Ryan Ward's Blog: Atlanta, Georgia

The segment hardest hit by the overall slowdown in the real estate market here in Atlanta has to be the condo market. Prices continue to slide downward, inventories remain extremely high, sales low and new condos are still coming on the market. This chart shows exactly what has happened to Atlanta condo prices over the past seven years.

The purple dotted line reflects what has happened to prices during 2007. One of the reasons sales have remained sluggish all year has to do with prices (as if that is ever NOT the case). Finally, over the last couple of months we have seen a sharp decline in the average price for condos in Atlanta. Current average pricing show that the last time prices were this low was in 2005 and that should help to get buyers back in…

Read Full Post

Recently, I have posted some statistics on two adjacent cities in North Fulton county; Roswell and John's Creek. Literally, these two cities share a border, but, do not in any way have the same market conditions.

Here is a look at Roswell:

Average Sales Price $359,218 Sales Price/List Price 95.5% Average List Price $374,688 List Price/Original Price 98.2% Average Original Price $381,663 Average Days On Market 76 Active Listings 778 … Read Full Post

Sometimes it's difficult to really appreciate what's going on in a real estate market just reading statistics on paper. Fortunately for us here in Atlanta, the FMLS puts together some fantastic tools to help us understand the market so that we as REALTORS® can help you the consumer. Have a look at this chart as it shows Atlanta real estate values over the past several years in a very clear way:

 

Now, if you look at the purple line with the circles you will see this years home values. The values have tanked! It looks to me like our current average home value is right now just about the same as it was in the summer of 2004. Wow! This is terrible right? Well, in some ways yes, in other ways it's a sign of things to come - and an improving market. Total…

Read Full Post

This will effect how all real estate advertising is permitted on the internet.

The National Association of REALTORS® has amended the Code of Ethics that gives individual MLS companies the ability to prevent you from using the term "MLS" anywhere on your website for advertising to consumers because, at least so they say, it does not provide a "true picture" to consumers. Here is the amended code:

Section 4.4 – Use of the terms MLS and Multiple Listing Service No MLS participant, subscriber or licensee affiliated with any participant shall, through the name of their firm, their URLs, their e-mail addresses, their website addresses, or in any other way represent, suggest or imply that the individual or firm is an MLS, or that they operate an MLS.…

Read Full Post

Warning! Warning!

Many of us saw it coming and they just said it wasn't true. You may remember a post I wrote about Trulia and other third party real estate website listing services and how it will end up being nothing but bad news for the consumer in the long run. well, you may be interested in an email I just received from Trulia about PAID ADVERTISING. Here is an excerpt from that email:

Greetings Ryan Ward,

Thank you all for your hard work and participation on Trulia Voices! Trulia has been hard at work the past month putting together our first ever agent advertising product and we want to make sure Voices users get something special. In the holiday spirit, we would like to gift all the dedicated Voices users a $100 coupon for our Agent Featured…

Read Full Post

As it has become more difficult to sell real estate in the current market, it has become more important that your home be in excellent condition if you are to attract a buyer for your home. Curb appeal remains very high on the priority list of items that should be addressed and improved prior to listing your home for sale. As a homeowner, it is sometimes difficult to objectively review all of the parts of a home that have slowly lost the luster and newness associated with them. One item of particular importance is often overlooked when addressing the exterior of a home and preparing it for sale. Gutters may seem like a boring, utilitarian device of little consequence, but, the truth is that gutters are found on nearly all homes and act as a sort of jewelry…

Read Full Post

So the guys on the TV tell us that it's a bad real estate market. Really? I disagree. Not just with the premise, but with the idea that this type of reporting is relevant, accurate or even news to begin with. Let's start with the premise of a "good" or "bad" real estate market. There is no such thing. It's really quite simple and to say a market is good or bad in and of itself is irresponsible at best - especially when they don't put in perspective whether they are talking about it from the perspective of a buyer or seller.

You need to understand that if it is a bad market for sellers that this means something else as well. It means that it is a good market for buyers. They always leave that part out and it makes the entire report worthless.

I just put…

Read Full Post

What if I could tell you that I know the exact day to list your home that will give you the best chance to sell your home? Would you believe me? It's true. I can, and, I'm going to tell you how!

By utilizing some readily available information, you can do this for any home anywhere. But, before we get too far along here, I feel that it is important to have a caveat to my final answer as this is really a very broad generalization, and for your particular home, you will need specific data. That said, it's possible to determine the exact day of the year that you should list your home for sale in Atlanta to provide the greatest statistical chance to sell.Let's gather the necessary information.

Below, you will see a graph indicating the number homes sold in…

Read Full Post