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Tag Archives: lilburn

Water, Water, Everywhere… DANGER WILL ROBINSON…

Monday, 21 September 2009 20:52
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I wrote a post not long ago about how water (uncontrolled) can destroy your house, and how simple things like gutters and paint can protect your investment.

But this isn’t abut anything so trivial…

Displaced drivewayIf you haven’t been paying attention to the news… or you aren’t reading this post in mid to late September (2009), we are having some serious water issues here in Atlanta.  The words 100 year flood are making the rounds… and I have NO reason to not believe that.  I have been here 20 years and have never seen anything like this.

While out and about today, I saw displaced roads, flooded creeks and rivers flowing over bridges.  Those things all happen sometimes, but the word is that there are several HUNDRED roads closed from flooding.  And the rain hasn’t stopped.

Here is the important part…

So far there are six people that have died in the floods.  Most of them have died in their cars.  All of the folks that have died in their cars have died while driving through flooded roadways… and had their cars swept from the road.

Simply, if a creek or river is FLOWING over the road, do drive through it. Sure, you MIGHT make it through if the water is low enough.  But you might not.  Is it worth it?  Not for me…

Stay safe…

Rough Water CrossingI am perfectly willing to admit that I have taken Jeeps through creeks that were fairly deep.  Even some that were running pretty fast.  But there are a couple of HUGE differences.  With the larger tires and lifted suspensions, the vehicle is well out of the water.  A standard sedan starts getting pushed by the water as low as six or seven inches.  My jeep kept the body clear of the water for almost two feet…

And then there was a “happening” in Kane Creek in Moab, UT.  Some friends had a Jeep start to float while crossing the rain swollen creek.  The Jeep would have kept floating for a while it not attached by winch cable to a stable object.  As it was, it rolled in the creek, and the driver barely escaped a dunking by climbing out the passenger side and jumping to shore.  The Jeep was totaled. It could have easily been much worse.

And stay smart…

Today I saw a car parked in the middle of the road after a deep spot (pooled, not flowing).  The engine may have been toast (we call it hydro-locked.  Water doesn’t compress, so if it gets into the engine, bad things can happen.  And the worst thing to possibly do is try to turn the engine over with the starter if it stalls in the water. Instead, get towed out, and then take out the spark plugs.  Turn the engine over with the starter (watch out, because gas/water may spray out a few feet).  Shoot a little WD-40 in each cylinder and then reinstall the spark plugs.  If there are ugly, unnatural sounds, it might be too late, the damage may already be done.

Sounds like good reasons to NOT drive in deep water, huh?  Death or mechanical devastation…

from GwinnettGarageGuy.com

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Is this the time to buy your first house?

Saturday, 12 September 2009 17:56
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The effective federal funds rate charted over ...
Image via Wikipedia

Maybe…  Maybe not…

Make no mistake, there are some deals in the market.  And combined with the $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit (FTHBTC), this can be a great time to buy a first home.  Interest rates have remained low… despite a LOT of predictions to the contrary.  In fact, with a projected deficit THIS year of $1.8T for the federal government, there is still an expectation that rates will have to rise because of the pressure on the available investors.

In fact, that would be the case laid out by those that say THIS is the time.  The FTHBTC is coming to a close on December 1st.  And while that is almost two months away, in the world of home search and financing, two months can go by pretty quickly.

On the other hand…

There are some points that would suggest that for some buyers, waiting a little longer might be just the ticket.  In fact, waiting until AFTER the FTHBTC expires could be a better move for many buyers.

Just as with the Cash for Clunkers program, the tax credit is pushing some buyers into the market that might not have jumped in otherwise.  And we have seen upward pressure on prices for entry level homes.  Buyers, in some cases, are bidding up the prices for some homes.

By waiting until many of the buyers have abandoned the market… after the tax credit expires… there is a belief that prices may drop.  Some think that the drops may be more significant than just the $8000.  They feel that sellers may become quite lonely by January, and may be willing to offer better deals on their homes.

Others have also speculated that there might be a new program from the government to replace the $8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit.  There are plans to offer a $15,000 tax credit, as well as to continue the current offering.  Nobody knows if these plans will come to fruition.

What does it all mean?

For “First Time Buyers” with solid cash resources, waiting may be a better plan.  For those that would be better off paying a little more, but getting the $8000 in a few months, getting on the ball and buying a home soon could be a better way to go.

Don’t forget, “First Time Buyers” are those that haven’t owned a house in the last 36 months.  The credit is for 10% of the purchase price, up to a credit up $8000.  In GA, there is an additional credit of up to $1800 that may be available… even for those that aren’t first time buyers.

