The City of Kennesaw is now offering free WiFi ( wireless internet access) at Adams and Swift-Cantrell Park.

More info at City of Kennesaw Wi-Fi

Equity is the value of your home minus what you owe on your mortgage. For example, If Joe’s home is worth $200,000 and Joe still owes $170,000, then Joe’s Equity is $30,000.

All homeowners in Atlanta Georgia and surrounding counties should be aware of the Rule of 50/20. For most mortgages, after making payments for 15 years on a 30 Year mortgage you will have only paid off around 20% of your principle. In other words, after paying for 50% of the term of your 30 Year mortgage, you will have only paid off 20% of what you owe on your home. That’s the Rule of 50/20.

In the early years your mortgage payments are front-loaded with HUGE interest payments. Only a small amount each month goes towards your principle. Therefore it takes a long time to build decent Equity in your home.

Most homeowners in the Greater Atlanta Georgia Metro Area only stay in a home for around 7 years, that’s very little time to build Equity.

Remember, agent/broker commissions come out of your Equity. Using the above example, if Joe’s Equity is $30,000 and he pays 7% commissions ($14,000) to an agent/broker, Joe will lose close to 50% of his Equity just to have someone sell his house for him.

If Joe sold his home on fsboatl he saves this expense and protects his Equity.

by Mark Linton

SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!

Kennesaw FSBO

Buying or Selling? Find Out What its Worth!
This charming brick ranch located in Kennesaw, Georgia has been completely updated.3 Bedrooms – 1.5 Baths – 1 Car GarageCeramic Tile Kitchen
New Oak Cabinets
All New Kitchen Fixtures
All New Bathroom Fixtures
Tiled Bathroom floors
New Energy Efficient Windows
10 Year Warranty on High Efficiency HVAC
New Carpet
New 10′ x 18″ deck off the kitchen eating area
Large half acre lot with a partially fenced, private back yard.
Contact The Owner

Accurately pricing your Atlanta home when selling for sale by owner is one of the most important factors in finding a buyer for your home. It is very important that you price your home properly or you may not receive any offers.

There are several common ways of determining the value of your home.

* CMA – Request a local real estate agent to perform a Comparables Market Analysis.

* Self Appraisal – There are many online sources that will provide you with sales data on comparable homes in your neighborhood.

* Professional Appraisal – Real estate appraisers have access to recent home sales and can accurately calculate a fair market price for your home.

When doing a self appraisal, you should look at 3 things:

* What homes similar to yours have sold for in the last 3-6 months

What were the list and the sold prices?
Were there any seller concessions, such as paying the buyer’s closing cost?
How long did it take to sell the home.
When selecting comparable homes, make sure the age, square footage, style, and neighborhood are similar to your home.

* What similar homes in your area are selling for

Find out the current listing prices of homes in your area by pulling flyers and stopping by open houses.

* What the competition is in your price range.

You need to know how many homes in your price range you are competing against. In a normal market, pricing your home in the middle of the pack is safe. However, if you are in a slow market where homes are taking more than 60 days to sell, pricing your home in the bottom 10 to 20 percent may be necessary. In a hot market where homes are selling in days or weeks, you could price your home in the upper 10 percent.

I was browsing the Atlanta Real Estate Forum today and was reminded of the upcoming Atlanta Home Show.

The 30th Annual Spring Atlanta Home Show will take place March 13-16, 2008 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

This show is Georgia’s largest and longest-running home show featuring home improvement, remodeling, landscaping and so much more.

Hope to see you there!

There are hundreds of Free places to advertise your home for sale by owner online.  However, why waste time listing your home on websites that no one sees when they search online?

FSBOATL website ranks #1 in Google™ and in all other major search engines!

Your Home is found FAST on fsboatl.com

Click Search Engine links below to check for yourself

For Sale or LEASE!This commercial property in Cherokee County is for sale by owner , with possible owner financing to qualified individuals.Property is on a major I-575 exchange in Ball Ground, and is ideally suited for future development. Parcel includes a 40,000 square foot building including 3500 square foot of office space on 7acres.The current building on site would be well suited for rental as a manufacturing or distribution facility. The building has 16 dock loading facilities as well as conventional roll-up doors. Based upon a reasonable rental of $5-6 per foot (currently rents in the area are in the $5.50-6.00 range, without the benefit of the large lot), this would provide approximately $200-240K in annual income until developed.

