Lane's Blog - Looking out from the garage

HGTV House Hunters looking for buyers...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:43:25 -0500

I just got an email from the production company that does House Hunters for HGTV. They are calling for buyers that are ready to buy. The specific quote is "in the late stages of buying." I would assume that would mean that they are looking for people that know what they want and will be ready to make an offer in just a few outings to view property.

There is a compensation package for the buyers, $1000 for those they select to follow. And I think it might also be a lot of fun.

If you are a buyer, not currently working with an agent, and you think you will be buying in the next month or two, give me a call and let's see if we can get on HGTV's House Hunters.

from LaneBailey.com

Get out of your mortgage for FREE?!?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:21:34 -0500

Probably not...

But that doesn't mean that people aren't trying it... and it doesn't mean that people aren't getting in trouble for it.

Here is the way it works (and it all sounds so legit...):

Mr. and Mrs. Consumer buy a house and get a mortgage from MonsterMegaMortgageCompany (MMMC).
MMMC sells their mortgage to Investor Pool #1.
Then it is bundled and sold to IP#2... and #3 and #4 over a span of a few years.
Mr. & Mrs. Consumer start having problems, and despite everything they are facing foreclosure.
To try to get help they contact a "Foreclosure Mitigation" Law Firm that fights the foreclosure by filing a "missing title" lawsuit.
The law firm (or other entity) charges an up-front fee (maybe $2000) and then monthly fees (maybe $1000 or $1500)... as well as a contingency fee upon settlement of either 50% of the reduction or 75% or 80% of the value if the mortgage were completely eliminated.
After stringing along Mr. & Mrs. Consumer for a few months or longer (collecting fees), they fail to actually prosecute the case.
Mr. & Mrs. Consumer lose their home...

According to a few of the sources I looked at, their are no recorded examples of any suit of this type EVER being resolved in the consumer's favor.

The basis of the lawsuit is that if the mortgage holder can't produce the documents from the mortgage, it will be set aside and the consumer will own their property free and clear. Sounds nice, huh?

Before getting sucked into something like this, here is a little more reading...

Source 1

Source 2

The State of California is going after one of the firms involved in this practice. I would expect that there are similar cases in other states.

Times are tough... scamsters know it, too

People being foreclosed on are all over the place. They are vulnerable to people that approach them to "help." There are a variety of scams and plans that mostly just revolve around generating a profit for the "helper."

Be careful! There is help for many home owners that are in trouble... but the easy sounding solutions often aren't what they are cracked up to be. If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is...

I would love to lose my mortgage, too... but this isn't the way...

from LaneBailey.com

101 Cars, Part 79...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:35:26 -0500

Image via Wikipedia

Another "not a car"... but close... It has 4 wheels and a steering wheel. It drives kind of like a car. Basically, it is a revolutionary product called a "side by side" ATV, or UTV. Specifically, it is a Yamaha Rhino.

Originally, these things were glorified golf carts. Then they became more like utility carts. But, like most things with engines... somebody had to hot rod one and take it off-road. And then the racing started.

101 Cars, Part 77...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:29:59 -0500

Image by skagman via Flickr

Back in 1959, Maserati came out with a revolutionary concept for a racing car. Utilizing around 200 different pieces of chro-moly tubing welded together as a space frame, it was lighter AND more rigid than other contemporary competitors. It weighed in at only 600kg (1320lbs) and with a 2.9L 4 cylinder, was capable of a top speed of 177mph.

It wasn't a tremendously successful racer... because it wasn't a reliable racer, but it was fast and when it held together it was a capable machine.

In 2006, Maserati brought the name out of retirement for a new exotic concept. The Maserati Birdcage 75th was a unique looking machine... Unlike the original, it is a visual departure from its peers.

The Tipo 61 Birdcage looked similar to other cars of the era, but was completely different under the skin. The Birdcage 75th looks unlike anything else made, but has fairly normal (for a super high-end exotic) underpinnings.

101 Cars, Part 80...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:21:35 -0500

Image by Eyeshotpictures via Flickr

I have always loved the styling of the classic Indian Chief motorcycles. The full streamlined fenders, the classic lines... the flow... looking like they are rolling even as they sit still.

