Do you know the amount of information you can obtain online? With very minimal effort, you can discover all kinds of valuable information about your local real estate.

Residents of Bryan County, Liberty County, Chatham County can see comparable sales, pay property taxes, and read information about taxes due, assessed value, property and improvement size, and more with only an address.

and have the same features as well.

Many counties have this same option. If you aren’t sure where to start, try googling tax assessor in (your county’s name.)

If you only get one thing out of this article, get this – the answer is “YES!”

Couple of quick facts.

• Georgia is ranked 5th for termite population and we are directly north of the state ranked #1 (Florida).
• It is not unlikely that the home you have chosen will have some sort of termite damage.
• Many homes on the market do not receive adequate termite prevention, treatment, or repair.
• Not all sellers will tell the truth, or even know, all the termite and structural facts about their home.
• Not all inspection/pest treatment services are the same.

The current 2007 Georgia Purchase and Sale contracts have changed significantly since last year in this area.

• Sellers are no longer required to provide a termite letter at closing. It is solely the responsibility of the buyer. This was done in an effort to allow buyers the opportunity to choose their own provider. It is thought that buyers will be more likely to choose quality service that they are comfortable with so that they can be assured of the findings. (Note: VA Loan sales still insist that the Seller be responsible for the termite letter. The Buyer may not pay for the service.)
• The “right to request repairs” clause defines the person of “Inspector” and what can be considered a “defect.” This is important for buyers when selecting an inspector and deciding what course of action to take about his findings.

There are major differences between termite guys and home inspector guys.

• Most home inspectors are NOT authorized to complete a Georgia Wood Infestation Report. They do not have the specific training to recognize all signs of termite/pest infestations.
• Most termite guys are NOT home inspectors. They do not check structural soundness, roof damage, appliance operation, electrical operation, plumbing, heating and air, or a variety of other things on an inspectors checklist.

For most people. the purchase of a home is the single biggest investment they will ever make. It is important to know the answers to some key questions.

• Is the home covered by a termite or pest control company? What is the nature of that contract? Is it transferable? What does it NOT cover? Is it retreat and repair or just retreat?
• Has there ever been, or is there now, an active infestation? What are the results?
• Is the home structurally sound? Does the plumbing, electric, heating and air function properly? Does the roof leak? Is there any evidence of previous water damage?

Don’t assume that if there was something wrong with the house, you would know. The current owner may not even be aware of the problem. Unfortunately, is some cases, they wouldn’t tell you even if they did. Be responsible for your own inspections. This way you will know the reputation of the professional providing the service. Who pays for it can be a part of negotiations, but make sure you know and approve of who does the work.

If you decide to start minimizing costs, you should think twice about this being the appropriate area in which to do it.

Note: Special thanks to Garry Adams of Northwest Exterminating for conducting the best “Bugs and Byers” class ever! You can contact Barry for more information about your home or your future home.

“But, I will never qualify for a mortgage!” I hear this all the time when talking to people who do not own homes. They are paying rent in an apartment they hate or living in a house that is someone else’s home, paying their mortgage.

They would love to have their own walls, yard, space, but they think it is impossible. Now, sub prime lender blow ups and talk of housing bubble bursts are popping more than just economics – it is popping dreams.

To this I say, “Just try it on!” There are tons of mortgages still being approved. In fact, the stricter rules will be better for the consumer in the long run. Tightening the rules keeps a handle on the interest rates. It also helps home buyers from falling into the all too often trap of buying more house than they can afford.

First, what is DOM? This acronym stands for “days on the market” and refers to the length of time a home has been on the market. However, because it is generated by the current agent listing date, it does not typically account for homes that have been previously on the market as for sale by owners or with another agent.

Next, the short answer. No. I do not think that high DOM should be your starting point. There are far more important attributes of a home to consider than how long it has been for sale. For starters, it is even a home you want?

But, April, for people looking to get a good deal, owners that have been waiting forever to sell their property should be ripe for the picking, right?

No. There are numerous reasons that can contribute to the DOM. Not all are favorable to the investor or typical owner occupant home buyer. Some a moot points to everybody.

