You are currently browsing the Thomasville Georgia Real Estate Blog blog archives for January, 2010.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Are you wondering what to get your loved one? Buying Thomasville foreclosures may not be on the top of your list, but maybe it should be. Do you need some extra room? Is it time to spread out? Are you a repeat buyer?
You’ve probably heard the term
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Thomasville Foreclosures
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Thomasville Landmarks recently held its annual meeting and awards dinner at Glen Arven Country Club. Landmarks recognizes important contributions in new construction, landscaping or other community projects with the Achievement Award for a Contributing Addition to the community.
The Award of Outstanding Achievement was presented to Community Development Partners, Inc., the developers of Mitchell House Condominiums and Lofts. Their achievement and contribution to Thomasville was recognized with Landmark’s highest honor.
For details on The Mitchell House visit their website at www.mhouselofts.com . The Mitchell House is represented by First Thomasville Realty in Thomasville.
Tags: The Mitchell House, Thomasville Landmarks
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The kitchen in your Thomasville home offers multiple ways to improve energy efficiency. It can be challenging to have versatility, style, comfort and design while still being energy efficient. The good news is that small changes can be easy to make, without breaking your redecorating budget.
* Use the appropriate cooking utensils in your kitchen. Most electric stoves are equipped with two small burners, and two large ones. Make sure that you are using your small pans on the small burners, and large pans on the larger burners. Using a small pan on a large burner wastes energy, adds heat to kitchen, and may cause the handles to warp on the pans if they become too hot. Place lids on your pots and pans when they are on the stove, this will conserve the heat and decrease the workload on your cooling system.
* Repair dripping sink faucets in the kitchen. You can replace the faucet in your Thomasville home inexpensively. A few drips on a constant basis adds up to gallons of wasted water. Replacing the faucet can substantially decrease the amount of water you use.
* Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. There are several ways to save energy with the dishwasher. Make sure that the appliance itself is energy efficient. Next, scrape the dishes before you load them. This may allow you to set the wash cycle to a light or normal wash, instead of a heavy wash cycle. Set the drying cycle to air dry. Air-dry cycles decrease the amount of heat the appliance creates. These tips will save a lot of water and energy.
It’s easier than you may think to update the kitchen in your Thomasville home using green appliances and energy-saving methods. Depending on what you buy, you may also qualify for a federal tax credit for energy efficiency.
Want to buy an energy-efficient home? Call First Thomasville Realty now at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Homeowners Tips, Thomasville Home
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You’ve listed your property. You’ve spent your weekends with people traipsing through your home. You’ve done everything you can and your Thomasville real estate is still sitting on the market while others around you are selling. Why won’t your home sell?
You’ve cleaned your home
Tags: Home Sellers Tips, Thomasville Real Estate
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Picking up the phone book and letting it fall open to the real estate agency page is not the best way to find a great Thomasville real estate agent. Here are several other pitfalls to avoid when looking for a real estate agent:
♦ Impulse: Just because you walk into a busy, bright, and productive looking office doesn’t mean all the agents who work there are also busy, bright and productive. Take the time to get to know the agents you’re considering working with. Interview them, like you would any other professional you hire, to determine their abilities and knowledge of the community in which you want to live.
♦ Easy Agreement: If you finally find an agent who instantly agrees with everything you have to say about the selling price of your home without question, beware. This is especially true if you’ve been to others who disagreed with your price. Consider why this one agent is so agreeable. As in any industry, there are people out there who will tell you anything you want to hear to get your business.
♦ Trusting Your Judgment: While you may very well be a great judge of character, make sure you get at least three references from all the Thomasville real estate agents you’re considering. Then, take the most crucial step and contact those references.
♦ Lowest Commission: Don’t go with a real estate agent just because they have the lowest commission on the block. Remember the old adage “you get what you pay for.”
These are just a few of the considerations when choosing a Thomasville real estate agent, but they will get you started on firm footing.
If you’re looking for knowledgeable Thomasville real estate agents, We’d be honored if you’d interview us. To schedule an interview, call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .
