It looks kind of blah"?

Do you need to do some touch-up painting?  Make some minor repairs?  Finally get the caulking done?  Have a yard sale? 

Your goal is to show your home to its greatest advantage.  A home that is priced "right," looks good and maximizes space (get rid of the clutter) will attract many more buyers. 

Although part of the "getting ready" phase has to do with repairs, painting and other home improvements, it's also a good time to ask yourself why you really want to sell.  Your reason for selling (motivation) can have a strong effect on the  negotiating process so it's important to discuss your needs and wants in private with the REALTOR® who lists your home.  Ask for suggestions about any necessary improvements and then follow  them!

According to the Forsyth County News, Georgia will fund improvements to 13 Forsyth County roads under the "Paving the Way Home" transportation funding initiative. 

According to the governor's list, Forsyth County will receive funding for 13 roads, plus one in Cumming, totaling 10 miles of repairs.  The 13 Forsyth County road improvement projects are Ansley Lane, Bald Ridge Park Road, Bentley Road, Bethel Road, Daves Creek Road, Grassland Parkway, Knoll Drive, Log Cabin Road, Melodie Lane, Mountain View Trail, Pittman Road, Wellington Place and Winchester Drive.

The City of Cumming will get funding for Samaritan Drive off Canton Highway. near where the old hospital used to be.

Now, if we can only get ALL of Ronald Reagan Parkway re-opened, travelling around Forsyth County would be much easier indeed.