Headlines about the fiscal cliff may lead you to think that housing transactions are tapering off, yet according to the Fannie Mae National Housing Survey for November, that simply is not the case. In fact, Americans are displaying more confidence in the housing market and economy than previously shown, which is good news for your Cobb County home!

Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae stressed in a recent report that, “Consumer attitudes toward both the economy and the housing market continue to gather momentum, with many of our 11 key National Housing Survey indicators at or near their two-and-a-half-year highs.” He continued by concluding that “attitudes about the current selling environment continue to improve, with a significant increase in those saying it would be a good time to sell.”

Five percent more of the November survey respondents believe now is a good time to sell a home (shown at 23%) as compared to October, recording the highest percentage in over 17 months. Nearly 41 percent of those surveyed felt that mortgage rates will be increasing soon and 14 percent believed home prices will decrease in the next twelve months, while 37 percent believed home prices would increase. Respondents are confident on the ability to get a mortgage, with 51 percent believing in the possibility.

Forty-eight percent of those surveyed predicted increases in rental prices and 67 percent reported that they would purchase a home if the need to move arose, giving you more options should you decide it is time to sell your home. Click here to access the Fannie Mae November survey data and graphs.

“What can I do to get my Cobb County home ready?” This question is often posed when someone is ready to sell a home, but it doesn’t have to be. Making your home repairs and upgrades as needed can actually lead to a happier home owning lifestyle and will also mean that you are ready to go, when and if, it is time to sell your home.

Home improvements can be costly, but they don’t have to be. There are many projects that can be done inexpensively and relatively quickly that will deliver huge value.

Take for instance, paint.  Painting a room or the front door of your home instantly brightens that space and can bring a smile to your face whenever you enter the area. While painting can be labor intensive, the actual material cost is quite low, with a gallon of high quality paint costing less than $35.

Painting the outside elements of your home, whether it’s the trim, stucco or fencing, will bring that same joy every time you return or leave your home, as well. And, for exterior walls, painting may actually be more than you need – it’s amazing what power washing can do to illuminate your home! The same could be said for installing additional lighting to your landscaping. Small exterior painting and lighting projects can be done for under $350 and deliver results you can instantly see! {Need someone who does a great job painting in Cobb County? Click HERE}

Perhaps you feel the interior of your home is dated and cramped and would prefer a more open design. If so, you can take on a slightly bigger project and remove a wall or convert an existing wall to a half wall. Check with a contractor to make sure you aren’t removing a bearing wall beforehand, as that could result in a more costly project than originally intended. Another option would be to build or install built in organization systems in your home so that you have more “homes” for your stuff, or better yet, just reduce the amount of stuff you already have. The adage “less is more” will really have you appreciating the space created through clutter removal.

Installing new windows, a tank-less hot water heater, an outdoor eating area, and adding insulation or other energy efficient home items can also improve your satisfaction as a home owner and increase your home’s perceived value when it’s time to sell. These upgrades may initially cost more, however with rebates and available tax credits, may be a very worthwhile expense for your home.

No matter what projects, if any, you decide to do with your home, the key is to enjoy it.  Enjoy it now, enjoy it later, and enjoy the memories that owning your home will allow you to create in the far distant future.  Your home is part of living the American Dream and you need to make sure your dream is the best it can be!

Related Topics

Home Staging Tips

 5 Home Projects That Bring a Huge Return on Value

How is the housing market affecting Atlanta sellers?  The Atlanta housing market has done a complete turnaround in just 6 short months.   Last year the Atlanta housing market saw more homes for sale than there was buyers to buy – A BUYER’S MARKET.  My how times have changed.  As of the 3rd Quarter 2012, most price ranges in Atlanta are experiencing a SELLER’S MARKET meaning that the demand for housing exceeds the supply.  This is creating an environment whereby the Sellers are in the drivers seat for the first time in years.  In today’s video I will be sharing some of the Atlanta market statistics from the 3rd quarter 2012 and how they directly impact how homes are being sold today!!!

