Club Chaos Agents - All Things Hollish, Wacked, and Jacked

Is it just me or did Summer just fly on by at warp speed? It seems like just a few weeks ago I was writing about Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

But as the hours of daylight wane and the night air finally begins to cool, it’s time to start thinking about sampling some muscadines and scuppernongs or heading to the mountains for some fried apple pies.

The tomato vines are starting to wither from old age. Here in the South, they rarely make it until frost as the inherent genetic maladies erode the vigor of new growth and the vines simply succumb to “old age.”.

And the migrating hummingbirds are passing through on their way to warmer winter climes. We counted fifteen around the feeder yesterday.

Fall is just around the corner. And although we’ll still reach 90 degrees in Newnan Georgia today, Summer’s grip is loosening.

I hope that everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Pundits ignore it. Prognosticators omit it. Politicians are oblivious to it. But there is one argument in favor of home ownership that no one can legitimately dispute:

40% of American homeowners own their primary residences “free and clear.”

This large segment of our society is immune to the cyclical winds of real estate change. They can never be “upside-down” or “underwater.” And while they may have lost some equity in the market value of the property, their only consequence is a lower tax assessment if they opt to appeal.

As long as they choose not to sell, the true value of their property as a residence remains intact. It will continue to serve their housing needs for years to come.

And as long as the ultimate goal of any purchaser is to own their home outright, ownership will NEVER be passé!

I have never been one to suffer from tunnel vision. When I am traveling from place to place, I take full notice the world that is around me.

Whether I am in a back alley or a National Park, I notice the all of the details that are around me.

And while some of the beauty of the world is obvious at first glance, at other times, the aesthetic value of a glimpse must be cognitively recognized to be fully appreciated.

Perhaps I have a touch of AADD. I am so easily distracted.

There is so much to see in the world around me and I want to experience all of it!

Sellers all share the same notion as to the value of their house. When I ask what they would like to net from the sale of their property, they always answer: “as much as I can get.”

And generally, they believe that the best way to achieve that goal is to start high to test the waters, and then consider price reductions as time goes on without receiving any offers.

However, in today’s market, there is a strong possibility that electing to use this strategy will ultimately lose money for the seller. It’s called “chasing the market,” and in a declining market it is more like a dog chasing its own tail.

As houses languish on the market, savvy buyers sense more and more desperation on behalf of the seller. There is nothing about these listings that would make a buyer want to offer anything near the list price.

My preference is to ask a seller what the “least” amount they can live with right from the get-go. If that amount is close to the true market value that I have researched, we are in business.

A properly price house immediately attracts serious buyers during the initial “new listing” phase. And if a house generates multiple offers within the first week or two, the seller is actually in a much stronger negotiating position.

And here’s the kicker: Pricing a house lower can actually net the seller more money in less time! Let’s all repeat that: Pricing a house lower can actually net the seller more money.

And a better bottom line is the net result of a successful sale!

When I awoke this morning, the room was much brighter that usual. The first thought that jumped into my mind was “oh my goodness, what time is it?”

It was 8:37 A.M. to be exact. It was official:

I had slept in!

And while that might be a common occurrence for many, for me it only happens if I’m ill. I never use an alarm clock as my natural internal rhythm stirs me out of bed at six every morning.

I guess that I was just really, really tired. Fortunately, I don’t have any appointments this morning so there was no adverse side-effects of my lethargy.

And it actually felt pretty good!

Like everyone else, I have a list of unfinished projects that need addressing. I’m not really talking about things that I want to do or am planning to do, but projects that have already been set into action, with money spent and time invested.

The unfinished items include everything and anything from some incomplete home improvements to revamping several websites to getting better organized.

As the list continues to get longer and longer, I have dismissed my inability to keep up as a natural occurrence commensurate with my age. Perhaps I am slowing down a bit as time takes its toll.

But I am not ready for the retirement home yet, and I’m pretty robust for my years. So I came to the realization that my inability to keep up with these activities is actually related to my work as a real estate broker.

Very simply put; the real estate business demands a lot more time than in years past. Not only does it take a lot more effort to generate leads and create new business, but transactions in progress require substantially more work than in the past.

It is not uncommon to spend an hour a day on each transaction that is already “in the drawer,” two to three hours doing online marketing and social networking, and another hour scrubbing leads and following up on prospects.

That’s not counting the actual hardcore business of preparing listing presentations, scheduling showings, and actually meeting with clients to list a home or to show property. It makes for some very long work days.

This leaves very little remaining time to complete all of these unfinished business and personal projects that I have started.

There are just not enough hours in the day!

Coweta County has experienced some troubling economic times over the last few years. And during that time, the consumer hasn’t gotten any relief.

As a matter of fact, the average citizen has been hit with higher food and gasoline prices, the suspension of the Homestead Exemption on their property taxes, and higher prices for public services.

And now there’s a new wrinkle is the diminishing disposable income fabric. This year’s record high temperatures have produced utility bills that are in some cases DOUBLE what they were last year.

Homeowners and tenants are struggling to pay electricity invoices that are nearly equal to their mortgage payments or rental amounts. It’s not just the hot days that have caused the problem, as high humidity and overnight temperatures have kept the air conditioners running all night long!

And more money spent on keeping your cool is less money spent is local stores and restaurants. It is truly an economic challenge that was not expected.

And it couldn’t have happened at a worse time!

I use state-of the art-anti-virus software. I don't open attachments that I am not expecting to be sent. I don't visit dubious websites.

And yet my computer was attacked last night and is paralyzed by a debilitating bit of malware. I feel violated. I feel sick.

And I wonder why nobody has addressed these repeated acts of criminal extortion? People are being robbed of their money and their time every day and yet these wicked perpetrators are allowed to continue unpunished.

It's not like you would have to be a master detective to find them. All you have to do is follow the money.

And there are accomplices that could and should be implicated. The credit card companies and shopping card services that take their cut are not doing all they can to put an end to this madness.

Is there no law enforcement in this area? What is being done? It is an assault against polite society that should not be tolerated.

And I'm sick and tired of it.

Trust is a wonderful quality. It is very satisfying to have enough faith and confidence in a person or a company to take them at their word.

And most of the time, everyone involved in a verbal commitment really does mean to keep their word and to stick to it.

The problem is more one of fading memories. As time goes on there is a good likelihood that one or both parties committed to a verbal agreement simply forget the details of the mutual pact.

The act of insisting on a written agreement is not necessarily a lack of trust. It can often be an excellent “memory aid” in the event of confusion down the road.

No matter how simple or unimportant an arrangement might be, a written agreement can actually become a relationship builder, and not a friendship destroyer.

As I said, trust is a wonderful quality!

Don't let it ruin a good relationship forever.