I do not want to end the year without posting something significant…

I could have listed all of the best concerts that I saw, or I could have made witty remarks about the calamity and befuddlement of 2009, or deeply passionate remarks about sticking to your goals and maintaining a positive attitude about the economy, but instead I refer you to an interesting article by the intrepid folks at The Daily Reckoning.

If you are considering an Intown Atlanta or Decatur purchase or sale in 2010, then there are some principles of basic, smart investing that you can glean from this article, so it is worth reading.

If you are seeking a second property, or another vacation investment, or a unique primary residence or investment that is poised for appreciation, then this article is an eye opener.

The author, Ronan McMahon, “scours the globe to find the most unique and value-oriented real estate opportunities.”

He identifies the following 4 places for the “Best Real Estate Investments for 2010.”

1. The Coast of Northern Brazil - “This spectacular region boasts some of the world’s most glorious beaches. And now that Brazil will be hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, the country is committing itself to large-scale infrastructure projects. All these factors should combine to boost the already-increasing property prices in Northeast Brazil.”

2. Distressed pre-construction properties in Europe – “I’m focused on my three golden rules:

* Buy quality (location, construction, amenities, and fit-out).

* Don’t take on any construction risk; buy completed units.

* Don’t take on any project risk; make sure, for instance, that the condominium is functioning. You don’t want to be one of 10 owners in a 100-unit condominium.

I wouldn’t consider any distressed deal that doesn’t tick all three boxes. So where should you look?

…UK, Spain, and Portugal…”

3. Costa Rica’s Suddenly Accessible Southern Zone - “Anything that improves the accessibility of a piece of property increases its value – roads, bridges, airports, etc.

In 1983, IL (International Living) first recommended Northern Costa Rica. Those who followed IL’s recommendation saw their investments increase 8-, 10- or even 12-fold. Today there is another Costa Rica play. History might just repeat itself.”

4. Uruguay’s Secret Beach Hideaway: Rocha – “Uruguay rarely makes the headlines. There are no natural disasters and the crime rate is low. It’s safe, stable, and cultured. The infrastructure, from modern airports to roads, is first class.

The country goes quietly and successfully about its business. Last year it made headlines with GDP growth of 8.9%, compared to 1.1% in the States. Uruguay isn’t burdened with debt. Montevideo’s largest shopping mall plans a $100-million expansion, adding to the 200 stores already open.”

Read the entire 2 part article here and here.

There is a lot to learn when you are making your first purchase, or your next purchase – the opportunities ahead have pitfalls and the opportunities ahead have upsides. Knowing the difference between the two is relatively simple if you focus and get hyper-local.

Knowing that difference, and knowing the smart moves, will make your real estate assets better performers.

We are not expecting a remarkably robust “next ten years.” However, primary residence ownership can be one of the best investment vehicles for you and your family, still…

And, a vacation home, almost anywhere, purchased right now, is about as favorable an investment as you can possibly conceive.

Buy low now…enjoy 20 years worth of cool vacations at your personal favorite destination of choice…sell it in 2030 when the market is more stable.

Knowing the fundamentals of real estate in Intown Atlanta and Decatur, from good schools to good roads to shopping amenities and safe streets, means that you know the fundamentals.

The fundamentals apply anywhere.

Check out these articles, think outside the box a little and realize that you control your own destiny. Get your real estate on in 2010!!!

So, where do I get my charts? I get them from Chartmaster Chuck. I bought them for a couple of years, and now, my broker buys them for me.

Shaun Rawls is cool like that.

So, we study 36 FMLS geographic areas from Cumming to Rex. The stats on our broad metro charts are pretty similar to our Intown numbers when you break ‘em down, but for my purposes, Intown is where I spend most of my real estate sales time.

And, this website ain’t called the Intown Insider for nothing.

When we surmise the real estate geography of Intown Atlanta we start with West Cobb with an Atlanta address. True Vinings. Not OTP. Area 71.

We also look at Sandy Springs inside the perimeter. My office is there – so are the hospitals on Pill Hill. Meadowbrook and all those cool mid-century neighborhoods in unincorporated Dekalb with an Atlanta address are up there too.

We look at three Dekalb FMLS market areas of 24,51, and 52 – I call those Greater Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, a touch of country in the city. I call area 52 Greater Decatur and I call area 24 Intown Dekalb – from Moreland to East Lake. True East Lake, where Atlanta borders Decatur.

We study the rest of Intown Atlanta by looking at Intown Fulton  – area 21 which is greater Buckhead, area 22 which is the Westside – and includes fast growing West Midtown, area  23 which is Midtown and Ansley Park, VAHI, Morningside, Inman Park and O4W, and finally area 32 – which is Grant Park and all of the cool Southside neighborhoods.

We decided to eliminate data from some close in Fulton and Dekalb neighborhoods after some trial and error and after some looking at where “most” of the activity happens across our 7 market centers.

