Did Coffee Fuel the Age of Enlightenment?
Most everyone knows how I feel about coffee and caffeine. Here is more proof that it is what makes the world go round.
Go to http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/01/did-coffee-fuel.html
Have a good week!!
Jerry W. Robertson
Get yourself an expert
I was having lunch yesterday at my favoite Chinese place and there were 4 people talking at the table next to me. Now I don’t know what business they were in but it was obvious that they were talking about a start up business that took some sort of annual subscription that they charged for. The discussion was amusing to me because is was a case of the blind leading the blind.
The discussion centered around whether to pro-rate an annual subscription or to charge the full price to someone who joined later in the year. Duh!! Who wants to pay full price for a 2 month period? No one that I could think of. Thankfully they settled on a compromise of charging only a 6 month fee to the poor sucker that joined in November. It still won’t work but at least they were thinking.
The whole problem centered around the fact that they did not know how to track the dates that someone joined using the spreadsheet they had and they were trying to get everyone on the same renewal schedule. I used to write software for a living and sometimes you can’t take the geek out of me.
I could hear the problem so clearly because I had been there. I guess after doing something for several years successfully I am an expert but it is not a field that I want to work in anymore. It did raise the point in my mind that you need to hire an expert sometimes. These people in the resturant need someone to create a DATABASE for them. It is simple today to hire someone to do a database for you and if you manage it right it will not cost you a fortune but enough of them. I hope they work out their problems but I can’t help them. It is not my field anymore. My expertise is in Real Estate now.
I help investors, sellers, buyers, developers and anyone with questions about real estate. I don’t do databases anymore. If you need help with a leaky faucet, call a plumber. Need your yard fixed? Call a landscaper. Have a sick tree? Call an arborist. My point is that we can do lots of things on our own but sometimes we just need some help. There are lots of people out there that want to help and frankly it will likely save money in the long run (or make more money).
I know lots of people who can help you with lots of things. I have plumbers, landscapers and arborists in my referral directory that can help you and would love to hear from you so check it out and call me if you have a need that I don’t have an expert for. I can find you someone that knows their business and can help you with yours.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
Don't be embarrassed!!
I just learned something that shocked me. We all know that there is a record number of foreclosures but what I did not know is that 57% of the people in foreclosure NEVER call or talk to their lender. That is shocking to me. If you or someone you know is having trouble making your house payments right now that is nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens but if you do nothing then the wheels of the eviction machine can not be stopped. There are options!!
Options like loan modification (TARP is not just for big banks and investment houses), short sales and a host of other things you can do . You have to do something. One of my favorite movies is The Edge. In it Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin are lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Hopkins says that people die in the wilderness because they are lost and embarrassed that they are lost and they do nothing and die. I guess you really can die of embarrassment.
If you know someone who is struggling and needs help in this tough time, please call me. I can’t promise a miracle but I can answer your questions and I will do all I can to help.
Thanks for Listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
What does it cost to re-build a house??
That is called ‘Replacement Cost’. It is one way to estimate the value of a property, including the structures on it. In most markets we are seeing the current price fall below the replacement cost. It can’t do that forever and here is why.
Supply and demand. Let’s talk about demand first. People are living longer (64.48 years in 2000 to 76.51 in 2008), having babies (GA exceeds the USA in birthrate) and moving to Atlanta and Georgia in general. Georgia is in the top 10 nationally with a growth rate of 1.7% from 2007 to 2008 and a population estimate of 9.6 million people. Most of these people prefer to live indoors so the demand for housing is INCREASING at a good pace.
Supply is the next subject. About 12 months ago most of the financing for new construction dried up. Builders that were not well funded at that time stopped building. If you drive around you will see lots of developed subdivisions with plastic pipes sticking out of the ground. Some call them PVC graveyards. These are indicators that the builders lost funding and had to stop. Subdivision development is on a 3 year cycle. That means that it will take some time to get the construction going again once the need for housing starts increasing again.
We are beginning to see a decline in inventory of resale property. Inventory is measured in months. How many houses normally sell during a year compared to how many are available divided by 12 tells us how many months of inventory we have. 6 months is considered a balanced market or the tipping point between a buyers market and a sellers market. In 2005 we had 4.5 months of inventory. 2006 was 6.5 months and 2007 was 8.9 months. 2008 peaked at 11.2 months but some parts of the country are seeing a significant improvement now with parts of California dropping below the 6 month level. It is said that as the West Coast goes so goes the rest of the country and for housing trends I believe that is true but the numbers alone say we are doing what needs to be done to decrease inventory. Increase demand, decrease supply and you get higher prices.
My point is that we are on what appears to be the leading edge of the decline of supply and that is great news if you are thinking about buying. People like Warren Buffett, Dave Ramsey and Donald Trump say this is the best time to buy we have EVER seen in this country. If inventory declines to that 6 month point again the buyers are going to find it harder to find a great house, let alone a great deal.
There is almost no competition among buyers right now so prices are lower than the replacement costs. You have lots of choices of lots of houses in great shape (your don’t have to buy a foreclosure that has been trashed to get a great deal) and sellers are anxious to make a deal.
I am here to help find great deals and when you hear of someone that is thinking about getting into this housing market please call me (678-231-1578). I can help them find the right house at the right price and it won’t cost them anything for my services because the seller pays my fees. I also have some great inventory myself with prices set very competitively so you can check them out by clicking here.
I am here to help answer questions too. If you want more info on anything about this market please call me anytime. I am here to tell you that what you hear on the news and read in the paper may be true but it is slanted toward the bad and there is lots of good news out there. It all depends on how you look at it. Call me if you need me. I am here to help.
Thanks for listening. It’s a Good Life!!
Jerry W. Robertson
Data sources: National Assoc. of Realtors, US Census Bureau, FMLS Statistics for Members, Kaiser State Health Facts, CIA World Fact Book
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