If you are looking for a home around Lilburn, GA, give me a call and I can help guide you through the process.

from GwinnettGarageGuy.com

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Total Power… would you expect anything else?

Monday, 17 August 2009 23:24
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Total PowerBack a few months ago, my neighbor had a large tree come down in his yard.  Several of us came out to give him a hand.

To start with, the tree needed to get out of the street.  And then it needed to get down to a managable size to deal with.  In all, I think there were four or five chainsaws running until things were cleaned up.

When I started, my chain was dull…  Like “I wish I could be sharp like a butter knife” dull.  DULL.  I needed to take care of that.

I dropped into Total Power, picked up a new chain and left the old one to be sharpened.  I got to say hello to more than one of my neighbors that was doing the same thing.  In fact, folks that had trees down all over the Lilburn, GA area were there getting chains sharpened, getting new saws or picking up other supplies.

I had been in a big box store a few days before to pick up a spare chain… I would have to order it, wait a few days…  When I walked into my neighborhood power equipment store, they turned around and grabbed it off the wall.

Lawn mowers, chainsaws, blowers, pole trimmers (those are really cool…) and so many other tools, their accessories, parts and services are what they are about.  The prices are good, and the service is excellent.

When you need a chainsaw… you NEED a chainsaw.  Knowing that there is someone nearby that can get you fired up and cutting if there is a problem is priceless…

Millenium Cycle Works… Lilburn, GA

Saturday, 15 August 2009 23:33
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Vulcan CruiserI have been visiting Millenium Cycle Works since before they moved to their current location. They always seem to have a lot of cool cycles in stock.

Cruisers, Sport Bikes, Dirt Bikes, ATVs, UTVs, Scooters and even Personal Water Craft.

They carry Kawasaki and Yamaha motorcycles and other vehicles, as well as accessories and parts… and service. With a wide variety of each.

Best of all, they are a friendly bunch. I’ve stopped in several times, asking questions or letting one of my boys “drive” a Rhino, Mule or ATV.

This was the first time I had the opportunity to introduce myself to the owner, Ken Shiver, although we had actually talked about one of my favorite bikes a few years ago, the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter. He told me that even though they were out of production, he would likely be able to find one for me, get it shipped in, and make sure it was ready to go. He also let me know that they could set me up with rider classes (I have ridden dirt bikes… but it has been a LONG time).

Millenium Cycle Works also keeps abreat of the many charity rides and events around the Atlanta area. Stop by, pick up a new toy or some new accessories for the old toy, and say hello. They are on US78, near the Yellow River Game Ranch.

BTW, Ken didn’t get a heads up. He knows his product, so despite the time from me walking in asking if he wanted to do this to him coming up with the “script” was about 3 minutes. The audio is a little rough, and that owuld be all my fault…

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An Ovation for Novation

Tuesday, 11 August 2009 23:50
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Cook Sheep
Image by James @ NZ via Flickr

After you find the house, you have to find a way to pay for the house. Sure, there are a few people that just write a check, but most of us find ourselves calling a mortgage broker or banker.

When people ask me who they think I should call, I have a short list. I have several folks that I have interacted with that are still in business… but near the top of the list is Ken Cook, President of Novation Mortgage. There are a few reasons that I give out Ken’s number so liberally. The first reason is that he is an actual expert. He teaches classes for investors on financing. He is also a walking encyclopedia of ways to spot mortgage fraud… as well as loan programs.

But the main reason that I have Ken on the short list is that I trust his answers. If he says someone can’t get financed, I am pretty sure they can’t get financed. I he says that someone is golden, they are golden. Too often, as real estate agents, we get letters and assurances that a buyer will be able to get funded… only to have a failure… And trust me, having a funding failure at the colsing table is NOT fun. And it does happen (ok, it hasn’t happened to me, but it has happened…).

There is something else… I count Ken as a friend. We have worked together to organize the Social Media Breakfast Atlanta series. We have worked together with clients. We have referred each other business… each trusting the other get his part done.

He is also a geek… and I mean that in a good way. He came into the business with a tech background. So, he is a great resource for cool geeky stuff to do in the real estate tech sphere. That might be part of the reason he is the co-host of Social Media Edge on Blog Talk Radio.

So, if you are a buyer, and you are getting a mortgage to buy your house… calling Ken is a good idea. When he tells you a rate, he means it. When he tells you the costs, he means it. When he tells you that he can help you make it happen, he means it.

But there is one thing that Ken can’t do really well… He can’t really deliver the weather on the news. That would be a different Ken Cook.

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