PROPERTY COMPARABLES:

To find comparable sites one doesn’t have to look too far. A similar, but undeveloped, 4-acre parcel located across Airport Drive from this site is priced at $225K per acre. Similar parcels on Airport road, but across the freeway, and near the Airport (but farther from I-575) are priced at $250K per acre for raw land alone. Additionally, new shell construction in the Industrial Park is starting at $50/ft. When you factor in the value of the building already on site, the property’s value becomes apparent.

PRICE:

This parcel is available for sale now at much less than you could replace it for. The asking price of $2,400,000 reflects a per acre price of just $200K per acre, with only half the building’s replacement value. The bonus of already having the building on site will allow the investor to realize immediate monthly cash flow while determining future development plans.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL:

One only has to look at the phenomenal development at Riverstone (the next exit) to see the potential for this site. Outparcels and retail/commercial sites are going for up to $400K for road frontage outparcels (1/4 acre), with almost complete build-out already completed. As Riverstone is finally built out, the wave of development will move on to the next exit (Airport Drive).

For Sale By Owner Atlanta Property #1920 -See more info at FSBOATL
Contact The Owner

• Get pre-qualified for a mortgage. You’ll be able to make a firm commitment to buy and your offer will be more desirable to the seller.

• Sign up with our Wishlist to find out about the newest listings. Be ready to see a house as soon as it goes on the market — if it’s a great home, it will go fast.

• Be ready to make a decision. Spend a lot of time in advance deciding what you must have in a home so you won’t be unsure when you have the chance to make an offer.

• Bid competitively. You may not want to start out offering the absolute highest price you can afford, but don’t go too low to get a deal. In a buyers market, you’ll lose out.

• Keep contingencies to a minimum. Restrictions such as needing to sell your home before you move or wanting to delay the closing until a certain date can make your offer unappealing. In a tight market, you’ll probably be able to sell your house rapidly. Or talk to your lender about getting a bridge loan to cover both mortgages for a short period.

• Don’t get caught in a buying frenzy. Just because there’s competition doesn’t mean you should just buy it. And even though you want to make your offer attractive, don’t neglect inspections that help ensure that your house is sound.

Before you list your home for sale by owner, there are several key things you should do to prepare your home.

1. Get a home inspection. Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you’ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.

2. Organize and clean. Reduce clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets, walls, lighting fixtures, and baseboards to make the house shine.

3. Get replacement estimates. Do you have big-ticket items that are worn our or will need to be replaced soon, such your roof or carpeting? Get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them, even if you don’t plan to do it yourself. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home, and will be handy when negotiations begin.

4. Find your warranties. Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house.

5. Spruce up the curb appeal. Pretend you’re a buyer and stand outside of your home. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Do the lawn and bushes look neatly manicured? Is the address clearly visible? Are pretty flowers or plants framing the entrance? Is the walkway free from cracks and impediments?

There is a new Atlanta FSBO Website called FSBOATL

FSBOATL is a local FSBO website listing homes, condos, land, and commercial properties “For Sale By Owner” in the Greater Atlanta Area.
We are pleased to offer sellers the most cost-effective method of selling homes For Sale By Owner. Buyers will get the best price for property by buying directly from the homeowner without paying a commission.

Our website helps buyers compare prices, research schools, and view pictures
on-line. Our high traffic content rich site also provide home sellers with the Greatest Possible Exposure. Use our website as your best advertising resource and our professional custom-made yard signs to direct buyers to your property.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
It’s Simple! Sellers can login and begin listing their property(s) immediately. Type in your listing information and upload up to 10 photos.
That’s It! And you can make changes to your listings instantly. Buyers can view properties for sale 24 hours a day – 7 days a week.
Unlike many other FSBO websites, buyers do not have to register to view properties on fsboatl.com.

Find out how FSBOATL can help you find a buyer for your home today – Get your FREE Listing Today