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Another great week in Intown Atlanta and Decatur real estate

Kenickie from Grease looking better

I just read an article written by Dian Hymer entitled "Is selling a home in today's market worthwhile?" Dian is author of "House Hunting, the take along workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting out, the Complete Home Buyers Guide." Here's a link to find Dian's books on Amazon - she is a great real estate writer! http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Out-Complete-Buyers-Guide/dp/0811812723 Dian said "Residential real estate is an intensely localized business." Knowing that, I'm even more confident this week about the health of the "intensely localized market" that The Rootdown Group serves. I'll have some stats out later this month, but pending sales appear to be on the rise in Intown Atlanta and Decatur, we all know that primary mortgage interest rates are terrific, and The Rootdown Group is busy. Since January 1st, we have spoken directly with about 30 prospective people whom we know will buy or sell real estate this year, nearly half of them in the next 90 days. Greg Ruis, Dana … [Read more...]

Robert Green, apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright

Robert Green's "Krone House"

I communicated with some folks at Trulia Voices today, because someone wrote in seeking preliminary suggestions on how to get a unique, architecturally significant house sold. The Architect of the house is Robert Green. Some of the friends of IntownInsider.com love super cool houses just like I do, but many of us didn't know that up until 2003, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright was designing metro Atlanta residences. Check out the link... http://www.jetsetmodern.com/green.htm If you ever see a super cool Intown Atlanta or Decatur house worth sharing with others - maybe it's a house for sale - then please write us and make sure that we know about it. We've been inside 3 different Atlanta area Robert Green properties, and we think that they are all a work of art. There is a built in demand for well-built contemporary residences at all price points, all over Georgia! … [Read more...]

Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings!

Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Sharon Jones and New York's own, The Dap Kings

Do not miss Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings at Variety Playhouse on Saturday the 19th at 8:30pm This is the band that Mark Ronson selected to be the backing band for Amy Winehouse. Amy can't get it together, but Sharon Jones has it so together that she makes that junkie Amy look like a certified fool for blowing such a magnificent shot at the worldwide soul spotlight. Nothing to do on the 19th? Go see this show. … [Read more...]

Underwriters under pressure

I believe that in 2008, less contracts will fall apart. Crusaders like Ralph R. Roberts are making things happen by exposing the truth about mortgage businesses, but lets face it, market forces have placed mortgage companies on notice. Here's a tidbit from Ralph about the nature of underwriters and their role in mortgage businesses posted at the always informative website Flipping Frenzy "The underwriters were reminded daily of all the companies like theirs that were shutting down as a result of the mortgage meltdown and that their company was one of the few survivors. They were told to keep closing loans. With all of those other companies going out of business, they now had a golden opportunity to increase market share and become the lender of choice. They were told that management was aware and that they were over staffed, but because they were doing so much business, nobody would have to be laid off. They didn't have to worry about having a job as long as they continued to close … [Read more...]

Good week

Wrote a contract. Generated 4 Buyer leads and 2 Listing leads. Saw 8 or 10 new properties for sale. Got www.intowninsider.com up and running. Realtors are getting busy. I watched a Flip This House episode on 1/5/08 featuring a South Howard house purchased in the $130's and an underfunded renovation that somehow went to foreclosure. Best TV all week. I missed Celebrity Apprentice with Gene Simmons. I got a new coffeemaker coming. Went to Piedmont Hospital to see the rooms and tour where babies get born. I shall return there soon with Laura to deliver one of our own! 2008 is upbeat! Good week. Lets keep having more of these Atlanta! … [Read more...]

Great news – It’s About Time – Licensing Mortgage Brokers

The Clermont Lounge 1968

My real estate team and I have closed over 100 real estate sales since The Rootdown Group formed in April 2004. As Listing Agents, we've probably received 75 or so other contracts that never closed. Contracts that never closed because the Buyer was working with an idiot for a mortgage broker. Or a criminal. Some of these folks are really good criminals and many of them are truly idiots who can not spell in their pre-qualification letters, can not understand basic mathematics, and many times can not seem to have an address other than a PO Box or moreover a FAX number that is disconnected. Bunch of punks. Every time we suspect that the broker is not very good, we counter with stipulating that the Buyer must pre-qualify with the broker of our choice. Someone that we know and trust - right now, we know and trust about 15-20 mortgage professionals. That's it! With that one simple stipulation in a Counteroffer, we eliminate many buyers. They were never buyers in the first place. They … [Read more...]