Tags: Finding a real estate agent, Home Buyers Tips, Home Sellers Tips
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Few things sound better than paying off a thirty-year Thomasville real estate mortgage early. Not only will you be free of mortgage payments, you could also save thousands of dollars in interest payments over the life of the loan. Here are four ideas to help you pay off your mortgage early:
1. Apply any windfall monies you receive to your mortgage balance. Be sure to indicate that this is an extra payment and should be applied exclusively to your principle.
2. Make bi-weekly mortgage payments. Making exactly one-half payment every two weeks will add up to a total of twenty-six half payments per year. Or, thirteen whole payments each year instead of twelve. That’s the secret to paying off a Thomasville real estate mortgage early with bi-weekly payments. The interest rate itself isn’t reduced, but the amount of money you pay in interest on the principal is.
3. Overpay a fixed amount every month. By sending in an extra fixed amount as an additional principal payment every month, you’ll reduce the length of time it takes you to pay off your mortgage. By sending in a fixed amount every month, you can easily automate this process.
4. Use a prepayment calculator to figure out other ways to pay your mortgage off early. The free prepayment calculators available on the internet can also help you determine how quickly you can become mortgage free.
Before implementing any of these methods to pay off your Thomasville real estate mortgage early, contact your mortgage lender to find out if you’ll be incurring any additional fees. It’s also a good idea to ask your mortgage lender if there are any specific instructions you need to follow to be sure your payments are processed correctly.
Thinking about buying a home that you can pay off quickly? Call First Thomasville Realty now at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Homeowners Tips, Thomasville Real Estate
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As many Thomasville GA real estate agents will tell you, curb appeal shouldn’t end when the sun goes down. Exterior lighting can be both utilitarian and create a welcoming atmosphere even at night. The huge variety in lighting types will also lend uniqueness to your property and make it stand out to potential buyers.
Benefits of Popular Lighting Types
* Reduces crime: Motion-activated flood lights on the front and back porch are essential in high-crime areas and always a good idea for any area. It’s been proven that criminals don’t like Thomasville GA real estate with bright exterior lighting. The bright lights will draw attention to visitors before they’ve ever reached your door. Additionally, you should never discount the value of being able to see clearly when arriving home in the dark.
* Decreases trip hazards: Solar lamps make beautiful walkway lighting. They’re generally not bright enough to be obtrusive or attract many nocturnal insects, but they will show the exact location of a walkway and reveal any trip hazards on the way. Solar lamps also provide an additional selling point on which Thomasville GA real estate agents can capitalize.
* Improves safety: Good garage lighting can help you find your way to and from your vehicle. More importantly, the garage is a potentially hazardous area. Good lighting ensures that anyone walking through or working in the area will have a clear view of their surroundings and the task they may be performing.
* Relocates bugs: In rural areas, a high outside light (similar to a street light) not only lights large areas enough to recognize any hazards, they can also draw nocturnal insects away from lights emanating from the home. Moths and other insects often plague rural residents as they like to fly into houses from any open door or window.
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Tags: Homeowner Tips, Thomasville GA Real Estate
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Recently, I came across a show on the Bravo network. Three high dollar real estate agents push million dollar deals in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California. I can’t say that it reminds me of when I was a new Thomasville real estate agent.
Called Million Dollar Listing, the show is a
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Thomasville real estate agent
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Chances are you’ll have to work with electricity in your Thomasville home at least once. You might have to replace a broken ceiling fan or install a garbage disposal. Always keep these things in mind when with working with electricity:
1. Turn off the power at the main panel box. If you only flip off the switch, you’re in danger of receiving an electrical shock that could prove fatal.
2. Use a voltmeter to test the wires after you shut off the power.
3. Thoroughly read all the instructions, including the safety information, that come with the item you’re going to install.
4. Wear protective equipment like goggles and use only materials intended specifically for that purpose.
5. Have an inspector out to look at your work. It’s better to err on the side of caution with electricity. For some projects, you may need to hire a licensed electrician.
