March 15, 2010 by Ann Bone
I’ve been peppered with questions about a rather alarming article being circulated over the past couple of weeks, written by a well-respected real estate attorney in the Atlanta market area. The thesis of the article is that real estate agents may be committing a felony when assisting sellers seeking short sales by participating in any negotiations with the sellers’ lien holders. This is supposedly because the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act of 2007 requires any person who negotiates mortgage loans to have a mortgage license (which 99% of real estate licensees lack) and that working with the sellers’ lien holders is “negotiating a mortgage”.
Why raise this alarm now, in 2010? It’s being whispered that some (not all) mortgage brokers and lenders are angry at being required to become licensed in Georgia and are looking to make examples of real estate practitioners who they see as encroaching into lender territory.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta real estate, felony, Georgia Residential Mortgage Act of 2007, negotiations, real estate agent, short sales, Ways and Means Committee
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 7 Comments »
February 22, 2010 by Judy Jones
Don’t let the coming changes to FHA distract you from the opportunity of the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit.
HUD has announced an increase in the upfront MIP (Mortgage Insurance Premium) from 1.75% to 2.25%. This amount is added to the loan amount and financed into the monthly payment.
What does this increase in MIP really mean in dollars and cents?
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: $8000 tax credit, atlanta mortgages, first time homebuyer tax credit, HUD changes, Judy Jones, Metro Brokers Financial, MIP increase, mortgage insurance premium increase
Posted in Agents, Buyers | 6 Comments »
January 12, 2010 by Ann Bone
We get lots of comments from the public and from other real estate professionals about our digital billboards around the Atlanta area. The billboards display the exact number of homes for sale in Atlanta after taking out the “duplicates”.
When the billboards were originally erected a few years ago, the number of homes for sale was around 74,000. Over time, the number climbed to over 110,000 in early 2007. Six digits became the norm for months and months and the billboards were featured on Good Morning America and referred to in various media as the semi-official barometer of the Atlanta real estate market.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta real estate, Metro Brokers billboard, Metro Mike billboard, number of homes for sale in Atlanta
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 8 Comments »
December 11, 2009 by Kevin Levent
A new chapter has begun for Metro Brokers and it’s turned the Atlanta real estate market on it’s heels. We are the first real estate broker to run dual brands. As of this week, our brand name has changed. For the residential brand, we are now Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers. For our commercial brand, we are now Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers.
I weighed many options and this was the best decision for the company, our agents and our customers.
It’s been an exciting week for Metro Brokers. We made the announcement on Monday and acquired approximately 150 agents immediately. We launched a new, faster, easier to use website that the agents love. And now, we’re working through the process of swapping out all of our yard signs, business cards, name tags, brochures, flyers, and hundreds of other marketing items with newly branded items.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: atlanta commercial real estate, atlanta real estate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, Coldwell Banker Commercial Metro Brokers, dual brands, Kevin Levent, real estate industry
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 9 Comments »
November 16, 2009 by Michael McFadden
Having worked at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for over 7 years, I can still repeat the credo if asked. When you talk about servicing your internal (your co-workers) and external (the people who support your business) customers, their motto has always been “we’re ladies and gentleman serving ladies and gentleman.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: atlanta real estate, customer service, memorable service, Metro Brokers, Michael McFadden, white glove
Posted in Agents | 12 Comments »
November 9, 2009 by Judy Jones
It’s going to be a very happy holiday season now that the bill that includes the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit extension and the new Current Homebuyer Tax credit was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Friday, November 6! Best of all, it’s effective immediately!
The bill extends the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, plus adds a new credit for current homeowners of up to $6,500.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: $6500 tax credit, $8000 tax credit, atlanta real estate, current homeowners, first time homebuyers, homebuyer tax credit extension, HR 3548, Judy Jones, Metro Brokers Financial, military extension, military tax credit, Worker Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 24 Comments »
November 2, 2009 by Ann Bone
Recently we’ve seen news items about Wells Fargo and Wachovia “suspending” foreclosures and Freddie Mac hiring people to literally knock on the doors of delinquent borrowers they cannot otherwise get in touch with. What’s going on?
This is a small part of the Obama Administration’s Making Home Affordable program, launched October 1, 2009. MHA will target support to working homeowners who have made every possible effort to stay current on their mortgage payments by providing new access to refinancing and offering reduced monthly payments. Full information for homeowners and agents can be found at www.makinghomeaffordable.gov.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta real estate, loan modification, Making Home Affordable program, Metro Brokers, MHA, rules, short sales
Posted in Agents, Sellers | 14 Comments »
October 30, 2009 by Judy Jones
Extended or Not Extended? This is the question on most people’s mind as it relates to the Homebuyer Tax Credit.
The media has been buzzing with the news that the Homebuyer Tax Credit has been extended, and a new tax credit of up to $6,500 for repeat homebuyers who have owned their current home for 5 years or longer is available.
