Porter Deal on Real Estate

what’s new in Lilburn??? the bad blogger might return

It’s hard to believe my last post was june 18th, not really I’m a bad blogger. I’d love to tell you things are great but I’d be lying. I have a lot of things keeping me busy, but they don’t seem to be relating to dollars very well. I have lots of Great deal on houses in Lilburn and nows the time to buy. i also have a newly renovated duplex here in Lilburn for lease great rate for a good tenant Call me today, Porter Deal I got some awesome deals on Houses here in Lilburn. i even got some office space too.

What is Atlanta’s Destination Zip Code?

This is an old one I’m putting up, I found it in the file Hope it does some good for you Remember,  for real estate in Lilburn Call me Porter Deal at Lilburn Realty, LLC

Do you consider your zip code a status symbol? Do you literally wear it on your chest to let others know your civic pride?

What do you think of as Atlanta’s coolest zip code? Is it Lilburn’s 30047? What about 30340? Maybe it’s Embry Hills’ 30341? Or Tucker’s very own 30084? Oh! And let’s not forget Decatur’s 30030 which incorporates all of downtown Decatur and Agnes Scott College.

Show your zip code some love and find out what others are saying about their zips…

Let us know, too. Share your comments below and tell us what zip code gets your vote for the best in the metro.

Tips for Mortgage Seekers

Hey everyone, I found some good advice out there in an article from NAR. Most of this is really good, but don’t be afraid to call and let us help get with a mortgage pro.

Daily Real Estate News 

5 Tips for Homebuyers Seeking a Mortgage 

Here’s a warning for potential borrowers: Nervous lenders have tough new rules and are paperwork crazy.
“Borrowers are going to have to prove they are the borrower they say they are,” says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates

Homebuyers should consider these things before they apply for a loan.

1. Down payments are critical. Borrowers should expect to put down at least 10 percent for a “conforming loan” – a mortgage that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will purchase.

2. Credit scores count. A 720 on the 850-point FICO rating scale will get a borrower access to the best rates. A score between 720 and 739 gets 0.125 percent added to the rate, a score between 700 and 719 gets 0.375 percent added to the rate, and a score between 680 and 699 gets 0.5 percent added to the rate.

3. Consider VA and FHA. Borrowers without down payments or with less than stellar credit scores should consider these government-insured loans offered through the Federal Housing Administration of the Veterans Administration. 

4. Unearth the records. Before applying, borrowers should organize tax, banking and other records that prove income, savings and debts. They should also expect to be patient about what may seem to be endless requests for information.

5. Get rid of debts. Limiting debts, including what borrowers expect to pay for the mortgage, to less than 43 percent of gross income is important.

Also Home Stretcher in Gwinnett has new funding for Down Payment assistance, call me for details on that…404.422.6583.

What new for this week.

I think the summer heat has slowed the pace, you know how everything moves a little slower when the really hot weather hits. Well real estate has been moving a little slower over the last couple weeks. We have several new listing that have been added over the last few weeks, check those out at Lilburnrealty.com and call if you have any questions.

A friend of mine last week asked me why she doesn’t seem to get all the listing in an area, she is looking for a home in Tucker. I told her that not all websites are linked to all the sources. If you’ve looked online lately there are a lot of sites for real estate, which means there are a lot of sources for information. I think the web is a great place to start looking for real estate, but in the end you need to go with a pro who knows the area. You just can get it all start to finish from you computer, once you know what and where you want to be, get with a Realtor, find someone you like and trust. Like Porter Deal, that’s me. I know, but if I can promote myself on here then hey…..

Well that what I have for now, let me know what you are seeing and thinking. Remember to visit Lilburnrealty.com for new listings and info. 

51 Metro Atlanta Schools Make Newsweek’s List of America’s Top 1500 Public High Schools

Congratulations to Lilburn’s own Berkmar and Parkview High Schools.

Berkmar ranked 387 out of 1500 and Parkview landed at #689. Eleven other Gwinnett County high schools made the list, including Brookwood, Duluth, and Northview.

Clearly, if you are looking for a great place with great schools to raise your children, you can’t beat Lilburn, GA!