But, the price is steep... and there is an alternative that takes the styling of the classic Indian and marries it to fuel injection and modern reliability. The alternative is the Kawasaki Vulcan Drifter... They were made from 1999 to 2005. And they were a commercial flop... I talked to a dealer while new bikes were still in the showrooms, and he remarked that people loved them or hated them... They either came in to buy one or wouldn't consider one. I guess I fall in the "love it" camp.

REEP and Cap & Trade

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:46:55 -0500

Changes might be coming... and they aren't good.

Buried in the 1500 page bill is a very long section on the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance program, REEP for short.

It calls for varied provisions such as "Green Guidelines" for new and existing homes, Federal Code Inspectors for those provisions, nationally cohesive building codes and a slew of programs around those items.

It doesn't seem that bad... right?

The guidelines aren't mandatory, but it only takes a stroke of the pen to make the guidelines into requirements for any home that is going to have a federal guaranteed loan. So, while a seller wouldn't HAVE to make the upgrades... they would be locked away from the majority of mortgage programs for the buyer of their home unless they did...

And nationally cohesive building codes don't sound that bad... until you start thinking about the wide variety of local conditions that building codes are specialized for... like deserts in Arizona, hurricanes along the southern coasts, the cold of Minnesota and earthquakes of California. Should homes in Hawaii be insulated like those in North Dakota or Florida? Is that a justifiable expense. What about hurricane-proofing homes in West Virginia? Earthquakes in Rhode Island?

But the biggest problem with the bill is that legislators didn't have time to read the 1500+ pages before the voted on it... most STILL don't know what is in it.

from LaneBailey.com

$8000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit ends...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:40:48 -0500

Ok, don't panic, it doesn't end until December 1st, 2009. But don't get complacent, either... That is sooner than you think.

If you aren't familiar with the FTHBTC (First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit), here is a little reading. The first thing to know is that not owning a home for the last 36 months qualifies one as a First Time Home Buyer for this tax credit...

So, back to the timeline...

Loans are taking a little longer to close lately... The end of November is going to be VERY busy with closing attorneys... The good deals aren't on every corner...

So, getting a home under contract 45-60 days out from the December 1st date would be a really good idea. That means that you really want to have the right house picked out by September. If there is a failure on a deal... or a short sale... it could add a month or two to the process.

Bottom line...

Don't let the time get away. If you qualify, don't leave $8,000 sitting on the table. And finally, don't think that looking for a house after Halloween gives you a great chance at getting closed by December 1st...

from LaneBailey.com

How can there be success without failure?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:52:38 -0500

It is an easy question, but I think it is VERY appropriate as we meander into the 4th of July holiday.

How can there be success without failure?

Our forefathers built a country that changed the world. On these shores, anyone could succeed. The Horatio Alger story could be real. A poor man could rise to be an industrial or political magnate. A black man from humble roots, raised largely by his grandmother could become President of the United States. The son of a patent medicine huckster in New York could grow up to be one of the richest men in the history of the world... whose name is on hundreds of libraries because of his philanthopy.

But, how could success like this exist without failure? How could sweetness exist without sourness? If all things were sweet, we couldn't recognize sweetness as a rare commodity. If success were guaranteed in all pursuits, who would cook the fries?

The thing is...

Freedom carries risk and requires responsibility. Freedom to succeed carries the risk to fail and the responsibility to take care of one's self.

Little things like making sure the family is fed... keeping up with your own health care... yearning to better one's self through growth and learning. Those all go into being free responsibly. And for most of our 233 years as a nation, most citizens did these things. But in the last few decades, many have ceded those responsibilities to society... they feel that they are owed "the basic necessities" of food, shelter and medical care. Instead of caring for themselves and their families, they are content to let the government do it...

They aren't free, and they don't yearn to be free... they are slaves to the government and will give away any liberty in order to secure a few more "rights" at the expense of others.

When I was a manager of a business, I had an employee that "couldn't afford" the company subsidized health plan. It was too much of a hardship for her to be expected on her "meager" salary to be expected to pay the princely sum of $19.50 each two weeks to have health coverage. She justified it by mentioning that she couldn't afford a car and had to ride the bus to work each day. And yet... she had TWO cell phones with a combined bill of over $400/mo. At the time, my wife and I had two cell phones with a combined bill of under $100/mo. There was a flat rate company that had just started operations and offered unlimited air time for $49/mo... So, she got a car. I fired her because she still couldn't get to work on time and constantly needed to leave early...