After you finish the project, it’s a good time to inspect the electrical system in your Thomasville home for safety. You’ll want to look it over each time the seasons change to ensure that the system is in good working order.
1. Look for any frayed or discolored wiring on the cords to your electrical appliances. If you see anything unusual, you may need to call an electrician to further evaluate the situation.
2. Inspect your home’s power outlets for cracks or loose plates.
3. Make sure that extension cords and other plug-ins aren’t overloading the outlet.
4. Always run extension cords along the side of the wall, taking care not to place the cord across a doorway, causing a walking hazard.
5. Keep all heat-producing appliances, like lamps, away from combustible materials like drapes.
You can work with electricity safely by following these guidelines.
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Tags: Homeowners Tips, Thomasville Home
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When you first start talking about buying Thomasville homes for sale, you’ll hear
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Thomasville Homes for Sale
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At the beginning of 2008, it was predicted that green national and Thomasville homes would not only become a steady trend, but would also become the nationwide norm. As the home building industry struggled with economic upheaval, the building of green homes was one sector that kept growing.
Energy Star Designations
As of December, 2009, over 1 million homes have received the Energy Star designation since the program’s inception in 1995. Despite the many foreclosures, the glutted housing market and drowning homeowners, 75,000 more homes gained the Energy Star designation in 2009, raising the numbers to 1,024,200.
In 2007, 12% of single-family homes in the U.S. were Energy Star homes. In 2008, the numbers had reached 17%. Although the reports have yet to come in for 2009, there’s no doubt the numbers are increasing.
Two Other Green Home Certifications
Energy Star isn’t the only one with a green program; the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) also has a green home certification program. The number of participating homes is small (3,050 by the end of ’09), but noteworthy.
The National Association of Home Builders Research Center (NAHB) provides the National Green Building Certification, with over 500 participants.
The need for green national and Thomasville homes is, admittedly, consumer driven. Homebuyers want energy efficient homes – whether those homes are newly constructed or remodeled
Tags: Green Building, Green Homes, Home Buyer Tips, Home seller tips, Thomasville Homes
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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. “
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”
Tags: Martin Luther King Day
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The Winter Edition of the Thomasville Area Homes Magazine sponsored by the Thomasville Area Board of REALTORS
Tags: Winter 2010 Homes Magazine
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Any time supply is bigger than demand, businesses start looking for a way to set themselves apart from the competition. If you have a Thomasville home for sale, you’re probably doing the same thing. What is the competition like, though? Are you looking for similar houses, similar neighborhoods
Tags: Homes Seller Tips, Thomasville Home for sale
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If you’re thinking about buying a Thomasville condo, it’s imperative that you know what you’re getting into, and how the past year has changed things. The rules and regulations for condominium mortgages have changed a lot in 2009…
In April, the two government-run mortgage companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, tightened their guidelines for those looking to own a Thomasville condo or any multi-family home. The restrictions make it harder for potential buyers to get financed through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which makes a mortgage more expensive.
The April policy requires that the condominium association and operations be evaluated, as well as your credit qualifications. The new requirements touch on subjects such as:
If the condominium you’re looking at doesn’t come back with a good report, you may have to go to a private mortgage insurer. Unfortunately, private insurers are becoming even pickier; some have quit covering condo mortgages all together. To be able to get a loan, even with good credit, you may end up paying as much as 40% down to get mortgage payments you can afford.
Even if the condo is approved, however, you’ll still need to come up with 25% or try government financing. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say it doesn’t matter what your credit score is. If you can’t pay 25% or more in the down payment, you’ll end up with a three-quarter point add-on penalty - $750 for every $100,000 borrowed. What’s the penalty for? Not buying a
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Thomasville condo
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2009 was a rough stretch for many Thomasville home sellers and buyers, but new reports hint at possible stabilization in the housing market that may prove beneficial for everyone. As 2009 rolled to a close and 2010 opened into a new year, economic and real estate reports poured out good news, but bad news wasn’t far behind. For each positive note, there is always that unavoidable
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Home Sellers Tips, Thomasville Home
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Getting rid of clutter in your Thomasville Georgia home can be a challenge for anyone. We are overwhelmed with junk mail, paper from our children’s school, bills, magazines, trinkets, toys and clothes. It can be difficult to sort through the mess to determine what we really need. Even when the clutter is all sorted, new clutter seems to replace it overnight. There are several ways that you can get rid of the mess in your home.