Check out the rest of the list to see if your school made the cut.

And if you’re ready to start looking for a new home or ready to put yours on the market, give me a call today, at 404.422.6583 or shoot me an e-mail at porterdeal@lilburnrealty.com. You can also visit my web site, Lilburn Realty, for more information and to see our latest listings.

Lilburn Group Launches Effort to Establish New C.I.D.

A group of business owners and community activists in Lilburn, including myself, have formed the Lilburn Community Partnership to work toward the establishment of Gwinnett County’s latest CID, or Community Improvement District.

If you are unfamiliar with CIDs, the idea is that commercial property owners in a specific area band together and work with the city or county government to improve property values and drive business and economic growth in that particular area.

The business owners in that district agree to a self-tax that is collected by the local government and then assigned to the board of directors of the CID who decides how it will best be spent to achieve the goals of the CID.

As a home owner in the area it doesn’t cost you anything

I am excited about what this means for our community and how I can help make a difference toward that goal. 

You can read more about Lilburn’s CID here.

Should You Really Put in that New Bathroom?

Thinking about putting your home on the market? With Mother Nature at her best and most beautiful, “For Sale” signs dot the landscape like dandelions on a lawn. If you’re ready to add your home to the mix, there a few things you need to do to make sure your home is at its very best. But before you begin taking on expensive home improvement projects that may not reap you the return you’re hoping for, start by finding out the cost of comparable homes that have sold in your neighborhood and what changes the owners made to justify their asking prices.

Want to learn more? Give us a call at Lilburn Realty and one of our agents can walk you through a free home valuation and pull comps of other homes in your area to help you get started on the path to selling your home.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Is Your Realtor Too Honest? 

Could it really be the case? I’ve found this to be the case and now others are seeing it too.

Jim Klinge, owner of Jim Klinge Realty near San Diego, has been making his living bad-mouthing properties so to speak. “The unvarnished truth is what sells,” Klinge says. “People want the truth. They want to just see it the way it is and if you just give them that, that alone is a draw.”

When we list a new property here at Lilburn Realty, we turn on the point-and-shoot camera and create a brutally honest portrait that includes the good and the bad. And yes even all the property’s flaws. There is really no benefit to overhyping your home, people will see what it is and be distrustful if it doesn’t live up to the bill. I’m not saying we can’t be positive, but you have to be honest about what you’ve got.

Look, the most important factor in home selling these days is price. In our microwave society where people know within minutes that you are on the market, if a property doesn’t sell in 15 to 20 days, it’s time to lower the price. 

If you need to sell your home, you have to be honest with yourself about what you have. Remember this one truth: the market determines the what your house will sell for. Be honest about what you’ve got.

‘Til next time.

Congratulations to Porter on Graduating from Lilburn 101!

City departments hosting presentations during the five-session class included City Planning, Finance, Parks and Recreation, Police, the Gwinnett County Fire Department, and the Lilburn branch of the Gwinnett County Library System. 

Class participants learned about how the city creates its budget, how new businesses are licensed and regulated, and how the city plans for new growth and development.

Are you planning a move to Lilburn or have questions about the city? Want to know which department to call to handle a problem you’re having? Ask our resident expert! Porter welcomes your calls or e-mails and will be happy to answer any of your questions and welcomes your comments! 404.422.6583 or porter@lilburnrealty.com.

Signs Point to Improving Economy

Economic observers point to several factors that indicate the economy in general and the housing market in particular may be on the mend.

Positive signs include:

● Sales of single-family homes in March remained flat compared to January and February at $358,000, the U.S. Commerce Department reported.
● The Labor Department reported claims were down in the week ending April 11. While some argued this could just reflect the shortened Easter/Passover holiday, others took the optimistic view that some segments of the economy are stabilizing.
● New-home construction remains low because there is so much inventory—but the situation doesn’t appear to be worsening.

“The economy is still very weak, but there are some encouraging signs that support cautious optimism,” Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said in a speech Thursday.

Have questions about the housing market in Lilburn or the surrounding areas? Wondering how to price your home? Give me a call and I’ll be happy to answer your questions…404.422.6583.