At the same time, I knew of an employee in a different location. Her husband had been a medical doctor in a foreign country. When they came here, his license wasn't honored... he knew that before he came. He took a job in a car wash and she worked in a photo lab. But they had the opportunity to be free... and the possibility to succeed far beyond what they could have elsewhere.

We see it over and over...

People leave countries with "free" health care, "free" housing and everything else that would be "basic necessities". Cubans strap together inner-tubes to try to reach South Florida. Canadians and Britons and Swedes and overstay their visas. Central and South Americans stream across the border. All of them are in search of a better life and this is where they see that life.

They want to opportunity that we hold up... and they are willing to risk it all to have any chance. Meanwhile, those that have to risk nothing to be here only want someone else to take care of them.

So...

As you lay waste to some hot dogs, apple pie and watermelon at the 4th of July picnic... ask yourself, What have I done to deserve this?

Naked Flight Attendants! Oh MY!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:29:08 -0500

Have you seen the video?

It seems that Air New Zealand has been plagued by one of the same issues as every other airline... bored passengers during the safety briefing... and why not? I'm not an Air Warrior, but I could just about do the briefing myself... it hasn't changed in the four decades I've been flying.

But... safety is important, and many of us might be better served to watch the briefing every once in a while to keep the emergency information fresh. So instead of just letting out a sigh and forgetting about it, Air NZ is being proactive.

What better way to be proactive than to strip the flight crew naked and film them! Heck, I have never been on a flight with Air NZ, but I watched it...

By the way, that is body paint... and if you didn't figure out, they were pretty modest about it for being naked. If AirTran can get Danica Patrick to strip naked and do the safety briefing, I might have to fly someplace just to see it...

Fandemonium... FaceBook Land Rush... Day 3

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:14:24 -0500

Beginning Sunday Night/Monday Morning, FaceBook began the second phase of their custom URL land rush.

In the first phase, members were allowed to select URLs for their personal use and businesses with over 1000 fans were able to get custom URLs as well. There were literally millions of URLs parsed out in just a few hours.

In the second phase, businesses and others with "Fan Pages" were able to secure custom URLs if they had a minimum of 100 fans. Originally it was thought that no minimum fan requirement would exist, and then there were rumors of a 25 fan minimum.

We returned to town late Sunday Afternoon. When I logged in to FaceBook, I was greeted by pandemonium as friends were creating pages getting ready for the URL land rush. I didn't know there was a minimum, but obviously others did... they were rushing to try to get 100 fans already before the deadline.

I was sitting on one page with 12 fans and another with 34. I was able to secure a few fans after midnight... when I figured out that I needed 100, but really wasn't able to go after it until Monday Morning. As of 8:30 on Tuesday Evening, I have 60 fans on Lilburn, 89 fans on LaneBailey and 9 fans on Social Media Breakfast Atlanta (Ken Cook set it up, but we didn't turn it on until today...)

It has been fun, challenging and enlightening.

"Internet friends" from all over the country are helping each other out, "fanning" pages to get people over the 100 threshold.
At the same time, there is a competition of sorts for attention get your pages "fan'd".
Everyone is pitching their pages...
And looking for the hook to get themselves noticed.

I figured out my own hook today... And it is just right for the car guy... If you "Fan" all three of my posted pages, and all three hit 100 fans by the end of the week, I'll send you a car! Sure, the car is only a couple of inches long, but it will be FREE... and will get GREAT gas mileage.

So... HURRY UP and fan my pages. Win a CAR!

BTW, I think that if we (especially me) applied some of the same vigor to marketing the rest of the time, we would have some VERY well read blogs and popular pages!

Atlanta Social Media Breakfast... it is ON!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:56:16 -0500

That is right... save the day, July 23rd, 2009... EARLY in the morning.

We will be meeting at the Duluth Diner on Peachtree Industrial Blvd and Howell Station at 7:00am. The program will run from 7:30-8:30. The Diner opens to the public at 9:00am. There will be plenty of time for socializing, in addition to a great program and Q&A on effectively utilizing Social Media for business.

My partner for this even is the one and only Ken Cook of the JCKC Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio. If you haven't been tuning in, you've been missing it... and that isn't good.

We plan on bringing this format to a few different venues around the Atlanta Metro... if you are interested in hosting an even, please feel free to let one of us know.

Be there... or be square...

