Real Estate Information Archive

From: Steve Brown, Fayette County GA Board of Commissioners stevebrownptc@ureach.com

Doug:

 Here are the points, as native of Metro Atlanta and a long time student of land planning and transportation that I think we need to consider.  Most of the 2012 TIA is feel good posturing and few are taking a serious look at the problems.

 “Transportation” and “water” are not the problems.  They are the symptoms of irresponsible land use where development runs rampant and we try to figure out the infrastructure problems later.

• Gwinnett County was a developer-driven county and that situation has become a very expensive proposition in terms of infrastructure.  Go look at ARC records over the past couple of decades and you will see that Gwinnett has devoured a significant portion of our region’s federal highway dollars and the problems are not being resolved.
• If the region follows the development patterns in Gwinnett County, we are doomed to failure as a region.
• We have known about our lack of water since the mid-1980s and the fact that we are so far behind today amounts to governmental negligence.  It took around 25 years for Fayette County to work through the “process” of state and federal hoops to get our newest reservoir, Lake McIntosh, built.
• There is a new political faction in the state legislature: MARTA Republicans.  These are Republicans living in Fulton (and some in Gwinnett who want to tie into the MARTA system) who are appealing to move the 2012 referendum to November to give Democrat voters more leverage.  Obviously, the MARTA Republicans are upsetting a lot of the party’s core faithful.  They are literally bending over backwards for Mayor Kasim Reed, a man would never get elected by Republican voters.
• Transportation infrastructure has always been a problem for the last three decades.  Let’s not pretend this is something new.  Strain on the system is a sign of growth.  Just look at Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI for a less attractive way to lessen traffic.
• There is nothing wrong with mass transit as a method of transportation, but expanding the MARTA system, already hemorrhaging red ink now, is not an intelligent answer.  The data does not justify further expansion without a serious re-evaluation of the MARTA system.
• Most of the outer non-MARTA counties in the 10-county Atlanta region do not want to be part of a regional transit system where they will be forced to pay for MARTA’s 80-percent revenue subsidy and it’s huge losses.
• The truth is the Atlanta Public Schools are not going to attract significant family-oriented residential development, causing most families to live in the outer suburbs.  The school system along with crime in Atlanta is exacerbating our regions traffic problems.  My wife and I moved from downtown Atlanta to Peachtree City once we started having children.
• Back in 2002-2003, I tried working with GRTA and ARC on recognizing the harmful effects of certain large scale developments (any type) on our transportation infrastructure.  The Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process created.  Unfortunately, special interests put significant loopholes in the process which allowed the harmful development to proceed anyway.
• Former ARC Director Harry West made no secret of the fact there was little cooperation in the Atlanta region and efforts were not being made to solve our current problems.  He resigned out of frustration.

Only a small percentage of voters go to the polls for an off year election coming up this November. The election is for the Town and Cities. No Senators, Representatives or Presidents are voted on during an off year election.  If you fail to vote, you have no right to complain when the candidate you thought did not have a chance, get's elected, while you stay home on election day becaue you thought your guy was a shoe in.

If you are registered to vote, it is your responsibility to vote.  Not just for President but also for the people that run your towns and cities. Off year elections are important because these are the people who will make decisions regarding your taxes, development, how they spend your money, your safety and so much more.

All politics are local.  In addition to voting this November, you can help by encouraging your friends and neighbors to go to the polls.  You can get informed about the local issues because there is so much more going on than most Citizens are aware of because the are not paying attention.

If you want to get involved, call your local Tea Party or your local Republican or Democrat Party and ask how you can help.

You can't act surprised or bitch if you don't vote.

leslie  edwards                                                                                                        Politically Active Real Estate Agent Fayetteville, GA                                              770.460.9448                                                                         leslie@leslieedwards.com  www.leslieedwards.com

When I was in the 6th grade, my english teacher told me I had a talent for writing. Although I don't have the discipline to write a book, I am constantly thinking of plot lines.

The deaths of the Seal Team 6 soldiers seems like a suspense novel in the making.  If I were writing the story, the death of Ossama Bin Laden turns out to be a lie that the President negotiated with Muslims to increase his standing in the US and deflect attention from the economy and the suspicion that he is really a Muslim.

The rushed burial at sea and the refusal to release any pictures are part of the plan. The fact that the Seals cannot give interviews while serving, gave the bad guys time to arrange for their deaths.

The members of Seal Team 6 that supposedly killed Bin Laden were on a helicopter together when it was shot down. Who sent them on the mission?  The so called informant who led them to Bin Laden was murdered soon after the raid. The downed helicopter insured that no eye witnesses remain so there is no one left who can expose the truth, that Bin Laden is not dead.

After hundreds of pages of intrigue, in my story, the bad guys get busted and are sent to prison. If more than one person knows a secret, one of them is bound to tell.

A great plot for a novel. Not so great for the US. 