  Would you like more details?  Check out my website where you can narrow your search to your community via my MARKET STATS  website.  Here you can get up-to-the-minute data on what is happening in your zip code.  Check it out!  Also, if you would like me to provide you with a market update on your neighborhood feel free to give me a call.  It’s FREE and confidential.

During the height of the real estate boom my husband and I decided to purchase a second home – a beautiful cottage on Lake Arrowhead in Waleska, Georgia.  For the last seven years we have been going up to the lake with our family and friends to enjoy the beautiful Georgia scenery and frolic in the lake.

As our two children have grown, our weekends at the lake have become less frequent as we find ourselves involved with the busy lives of teenagers.  After much deliberation we decided to put our lake house on the market for sale.  Not only was this an emotional decision because of all the fond memories we have at the lake, but also a big financial decision because property values have dropped considerably since we purchased the home in 2005.

A couple days ago, we received and negotiated an offer on our lake house.  As expected, we are under contract for considerably less than we have into the property.  I love being a REALTOR® working in Cobb County.  However, one part of my job that I do not like, is having to tell a client that they are going to lose money when they sell their home.  It just plain STINKS!  Now, having experienced it myself, I have even more empathy for my clients.

Working with home owners over the last 5 years, and now having experienced the sale of my own personal home for less than we paid, I have identified the FOUR KEY EMOTIONS THAT A SELLER GOES THROUGH WHEN SELLING THEIR HOME FOR A LOSS.  

As you can probably tell from my blogs and videos, I am a very positive and optimistic person.  So, I really struggled over whether or not I should write this blog.  But, I do think we learn from our experiences and I am hopeful that if you too are going through a scenario like this that you may learn something from my experience.

1. Rejection

This emotion happens immediately when the offer come in.  The seller feels insulted and usually responds with “That’s ridiculous….I am not even going to respond to that offer!”

2. Anger

This emotion generally happens as we are approaching an agreement.  The seller is mad that they have to sell at this price and they want to “stick it to the buyer”.  They will say things such as “Well…if I sell it to them for X then they better not expect me to fix anything in the house that they find during the inspection.”  The seller feels cheated and taken advantage of by the buyer and probably the agents as well.

3. Depression

This emotion general happens a day or two after the contract has been signed.  The seller feels sad that they are losing money.  They think about all the things they could have done with that money.  They think about how hard they are going to have to work to make it up.  They wonder what others will think of them because they lost this money.  The length of this feeling of depression can vary from one person to another.  I think it depends on a variety of things such as hard long and hard it took them to make that money, how “attached” to monetary things they are, and their general attitude on life (are they are a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person).

4. Acceptance

Usually, by the time we get to the closing table the seller has accepted the situation and, while not always happy about it, they are relieved that it is over and that they can move on with their life.  I think it is safe to say that most the time, the seller does feel a sense of happiness in the end.

In the sale of our lake home, we lost money but there have been times in our lives were made money, too.  I guess you have to take the good with the bad and learn from the experience.  As my sister says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

I met Michael Mark at a home inspection today and was blown away with his professionalism and his long list of credentials. I also like that he is a sole proprietor of his business so you can be assured that you will get the best, Mike!

Be sure to check out his website for a complete list of the services he provides.

Michael J Mark, P.E.
Licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Home Inspector
770-844-5866
Mikejmark@earthlink.net
Www.ProfessionalHomeInspectors.net

The West Cobb County housing market has seen tremendous changes over the last 8 months.  As usual, the media is slow to publish the positive trends that we are seeing in the market, and especially in the Cobb County housing market.  It used to be that I had houses for sale but couldn’t find buyers.  Now the tables are turned and we have buyers who can’t find houses.

Around the first of the year, buyers (including local, national and international investors) realized that a combination of historically low interest rates (4% or lower) and low home prices was too good to pass up.  As of the end of June, home sales in West Cobb County were up 18.8%.  In fact, West Cobb’s home sales have been up 6 consecutive quarters so it appears that this is sustainable growth.

Another great indicator of improvement is that we are seeing increased number of sales in all price ranges under $500,000 whereas in the preceding quarters most of the improvement was in the under $200,000 price range.