FaceBook Fan pages...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:39:45 -0500

I'm beating my head on a wall...

Little did I know that I needed 100 fans in order to register a vanity page URL. And I asked a few friends that are up on things... and they didn't seem to know that little tidbit either.

So, here is the hot tip... if you don't have 100 fans, you can't register a custom URL for your Facebook page.

And... I have two pages I would love to get registered... if you haven't already, feel free to become a fan of:

Lane Bailey

Lilburn Dwellings

Thanks... and feel free to post yours here... maybe we can help you get the needed number of fans if you haven't already.

101 Cars... the OTHER BIG one...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:15:22 -0500

If the Director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy Program hates it, it HAS to be cool. Daniel Becker, the person in that position said, "Shame on International for making this thing...This is a monster truck that only a Hummer could love, and it shows that without government leadership, the auto industry will lead us to more irresponsible, gas-guzzling vehicles." So, It has passed the first test. And I would welcome Mr. Becker to hook up a 40,000 pound trailer to his Prius, Smart or bicycle...

And that is what the International CXT was designed to do... tow 20 tons down the road in comfort... for racers, equestrians or RV enthusiasts... anyone that needs to tow heavy stuff without worry. The curb weight is 14,500 pounds... and that puts it around twice the weight of a Hummer H1.

101 Cars... the BIG one...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:06:50 -0500

They say you want a Revolution, well-ell, you know...

-John Lennon

This is the biggest "car" so far... And while it would be at home AT the track, ON the track would be pretty scary. And even though it is slower than an economy car, and gets worse mileage than an exotic, the price is up there with the most exclusive cars on the road... these can go for upwards of $300,000...

Of course I would HAVE to be talking about an RV. And the RV I am talking about is the Fleetwood Revolution. These are amazing vehicles. They are loaded with luxury and have tremendous utility. And some serious power... The Revolution has a 400hp Cummins 8.9L engine and can tow 15,000 pounds. It has 1200 lb/ft of torque... that is a LOT.

Leather, wood, stainless steel, tile, flat screen TVs... all of the stuff you want in a luxury home.

The disadvantage is that these are NOT cheap to drive... but they are loaded with luxury and you only have to pack once.

Listing Options... Just so you know.

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:09:51 -0500

Yesterday I posted about how some companies are adding junk fees to the traditional sales fees for both buyers and sellers. I think this practice is just plain wrong... especially the way it is usually presented.

In order to give my clients options and help them save some money, I offer three different fee structures and two different levels of service for home sellers. Here is the quick rundown:

Flat Fee - $999 listing plan. This is the plan from our discount arm, WhatIf? Realty. This puts your property on the local MLSs, and gets you a standard sign, as well as a lockbox and flyers. I have a couple of extras, as well as some available upgrades that aren't shown on the company page, for my clients through this plan, so if you are interested, please contact me directly.
Traditional Listing. This includes all of the traditional services, like full marketing, website, video, virtual tour, interactive floor plan, interactive design tools, custom sign, blog support and more. I don't believe that tossing it in the MLS and then shooting a couple of pictures with my cell phone is a "complete marketing package"...
The Hybrid Option. This is new and experimental, but really exciting. Many sellers want more than they get from a Flat Fee plan, but they want to save a few bucks. In effect, they are looking for a full-service marketing package with a lower overall cost... So, after looking at how we could offer something to meet this need, this is what we came up with. This includes ALL of the services of our traditional listing and adds a staging consultation. In exchange for an upfront fee, covering much of the cost of marketing, we discount the total cost.

For more information, feel free to call.

One other thing to keep in mind is that most real estate agents are actually independent contractors. While we "work for" a brokerage, we aren't employees. In some cases, we have the ability to set our own rates, services and other aspects of our businesses. So, even agents working for the same office may offer different services or fees.

In the case of Diamond Dwellings Realty, we are a small niche brokerage... we have agents that specialize in different areas or market segments. And as a smaller brokerage, we have a LOT of lattitude to deliver the best fit for a client's needs.

My goal is to get YOU the best total deal.

Broker Fees?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:15:10 -0500

I’ve seen an annoying new trend. Buyer and Seller “Broker Fees”. It may go by various names, but amounts to the same thing… what Clark Howard would call a Junk Fee.

