I was looking specifically for how the listings were presented.  We know from every bit of research done on buyer behavior that photos and virtual tours are among the most important things to the VAST majority of buyers.  Homes with few or no pictures are most often passed over… regardless of how nice the property might be.  Buyers want to see LOTS of pictures.  They want virtual tours, and they want both the pictures AND the virtual tours to be high quality.

So, with that in mind I took a trip through the last 30 days of listings for Lilburn in FMLS.  In that period, there were 56 new listings entered.  I sorted them by how recent they were.  I was looking to see how well presented the listings were.  I did NOT judge the quality of the photos, because that owuld be subjective.  I just judged on quantity.

Of the 56 newest listings:

• 8 had 0 pictures, 14.3%
• 7 had 1 picture, 12.5%
• 6 has 2-8 pictures , 10.7%
• 13 had 9-11 pictures, 23.2%
• 22 had 12 pictures , 39.3%
• 6 had virtual tours, 10.7%

I have to admit that I was stunned that over 60% of the listings did not have the maximum number of pictures allowed… and almost 90% had no virtual tour.  I’m not talking about bad tours… I am talking about ANY virtual tour.  Virtual tours are available for as little as $99…  I don’t think those are great, but at least they are something.  And for the desperate, they can be done for less if the agent or seller provides the pictures.  Personally, I use a high quality tour and it is more expensive, but I also think EVERY listing needs a virtual tour.

If I recall correctly, it has been almost a year since FMLS changed to allow 12 pictures on the listing.  I have to say that I am stunned when I still see less than eight pictures on a listing (the old limit).  And when I see no pictures… or even the drive-by curb-shot… I wonder what the problem is.  Ugly property?  But even then, I would want a prospective buyer to know before they visit that it won’t be a showplace.  I value their time, and don’t want them to waste it looking at a property that won’t suit their needs.  I nkow that when I take buyers out and the house isn’t as advertised, my buyers are annoyed.

The Bottom Line…

With digital camera technology, the ease of uploading pictures, affordable virtual tours and the knowledge that images are what buyers want to see, there is no excuse for not maxing out the pictures AND providing a virtual tour for EVERY listing.

Agents and sellers that think that they are creating “mystery” by not showing pictures of their listings are just flat out mistaken.  There are too many options…  Instead of mystery, they just provide an excuse to move to the next listing.

If you are thinking that 2009 might be the year to buy a home, this is the time to start the planning process.  Unlike years past, buying a house in the current climate may take a little more work.

To start with, lenders are looking for actual down payments with many loans.  That isn’t to say that 100% financing is out of the question, but as the down payment goes up, options increase and interest rates improve.  Having 3% makes the process a world easier.  Having 10% or 20% makes the financing process even easier.

Of course, down payments aren’t the only financial consideration.  One also needs to consider financial reserves (the savings account) and credit-worthiness.

This is a good time to look at your credit scores and make sure everything is real… it isn’t exactly rare that the credit bureaus make a mistake.  Make sure that they have the correct accounts and get them fixed early.  Lenders are a little tighter now that a couple of years ago.  Also, if there are problems, it is easier to raise the score by correcting them when there isn’t a time constraint.

Financial reserves are actually something that can be more easily addressed at the moment.  The federal government is offering a $7500 first time home buyer’s tax credit.  There are some things to keep in mind with that tax credit.  There are also some state and local programs that one might qualify for… although they are often tougher to find, and run out of funds from time to time.

Finally, after visiting with a good mortgage broker to find out what you can REALLY afford, start the search.  Figure out what area or areas you might be interested in, and start to watch the prices.  Some areas are actually tough to buy right now because demand is high.  Other areas are seeing prices still dropping.  The bottom line is that you want to know if you are looking at a good deal.  The best deals pop back off of the market in days! I am seeing some great opportunities out there, but they are literally sold in the first couple of days on the market.  The properties that are hanging out for a long time are often not priced attractively… although there are some gems hiding in that group too.  But the point is that if you want a good deal, you have to recognize it and be ready to make a move.

As we get closer to spring, sellers get less motivated because they expect more buyers in the market.

