Thanks!!
I have been thinking about Thanksgiving a lot this year for some reason. I am not sure why except I am very thankful for where I am right now. No, life is not perfect. It does not have to be for us to be thankful. Being thankful is a decision because we ALL have something to be thankful for. If we focus on the bad things in our lives then it is hard to be thankful. I know some of my friends are looking for a job. They have been looking for almost a year. That is not something to be thankful for but I am sure even they will say they are thankful for something. Here is my list as I know it this morning:
Memories of Thanksgivings past – Family gatherings around my grandmothers table watching my uncles pass the rolls. (Go Long!!).
Walking in the snow with my grandfather before dinner just to see if we can find a rabbit. Some would call it hunting but really it was just spending time with my grandfather.
English toffee – Grandma’s best candy ever!!
Looking forward to seeing all my boys together this week. All my boys includes my grandson Andrew. My own boys are now 30, 24 and 18. Andrew is 2.
Finding a career and business that actually helps other people do something important. Finding a home to raise a family in is the best thing in the world. I love what I do.
Being home for the holidays. There were many years that I was on the road working in the automotive plants because that is when the work had to be done. Missed a lot of family time but now I don’t.
Living in the South. I wasn’t born in the South but I got here as quick as I could!! I love Georgia.
Being a member of 12Stone Church. I get to lead the coffee ministry where we brew and serve 120 gallons every Sunday. Coffee is to the body what the Word of God is to the soul!
Knowing that Stephen (my 18 year old) has a completed application in at UGA and we are just waiting for an answer on 15 Dec to see if he got accepted during Early Action. He wants to study Pre-Med.
A pretty good year in real estate. Not a record year to be sure but a good one anyway. I still have a month to find more folks to help but even if nothing else happens this year I am thankful. Come check out my current listings. I have some good ones and the folks that own them would love to show them to you or anyone you know that might be thinking about buying right now.
There are lots more but I don’t want to have you read my entire list. I am trying to plant a seed for you to make your own list. I have opened this up for comments and would encourage you to log on and add one thing you are thankful for. If we all do that this will be a list that will encourage and lift up this year. Don’t focus on the negative because it will make you negative and that is no way to live the life we have. Laugh more and just take some time to write your own list.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
Everything changes!
I just had an experience I want to share. A few years ago when working with new home builders it was tough to get anything done. They would start a subdivision, put up a sign that said “Home Starting at $400K” and it felt like the prices started rising before the paint was dry on the sign.
We would attempt to negotiate a deal and unless we were willing to pay full price and expect minimal concessions there was not going to be a deal. The reality was that they knew if we did not buy that house that someone would so they had no motivation to work with us.
Wind forward to today. I was out working with a couple and we wanted to look at new construction. The budget said we could go upto $350K. I went into a subdivision in the area we wanted to be in and the first thing I found was that the price was too high for my clients. The builder had homes in the low to mid $400K range.
As I explained that to the agent on site his first response was “bring them in, we will work something out”. We were more than $70,000 below their lowest price home and he says we can work it out. I believe I could have gotten $100,000 off the price of his listings (about 25%) and we had not even put an offer in writing.
The reality is that people behave as though nothing will change and the way things are now is the way they will always be. My point is that it will NEVER stay the same. The climate of 3 years ago is very different today and today will be very different than 3 years from now. We will be in this buyers market for a while but the new construction builders are not building. Their houses are selling because they are discounted but they are not replacing them. It will take 3 years to get them back in production and I would say we will have a shortage again.
If you are ready to buy then now is the time. Don’t let the drive by media scare you into thinking this is not true.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
The election is over. So what??
Ok, we have been waiting for the election to be over and now it is. Our markets seem to be in turmoil and the news has not really gotten much better. So what??!! Yeah, I said ‘So What?!. The truth is that it will make almost no difference in our daily lives. I know some of you are looking for a new job or worried about the future but the reality is we don’t have any control over the market (stock or real estate) and we have to work within the boundaries we are given.
Some great things to know are that we are in a buyer’s market in Real Estate. Interest rates are below 6% for anyone able to qualify for a loan and with FHA still alive and well that requires a small down payment (3.5%) and in some areas there is still 100% financing. Places like Hall County, Barrow County and Jackson County.
Thanks to a rise in foreclosure properties we are ‘HAVING A SALE’ in Real Estate. All houses are down about 10% and there are some that are down 20% or more. Now to take advantage of this news you have to be a buyer!! So who do you know that is even thinking about buying?? This is the time like none other. If you want to discuss your personal situation or you know someone thinking about buying then call me (678-231-1578). I would be happy to answer any questions.
So, we have lots of inventory, prices are down and money is available to qualified buyers. There has never been a time like this. I know you are worried about the economy but understand that if your personal economy is good then the national one will probably not affect you all that much. We are making an adjustment in the market. One that was long needed and while it will be painful for some it is going to be a good thing in the long run.
Some facts to know:
- There are 76 million households in the U.S. that own their home – 24 million of these homes are free and clear
- There are 52 million homes with mortgages – 97.2% of these are not in foreclosure, 93.8% of these homes are current on their payments
- More than 1000 banks closed in 1930 – only 14 U.S. banks have been taken over in 2008
On a sobering note:
- Over 20% of homeowners with a mortgage owe more than their home is worth. That is a national statistic and not true locally. We have not seen the big run up in prices like California or Florida so this does not apply to us in Atlanta.
- 40% of all foreclosures are non-owner occupied
How did we get here?
Decade Homes Sold High Homes Sold Average
1970’s 3.9 million 3 million
1980’s 4 million 3.3 million
1990’s 4.9 million 3.9 million
2000’s 7.1 million 5.6 million
Resale numbers – the above does not include new home sales.
Sources: Wall Street Journal / Moody’s Economy.com / RealtyTrac / NAR / Forbes
We are going to see 2008 as the 6th or 7th best year ever in the number of Real Estate transactions. The news won’t tell you that but it is the truth. I have a market study that I am preparing that will prove that. If you want an advance copy please let me know. I’ll be happy to drop one off to you.
Now, go and pay attention to your personal economy, watch the news sparingly and don’t panic. Call me if I can help you with anything. That is what I am here for.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
Welcome