These are quite different from the other fees that may be involved in a real estate transaction, and there are a LOT of fees. The lenders have fees, the closing attorney has fees, there are state fees, county fees, insurance fees, delivery fees… Simply put, buyers and sellers are paying plenty of fees. Adding some BS junk fee like a paperwork fee, transaction fee, administrative fee or broker fee is just adding insult to injury.

There is already a commission or sales fee that the real estate broker and agent are sharing. There is no reason to add another official sounding fee on top of this that is after the negotiated amounts.

And, that is how it usually works… the seller negotiates the fee for selling their home, and everyone shakes hands… and then the agent mentions that there is a $495 paperwork fee or something along those lines. They say it is required… maybe not saying that they are the ones requiring it…

In the case of buyers, after going through the buyer’s agency agreement and telling the buyer that the commission is generally paid by the seller, they hit the buyer up for a transaction fee… again, saying it is a requirement.

There are various reasons for this… What it mostly comes down to is that people and companies in the real estate industry are hurting for income. But, many of our clients aren’t exactly rolling in money… and even if they were, it isn’t right to tack on junk just because we think we can… Some agents are working for companies that charge US a closing fee for closing a transaction instead of charging a split and the agents are passing it along. It should be part of their cost of doing business.

I just say NO!

No additional fees. You will know EXACTLY what you are paying for my services prior to delivery and prior to completing the negotiations. I try to deliver more for EVERY client than other agents… but that doesn’t mean I need to add junk fees on top of fair fee structure.

And there are some different options available for sellers… but that is another post.

Dear Dad, Happy Father's Day!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:56:33 -0500

Longtime readers of my blog may have noticed that I write many of my letters to my father here. I lost him in 1997, but I still think he reads my blog. I try to limit the online letters to him to just a few times each year... his birthday, Father's Day and a few holidays.

Dear Dad,

I sincerely hope that you have had a wonderful Father's Day. I know that not being with your grandsons is probably the most difficult part, but know that you are with them in spirit. And you are with me every day.

As I continue on this amazing journey of being a husband and father, I marvel at how easy you made it look. Of course I remember a few times that you lost it, but I also remember some times (more numerous) when you didn't. I recall the times when I pushed and tweaked as hard as I could... but you kept your cool.

As an adult, I can see the sacrifices that you made for me and I can see the also see the pain I caused... even though I really didn't know it then. I can also see, as a father, the joy that I might have brought as I learned to overcome obstacles and grow. I remember seeing the pride you had in me... and I can now relate it to the pride I have in my own sons. And I know that you would be a proud Grandpa with them.

In short, thank you. Thank you for setting such a high bar for me. Thank you for letting me taste failure so that I would know the sweetness of victory. Thank you for letting me learn pain to better experience joy. Thank you for giving me so many wonderful experiences. The summer vacations, the lake, the character building and learning experiences... even the ones I hated then, and love the memory of now. I could not have asked for, much less had, a better father. I hope that I can be half the father to my sons as you were (and are) to me.

I know that you lost your dad early. And now I wonder how you could have possibly been able to be such a guiding and mentoring father without an amazing example like you have provided me.

I think of you every day.

Love,

Your son

101 Cars... the Vector!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:37:37 -0500

When I was a kid, there was one car that took "Bad Ass" to a whole new level. Forget the Lamborgini Countach and anything coming from Ferrari... The car that took the look straight to "fighter plane on the street" was the Vector W2 Twin Turbo. Never mind that it started and failed more times than a beat up VW Bug... They were COOL.

I can still remember the road test of a pre-production car by one of the magazines back in the early 1980s mentioning that top spped in 1st gear was 90mph... 2nd gear was 155mph... 3rd gear was 220mph... and that was as many gears as there were. It was powered by an American GM 350 putting out 650hp. In those days, that was astounding.

And it looked like it should be shooting the other cars off the road.

The look hasn't calmed down in the last 25+ years... if anything it is even more slickly sinister. And despite the rarity, I ran across one in a gas station. There was a cop there looking at it... and it was fun telling him that the helicopters in the department couldn't keep up with it...

I'll take mine in flat black...

from LaneBailey.com

How much earnest money is enough?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:23:48 -0500

This is a common question from both buyers and sellers...

For Sellers...

The object is to get enough that it would be painful for the buyers to walk away without cause after the contingencies are settled. For instance, $100 is obviously too low. Just about anyone would be willing to walk away from that without too many worries.