Leslie Edwards, real estate agent and frustrated writer                        770.460.9448          leslie@leslieedwards.com           www.leslieedwards.com RE/MAX Around Atlanta                                                                            Serving South Metro Atlanta

Even in a down market, the best homes sell.  Read this USA Today Article for ways make sure your home gets SOLD.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-07-02-home-sellers-down-market_n.htm

If you are ready to sell, or just want to talk about it, call me.

leslie edwards                                                                             770.460.9448                                                            leslie@leslieedwards.com                                                 www.SouthMetroAtlantaMLS.com                                                           RE/MAX Around Atlanta

This Article Was Written by Broderick Perkins and Reposted
Because it is Great Information About Your Credit Score.

John Ulzheimer, president of Consumer Education at SmartCredit.com, the credit blogger for Mint.com, is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft.

Formerly with FICO, Equifax and Credit.com, Ulzheimer is a rare editorial source -- a recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry.

He often references in his writings the "Seven FICO Deadlies," credit score deflating actions, but only recently identified them in one consolidated list.

Your credit score, from about 350 (poor) to 800 (excellent) is a numerical rendition of your credit report. The higher your score, the more likely you'll get approved for credit and the more likely you'll get the best rate and terms. Negative actions posted to your credit report, take a bite out of your credit score.

Here's what Ulzheimer says are the seven worst things you can do to your credit score. And speaking of "seven," that's how many years these black marks can stay on your credit report.

These are real definitions of insanity. There are many others. The one we hear the most is, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." The definition we hear most often is not even a definition of insanity. Every time I hear someone say that, I want to stop them and say "No it's not". When I see it in print, I am tempted to call or write, but I don't. But I really want to. Ok, sometimes I do. I cannot help myself. It is not the definition of insanity. It is a phrase that someone said years ago that has been repeated since.

Most people credit Albert Einstein or Benjamin Franklin with being first to utter the phrase but in fact, no one knows for sure. There are actually several other theories as to the origin of "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result", including a Chinese Proverb. The first quote is slightly different from the second because there are several other versions of the quote.

 It has become such a common phrase that as each generation passes it will become the accepted definition. The mentally ill are not well served by those words as they do not reflect the reality of mental illness. It is not just the insane people who repeat their mistakes expecting a different outcome. Like the people we choose, our behavior style, spending habits, the way we treat people. If that were the true definition, a lot more of us would be classified insane.

The next time you start to say it, stop yourself because you know it isn't true. We have to stand up when we see or hear the phrase used and let others know it is wrong so we do not perpetuate the error.  So, that's what I was thinking about today.

Clark Howard a Consumer Advocate with a syndicated radio show host based here in Atlanta. Yesterday his advice was that if you are moving within the next five years, you should consider an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM).                                           What that means is a buyer can get a lower interest rate set for 5 years. Clark mentioned 2% but I have not seen any lender offering a rate that low. The buyer is only required to be qualified at the lower payment, which may sound like a great deal.    Never believing that I have seen it all, I have certainly seen a lot in my 33 years as a REALTOR.  What I know is that adjustable rate mortgages or interest only mortgages are a terrible idea.                                                                                            Eight years ago I sold a new home to a soldier and his wife. The loan officer gave them payment options for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage and a three year adjustable rate mortgage. Against my advice, they chose the adjustable rate mortgage with the lower payment, fixed for three years. Their rationale was that he was military which meant they would be moved within two years.  Fast forward two years, they get a divorce and he gets transferred. After three years, the monthly payment started to adjust and the wife could not make the higher payment.  She tried to refinance but did not qualify on her own income.  She lost that house in foreclosure because plans change and she could not afford the new adjusted payment so she and her son moved to an apartment.                                                                                                        The sales pitch for the ARM's is often the promise that the borrower can refinance at the end of the low payment period. Borrowers who expected to refinace were surprised when home values dropped and their homes would not appraise for the amount they owed. Another problem is when one of the breadwinners no longer has a job so they no longer qualify for a new loan in the amount they owe. What they don't tell you is that when you refinance a loan, the closing costs are added back to the amount you owe so your mortgage balance goes up.

Plans and options change. The ongoing distressed real estate market has left a trail of foreclosures across the country, a large portion were adjustable rate and interest only loans.  Clark Howard is wrong to encourage people to choose an adjustable rate mortgage. The lowest payment is not always the best deal.                                     My advice is to always go for a 15 or 30 year fixed rate loan. If you need an adjustable rate mortgage to qualify, buy a lower priced house. Years ago, buyers would buy every bit of what their lender told them they could qualify for because housing values would go up and they would make money on the sale.  There is no guarantee values will increase. One in every four homeowners owes more than their house i worth. Their options are to stay in the house, rent the house, do a short sale or give it back to the bank.                                                                                                                   Two co-borrowers should consider buying a home they can afford on one income.at you can afford if one is out of work.  Because things change. If you need help buying or selling, call me, leslie edwards at 770.460.9448 direct. I will not only help you buy or sell, I will guide you through the process and help you stay out of trouble.  Homeownership is still the American Dream.