So, stay tuned. This is Intown Atlanta’s real estate media vehicle.

“Interest rates are at historic lows but cyclical trends suggest they will soon rise. Home buyers may never see such a chance again,” writes Marc Roth in his recent Business Week article.

By the way, the title of this post is ripped straight from Mark – it’s just too provocatively good to not repeat!

“Well, you may not be stupid or broke. Maybe you already have a house and you don’t want to move. Or maybe you’re a Trappist monk and have forsworn all earthly possessions. Or whatever. But if you want to buy a house, now is the time, and if you don’t act soon, you will regret it.”

Here’s why: historically low interest rates.

“As of today, the average 30-year fixed-rate loan with no points or fees is around 5%. That, as the graph above—which you can find on Mortgage-X.com—shows, is the lowest the rate has been in nearly 40 years.”

Mark’s article is a really good read for anyone interested in where we are at this point in business history.

“If you are someone who is looking to buy or upgrade in the $350,000-to-$800,000 home price range, and many people out there are, then you’re borrowing $300,000 to $600,000. At 7%, the $300,000 loan will cost just under $150,000 more over the lifetime, and the $600,000 loan an additional $300,000, if rates move up just 2% before you pull the trigger.

What I’m trying to impress upon everyone is that if you are planning on being a homeowner now and/or in the foreseeable future, or if you are looking to move your family into a bigger home, then pay more attention to the interest rates than the price of the home. If you have a steady job, good credit, and the down payment, then you really are being offered the gift of a lifetime.”

Wow…that’s a lot of money if hesitation or lack of preparedness gets in the way.

Consider this next chart as a launching pad for the first half of 2010.

Sales were lower in 3Q 2009 in most price ranges and the decline in sales of New homes was somewhat higher than in Resale properties.

The 2010 buyer will continue to have premium leverage over the seller, because the seller of any property begins their fight to win the sales battle on a battlefield that can suffocate them if they are priced wrong.

Inventory is at an all time high!

This recent AJC.com article states that “the foreclosure picture worsened in metro Atlanta in December, rising nearly 10 percent over November and 77 percent compared with December of last year, according to new data from Equity Depot.

What’s more, the previous annual record, set last year, was shattered as 117,107 foreclosure notices were published this year — an increase of 47 percent, Equity Depot said.”

If you don’t buy a house in Intown Atlanta or Decatur now, then you just might be stupid or broke. In my case, I love where I live in Kirkwood – we are staying put for a while!

However, in the future, when we are looking back on the first half of 2010, I expect that we set some sales records…quite a few more buyers will “get it” over the next 180 days.

“Even during the darkest economic times, dreams don’t die.”

Even in East Atlanta’s  Sun Valley, where I took this photo, one man gathers what another man spills. (note the “Zone 6” tag on the apartment building…as Gucci Mane says, and as I say to real estate investors ”meet me in da 6”)

“Foreclosures are providing never before seen opportunities for new segments of homebuyers and allowing renters to become first time buyers, allowing investors to grab great deals and allowing families to trade up to larger homes. Until unemployment levels off and starts to get better, we expect foreclosures to continue to play a big role in the 2010 housing market.”

Pete Flint, the intrepid CEO of Trulia said that. His comments accompany the latest survey that reveals insights to how consumers feel about purchasing a foreclosed property.

“We are seeing a drop in the enthusiasm and excitement that the homebuying audience has expressed in prior quarters for foreclosure purchases…What we’re looking at is something that should be anticipated and should really be expected. We’re looking at a fairly typical adoption curve, where some of the early enthusiasm about something new has waned.”

Rick Sharga, SVP of Realty Trac, said that. Realty Trac and Trulia have just completed their fourth survey – it “showed a notable decrease in consumers’ willingness to buy foreclosed properties. Of adults in the United States ages 18 and above, 43 percent indicated that they are at least somewhat likely to consider purchasing a foreclosed home in the future.” That’s down a good bit from the last survey – all of the details are here in the best mortgage industry news website that I know of, DSNews.com!

In the Intown Atlanta territory that I cover, foreclosures have added a negative effect to an already weaker market and represented 42.1% of all sales in the <$200K price range during 3Q 2009.

That is what dreams are made of for cash investors and first time home buyers!

The percentage of total sales that were foreclosed properties was lower in 3Q 2009 than in 3Q 2008, representing the first time year-to-year comparisons have been lower in several months – we are watching this trend quarter by quarter and it is interesting to see if some of the negative perception trending that the Trulia / Realty Trac survey reveals, may be a part of the reduction in foreclosure purchasing activity.

With mortgage interest rates as low as they are, and with plenty of inventory in many submarkets of Intown Atlanta and Decatur, I expect that 2010 will offer more of the same for opportunistic purchasers!