But, what about $2,000? Well, if it is a $200,000 property, that might be a substantial amount, but for a $2,000,000 property, maybe not so much.

The bottom line is that you can ask for more if the amount offered isn't realistic. With VERY few exceptions, the buyer will need to put up a minimum of 3.5% as a down payment on the property in order to get financed. The earnest money WILL be credited to them at closing, so 1% doesn't seem that onerous... but some buyers may balk.

For Buyers...

Actually, I recommend the same amount in most cases. There are some exceptions, but not many. Keep this in mind, the idea is to make the seller comfortable with the transaction. It IS part of the negotiating strategy. And since the object of the buyer is to get the best price for the property, making the seller comfortable is a big part of that... and assuring the seller that the buyer will actually close WILL make the seller more comfortable.

I have had sellers ask for amounts that I thought were onerous for the buyers, but not that often. Most agents don't think about it until there is a problem. But, the sellers generally DO think about it when they are looking at multiple offers, or they have EVER had a buyer fail to close.

In both cases we aren't talking about failures because of inspection issues or other cause.

This specifically relates to contracts with contingencies released. When there are hidden issues uncovered during the inspection, the buyer has a right to drop the contract (assuming it is written that way). But if any financing and inspection contingencies are cleared, and the buyer backs out without a valid reason, the seller HAS been damaged. The property has been removed from the market, and in many cases it is stigmatized... other buyers may assume that the reason for the failure was related to the property's condition.

In that case, the seller should be compensated for their damage...

Also, remember that often the seller HAS the right to sue the (former) buyer for damages. While we often assume that the the buyer is only on the hook for the earnest money, that isn't actually the case... the buyer could be on the hook for more.

from LilburnDwellings

It is in your FOOT!

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:06:10 -0500

I had the opportunity to catch up on some of the shows I enjoy today... and one of them was Trucks on the Spike Powerblock. The episode today had a segment about fuel economy... and getting better economy.

It was an interesting segment to watch. And it showed something VERY important. Not just about fuel economy, but about many things we do...

The subject vehicle was a full-size, V-8 powered, 4wd, loaded American pick-up... a Chevy. EPA city rated at about 15mpg, we aren't talking about a Prius here. For the test, they laid out a route and ran a baseline. The route included highway, city and rural driving. Coming in at 18.4 miles on the single gallon of gas for the route, that wasn't terrible.

The first test was to try a software/hardware solution. They used a piece of equipment from a respected manufacturer. Running the same route, the truck got about 18.8 miles out of the gallon. Pulling an extra 8 miles out of a 20 gallon tank isn't exatly going to change your world.

And then they utilized another product... This one is from a company called Bully Dog, and it is called the Watchdog. They didn't undo the previous modification, but instead took the driving cues from the Watchdog's Coaching program. The result was kind of surprising. A gallon of gas took the truck 22.4 miles. Now, getting an extra 75 miles out of a 20 gallon tank of gas WILL change your world.

The thing that changed was the driver's habits. And that is the bottom line... the most important piece of hardware in the car for increasing fuel mileage is the driver. And the most important piece of software is... the driver.

There are some things that you can do to increase the efficiency of your car...

Run the proper tire pressure
Keep your car in good tune
Change the oil regularly at the proper interval
Make sure you have a clean air filter

But, there are some things that you can do that will have an even more drastic effect...

Smoothly accelerate from a stop
Avoid using the brakes when possible
Drive at a smooth, consistent speed
Roll up to stops using as little brakes as possible
Steer smoothly

So, while the Watchdog is $300... and I think it would pay off for a lot of people... remember that driving smoothly and efficiently is free! In faxct, it is better than free... it puts money in your pocket.

I should be a TV host...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:43:28 -0500

Have you seen the BBC TV show Top Gear? It is one of my favorite shows. And with 350 million viewers around the world, I'm not the only fan. Top Gear is a great show, too. Even Mrs. Garage Guy enjoys (grudgingly) a show sometimes.

The cast of the show includes Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and The Stig. But, it could just as easily include me and a few of my friends. Seriously. The crazy stunts, freaky fabrication and love of all things automotive are alive and well with us. Pat, Patrick, Tim and I have had adventures... and with a show like Top Gear, we could have some more.