Give me a call… let’s get started.  I offer a free, no obligation notification service.  I will set up a website that will notify you of the newest properties that meet your criteria.

from LaneBailey.com

View video survey of the kitchen and master bathroom upgrades in this recently reduced-priced home on a cul-de-sac in Brookside Plantation subdivision with the master on the main level.

Lawrenceville, Georgia

So, I couldn’t help it. I entered the office address for Diamond Dwellings here at Hamilton Mill and here’s the map I got. Looks like all the mall of georgia shoppers would not be happy!

A bit twisted? Sorry about that.

Merry Christmas!

To my suprise, this place ROCKS! I was so impressed with all of the local spirit ware they had that was very reasonably priced and they even embroider items you buy at the store for free. I ended up getting my brother in-law an awesome Dacula Falcons sweatshirt for Christmas which they are in the process of embroidering for me. Woo-hoo my shopping is done!

The store has all kinds of clothing for the Mill Creek cluster system as well as the Dacula system. I actually could have spent more time there but I wanted to get home and write this post to let everyone know about this place. If you have any last minute Christmas shopping to do head on over and take a look.

Also in their inventory is a huge selection of purses, handbags, and all the other ladies items I passed by but my wife found a headband for our daughters birthday and she could have stayed there shopping for quite a while. Honestly I did not spend too much time in the ladies/girls area I was too busy looking at the guys stuff.

The address is 2995-C Old Fountain Road, Dacula, 30019 and you can reach them by phone at 770-682-5961 or via email spiritwares@bellsouth.net.

• Have a great price
• Offer “service with a smile”
• Give great haircuts

Today, I decided to try out a new place.  It turned out quite nicely.  Since I started cutting it so short that it basically only takes clippers to cut it, a great haircut is pretty easy to find :)  But, price is also important.   So is a friendly atmosphere.   I found all that at the new Great Cuts Family Hair Salon.  It’s in the new shopping center next to the CVS pharmacy on Jim Moore at Hwy 324.

They are running a terrific special right now. Men’s haircuts are just $8.99 & women are $10.99. Man, that’s a great deal.   Tell them you saw it on HamiltonMillDwellings.com

But, here is the thing… I seldom visit my office. I certainly don’t live close to it. I admit, I don’t live in Lilburn… I live in Stone Mountain, but I am in the Gwinnett County sliver. I actually live within a couple hundred yards of Lilburn.

So, I basically live my life in Lilburn… I even wonder why Lilburn doesn’t annex this part of Stone Mountain. Gwinnett County forgets we exist (I have had trouble registering cars… They tell me I am really in DeKalb County, but I know who gets my property taxes).

Cooler yet would be for Mountain Park to incorporate…

But, the bottom line is that Lilburn is where I live and work. I visit Dacula every week or three to pick up mail and visit with my fellow agents.

One other bonus with Diamond Dwellings versus other brokerages… We aren’t really competing. We mostly work specific areas and aren’t competing for the same consumers. So, this means that there is a tremendous amount of cooperation. I have been in and around traditional offices, and the agents aren’t co-workers, they are competitors. They are fighting for the same clients.

While one would think this would make better agents, it doesn’t. It prevents agents from networking and learning from each other. They don’t want to share their best practices with their competition. At Diamond Dwellings, we get to really operate like a team. And that means that I have a solid group of professionals at my disposal.

So, I really am a Lilburn kind of agent…

from LaneBailey.com

I’m so impressed with the folks at Gwinnett Chamber that I just had to write about it here.  If your not already a member, you really should join.  It’s so professional and well developed - and everyone has made us feel so welcome.  Kim Jones & Pat Brannon have been so helpful - and they are just a few of the great people that make the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce what it is today.

In the last few days, I’ve met 50 to 100 new Gwinnett business people and added some real business leads to our sales process at Diamond Dwellings.  Here’s just a few business people that I met at Gwinnett Chamber:

• Daidra Annis from Houston & Company PC (accountants)
• Daniel Chisca from Exxteriors (stucco, roofing & other exteriors)
• Freda Kalina from Remax

It was fun meeting Freda because “I’ve seen her name everywhere” and we’d never met before.  Believe it or not, I love meeting other Realtors & brokers and sharing stories, etc.

So, Thanks Gwinnett Chamber!  Can’t wait to see you all in the New Year!