1. Start in one room and finish it. It can be overwhelming to try to organize a whole house. Start in one room and go through it. Discard things that you have not used in the last six months. If you have not worn it or used it in that time, then you don’t need it. Discard all broken or stained items. You aren’t going to fix them, or you would already have done it.
2. Throw things away. Don’t set things aside to sort later, just in case you may need it. When sorting, make a bin of items to keep and a bin of things to throw away. Getting in the habit of discarding unneeded items can be difficult at first, but it will drastically cut down on clutter in your Thomasville Georgia homes.
3. Give things away. Get rid of clutter and help those in need by donating items that you’re no longer using.
4. Label your storage bins. Many times clutter develops because there is no set place to put things. For instance, in the toy room, have individual storage bins for toy cars, railroad tracks, dolls and crayons. Each bin should be clearly labeled so that all family members can participate in putting things where they’re supposed to go. With young children, it may be helpful to take a picture of the items that go in the bin, and tape it to the front of the container.
It’s easy to have clutter free Thomasville Georgia home using these organizing tips.
If your home is already organized, but you still don’t have enough room, it may be time to buy a larger home. First Thomasville Realty can help. Call us today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.
Tags: Homeowners Tips, Thomasville Georgia Homes
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Buying a home that has been foreclosed on is a great way to get deals whether you are an investor or want to live in the home you purchase. There are a few things about buying a Thomasville foreclosure that differ from an average real estate purchase. Here are a few tips to help you cash in by buying a foreclosed property:
Hire an Agent who Specializes in Foreclosures
Not all real estate agents have experience in buying Thomasville foreclosures. If you have a professional agent on your side who understands the process, you’re one step ahead of the game.
Inspect Closely
Like all real estate you’re considering buying, it’s important to inspect a potential foreclosure purchase. The former residents most likely didn’t move out under favorable conditions, and it is often reflected inside the home. Before buying the home, carefully consider any repairs you will have to make.
Is It Really a Bargain?
Add the cost of all repairs needed into the price of the foreclosure. Then, determine if the property is really a bargain.
Also consider the price of the home. Just because it’s a foreclosure doesn’t automatically mean it’s a bargain. With the fluctuation in real estate prices, homes that were priced high when they were for sale before foreclosure might still be over priced as a foreclosed property. Make sure you and your real estate agent carefully research the market and determine if this is a true bargain.
Background Check
Your bank will check your background, credit, etc; you need to do the same in regards to your prospective purchase. Homes that have been repossessed may also carry encumbrances on the title from past debts the previous owner incurred. Don’t let yourself fall into a nasty surprise. Check to ensure there are no liens or encumbrances on the title before purchasing the property.
If you would like more information on buying Thomasville foreclosures, give us a call today at 229-226-6515 or email First Thomasville Realty at info@FTRealty.com .
Tags: Foreclosures, Home Buyers Tips
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If you’ve recently applied for credit to finance a Thomasville real estate purchase, and were declined, you might be wondering why a lender would deny you credit. Most lenders have a checklist of qualifications necessary to get approval for a home loan, and some don’t have anything to do with what your credit score is. Here are the basic reasons a lender may deny a mortgage loan:
Let First Thomasville Realty help you get on the road to a Thomasville real estate loan. Call us at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.
Tags: Home Buyers Tips, Thomasville Real Estate
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From national and Thomasville real estate to the U.S. economy, the predictions for 2010 are in. Like any predictions, they vary from somewhat bright and cheery to doom and gloom:
CNBC’s Realty Check predicts:
The National Association of REALTORS
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