December 2010
30 posts
7 tags
Flashback Friday... Turn on the Signal...
Image via Wikipedia Last year I started a series of posts, cheerleading for “American” car companies.  I have never meant to be their cheerleader.  In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that I was on the opposite side of the fence.  Some folks that have known me for a while asked what changed… American Cars Got Better… 30 years ago, there was a chant from some...
Dec 31st
8 tags
Renovation RoI Revisited...
Image via Wikipedia Just last week I wrote a post highlighting the results of the Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value study.  And in this month’s Realtor® Magazine, the newest results are published.  The reason I like this particular study is that it breaks down the results by region.  It would be great to break it down further to metro area… and then maybe ZIP code…...
Dec 30th
10 tags
Wayback Wednesday... Looking Ahead to 2009...
Image via Wikipedia Two years ago this week, I posted up my predictions for the next year.  That year would be 2009.  I got a few right, and got a few wrong.  I was just looking back and I was surprised by them… some were pretty bold. Here is the original post… Here is a quick rundown of how I did… Right Rightish Hit that one Kind of right… Not so good on that...
Dec 29th
8 tags
Buford, GA, Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Buford, GA, November, 2010 indicate that there were 584 properties on the market. Overall, there was about an 11.2 month supply of properties.  September was slightly below last year (52 v 60 for 2009).  October was back to the pits (60 v 89 in 2009).  November this year had 44 sales v 67 in 2009.  There were 83 sales in June and an Absorption...
Dec 28th
4 tags
Dads...
Image via Wikipedia Last week, I took my family to Disney World for a quick trip before Christmas.  It is one of the places that we all enjoy going… It also seemed to be a “Dad Seminar” with breakout sessions at many of the more popular rides and at their FastPass Distribution Centers.  There were LOTS of Dads in line without kids or families… just standing there. ...
Dec 27th
6 tags
53 Cool Concept Cars... Part XXXV
Image via Wikipedia In 1984-88, Pontiac built the only mid-engine production car in the US… the Pontiac Fiero.  It was “sold” to the accountants at GM as a commuter car.  It was light, reasonably inexpensive, and with the 2.5L ‘Iron Duke’ 4 cylinder it got up to 40mpg on the highway. Enthusiasts saw the space frame with the plastic panels, light weight and...
Dec 26th
4 tags
Achieve...
Image via Wikipedia For Christmas, I thought I would talk a little bit about gifts… and one that you might consider giving.  Give a kid a Junior Achievement experience.  For free… Yes, I said FREE… Sure, you can donate some cash to Junior Achievement, but what the kids REALLY need is adults that will come in to the classrooms and deliver the material.  Seriously…...
Dec 25th
6 tags
Flashback Friday... Getting the Most for Your...
Image via Wikipedia Do you know anyone that just likes to throw time, money and energy at a home renovation project, without a care for the value added?  I sure don’t.  In fact, almost everyone I know is looking for ways to maximize the value of the dollars they spend renovating. Last year, I wrote about a study from the National Association of Realtors® which detailed the average...
Dec 24th
3 tags
Christmas with a Capitol C...
I just thought I would add in a little video to say something about Christmas. While I am not vicious about it,I MUCH prefer hearing “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings”…  And the reason is very simple.  This ISN’T a random “Holiday” upon which to be “Happy” or just another...
Dec 23rd
5 tags
Wayback Wednesday... Fear/Greed and "the Deal"
Image via Wikipedia Two years ago, we were in the midst of the financial system meltdown.  real estate was looking bleak… and so was everything else.  Unemployment hadn’t really reared its ugly head.  It was swirling up, but still seemed manageable. So, I thought that a blog about market psychology was in order…  And this isn’t just real estate.  The same holds true...
Dec 22nd
8 tags
Sugar Hill, GA, Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Sugar Hill, GA , October, 2010 indicate that there are 239 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 12.3 month supply of properties.  Sales have been fairly steady since July, but inventories have been rising. In the sub-$200k arena, there are 160 listings, with under 13.3 months supply.  Sales are also about 65% of the level...
Dec 21st
8 tags
Suwanee, GA, Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Suwanee, GA, November, 2010 indicate that there are 582 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 10.9 month supply of properties.  There was less that 8 months of inventory as recently as June.  Even though inventories are down since then, sales are also down. In the Under $200k arena, there are 156 listings in Suwanee, GA,...
Dec 20th
4 tags
53 Cool Concepts... Part XXXIV
Image by camknows via Flickr Before you know it, Christmas will be here… and gone.  So, since many of us still have trips to the store to help Santa deliver the goods, I thought it might be fun to hot rod Santa’s Sleigh…  Let’s think about this for a minute.  That sleigh HAS to be a pretty technologically advanced piece of hardware.  It carries a MASSIVE amount of...
Dec 19th
8 tags
Duluth, GA, Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Preliminary stats for Duluth, October, 2010 indicated that there were 595 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 11.7 month supply of properties.  Months of Inventory has been increasing for the last couple of months.  Sales in November were 54, compared to 65 a year earlier.  Don’t forget, though, there was a tax credit slated to expire...
Dec 18th
7 tags
Flashback Friday... Duluth, O, Duluth...
Image by lane.bailey via Flickr Some post titles tickle me a little more than others.  I have to say, I was fairly pleased with Duluth, Not Just for Minnesota Anymore… I wrote a little post about life in Duluth, GA.  I wrote about the history, a few developments and what types of shopping and recreation may be available nearby.  When I first moved to Georgia, 21 years ago, I lived in...
Dec 17th
8 tags
Lawrenceville, GA Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Lawrenceville, November, 2010, indicate that there are 1627 properties on the market. Overall, there is about an 10.5 month supply of properties, with sales weakening since June. In 2009, sales for November had dropped drastically between October and November (223 to 166).  For 2010, November sales came in at 148. For Lawrenceville Homes ...