• The property isn’t really for sale. I know this sounds odd, but some listed properties aren’t. Some property owners will set a price on their home and just “wait and see.” They aren’t interested in negotiations or working with the buyer. If somebody just happens by and must have this particular house and will meet all the seller’s demands to get it, then they will sell. But not before. You can included properties that are over priced in this category.
• Some marketing strategies don’t work. An agent lists a home and fails to effectively market the property, or at all. Therefore, the home, a good value as it may or may not be, didn’t even have a fighting chance.
• There is a characteristic about the property. You find this a lot in older homes. Some folks just can’t get past the age of the house, the fact it has septic and deep well, the carpet is tattered, the roof is old…whatever. These might be a perfect property of the investor or a good do it yourselfer, but these matches sometimes take a little longer to make.

Obviously this list is not all inclusive, but it is the top three that I see.

So, the moral of the story is, who cares how long the home has been on the market? This fact may come into play as you learn more about the circumstances of a property, but not before. The definition of “a deal” is going to be individual specific and not hinge on how long a property has been for sale.

Say what you want about the practices of performing real estate transactions. I know many people approach this business many different ways. Some focus on marketing, others on great sales techniques, still some more on education and designation – I sure there are a host of others. I won’t even get into commercial real estate, that is a whole different animal.

I am a residential real estate agent. I deal in homes and families. I focus on people and safe havens. I say it in my website, I don’t buy and sell houses – I help make homes.

This outlook on real estate does not lend itself well to the wonderful art of salesmanship. I am a huge Zig Ziglar fan – I think his valuation of the sales profession is pure genius. His character and moral fortitude should be the standard. But, I am not a salesman. Well, I may be a good fit for his current approach. But, I still feel I lack all the qualifications to merit that designation.

I am a matchmaker. It is my job to understand the desires of people. If they aren’t sure what those desires are, it is my job to help them formulate them for themselves. Then I find those homes that will be that fulfillment. I match them up. I am a matchmaker.

It is my personal opinion that a good many real estate professionals approach their business this way, even if they word it differently. I also think the clients respond well to this approach. I may be wrong, but if I am, this is one instance where I will have to stay wrong, because I am not sure I could do it any other way.

I’d like to add some validity to my personal thoughts.
Are you an agent or a professional in some other client based market? How do you approach your business?
Are you a consumer? How would you like to be approached?
Have you been either in the past? Tell me about it.

*Originally posted July 2007

This is a phenomenal question of which I get asked fairly often. Typically it follows the question, “What’s a blog?”

Today I am going to address why I blog as a person. Tomorrow we will talk about how that relates to real estate. The most exciting part about this two parter is that I am so hoping you will tell me why you blog and how it grows your business.

Even if I were not a Realtor, I would be a blogger. I wish I had known about the blogging community sooner. The characteristics of the folks here have been amazing.

• Free exchange of ideas and information
• abundance of encouragement
• disagreements with love
• agreements with excitement
• instigation to think deeper

I have experienced more personal growth in the last 6 months than I have in the last six years. There have only been two other times in my life I can remember such a massive transformation taking place – motherhood, and wifehood. That’s some pretty tall company.

Where does this life changing information come from? Everywhere. I have been honored to be included on a list of Women Bloggers. How neat it was when I realized Liz had thought of me when it came her time to add to the list. I am still working on mine and it should be up soon. But you could pick anyone of these blogs and find something you didn’t know.

You can also look to your left – that blog roll is filled with people smarter than me and I am working hard to catch up. I know that I will because they are opening their arms and their minds to me.

Speaking of encouragement – I am busting at the seams! This has been a phenom week for my encouragement level.

Sunday, Rosa gave Dave, Tim, Dwayne, Joanna, Dean, Rich, and I the “Thinking Blogger Award.” The honor is great. The words she used to tell each of us how much she cared about us left me speechless.

Yesterday, Priscilla Palmer, life coach, decided I was a Rocking Girl Blogger! That’s a title I could get use to.

So today, I am up early, prepared, motivated, positive, energized, and full of ideas. That has to be good for my clients! I am betting it is good for yours too…