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Things to Avoid When Holding an Open House

Submitted by Chris Lazarus, DPP, Real Estate Professional
Sunday, June 5th, 2011, 7:30pm

This weekend was national open house weekend. I had the opportunity to see an open house go wrong in a million dollar neighborhood, so I'm going to share some pointers to help your open house go smoothly.

1. Ensure that there are no malfunctions with the home. A defective air conditioner ruins the experience for everyone including the agent. You do not want the agent to be in a bad mood!

2. Have an agent who will not push prizes, giveaways, or follow prospective buyers as they look at the house. The idea is to make everyone comfortable and the way to do that is by making all information readilly available and be available to answer questions.

3. Have drinks and/or snacks on hand, especially on a hot afternoon. At a minimum, bottles icewater and soda is a must.

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Learn the Basics of the City of Atlanta Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Sat., Feb. 5

Submitted by LA Thomas, PR Manager, City of Atlanta, Dept. of Planning & Comm. Development
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011, 5:03pm
Learn the Basics of the City of Atlanta Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Sat., Feb. 5

The City of Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development has the responsibility for administrative oversight, management and implementation of the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). 

It is designed to help revitalize neighborhoods and address the national foreclosure crisis.  NSP grants allow municipalities to purchase abandoned, bank-owned foreclosures to help stabilize communities hit hardest by the crisis.  

On Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, the city's Office of Housing is hosting a public information session.  The community is invited to attend the free event.  Here are the details:

NSP Public Information Session: Saturday, Feb, 5, 2011 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Old Council Chambers, 68 Mitchell Street.

More Important Information about the City of Atlanta NSP:

In September 2010, the U.S.

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Dekalb Foreclosure Registry Begins on October 27th

Submitted by Marc Richardson, Where U Live Producer
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010, 3:59pm

Atlanta, GA--  DeKalb County will launch its Foreclosure Registry, Wednesday, Oct. 27.  The DeKalb County Foreclosure Registry was established as a means to protect neighborhoods from becoming blighted as a result of the lack of adequate maintenance and security caused by the foreclosure crisis.

Creditors or mortgagees who foreclose on a property after Oct. 27 will have up to 30 days following the foreclosure sale to register the property with DeKalb County and pay a fee of $175.  Creditors or mortgagees located outside the geographical boundaries of Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale Counties are required to designate a local property agent located within these geographical boundaries to ensure security and maintenance of the property.

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Loan Modification Could be Good, but Short Sale is Better says 1 Expert

Submitted by Marc Richardson, Where U Live Producer
Friday, August 27th, 2010, 10:06am

Atlanta, GA--  As more and more Atlanta homeowners find themselves in financial distress and are forced to make tough decisions regarding their homes and specifically their dropping values and ballooning mortgage payments, we turned to a housing expert to help us navigate this complex situation.

Marian Anthony is a real estate finance expert and author of Short Sale RUSH- A How To Guide for Nonperforming Assets.  According to Marian, a Short Sale is more advantageous than a Loan Modification or a Foreclosure because "the reduced payoff in a short sale releases you from the debt obligation." He states that a foreclosure will ruin the homeowner's credit, and "a loan modification actually builds a debt trap around the borrower, milking them for every last nickel."

With so much information and marketing dollars being spent on homeowners getting into Loan Modification programs which may keep you bogged in debt for years, take Marian's su

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