Dec 16th
8 tags
Wayback Wednesday... Optimist of Pessimist?
Image via Wikipedia Two years ago I wrote this post…  And it is almost embarrassing…  I was SO wrong.  So wrong. Or maybe I was right, but just a couple of years too early (nope, I think that saying I was wrong is closer to the truth). In effect, my opinion was the real estate was poised for a recovery.  The prices were cheap, and mortgage rates were almost impossibly low. ...
Dec 15th
9 tags
Lilburn, GA Market Report, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Lilburn, November, 2010, indicates that there are 425properties on the market (as of November 30th). Overall, there is about a 11.8 month supply of properties.  Lilburn is actually mid-pack among cities in Gwinnett County.  Absorption Rates had been improving since March, until September.  In fact, in March there were 15.3 months of...
Dec 14th
5 tags
Disruption... Tables Turned
Image via Wikipedia I was at a real estate conference last week, and one of the things the presenter said REALLY struck a chord with me. Ten years ago, WE used to tell our clients which houses we were going to look at that day.  Now, THEY come in and tell us which houses we are going to see. Obviously, this is a giant change in the way real estate agents do business.  Since my entry into...
Dec 13th
6 tags
53 Cool Concept Cars... Part XXXIII
Image via Wikipedia I need to get back to specific cars…  This week I want to talk about one of my favorite cars (and I have a LOT of favorite cars).  The BMW M5 (E28).  I love those cars. There are a couple of problems…  The first one is that I also REALLY like the later BMW 540i and 550i sedans.  I like the v8 sound and power.  And while the look of the later cars (E34, E39...
Dec 12th
7 tags
Gwinnett Market Report Preview, November 2010
Image via Wikipedia I was just online grabbing a few numbers for the upcoming market reports for Gwinnett County, GA.  Starting around 12/16/10, we will rolling out the reports for Lilburn, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, Buford and Norcross, GA.  The reports are pretty in-depth.  They will include: Reports broken out by price segment Under $200k $200k-$400k $400k-$600k ...
Dec 11th
5 tags
Flashback Friday... Where in the World is...
Last year I wrote a nice little post about Lilburn…  This is a really nice place to live, and I thought it might be fun to dive into the history of the town.  It certainly is interesting, as are the histories of many of the localities around Gwinnett County, GA. I’ll let you read the post to find out that history, but I wanted to add a little bit to it… My wife and I have made...
Dec 10th
10 tags
Zestimate Accuracy in the Atlanta GA Area...
Image via Wikipedia Ever since they were first introduced, Zillow’s ‘Zestimates’ have created a stir.  Some herald them, while other decry them.  But, Zillow’s Zestimates are a great tool for homeowners and those looking at buying, whether they are familiar with the area or not. But the Zestimates DO have a limit.  They aren’t terribly accurate.  On the good...
Dec 9th
9 tags
Wayback Wednesday... Is NOW the Time to Buy?
Image by dannyfowler via Flickr Listening to the NAR (National Association of Realtors®, it is ALWAYS the right time to buy.  If the market is going up, they pound the “buy the rising market” drum.  If the market is going down, they beat on the “buy into value” drum.  Frankly, I’m tired of it, and they have killed a massive amount of credibility by constantly...
Dec 8th
7 tags
Interesting Homes Around Lilburn GA
Image via Wikipedia Lilburn, GA, is a great place to live.  There are some great schools, and the community is both close knit and welcoming. Parkview High School is one of the highest rated schools in Georgia… and it has been for decades.  The feeder schools, like Trickum Middle School and Arcado Elementary School, also have great reputations. It is also very convenient to both...
Dec 7th
7 tags
53 Cool Concepts... Part XXXII...
Image via Wikipedia Gran Prix… and I’m not talking about Pontiacs, here. The absolute beginnings of motorsport are rooted in Gran Prix (or Grand Prix) racing… and those roots date back to the 1890s, with the point to point road races, like Paris to Rouen.   Shortly after that, circuit racing came into vogue, but there were still races like the Paris-Madrid, Targa Florio...
Dec 5th
9 tags
Norcross, GA, Market Report, October 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Norcross, October, 2010 indicate that there were 390 properties on the market. Overall, there is about a 8.5 month supply of properties. October and September sales were down v 2009 (42 v 57 and 43 v 55), but August was way up (52 v 43).  Overall, the market isn’t terrible here, looking back. In the sub-$200k arena, there were 211 ...
Dec 4th
6 tags
Flashback Friday... Absorption Rates, What Are...
Image via Wikipedia I talk about Absorption Rates all of the time…  In fact, in at least 8 posts a month (all of my market report posts) Absorption Rates play a key role.  Understanding what they are and why they matter is a key part of understanding my market reports. Last year I wrote an in-depth post about exactly what Absorption Rates mean.  I tried to make it a little more real...
Dec 3rd
9 tags
Buford, GA, Market Report, October 2010
Image via Wikipedia Market stats for Buford, GA, October, 2010 indicate that there were 616 properties on the market. Overall, there was about an 11 month supply of properties.  Sales were down radically in July (19 v 71 for 2009), but August was back in the realm (57 v 61 for 2009).  September was slightly below last year (52 v 60 for 2009).  October was back to the pits (60 v 89...
Dec 2nd
9 tags
Wayback Wednesday... Homes ARE Selling!
Image via Wikipedia A couple of years ago I wrote about a deal on a property I ran across.  It was priced around $330,000.  At the time I said that it would have around $75,000 equity.  It sold for $300,000.  The most recent comps in the neighborhood have sold around $400,000 in the last couple of months.  Also of note, it was only on the market for about two weeks. Since then, I have...
Dec 1st