Despite the increase in number of homes sold, home prices continue to feel the downward pressure from sales of foreclosure properties and short sale properties.  This is especially evident in the under $100,000 price range where 77% of all homes sales were distressed and the $100k-$200k price range where 40% of all homes sold were distressed.  Overall, 47% of homes sold in West Cobb were distressed.  

The median homes sales price dropped 4% primarily because of the significant increase in number of homes sold under $100,000.  In my opinion, we will not witness substantial price appreciation until the market has fewer distressed homes for sale.

Another good sign that the market is improving is that it is taking fewer days for homes to sell.   On average, homes are going under contract in 84 days – which is a 29% decrease over last year.  And, when a home is listed at the correct price it is, on average, going under contract in just 24 days.  If the listing requires a price reduction to get an offer it takes, on average 187 days to get a contract.

Homes that are aggressively priced are experiencing multiple offers and, oftentimes, are selling for more than the list price.  In fact, in the second quarter nearly 1 out of every 5 transactions in Atlanta were for more than the list price.  I called on one listing last month that had 42 offers!  We have investors looking to buy homes that have to make up to 10 offers before the “win” the bid on a property.  There truly are some amazing deals in the marketplace but based on the current demand the window of opportunity is closing fast.

The Atlanta and Cobb County markets have seen significant improvement in months of supply.    According to the National Association of Realtors, when there is a 6 – 7 months supply of homes for sale it is considered a “balanced” market.  If there are less than 6 months of housing inventory (based on the current rate of home sales) then it is considered a seller’s market.  Essentially what this means is that there are more buyers than there are homes for sale.

As of the end of June, it is considered a “seller’s market” in all price categories under $500,000.

For homeowners who have been reluctant to list their home due to the slow market they may now want to try to list and take advantage of the current supply/demand shift while they have less competition and a better advantage.    Also, the effect of distressed properties on selling prices for all properties has been somewhat offset by the lower inventory, so this could be a better time to sell than in many recent periods.

For buyers, the supply/demand relationship has, at least temporarily, shifted to the seller’s advantage.  If that should continue, fast action and realistic offers will be necessary for buyers to capitalize on still low prices for available properties.  The good news is that prices are still historically low and interest rates are too, so the if the right properties is found, this is a very good time to be in the market.

Success Strategies for Sellers

• Choose to factor in the impact of distressed properties competing for buyers in your price range and location when setting initial listing price.
• Re-evaluate market trends continuously to re-assess pricing choice – avoid chasing the market.
• Choose to work with a REALTOR® that knows how to properly present your home in its best light through professional staging and photography and state-of-the art technology and Internet marketing.

Success Strategies for Buyers

• Evaluate the history of the listing to determine the motivation of the seller.  Making a low offer on a desirable property will most likely result in missing out on a great opportunity.  Conversely, making too high of an offer on a home that has been listed for a long period of time could result in paying too much.
• About 40% of the listings on most public websites (i.e Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com) are no longer on the market – and it takes up to 7 days for new listings to hit these sites.  Work with a REALTOR that can provide you up-to-the-minute new listing reports so that you don’t miss out on a great opportunity.
• Be prepared to move quickly.  Have a preapproval letter from a reputable lender or proof of funds letter.  Basically, “if you sleep on it…you might not sleep in it!”

For market information more specific to your home or your buying needs feel free to call Connie Carlson at 678-631-1812 or email her at Connie@LivingInCobb.com.

This report provided by:

Connie Carlson, Associate Broker

Keller Williams Realty

678-631-1812

eMail: Connie@LivingInCobb.com

On the web:  www.LivingInCobb.com

Market Data Provided By: Chartmaster Services, LLC

Wow! Wow! Wow!  That was all I could say when I saw the house at 4952 Manna Lane, Powder Springs, Ga in the Covenant Place subdivision.  Since 4952 Manna Lane was model home for Covenant Place it is loaded with just about every upgrade you can imagine.

 The property sits on a combined two lots for a total of  +/- acres.  There is plenty of room to fence in the back yard and install a pool, garden, etc.

