Ignore The Headlines!

It has been a tough year to decide what to do if you want to buy or sell a home. This Time article make some great points as to why you should buy a home now. But for every positive article like this, you have more negative ones like this one at Yahoo.com telling you why renting a home instead of buying might be better. If you need to sell a house right now, you do need to realize that prices are flat and you will need to price it realistically for it to sell today.

What is a realistic price? A good indicator would be to go back 5 to 7 years, find the value then and increase it by 2-3% a year. While this is a very simplistic and often times the wrong approach, it can help us see the long-term, steady increase the house would achieve without the wild run-up of prices we saw a couple of years ago.

If you are renting and have stable income, even just OK credit and a little cash, now is a great time to buy. What is keeping a lot of people on the sidelines are the headlines about record foreclosures, people losing their homes and the sub-prime loan meltdown. All of these thing, while significant, should not keep qualified buyers from possibly the best buyers market we have seen in years.

Let me help you determine if now is the best time to enter the home ownership market. I can help you find a great lender and a great home.

Michael Bradford
770-862-8002

Lessons about the way we treat people

Thanks to my friend Robin who sent this to me.

Cleaning Lady...
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.



Pickup in the Rain...
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.



Always remember those who serve...
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.



The obstacle in Our Path...
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.



Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

To "Open House" or not to "Open House"? That is the question.

I am asked at almost every listing appointment I go on how many open houses I plan to have. Most sellers are surprised when I tell them that I don't hold traditional open houses at all. I then go on to tell them I wouldn't want to put them or their home through all that for mostly my benefit. Do agents sell the homes that they hold open house for to people attending the open house? I am sure that it does happen. Would that same buyer have bought the home even without an open house? Probably. Buying a house is not an "impulse purchase".


Traditional open houses are great for agents looking for buyers leads. It used to be the number 1 way of finding buyers. But things have changed. The internet is where buyers are going and I want to have my listings as "Virtual Open Houses" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Between having virtual tours, multiple photos (25-50), plat drawings of the lot and soon, floor plans of each of my listings posted on the internet, I believe that both my time and yours is better spent leveraging the most powerful tool available today to market your home.

Research by REALTOR® Magazine Online reports that “while 80 percent of home buyers use the Web to search for properties, only 42 percent visited open houses last year”. They also reported “serious buyers tend to view properties online and make appointments to tour the specific properties that truly spark their interest”.

While an open house make’s it look like the agent is working hard for the seller, in most cases, it will only benefit the agent with new buyers leads. I want to sell your house, not use it to generate buyers leads. If you are ready to sell your house, let me show you how marketing on the internet will get thousands of people touring your home in a “Virtual Open House” every week, not just a few between 2 and 4 on Sunday.

Michael Bradford
770-862-8002

Good Morning

The first day of a new year at college, the Dean came in and said "Good Morning" to all of the students. When they echoed back to him, he responded "Ah, you're Freshmen."

He explained.

"When you walk in and say good morning, and they say good morning back, they're Freshmen. When they put their newspapers down and open their books, they're Sophomores. When they look up so they can see the who's talking over the tops of the newspapers, they're juniors. And when they put their feet up on the desks and keep reading, they're seniors. "And when you walk in and say good morning, and they write it down, they're graduate students."

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!

Over 600 property views in 1 week!

The real estate market has changed. We have all heard that and for those of us involved with it on a daily basis know it to be true. As with any business, when your market changes, you have to change with it or risk the chance of being left behind. With that said, I was amazed at the response of a new marketing tool that I have been using with one of my listings. It is called the "Featured Home" on Realtor.com, the worlds' largest real estate web site.

When someone does a search on Realtor.com, they usually start the search by city or zip code. The results of the search "30188" are detailed on this page. It then asks you to choose a search option - either a map or a list. But before you see the list or map, there are 4 homes (of the 8 spots for the zip code) with pictures on the left side which are the "Featured Homes" for this zip code. One of these spots is now mine which I rotate my Woodstock, Georgia, 30188 listings in and out of. But as a test for this first week, I left only one listing all week to see what kind of response I would get. My listing at 204 Whistle Wood Court got 612 property views in the week ending 9/23/07!

