Don't miss the bottom!

Interest rates went up this week. REALTOR.com reports (click here for the article): "Following four consecutive weekly declines, Freddie Mac reports a jump in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to 5.68 percent during the week ended Jan. 31 from 5.48 percent the prior week."



Usually when the Federal Reserve Board meets and lowers the rate they charge banks, interest rates eventually will fall. Due to the high demand for refinances, this time rates have actually risen.



Will they continue to rise or will the demand for mortgages easy allowing the rates to fall again? That is the million dollar question. I think we are at or very near the bottom for now.



Today is a great time to lock in a low interest rate for your new home. Great inventory and low rates together make now one of the best times to buy your new home. Call me today and let's find YOUR dream home!



Michael Bradford

770-862-8002

Zip Skinny

I ran across this interesting website that allows you to enter a zipcode and will then bring up the latest statistics on that area. People call me wanting to relocate to Georgia and often ask questions about income, demographics and similar factoids. Here is the "skinny" on my personal zipcode: 30189

To enter your own zipcodes and get the "skinny" on the area, visit Zipskinny by clicking HERE.

Holiday Decorating

My wife and I are absolutely decorating impaired. We have never owned drapes/curtains, our carpets are always brown, our walls antique white and trim/doors glossy bright white. We don't own many knick-knacks and we can fit our holiday decorations into one or two boxes. We need today's post as much as some of you might. Here are some links to help you with your holiday decorating:

1. Amazing Christmas Ideas

2. Holiday Ideas

3. Holiday Decorating Planner

4. 10 Great Holiday Decorating Ideas on a Budget

If you'd like to share an idea or decorating tip, please send an e-mail to me at MichaelBradford@comcast.net and I'll be glad to post it. Happy Decorating!

"Cyber" Monday

Today has been officially dubbed “Cyber Monday” according to the National Retail Federation. Yahoo reports that today marks the start of the online shopping season. Internet research company comScore estimates that consumers will spend over $700 million online TODAY!

The internet has change so much about how we live our lives everyday. I only know a handful of people who are not online. The vast majority of people in the U.S. are plugged in and using the internet regularly. According to REALTOR.com®, over 80% of people looking for their next home start looking online. Even the way we shop for Christmas is changing as evidenced by today being named “Cyber Monday”. Retail buying has not been as dramatic a change as buying a new home but I believe that more and more of our shopping will be done online.

So how did the retail “brick and mortar” stores do over this past weekend? According to the article, ShopperTrak RCT Corp. reported late Sunday that sales on Friday and Saturday combined rose 7.2 percent to $16.4 billion from the same two-day period a year ago. "This was a really good start," said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak. "There seemed to be a lot of pent-up demand."

I thought the sky was supposed to be falling and we were heading for economic chaos, fascism and looting in the streets. That seems to be the news we hear lately.

I agree with Mr. Martin and believe there is a pent up demand and it flows into every area of our spending. We are only being prudent with what we have. The main stream media has us convinced that our future is in doubt and we have responded by not spending as much money. But at some point, when we all realize that “I’m doing pretty good”, we will start to spend our money and live our lives the way we can and want to. We will spend money on Christmas and also eventually buy the house or car we want or need. The problem with a pent-up demand is you never know when it will be released.

Currently within the real estate market, it is a buyers market. Interest rates are excellent and we have a diverse, reasonably priced inventory of homes available. When it will change back to a sellers market is unknown but, rest assured, it will. We live in a great area with lots of jobs and low inflation.

If you are one of those people who have a “pent-up demand” for housing, I would encourage you to at least look around and see what is available. I would consider it a privilege to help you find the home of your dreams.

Michael Bradford, 770-862-8002
Cherokee County Georgia Real Estate Specialist

Atlanta: Forbes' Most Undervalued Cities

Forbes magazine recenly published this article by Matt Woolsey about the cities in this country with the most undervalued property. Atlanta was in the top 3 along with Charlotte, NC and Detroit, MI.