If only the video was running when:

Pat and I barnstormed across the country 2000 miles in a Jeep that could only do the speed limit when we were drafting off of a semi.
When Patrick and I rolled a Jeep and then drove home without top, doors or windshield... on New Year's Day.
When Pat and Tim exploded a fire extinguisher under the dash of Pat's Jeep.\

The hits could keep rolling...

Here are a few from the show...

Top+Gear+Police+Cars

WikiHow... This is a good one...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:11:06 -0500

On my Google Homepage I have a couple of WikiHow tips each day. Some of them are entertaining, some are informative, and some are downright weird.

And then there are some that are hilarious...

Today was one of the funny ones. How to Get Up and Start Taking Photos. It is a good read... and could be applied to WAY more things than just taking pictures. But let's talk about pictures for a minute...

For those that don't know, I was a professional photographer for 10 years. I worked in commercial photography, as well as some editorial (magazine) work. Advertising, Annual Reports, catalog, brochures... I personally specialized in studio work, especially with large format cameras (4x5 was my favorite). I also assisted other photographers, and one of my best clients was a location shooter that shot primarily in 35mm. He actually made me really enjoy location photography.

I followed that up with several years as a camera store manager. I had a high volume store with a portrait studio, equipment sales and a very busy lab. In that role, I counseled consumers on how to get better photos and often how to do it with what they already had (sidenote... As a camera store manager, I MUCH preferred that people would spend their money buying and processing film rather than buying new equipment... WAY higher margin on the processing).

And I sucked at taking pictures...

Let me rephrase that... I didn't take a lot of pictures. My wife shot more pictures than I did during most of the year. Sure, I would drag out the camera and pop through film like nobody's business when I was in the mood... I came back from vacation with a hundred rolls of shot film on occasion. But I wasn't shooting the snapshots that marked our lives every day. She was doing that. She was shooting a roll a week. When she got a digital camera, she started shooting more.

But the tide turned...

I got a digital camera (didn't have to borrow hers anymore) and a fairly good camera phone. I started shooting more pics at my listings and around them. And then I joined Flickr... and FaceBook. And I started sharing. Family and friends are tuning in to my stream. I'm shooting pics of the boys and the family and uploading them all but live.

It started with my first camera phone... My mother in VA was looking at pictures of her first grandchild 3 minutes after he was born in GA. But it really picked up in the last year (FaceBook, Flickr and sharing made me do it).

Now I carry a camera most of the time and a camera phone ALL of the time. I use them to take notes and record the little moments. I shoot pictures of items in stores to tell my wife the price or remember where I saw something. I shot a picture of the license plate of the camper we borrowed last weekend in order to have that information available when we registered at the campground. I even use it to record how parts fit for the Jeepster restoration I never seem to have the money for... But the real fun is shooting the pics of the kids when my wife is in the office. The three of us are at home and we shoot pictures and load them to FaceBook so she can go see them. We shoot video clips to share, too...

It is just SO easy. The cameras are simple. The computer interface is fast. Uploading to sharing sites is a snap. And there are folks that want to see the pictures... and it is just SO convenient to share pictures with the family and friends flung far and wide... instantly.

And it gives me hundreds of pictures for my blogs... And I don't have to worry about copyright issues with the pics I use... So, turn off the computer... get outside... carry a camera... and see what is going on around you. It isn't just the big things, it is the little things that just happen that provide the great memories.

Failure to Launch...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:17:35 -0500

As many of my FaceBook friends and Twitter followers have been well aware, my family and I went down to Florida for Saturday's failed Space Shuttle launch.

It was a long and somewhat frustrating trip... driving down with two small kids and a dog presented some challenges... as did getting the camper packed up for the trip. The result was that we didn't leave Atlanta until Friday afternoon. We arrived at the campground in Titusville, FL at almost 1:00am... with tired kids, annoyed parrents and a dog that was ready to run... Our 8 hour trip took about 12 hours.

And then we had to set up the camper, get the kids down and tire out the dog... And get some sleep before the 7:17am Saturday launch. About 2:30am, Gail and I were finally able to turn off the lights and try to sleep. Unbeknownst to us, NASA had already cancelled the launch due to a hydrogen leak.

At 7:00 we got up and piled out of the camper, excited to see the Space Shuttle begin its journey.