Even I was impressed with the results! I may be easily amused, but I am not easily impressed:)

I plan to use the "Featured Listing" on Realtor.com for all my listings. In the age of the Internet where 80% of all home buyers start their search for their next home, it only makes sense to use the tools that will reach this massive audience. If you would like to see your home get this kind of exposure in a "slow market", call me and let's get lots of people seeing your home in a whole new "Featured Home" light.

Call me today and let's talk about real estate. It's one of my favorite things to do! Michael Bradford, 770-862-8002

Firehouse Subs: SERVICE with a SMILE

By: Shannon Bradford

I do love to eat out and I really enjoy trying things that I've never had before. Today, I am reviewing Firehouse Subs.

Michael & I visited the Firehouse Subs at 9745-D Hwy. 92 (near I-575) next to Kinko's. This is a sanwhich shop that was started by real firemen who know how to make delicious, hot food.

When we went in, I really loved taking in the "firehouse" atmosphere. Lots of cool firemen type things everywhere - even the helmets and yellow slickers hanging on the wall. There was also an amazing mural painted on one wall. We also appreciated them having a tv with the news on so we could catch up while we waited for them to deliver our food.

A very friendly girl, Lauren, was working behind the counter and she gave me the lowdown on the menu and what some of the best sandwiches to try were. They are arranged in order of most to least popular. Michael ordered a meatball and I got the steak.

While we waited, we chatted with assistant manager, Michael Pace. He had been there for 12 hours and showing no signs of slowing down. I asked him about the resturant and he told me about how they had just saved the day for a local businesswoman who had placed a catering order with a resturant nearby. An hour and a half before the food was to be served, the resturant called to say that they would not be able to complete the order. She called Firehouse to see what they could do. With only an hour, Michael and his team put together 18 party platters and saved the meeting that this woman had planned with her clients.

Now that is the kind of service we love to see!

Michael and Lauren were both friendly and helpful and we could not decide which of our sandwiches we loved more. But be sure that we will return to Firehouse Subs again very soon.

You can visit them online at http://www.firehousesubs.com/ where you can place an order, view the menu and nutritional information, and see the various public safety charities they help and much more. You can also call the Woodstock location at 770.928.5636. Tell them that Michael and Shannon Bradford sent you!

Family Tradition: A Cherokee Tradition

by: Shannon Bradford

When I used to live in Canton off Hwy. 140, I would sometimes stop by Family Tradition restaurant for lunch or dinner. I knew it would taste like a meal at Grandma's. They are known for their home cooked meals at very reasonable prices.

Not only do they have a location in the Hickory Flat area on Hwy. 140 between Canton and Roswell (a new building - the old one has since been torn down), but they also have a location off of Towne Lake Parkway at Rose Creek Drive in the Publix shopping center.

I dined there yesterday with my friend Gina. We had a delicious meal, ordering from the daily specials that included chicken & dumplings, fried green tomatoes, beef tips, meatloaf and a variety of fish. Meals come with a meat and either 2 or 3 veggies. The daily specials change but they also have fried chicken, salads, burgers, sandwiches and soups every day. The children's menu includes chicken tenders, grilled cheese, burgers, meat/veggie plate, shrimp and catfish.

Family Tradition has plenty of cozy booths but also large tables. While there yesterday, we saw several large groups dining together. This group, some of Woodstock's finest and bravest, were enjoying their lunch together and we were thrilled to see them there.


(Thank you for your service, guys!)

Both restaurants are open from 5:30 AM (a delicious breakfast) to 8:30 PM Monday through Saturday. Did I mention that they cater? When the food is that good, you almost have to cater!

For more information on Family Tradition Restaurant, you can CLICK HERE or call them at 770-852-2885.

Deep Cleaning/Organizing

My wife loves to organize. It delights her to no end to be given free reign in someone's pile-up room, closet or desk and just make it look neat and tidy.

She came across a "grand plan" for giving your house a good once-over. It is broken down into bite-sized pieces so that it seems quite do-able for the average person. I am really not sure who the author is but it has to be someone very clever.

If you want to give your house a good, deep, organizing, purging cleaning, or if you would like to get it ready to sell, go HERE and check out the Grand Plan.