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Matt wrote: "Market slumps often result in good buys, and solid investments get tagged with bargain prices due to the volatile market. One place to look for these deals is the housing sector, where worries about a continuing dip in home prices are keeping many buyers on the sidelines, and keeping a lid on prices."

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That is exactly what I tell people everyday when they ask about the market, fearful that they should stay out of it. No! NOW is the time to buy. I firmly believe that the spring will bring a rise in prices and people will not be able to find the deals that are out there today.

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If you are in need of a home, NOW is the time to buy. Call me today so we can get to work. We may even have you in your new dream house by Christmas! 770-862-8002.

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Michael Bradford

Southern Prime Realty

My Newest Listings

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If you would like to see either of these homes, or any others that you've seen for sale, please call me at 770-862-8002 to schedule your private tour.

Michael Bradford
Southern Prime Realty

Georgia Ranked #2 Business Climate

According to THIS article in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Georgia moved up 2 spaces from last year to end up in the number 2 position for the nation's best business environment. This ranking was made by Site Selection Magazine.

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According to the magazine editor, Mark Arend, the trend seems to be that businesses are moving into southern areas that are less dominated by unions - the "right to work" states.

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Wonder how they all shook out? Here is the final list:

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THE TOP 20

1. North Carolina

2. Georgia

3. Texas

4. Virginia

5. Alabama

6. Tennessee

7. Ohio

8. Kentucky

9. Florida

10. South Carolina

11. Indiana

12. Michigan

13. Illinois

14. Pennsylvania

15. Oklahoma

16. Iowa

17. Mississippi

18. Missouri

19. Nevada (tie)

19. New York (tie)

• Source: Site Selection Magazine's 2007 Top 20 Business Climate Rankings

How to Save Water at Home

Gov. Sonny Purdue has requested that everybody reduce their water use by 10% over last year. Will this be enough of a conservation effort to make a difference now? Only time will tell but it is good that we are talking about and taking actions to conserve one of North Georgia's most precious resources. What are some practical steps we can all take to conserve water? Here are a few of my favorites:

*Don't wash the car. This has to be my all time favorite. But even I have a hard time with a dirty car after a couple of weeks. Here is a tip to help between washes. First thing in the morning if you park outside, when the dew is still on the cars, take an old towel and wipe down the top, hood, trunk and doors. hang the towel out to dry . Use it two or three times before washing it. If you park inside, a duster could also help.

*No outdoor watering. I still have a empty flowerbed that we decided not to plant the new flowers in right now. I know this has hurt the nursery business but I promise to make it up by buying more drought resitant plants. I also try to use more hardscaping in my yard.

*Not turning on the faucet all the way when rinsing dishes. This took some getting use to but I think we can turn the corner on this. We are also keeping the stopper in the sink so water collects and we can rinse the dishes off while reusing it for other dishes. I never really though of how much water was going down the drain by rinsing dishes with the faucet on high and the sink stopper open.

*Use your bath towel several of times. Hopefully you did a good job in the shower and your towel can be hung to dry and reused. Less loads of laundry is definitely a good way to save water, electricity, and time as well.

These are just a few ways we can all help use water more efficiently. I would like to hear from you about ways you are conserving water (showering with a friend aside:). For the most creative and effective suggestion I get, you will receive a $20 gift certificate to Lowe's or The Home Depot and also your idea posted here. Please e-mail your ideas to me at: michaelbradford@comcast.net. The decision of the judges (me, my wife, my 16 year old son and my almost 14 year old daughter) is final and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 31 . Thank you for taking the time to participate.

Michael Bradford
770-862-8002

Homemade Cleaners

Make-It-Yourself Household Cleaning Products

• Baking soda will help control odors in your garbage disposal. Pour 2 tablespoons in garbage disposal every week.


• Baking soda will remove the coffee and tea stains from yourfavorite mugs.


• Microwaves can be cleaned by nuking a ½ C. vingar for 2 minutes and letting sit for an additional minute. Wipe the interior with a rag. For tough spots, dip it int the vinegar and wipe.


• If you have a problem with sugar ants, a mixture of half vinegar half water sprayed on the ants will kill them instantly.


• Instead of buying expensive antibacterial sprays for the kitchen, just put about 1 tablespoon of household bleach in a spray bottle filled with water and use it to disinfect around the sink and counters, especially when you've been handling or packaging meat.


• For quick cleaning, keep a spray bottle equal parts water and ammonia handy.


• To unclog a plugged drain, try pouring 1/2 cup baking soda 1/2 cup vinegar into the clogged drain and cover tightly. After a minute or so, rinse the drain out with two quarts of boiling water. Cleaning the drain in this manner from time to time will help keep debris from building up.


• When your drain is clogged with grease, try pouring a cup of salt and a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a generous amount of boiling water. This will usually dissolve the grease and clear the drain.


• To clean your oven, use a mixture of ammonia and water. The solution may be stored in a spray bottle. For tough stains, apply a mixture of baking soda and water directly to the stains, and let the mixture stand for several minutes before wiping the oven surface clean.


• To rid your cutting board from that smell of onions and garlic it tends to accumulate, rub it with half a lemon or lime.


• Use a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol, club soda, or white vinegar to give your stainless steel a brilliant shine.

DON’T WAIT UNTIL SPRING TO SELL YOUR HOUSE!

As an active agent in Cherokee County, I talk to people everyday whose house did not sell the first or even the second time they listed it. Almost everyone I talk to that had not re-listed their house after a couple of weeks of it expiring tell me they are going to wait until spring before they try again. I know the market is soft now, but will it be that much better in the spring? I wish I had a crystal ball but I don’t. What I can tell you is when spring comes in Georgia, not only will the Dogwoods and Tulips start popping out but there will probably be hundreds more houses for sale signs popping up as well. Many economists say that it will be 2009 before we see a substantial turn around in the housing market. My point is you should take your chances in today’s market instead of speculating on what the market could do in the future.

Here is a case in point: A homeowner wants to move to a bigger house. They have been in their house for awhile now and want to take the equity they have built up and put it into a new, bigger house. The problem is they couldn’t sell it for what it was worth last year in today’s market so the listing expired. Let’s say as an example that the house was worth $200,000 last year but in today’s market they have been or would be selling for $180,000. They don’t want to “lose” $20K so the house sits on the market until the listing expires and they are trapped in a house that is too small.

What are they to do? My advice would be to price the house to sell today, take the perceived “loss” and move on. Why would I call it a “perceived” loss? Because the opportunity to buy the bigger house now, while prices are flat, will more than offset any loss they may have in selling their current home.

Let’s say they are able to buy that new, bigger house last year for $450,000. Today that same house could be bought for $410,000, a savings of $40K! They are already starting $20K ahead. If you also consider the appreciation which may start to climb late next year or early into 2009, getting the appreciation on a $410,000 house would be more than the appreciation on the $180,000 house. Plus you get to enjoy your new, bigger house now! Next year or even 2009 when your $180,000 house will be worth $200,000 again, the $410,000 house will be worth $450,000. Do you want to "save" $20K only to "lose" $40K when you buy the next house?

If this makes sense to you, please call me and let’s talk about your specific situation. If you still want to wait until spring, please keep my contact information and when spring comes, let me show you my internet marketing system that will have sold houses all winter long. I will do my best to make your house stand out against the hundreds of others available then and we can take our chances.

I do hope you will reconsider waiting until spring and call me today. Let’s face it, the market has slowed down but it has not stopped. Everyday people have to move for one reason or another. Let me put your house in front of hundreds of people a week online, holding a “virtual open house” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Let’s sell your house now so you can move on with your life!

Michael Bradford

770-862-8002

Local Investor Offers Solution to Many Buyers With Credit Issues

Howard Brummel is a man who can think outside of the box. This local real estate investor has found a way to put people into houses that they love even when they would not be able to get traditional financing because of credit or income verification issues.