•  Dining room seats 12+ and features a coffered ceiling and paneled walls.
•  Great room features hardwood floors, French doors, stone fireplace with gas logs, built in cabinetry, and a coffered ceiling.
• Keeping room off of the kitchen features hardwood floors, a vaulted and beamed ceiling, and a two story, stacked stone fireplace.
• A chefs dream kitchen with granite countertops, custom wood cabinetry, custom tile backsplace, stainless appliances including a 6 burner JennAire professional range.
• Convenient mud-room off the garage.
• Laundry room on the first floor features tile flooring, utility sink, folding area and cabinetry for storage.
• Master bedroom on main level features a stone fireplace and sitting room, French doors to the back, and trey ceiling with lights.
• Master bathroom features dual vanities with limestone countertops and custom cabinets, walk in closet with custom built shelving, tile floors, jetted tub, and large double-head shower.
• Also on the first floor is a full bathroom and a room that can be used as a home office, bedroom, or living room.
• Upstairs you will find a large loft, three large bedrooms and two full bathrooms.
• The basement has been professionally finished and includes a theater room, bar room, recreation room, bedroom, full bathroom, and plenty of storage.
• Intercom stereo system.
• 3 car side entry garage.
• Attractive craftsman style exterior features an artful combination of brick, stone, shake shingles, and concrete siding.
• Covenant Lakes is a beautiful subdivision in Powder Springs and features its own lake.  It is conveniently located near Hwy 278/Thornton Road so residents have easy access to shopping and theaters along the Hiram shopping district and quick access to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, and I-20.

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 5010723 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

In neighborhoods all around Cobb County, exciting events are taking place.  So that you don’t miss out on something fun happening in your backyard, I wanted to let you know what’s happening in your community.  Many of these events benefit the neighborhood you live in, which is always a win-win situation for you and your community.  I like the idea that giving back to your town can be fun and rewarding at the same time.  Spread the word, have a great time in your area or exploring other parts  of Cobb County.

Cobb County Library Foundation is going Old West to raise money for the Cobb County Public Library System with the Wild West Festival.  This is definitely a family event.  It will be filled with cowboys, stage shows, and chuck wagons.  There will also be a fast draw demonstration for your little buckaroo. My friend and her daughter  went to the CCLF Tea Party this year.  They did an amazing job, and it was even better than they had expected. Their family will definitely be attending this one!

Wild West Festival

March 24, 2012 10-4pm

Jim R Miller Park  Marietta, GA

www.cfl-wildwestfestival.com

History will be redefined right here in Kennesaw. It is free and open to the public.  Come and learn about the Civil War from leading historian and how this new history can be applied to your local Kennesaw community.  If you are a Civil War buff or looking to educate your own family history, this is the local event for you.The 9th Annual Symposium on New Interpretations of the Civil War: ’1862: The Path to Freedom.’ The Civil War Center at Kennesaw State University presents renowned Civil War historians Ken Noe, Wiley Sword, Jeff Wert, and Brian Wills.

The 9th Annual Symposium on New Interpretations of the Civil War: ’1862: The Path to Freedom

Opening Reception

March 23, 2012 6:00 PM

Southern Museum Kennesaw, GA

9th Annual Symposium

March 24, 2012 9:00am

Social Studies Auditorium, #1021

Kennesaw State University

“I wake up each day with the goal of positively impacting the lives of others… Helping my clients achieve their housing dreams brings me great joy.” – Connie Carlson

Connie’s Yearly Listing Sales Results – Selling Faster & For More Money – See Actual Results

Connie’s Experience & Qualifications – Resume

When Was the Last Time You Had a “Wow” Experience?

Whether it’s a fun challenge or a serious hurdle, Connie takes charge and goes beyond expectations no matter what. Connie attributes her “any lengths” attitude to a work ethic modeled by her parents. Connie grew up on a large dairy farm and was expected to milk cows before dawn and bale hay after school. The farm was a family business and she learned about teamwork by pitching in with the family garden, helping her mom can vegetables and driving the tractor while baling hay. It was a no-excuses world and Connie found out how great it felt inside when she brought her own brand of “wow” to every chore that she did.

