Atlanta At Home

Get Your Home Ready To SELL!

I spoke with a seller this morning who is interested in placing her home on the market in the next 90 days.  She wanted to know what repair work she should consider doing to her home to make it ready for a prospective buyer.  I put together a few general quick fix tips to getting your home ready for the market below.

The Interior Of The Home:

• Replace any and all light bulbs that have burned out
• Repair or replace any broken appliances
• Remove stored items from the attic, basement, and garage
• Make sure all windows and doors can be opened and closed easily
• Move items away from water heaters, furnances, and electric panels
• Run water in all sinks and tubs to ensure that there are no leaks
• If the HVAC system is older than 5 years, have the unit serviced by a licensed contractor and retain the receipt for any repair work done

The Exterior of The Home:

• Make sure the yard is presentable.  Cut away any and all trees or shrubs that make contact with the home
• Have your home inspected for termites and obtain a pre-listing termite letter
• Repair any water damaged wood around windows and doors
• Make sure roof and surface water flow away from the home
• Clean gutters

The Real Estate Market In Georgia

I was recently asked by a local magazine to share how the current status of the housing market was affecting my business.  I think my answers surprised the writer and so I want to share them with you since obviously I view the current real estate market differently than other agents and teams in Atlanta. 

How am I coping with the Down Real Estate Market?

I don't think we have down real estate markets!  Real estate has two basic markets - a buyers market and a sellers market - we are currently in a buyer's market.  Like any market - for instance the stock market - values are constantly adjusting based on a variety of factors.  Currently we have high inventory and incredibly low interest rates.  This is an ideal time for buyers to lock in incredible deals.  If you already own your primary home check to see if a refi makes sense.  If you have always thought about investing in real estate now is the perfect time to get going.

If you're a seller pricing has never been more important.  In fact, if you don't have to sell you should not be in this market AT ALL.  This is not the time to test the market to see if someone out there will give you the price you want.  If you do have to compete in this market I have one bit of advice - Don't Chase the Market Down.  You cannot afford to price your home higher to leave room for negotiation.  It simply will not get shown.  Look at the most recent comps available - the last three months if possible-and price your home where the pending homes and sold homes are in the market. 

The strength of Tonia Mann and Associates is that we are a diverse group of real estate experts who think outside of the box.  We sell all over the state of Georgia and into Tennessee and Alabama.  We sell to people investing in Georgia from all over the world.   You may not realize it but Georgia is viewed as a GREAT place to put investment dollars.  We have the busiest airport in the country, jobs that outpace the supply of people to work them, and incredibly affordable housing.  Foreign nationals are especially interested in Georgia and with the current exchange rate we are quite a deal for them.

Because I am a national speaker on the subject of real estate investing, I have an awareness of trends that may not be apparent to the local homeowner.  Did you know that Savannah and coastal Georgia is very much an emerging market?  Port Wentworth in Savannah is the four largest port in the country - soon to be number three.  Coastal Georgia is very affordable compared with its Hilton Head, SC neighbors to the north and Florida neighbors to the South.  We have incredibly affordable taxes and hazard insurance is easily obtainable for homes and property.  Our coastal market is of particular interest to baby boomers who are looking for property now to retire into later.  In fact, one of the biggest trends we see in our business is the baby boomers and investment in land.  Land has always been a hedge against inflation and many people have their retirement accounts sitting on the sidelines due to the volatility in the market.  We are seeing more and more self directed IRAs investing in land and income property. 

It is not only the coast that is experiencing this phenomenal growth.  We are seeing a complimentary situation with Mountain Land.  Georgia is so diverse in terms of real estate.  We have large metro areas, coastal and mountain land.  Buyers are purchasing land and building cabins, which they use as secondary homes, and renting them out during the time they are not using them for income. 

We are so excited about what we see in the real estate market.  If that perspective is refreshing to you - give us a call today. 

We would love to talk with you about:

1. Buying or selling your primary home.
2. Buying or selling your secondary home.
3. Purchasing income/rental property in the metro Atlanta area.
4. Purchasing income property on the Georgia Coast.
5. Purchasing income property in the Georgia Mountains.
6. Purchasing income property through your self directed IRA.

We also love talking about real estate so if your club or organization would like someone to speak on the topic of real estate, real estate investing, or self directed IRA we would be delighted to accommodate you.  Contract our office at 678-268-3300 or see us on the web at http://www.AtlantaAtHome.com

Always the best,

Tonia Mann

Tips To Make Your Move Smooth and Efficient

Eight Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Plan your move between Thursday and Sunday.  Moving companies rates are generally lower and they have greater availability
• Get estimates from different moving companies and compare prices
• When requesting pricing quotes base them on weight rather than volume
• Read the fine print in your contract with a moving company.  There may be additional charges if you exceed certain limits like volume or box count

Six to Four Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Obtain more boxes than you feel you need.  Boxes are available through moving companies such as U-Haul or at office supply stores.
• Ensure you have packing tape, bubble wrap, unprinted newspaper or packing paper, thick black markers for labeling boxes, and scissors.

Three Weeks Prior To Move Date:

• Ensure all boxes are packed by the room and labeled appropriately.
• You can use your linens and bath towels to help you pack your fragile items
• Fill any empty spaces in boxes with packing paper to ensure nothing will be broken
• Ensure that you leave out items like toiletries, medications, and important documents and checkbooks when packing

Two to One Week Prior To Move Date:

• Make arrangements for care of pets and children on move date
• Defrost your refrigerator
• Keep an inventory of each box.  It helps to number each box per room
• Ensure that your utilities are scheduled to be canceled on your closing date and the utilities at your new home are scheduled to be on
• Ensure that the moving company has your correct delivery address, your cell phone number, and you have the moving company's phone number

Moving Day

• Ensure that both yourself and the moving company has your inventory list
• Once the moving company has placed all belongings check the inventory list once more to ensure all items were delivered.
• Unpack one room at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed