Recently some of our former clients found a sweet poodle:

He needs a loving home.  They already have a couple of dogs and don't want to keep him.

But they aren't prepared to take him to the shelter. 

He weighs 14 pounds and is about 5-6 years old.  We took him to the vet and he is now current on all his shots.  He does not have heartworms or any other problem.  He is neutered.

BOOBOO is housetrained and goes to the door and sits when he needs to go.  He loves to be loved and will be in your lap all the time.  He eats dry dog food (IAMS weight control) and is getting to love treats.

He will definitely need  a fenced in yard as he loves to run. He knows how to sit and  we are working on come.

Attached please find photos of BOOBOO. He was not taken care of when we found him on Rockville Road....but several baths and 2 haircuts he is a lovely baby.

If you can give this BooBoo a home please call 706-923-2768

Happy Father's Day to my DADDY

My Daddy was in the Navy when I was born.  Just 5 months into their young marriage my mom moved back home to Eatonton Georgia when my Daddy was deployed overseas.  He was sent to Antarctica on an ice breaker.  They had lived together for that 5 months in Lakehurst, NJ.  And by that time my mom was expecting and did NOT want to be alone hours and states and states away from her family.  So before my Daddy shipped out he brought my mom home to her parents house. 

I was born on St. Patrick's Day 1965.  My Papa had to leave work and go home and drive my mom to the hospital.  I went home with my mom to her parents house.  They actually gave her the newest bedroom in their house.  A recent new kitchen had been added and the old kitchen, now converted to a bedroom was my first home.  My Daddy didn't even know the actual day I was born.  The telegram he received on the ship said:

"Baby girl born today (stop) Mother and baby doing fine (stop)."

 It was the 18th when it arrived (at least where he was) so he believed I was born on March 18th.  I was already 5 weeks old before my Daddy arrived back in Eatonton to take Mom and me back to New Jersey with him.  This photo was taken that day.  This photo is the very first time my Daddy looked into my tiny little face and the very first time that I looked up and saw my Daddy.  

I am a lucky lady.  I'm fortunate enough to still have my Daddy.  And the love we have for one another and have had through all the last 48 years seems to be captured in this photograph of our very first meeting.  The love of when my Daddy was teaching my to drive when I was 15 can be found in this photo.  The love of when my Daddy took me and the shot gun and rode around town looking for the boys and the car they tried to make me get into when I was in the second grade can be found in this photo.  The love of my Daddy walking up to me at my wedding reception (of my current marriage) and telling me "I think this one will stick" can be found in this photo.  The love of my Daddy loaning me $25,000 of my down payment (of course that was my mom too)  to buy Lane Realty can be found in this photo.

And

The silliness of me giving my Daddy an elephant for every birthday, father's day and Christmas that rolls 'round even though he "DOES NOT" collect them can be found in this photo. 

And

The love of the happy memories of me sitting every night by my Daddy on the sofa watching television saying "scratch my back" and getting it done.  My poor husband had no idea how spoiled to that I was. 

I love my Daddy, he's the best man I know.  And my Daddy loves me.  A you can see it and you've been able to see it since the day we met.

$75,000.

• 4  Bedrooms
• 2 Baths
• Great Room w/ fireplace
• Den
• Covered porch on front and rear
• Storage building
• Circular drive
• Two lots

This 2003 over 2100 sq. ft. home has been well maintained.  Lots of space.  Large island kitchen with great storage and counter top area.  Separate dining room. See interior photos.  Visit our website.

I came in to work today to find this lovely bouquet of gardenias on my desk for one of my agents. (Thanks Nancy) and my office has smelled delightful all day long.

And a minute ago I got a text my from Donald and we're having "dinner and movie" date night.  So my sweet husband and I are going to see Man of Steel and having Japanese for dinner. 

Tomorrow I will get to showing you my new listing.  It's lovely and at a great price.  And roomy.  4 Bedrooms, 2 baths with great room and family room.  And two beautiful covered porches on front and rear.  I just adore my new client and their home will always be show ready.

My Abigail is having a birthday next week and can't wait to write a post for that.  I'm not sure where the 25 years have gone... but that's how old she'll be.  And I just LOVE one of the birthday gifts I found for her and I hope she will too.  It's definitely going to be Kodak moment when she opens it.  Donald won't tell me what he got her so I'm going to be surprised too.

Now I think I'm going home to get ready for date night.  Have a great weekend. 

And Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.

Sometimes you have to search for something to hold on to when you having that day.  I have felt just awful because my friend that I love is feeling more pain and loss than any one person should be expected to feel in a lifetime in just a short span of time.  So I went out and searched for a song I saw recently when another person left this earth too soon. 

So today I just dedicate this song along with much love and prayers for peace to the Caulk family. 

And be reminded to live for today and never ever miss an opportunity to say I love you.

Do you work for free?  Do you go to work to whatever it is you do and not expect to get paid?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

As a buyers agent when buyers hire us to help them buy a home we do work for the buyer. 

Where does the money come from?

Well in my opinion ultimately the buyer.  Yes the closing statement will reflect that the seller is paying the commission to the buyer's agent and the seller's agent.  And the seller's column starts with a lump sum known as the purchase price and various funds are paid FROM this lump sum to leave a traditional seller (not short sale or upside down with equity) a net profit.  Of there various things our commission is included even when we are working for the buyer. 

But the reality is the buyer showed up with those funds.  The buyer, and if he is getting a loan the buyer's bank bring money TO the closing table and all others leave with that money.  The attorney gets paid, the seller gets his net check, the taxes get paid, the loan officer gets paid, the listing agent (brokerage) gets paid and the buyer's agent (brokerage) gets paid.  All of this is paid from the funds the buyer first brings to the table and gives to the seller for the property.

So buyers have a misconception in my opinion that we "work for free".  Well at Lane Realty we work when there is a written agreement in place for our paycheck.  That written agreement may come in our listing agreement or it may come as a form of "co-broker" compensation offered through the Multiple Listing Service.  But if you are buying a For Sale By Owner and haven't signed a Buyer's Brokerage Agreement that YOU the buyer will pay us we're not going to work for free. 

I'm terribly sorry if you are upset that when you called and asked us to do a FREE CMA on the house you are purchasing we said no.  We're terribly sorry you think we are wrong to not do the free CMA we advertise we will do for a potential seller or do for buyers who HIRE us to work for them.  I frankly  don't see how you think what you want from us would be any different from you walking into a restaurant and eating dinner and walking out without paying for it.

Yes, we do work without  buyers paying us directly many times.  But we do with a written agreement in place that if that buyer buys a home that is For Sale By Owner the buyer pays our commission.  If they happen to choose a home (and most of the time they do) that is listed, there is an agreement already in place for our compensation.  No written agreement, no working for you.

I got a post card in the mail last week from an out of area real estate agent.  He was so proud that his listing sold on my street.  It sold for $175,000 (ish) and the CMA was about $200,000.  I wonder where this NOT in the local MLS agent pulled comps to put a price on this home when he listed it.  And he was so proud it sold in just 6 days.  Well duh.  Oh and he was bragging about selling it himself too.

So how did that really work out for the seller?  About $25,000 under market value in my opinion.

Was the seller a friend?  A relative?  I don't know the answer to that.   But what I do know is that I had buyers who were willing to pay more for that property.  And while I can't speak to the relationship or even the agents motives for under pricing a Lake Sinclair property, I can tell you that it happens all too often when a seller doesn't use an agent who knows Lake Sinclair.

A seller should use an agent who:

• Works Lake Sinclair area
• Is in the Milledgeville/Lake Sinclair MLS
• Uses lockboxes from local MLS
• Puts signs on the property

Now I know there are sometimes circumstances where a seller doesn't want a sign.  But this was a weekend home that was vacant and it wasn't exposed to local agents in ANY way.  At the price it was listed had it been in the MLS or even had a sign on it, there would have likely been multiple offers to drive the price closer to market value.  There was nothing.  It sold to a buyer the listing agent brought with no other exposure until after the home was closed.

My advice:  Make sure the brokerage you hire is looking out for you, not for himself.

While the number closed in May isn't where it was last year it is back up to 13 which is up over the 8 in April. And with 361 available properties on the market that brings the inventory back down to a 27 months supply.  That's better, but still a buyer's market. With 28 pendings I am expecting June number higher than last year.

The good news for our sellers in the Lake Sinclair market is we saw a average sales price rise for the thrid straight month and significant increase of the same period last year. The average price has been below $300000 since November of 2010.  I expect it will be about that many more months before it could rise back to those levels, but prices have gone from decline to stable and/or slightly rising.  Still some great buys out there, but sellers are no longer loosing equity on a monthly basis in the Lake Sinclair market.

The average days on the market is down to 134.  In a stable market that number is around 90 days, but we are inching ever so close in that direction with the beginning of 2013 being over 200 days and now just 134.  This is also good news for sellers.  Those wanting to sell and pricing within the range of current market sales are seeing their homes move faster.

Looking to buy or sell... call us today 706-485-9668

Don't you just hate when you have to call customer service?  I had to call AT&T about my home Internet DSL.  By the time I finally got a human I was really angry.  I tried to laugh it off and not take my anger out on the poor girl who happened to pick up my call.  But when you are sitting there on hold listening to them tell you how much easier it would be for you to "go to www.att.com/support" to figure out your problem than it would be to wait on hold for 20 minutes just to have to tell your problem to one human who said they couldn't help they'd have to transfer to another department and sit on hold for an additional 20 minutes it really irritates you. (well it irritates me anyway)

Years ago our phone system starting having problems.  We had this big huge electronic switchboard that was where the actual phone line came into the office and all the agents phones on their desks were tied into the system.  It was old.... from the 80's.  And when I decided it was time to upgrade I was fortunate enough to have a retired bell south employee as one of my agents.  God rest his soul, I adored Marvin Glover.  He passed away 3 years ago from ALS, but when I replaced my phone system Marvin helped me shop for a good deal and did the new wiring for me.  We upgraded to a 4 line system with all the bells and whistles.  The agent's phones were switched out for new cordless handsets.  The base phone contained the digital system.  It came complete with 16 available voice mail boxes for each numbered handset.

Well for all the bells and whistles... voice mail is still one we DON'T use.

Friday I had a call for an agent who was out of the office for a closing.  The caller asked to speak to this agent and I replied, "she's out of the office for a closing, can I take a message for her or is it something you need help with right away, I'll be happy to try to help you."  The caller said, "No, just give me her voice mail."  At this point I answered that he was speaking to her office "voice mail" but also offered him her cell phone number.

He questioned:  "You don't have office voice mail?"  I then explained that while we have "voice mail" on our phone that it was my business policy to always use the "human touch" and let our customer and clients speak with real live humans who cared enough to make sure their messages got taken correctly and responded to as well.

In the end, he left her a message with me about listing his home and told me that he was "impressed" with my business model and wouldn't have to "interview" any other companies before choosing who to list his house with for sale.  I expect that agent back from her closing any minute now.  And I'll be handling her file  from the closing myself so that I can send her to get her new listing.

So if you want to leave a "voice mail" and maybe have some one call you back, chose another real estate firm or call AT&T.  BUT, if you want to speak to a person who values your business, call Lane Realty, where real live humans who care still answer the phone and take messages.

There is so much room here!  This is a wonderful site built home on 10 acres in Putnam County. 

• fireplace in great room
• 4 Bedrooms
• 3 Baths
• over 2700 sq ft.
• wrap around front porch
• additional porch on rear
• attached double garage w/bonus storage area
• bonus room at top of stairs would be a great office
• fenced area for dogs

Located in the Crooked Creek area and priced below recent appraisal at $225,000.

Interior photos can be seen here.