Connie’s desire to impress others by exceeding expectations brought her great success as an adult. She became a commercial real estate consultant for Arthur Andersen, traveling from coast to coast assessing everything from railroad properties to large-scale residential, retail, and office developments. During that time she won praise from management for developing business solutions that saved money and increased efficiency for both the clients and the company.

When Connie ventured into residential real estate sales it didn’t take long for her commitment to exceptional client service to propel her as one of the top residential real estate agents in Atlanta. In addition to helping her client’s, Connie is passionate about positively impacting the lives of others – including other real estate agents and brokers. Considering her professional track record and giving spirit, Connie became the Team Leader and Managing Broker of a large Keller Williams Realty office in Atlanta. Connie’s commitment to her local community and desire to help people with their housing dreams pulled her back to West Cobb as a residential broker.

High Standards of Service

As a real estate professional, Connie brings this same “wow factor” to buyers and sellers who’ve come to know her high standards of service. Her business skills are powerful assets in negotiation, big-picture thinking, and strategy. Connie’s organizational talents are key to her effectiveness in managing all phases of a move. Her confidence and composure assure clients of a smooth transition, thanks to her research and up-to-date communication.

Connie also has a tremendous feel for families and what they need when buying and selling a home. She knows the Atlanta area well and as a devoted wife and mother is aware of schools and family-oriented recreational outlets. For anyone moving into the area, Connie can guide them to the perfect place to create a home and lifestyle in West Cobb County. Sellers count on Connie’s professional property valuation expertise to determine the right strategy to sell their home.

Wowing Clients in West Cobb County

If you want to make the most of all the opportunities in West Cobb County, it’s important to work with a broker who can exceed your expectations with her market knowledge, sophisticated sales techniques, and tenacity. Connie Carlson has the strategic thinking and renowned service that impress a long list of loyal clients. With her area knowledge, compassion and vision, she’s defining The Wow Factor in West Cobb County.

Work Experience

Keller Williams Realty, Marietta GA, April 2004 to Present

Sales Associate
Keller Williams Realty Signature Partners (West Cobb Office)

Agent Accomplishments

Managing Broker and Team Leader

Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Perimeter (Dunwoody Office)

Managing Broker Accomplishments

2009 Runner-up for the 2009 Best Places To Work by the Atlanta Business Chronicle 2008 Selected by Regional Management as an approved Regional Trainer 2009 Developed the fast growing KW Commercial division within Keller Williams Realty International. Awarded #1 KW Commercial Division in 2009

Other Work Experience

Arthur Andersen, LLC 1991 to 1998
Finance Manager for the Atlanta Tax Division 1996-1998

Responsible for budgeting and on-going financial review for the 14 divisions within Arthur Anderson Tax. Worked side-by-side with the Lead Partner to manage the financial responsibilities of an office of over 400 professional accountants and consultants.

Senior Real Estate Consultant 1991 to 1996: Certified General Appraiser

Conducted due diligence analysis, appraisals, and various consulting projects on large scale commercial properties that were located around the country. These included high office, industrial, shopping centers, and special use properties.

• Created an economic model for Orange County, Florida
• Appraised Carnation Farms, Snoqualmie, Washington
• Appraised Union Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way in California
• Appraised Hardees Restaurants, Circle K Convenience Stores, and United Theatres

Other Education
BBS University of Iowa 1990
Double Major in Marketing and Finance
Graduated in Top 10% of Class
All Required Courses with the Appraisal Institute

Hobbies and Interest
Spending time with my husband, Dan, and two children, Trevor and Cassidy
Watching movies
Reading—especially historical fiction
Traveling
Weight lifting
Hanging out at her lake house in Waleska, GA

Connie Carlson – Team Leader

As a REALTOR I have special access to a database (Multiple Listing Service “MLS”) that real estate agents use to market their properties.  In fact, all of the brokerages that I am aware of are required to post their active listings within 48 hours of the start date of the listing.  At my office, once I load my new listing onto the MLS the data automatically syndicates to hundreds (if not thousands) of public websites.  These websites, including Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Redfish.com and Realtor.com are loaded with valuable information if you are buying or selling a home.  They are a terrific place to start your research when you want to consider buying a home.  Unfortunately, they do have some limitations.