Howard, and other investors like him, offer their houses (he has over 40 right now to choose from) for sale through the very popular Lease/Purchase program. This method of selling a house is proving to be quite popular with the tighter restrictions that mortgage companies are putting on their borrowers now.

HERES HOW IT WORKS:

A buyer has some credit issues but needs a house to live in now. Instead of the traditional 10% down on a house, Howard only requires an initial 3 - 5% down. They have 1 year to clean up their credit while they pay rent on the house as if they were leasing it. As they make their payments on time, they are establishing a record of being able to make payments on the house for the future lender to see.

If they buy the house within the first 3 months, 100% of their on-time rent is credited towards the final purchase price of the house. If they close within 4-6 months, it's 75%. 7-9 months is 50% and 10-12 months is 25% rent credit. After 12 months, 10% of their rent is credited. By credit, I mean that that percentage of their rent will go, along with the down payment, towards to purchase price of the house.

A buyer can know that at least some portion of his rent is working towards the purchase price of the house. He is also buying time to work towards establishing better credit so that he will qualify for traditional financing and lower interest rates.

To read more about Howard's Lease/Purchase plan, you can visit his site by clicking HERE. You can also reach him at 770-591-9492.

Artuzzi's Italian Kitchen

Review by Shannon Bradford

My friend Gina and I were hankering for some Italian fare so we decided to try Artuzzi's Italian Kitchen located on Hwy. 92 near I-575 in the same shopping center as our last week's review resturant "Firehouse Subs" (near Kinko's). Let me just say that we were NOT disappointed.

Artuzzi's is really unique and they can only be found in the Atlanta area. (They call it Italian With A Twist) They serve fresh, healthy Italian food quickly. It's not "fast food" but it is served to you quickly. It is also much more moderately priced than some of the more expensive Italian resturants and tastes just as fresh and delicious. Don't be surprised when your food is being cooked with a flame under the sautee' pan. And, yes, you can watch them do it because they have an open kitchen area.

Artuzzi's lends an atmosphere of fun to your dining experience. It's artfully decorated in a modern way with great lighting, lovely tile floors and contrasting paint colors. Seating is spacious and there are plenty of loyal staff members (who have worked there since they first opened 2 years ago) cleaning and serving throughout the dining room.

The tone was set when we arrived as we were greeted by a very sweet, smiling girl, Tammy. She was ready to walk us through the menu, which included pasta, pizzas, sandwiches and salads. Their most popular dish is their Lasagna followed closely by pasta (of your choice) with the Bosco Sauce. (sliced chicken, roasted mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, garlic, scallion, fresh basil, Marsalla wine, cream, chicken stock, Parmesan & Romano cheese.) Is your mouth watering? They also serve beer, wine and some delicious looking desserts. See?

Brian Hazen, who co-owns Artuzzi's with Crawford Humphreys, informed us that not only do they serve fresh food to their walk-in customers, but they also cater and are about to launch delivery service (within a 3 mile radius). I am sure this will absolutely delight the local businesses nearby.

After placing our order of Cheese Ravioli in Bolognese Sauce and a Chopped Mozzamato Salad, we found a comfortable booth near the back and got our drinks from the soft drink bar. Although there was a good crowd of people enjoying Artuzzi's for lunch, there was plenty of comfortable seating - even enough to accomodate several large groups that were dining together.

When our food was brought to us, it looked as delicious as it tasted. And nobody on the staff failed to ask us if we needed anything or offer a friendly smile. That's because they pay their employees a full wage and tipping is optional. Still, many customers leave tips because they feel (as I did) that the service was worth it! Gina even left with a To-Go cup of her favorite soft drink so it didn't go to waste.

If you have not yet tried Artuzzi's Italian Kitchen, may I recommend it to you? They are open for lunch and dinner so you can decide when you want to try something fresh and new. Our lunch was a wonderful dining experience - one that will earn Artuzzi's two new loyal customers. And when you do stop by, tell them that the Bradford's sent you!