I’ll let Pete Flint wrap this up with his 2010 prediction: “I predict that sales volume will be roughly flat, compared to 2009. Unfortunately, I see house prices continuing to drop another 5 to 10 percent. Also, inventory levels will creep back up, and mortgage rates will move into the range of 6 percent.”

Buyers – if you are having a a real estate dream, then now is the time to make it come true.

Back in November, I came across this article written by Jessica Rao on CNBC.com. It’s very well written and I decided to look up Jessica – she’s on LinkedIn! She owns a PR firm. Lives in NYC – seems like a really cool girl, and she’s a very good writer.

She writes occasionally for CNBC.com and I hope that some of you get as much from it as I did…some of you that need to get your houses sold in 2010.

I’m offering my assistance to Intown Atlanta and Decatur sellers, everyday. Please let me know if I can help you with some street by street reality checking.

In the meantime – check out Jessica’s article, featuring sage advice like this:

“…If your price is not competitive with short sales and foreclosures, in many markets it might not get shown at all…look at pending sales. These will become the comparable sales. Even though they don’t say the exact sale price, you can make an educated guess or find out from the listing agent.”

Don’t miss the 12 slide presentation with a solid topline review for any seller!

2010 will be another difficult year for most Intown Atlanta and Decatur sellers, because I believe that more than 50% will fail to sell, once again.

I study pending sales regularly. Most 2010 sellers will never make this list.

Here’s the 411 on the reasons behind why I believe that…

• Out of every 100 finalized listings, 58 failed to sell and 42 sold

• Of the 42 sold listings, 28 (66%) required a price reduction, when listing prices from previous listing periods are included, in order to attract a Buyer

• Therefore, if 58 failed due to overpricing and another 28 required a price reduction in order to sell, 86 out of every 100 listings were initially overpriced in 3Q 2009, resulting either in no sale, or a sale at a much-reduced price after a much-longer listing period

There are still too many attempts – too many listings, and not enough getting to closing.

Here’s the “Mother of All Intown Atlanta Real estate Charts” to offer some graphic representation…

I believe one other thing – I believe that I will help about 22-25 Intown Atlanta and Decatur property owners with the listing and sale of their property next year. I know that my buyer agency pipeline is already at about 15-16 buyer clients for 2010 purchases.

This process does not have to be difficult. If you have a compelling reason to sell, then there are smart buyers who will know your value when they see it.

Please call me if you would like to meet with me about your particular real estate needs, and I will do everything within my power to cause your Intown Atlanta or Decatur sale.

2009…Prices in freefall. Volatility, mortgage for mortgage, transaction for transaction. The new President establishes an $8000 incentive plan. First Time buyers are choosing from about 15 different grant and second mortgage “programs” and “assistance” gimmicks.

Far too many potential buyers sit on the fence and miss an opportunity to own property in the best purchase market in decades. Far too many sellers miss the market by fiercely believing the “not on my street” fallacy…

Thinking ahead to 2010, here are five simple rules that are on the top of my mind for anyone who plans to engage in a real estate transaction:

1. Get Your Money Right – cash is king and lenders will require buyers to have a formidable basis for loan approval – buyers with the most cash at stake will dominate in most multiple offer situations, even if they offer less than a leveraged, mortgage heavy buyer

2. Due Diligence Goes Both Ways  – buyers must show up with a duly diligent offer and then be prepared for thorough testing, surveying and inspecting before they commit to the purchase…sellers must do their homework before their property arrives on the market, sellers must realize that KITCHENS and BATHS SELL HOUSES

3. Hurry Up and Wait – expectations define relations, mitigating and troubleshooting are two of the major tasks that are on the top of my mind when I serve my clients, a Realtor can help you manage expectations and woe unto you if you get involved in a short sale, or an REO foreclosure transaction, or even many seemingly simple purchase and sale transactions between reasonable people, and you expect a rapid, efficient, easy path from contract to closing

4. Bigger is Not Necessarily Better – “flow”, utility, and nice finishes matter more than whether the house is bigger than the competition…buyers are choosing smaller houses in better neighborhoods – neighborhoods with better real estate fundamentals

5. Price Matters Most – over the past 3 years, many sellers “missed the market,” in 2010, the simplest path is the surest – sellers who win will price their property “under the market” if they want their property sold quickly – that means in 30 to 60 days…more than 60 days means that a seller is “recycling” their product and the only proven way to win after a couple of months is with price reduction tactics – big, deep price cuts

One of the fundamentals of real estate investing is “make a lot of offers.” Buyers who are prepared will win at that game in 2010. Sellers can create their very own “seller’s market” by pricing their property to attract multiple offers.

2010 will bring some counterbalance to many of the Intown Atlanta submarkets, but a “recovery” is not on tap.

Next year, one of my goals is to help 22 Intown Atlanta Sellers sell their properties. If you are seeking advice on how to sell your Intown Atlanta or Decatur property in 2010, then please contact me about an on site consultation.