Stale Data

A couple days ago, one of these popular sites sent me their regular “hit” reports for all of my listings.  Of the 22 properties that they reported as listings I had “For Sale”, eight of them were no longer on the market.  In fact, I sold one of the homes 14 months ago!  Obviously, you can see that searching hours and hours on a website that doesn’t have accurate information can be a time wasting and frustrating endeavor.

 The Late Bird Loses the Worm

Another pitfall of the public property search sites is that it sometimes takes anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days for the new listings that have come on the market to show up on the site.  Despite what the media may have you believing, there is strong demand for well-priced properties.  In fact, in my video Understanding the Cobb County Foreclosure Market, I shared statistics showing that in certain price ranges homes are selling VERY quickly and oftentimes for more than the asking price.  If you are relying on these public sites to inform you when a GOOD DEAL (and who isn’t looking for a GOOD DEAL) comes available, you may be too late to the dance and miss the opportunity all together.

Lack of Choices

A third pitfall of using the public sites is that you are very limited on the search fields.  Most of the clients that I work with have specific housing needs.  For instance, they want to be in a specific school district, they need an in-law suite, master on main, or fenced yard.  Or maybe even a combination of all of these things.  With the public sites you can not narrow your search with this much detail so you are stuck sorting through hundreds of properties to find the one that meets your needs.  And…heaven forbid when you do find the perfect home, it sold 14 months ago!!! Ugggh …. How frustrating.

Be my guest and take a look at the Advanced Search Options on Zillow.com versus all the options that you will have when we set you up on ListingBook.com.

The Solution

Don’t get me wrong…I think that Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin and other public sites provide a valuable resource to consumers and are great tools for information.  However, when you are serious about buying it will be in your best interest to contact us so that we can set you up with direct access to the MLS that is the must up-to-date and flexible.

Look no further!  Whether you are downsizing and want an easy-to-maintain lifestyle, you are a first-time-homebuyer and desire a great deal but want to be able to move right in, or you are an investor looking to make a monthly profit in rental income this home in the Village on the Park Subdivision in Austell, Georgia is PERFECT!

From the moment I drove into The Village on the Park I was impressed with the attractive, quant homes and the friendly neighbors.  The property at 6040 Park Wood Court has been professionally renovated and it feels just like a BRAND NEW home!

The stepless ranch living is ideal for anyone not wanting to go up and down stairs.  There is new flooring throughout the entire home, neutral paint colors, and new paint on the exterior.  Cute, BUNGALOW style living.

The kitchen has beautiful cherry stained cabinetry and new stainless appliances.  You won’t even need to buy a refrigerator or washer and dryer.  Like I said, move right in!!!

There are three bedrooms and two full baths (the master bedroom features its own bathroom).  All of the bathrooms have been renovated with new faucets, mirrors, etc.

Investors!  Similar properties in the area are renting for $900 a month or more.  Assuming an 80% loan-to-value with a 5% rate, 30 fixed mortgage. PITI is just $450+/- a month.  That is a $450/month or $5400 profit a year.  That’s what I call a NO BRAINER.

Related Links:

Rentals in Austell

See other homes for sale in The Village on the Park

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 4272584 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.

Be prepared to say “Wow” when you see this restored Contemporary home in the esteemed Vinings North Subdivision in the Smyrna/Vinings area outside of Atlanta.

Some of the features of the home include a three-level deck overlooking a professionally terraced and landscaping back yard that is perfect for relaxing with the family – tons of privacy.

The interior is equally impressive.  The great room has a vaulted ceiling, stone wood-burning fireplace, and new track lighting.  A separate dining room is perfect for entertaining.  The kitchen features floor-to-ceiling windows in the breakfast area, vintage cabinetry and stainless appliances.  The terrace level is finished and features hardwood floors, tongue-and-grove wood ceiling with beamed ceiling, entertaining bar, laundry room, and a large bedroom with full bathroom.  Upstairs you will find three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

If you are interested in seeing this Vinings North home before it is too late…Call Connie today at 678-488-9646!

We're sorry, but we couldn't find MLS # 4272538 in our database. This property may be a new listing or possibly taken off the market. Please check back again.