This news broke after a congressional aide leaked positive news about the extension of the tax credit. Unfortunately the news stories did not lead with the fact that this congressional aide spoke to the media under the condition of anonymity, because “he WAS NOT authorized to publicly discuss the deal that Senators have been considering.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: atlanta real estate, extended, first-time homebuyer, homebuyer tax credit extension, Judy Jones, Metro Brokers, Metro Brokers Financial, pass
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 11 Comments »
October 26, 2009 by Dana Eskridge
As Shakespeare might say, “Something smells rotten in the state Of Georgia (and other states too).” I’m talking about Chinese drywall, the newest construction environmental issue.
Chinese drywall hit our shores in 2000 due to a shortage of American made drywall. We were going through a huge building boom and a few years later the shortage grew worse when Louisiana had the Katrina disaster.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: atlanta real estate, chinese drywall, dana eskridge, defective drywall, georgia, Metro Brokers, signs of defects
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 14 Comments »
October 19, 2009 by Ann Bone
Ever wonder what the foreclosure process is really like on the courthouse steps? Check it out some time.
Properties are auctioned at the courthouse steps of the county where they are located on the first Tuesday of every month. These properties must be advertised in the legal newspaper of that county once a week for the four consecutive weeks prior to the auction. This gives you a little time to try to find out more about the property.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta, auction, courthouse steps, foreclosure notice, foreclosure sale, how to purchase, Metro Brokers, Real Estate
Posted in Agents, Buyers | 15 Comments »
October 14, 2009 by Tisha Gay
I don’t know about you, but people who talk too much can sometimes be annoying. They’re so caught up in what they’re saying and selling themselves as an expert that they forget about the most important person in the conversation – the customer.
If you’re talking more than 50 percent of the time during a conversation, you could be alienating others. Ask yourself these questions and start learning tips to improve your service with buyers and sellers:
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: atlanta real estate, customer service, listening skills, results, Tips, Tisha Gay
Posted in Agents | 12 Comments »
October 12, 2009 by Ann Bone
Today’s hottest properties are perceived to be “Foreclosures”. Everyone wants to look at “foreclosures” and buy for pennies on the dollar. The terms “foreclosure” and “pre-foreclosure” seem to be applied to many different types of properties, but what exactly does “foreclosure”, “REO”, “short sale” and “auction” mean? Which are the best bargains? How do potential buyers locate and bid on these properties? What restrictions should a buyer anticipate?
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta real estate, auction, banks, foreclosure, Metro Brokers, real estate deals, REO, short sale
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 17 Comments »
October 8, 2009 by Dana Eskridge
Yes, there is a definite new trend out there in the relocation world. Reluctance to transfer is up 79% according to an article in Mobility magazine’s September issue. The main reason cited is that most transferees are having a hard time selling their current homes.
No surprise there. Most sellers cannot believe that they may have a “loss-on-sale”. They want to know what their options are first. We now know that these and other issues facing transferees are causing a shift in the strategies employers are using to evaluate the employees chances of having a successful move and giving the transferees more options for a new assignment.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: dana eskridge, Metro Brokers, moving, relocation, transferee
Posted in Agents, Sellers | 5 Comments »
October 5, 2009 by Ann Bone
Many Atlanta real estate buyers or sellers may not realize the Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) is there to help them if a situation arises.
In addition to setting the pre-licensing education requirements, testing standards, licensing requirements and continuing education requirements for real estate licensees in Georgia, the GREC is also a resource for the public to use if/when members of the public feel that they have not been dealt with fairly by licensees. The GREC takes complaints from the public very seriously and investigates every situation for which they receive a written request. Frustrated or unhappy buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords sometimes threaten real estate licensees with, “I’m going to report you to the Real Estate Commission.” Smart licensees know this is a serious matter.
How exactly is the public protected by the GREC?
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ann bone, atlanta real estate, Buyers, georgia real estate commission, grec, Metro Brokers, protection, Sellers, trust funds
Posted in Agents, Buyers, Sellers | 1 Comment »
October 1, 2009 by Dana Eskridge
All aspects of our industry are changing rapidly. Sometimes adversity allows us to look at the way we live and work in a different way. The relocation industry is undergoing some major changes now and will endure even more in the future. Therefore the future relocation agent will work differently as well.
Let me suggest what the future Atlanta relocation agent might need to be prepared for:
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: agents of the future, atlanta real estate, corporate transferees, dana eskridge, Metro Brokers, relocation
Posted in Agents | 6 Comments »
I’ve been peppered with questions about a rather alarming article being circulated over the past couple of weeks, written by a well-respected real estate attorney in the Atlanta market area. The thesis of the article is that real estate agents may be committing a felony when assisting sellers seeking short sales by participating in any negotiations with the sellers’ lien holders. This is supposedly because the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act of 2007 requires any person who negotiates mortgage loans to have a mortgage license (which 99% of real estate licensees lack) and that working with the sellers’ lien holders is “negotiating a mortgage”. 