Around 7:01 we were told by another camper that the launch was scrubbed... and again around 7:02. We pulled out the phones and confirmed with the NASA website. And then we started talking with others and letting some of the dozen of folks assembled along Indian River at the Manatee Hammock campground know that there wasn't going to be a launch.

Garrett was disappointed. I was disappointed. Gail was disappointed. We all had looked forward to seeing this marvelous event. At that time the next attempt hadn't been scheduled.

So, on to Plan B... actually, we needed to figure out a Plan B. So, we went to the pool... Florida was HOT. Setting up camp was HOT. The air conditioning in the camper ROCKED... but we needed something better... The pool ROCKED more.

On Sunday we spent some more time in the pool, and then drove to Port Canaveral to watch the Disney Wonder pull out of port (It plays "When You Wish Upon A Star" on the ships horn for 7 notes). We also did a little bit of local sight-seeing.

Monday morning we got up bright and early to watch the sunrise, break camp and hit the road. We were on the road by 9:00am... home by 7:00pm. But, sunrise was a bust. It was cloudy to the east and so it just got light... no spectacle.

But, in the end... Time with the family was wonderful. There were no complaints on the way home about the shuttle launch failure. There were no complaints of the heat, bugs of cramped space. We were all glad that we were able to have fun and spend time together. And isn't that what a vacation is about?

More pics will be posted on Flickr soon.

from LaneBailey.com

What makes a Garage "Inspirational"?

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:30:41 -0500

Image by genevievepan via Flickr

There are basically three kinds of garages...

Places to store stuff
Places to work on stuff
Places to display stuff

Most garages are storage sheds. They hold tools, lawn mowers, cars, sporting goods, cleaning supplies and overflow food in the chest freezer.

The next most common group are working garages. Whether it is building a hot rod or keeping the family rides in tune, they have tools and parts and more tools.

Finally, there are the showplaces. These are less garage and more gallery of mobile art. And some of them are incredible. They are limited only by imagination and budget... and some are limited much at all.

I'd love to have one of each...

But what makes it inspirational?

I would say that what makes it inspirational is as different as the person that is inspired. For me, a garage that allows me to get dirty and throw some sparks is what inspires me. While I would love to have an incredible showroom for a bunch of cool toys, I love to get out there and weld and grind and paint and wrench. I like not having to worry about dropping a wrench on the floor and chipping the marble or scarring the textured walls.

But, for others, having someplace that looks like a stable to house their prancing horses or a full-on NASCAR shop is their dream, with checkerboard tiling and powder-coated tool benches.

The first step... Figure out what you want. Are you going to store, build or display?

The second step... Decide on your style. Do you like acid-etched, polished concrete? Epoxy Coatings? Powder-coated cabinetry? Stained wood cabinets?

The third step... Make a budget.

The fourth step... Make a plan. Even with a modest budget, there are ways to minimize the out-lay while maximizing the impact. Like Craigslist... Discarded kitchen cabinets are a great way to add attractive storage to the garage. And everything doesn't need to be done at once, it can be done in stages.

The fifth step... Pull it all together.

A couple of tips...

If you are going to work in the garage, put anything on the floor on wheels. If it is mobile, you can move it to clean behind it.
If it isn't on wheels, get it off the floor. If it is off the floor, you can sweep and/or hose under it. Wall mounted cabinetry is very cool.
Floor coatings don't stand up to welding and plasma cutting. Stick with polished or acid-etched concrete.

And here is a cool place to check out... DreamGarage.com

OK, this is even a little extreme for me...

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:17:46 -0500

I was just thinking about a recent call...

I had someone looking for their ultimate "Garage Home." For him, this was a 3000 square foot shop with a camper inside. He was wondering if I knew of any available in North Georgia. I didn't...

But this does go to show the variety.

On one extreme we have amazing (and expensive) GaragMa Hals. On the other we have a big shop with a camper in the middle of it... Honestly, it wouldn't be that bad. I've spent the last couple of days prepping a borrowed pop-up for a camping trip. It would be nice to know that I could just hook up the truck to my Fifth Wheel and be ready to go...

But there are LOTS of options in between.

I have a listing here in Lilburn, GA, with two 2 car garages. It sits on over 3 acres and has a couple of great spots to stash a car trailer.

A few days ago I showed a client a property in Hall County with two attached two car garages AND another 6 spaces out back. It sits on over 4 acres and despite the deferred mainenance, it is a pretty good deal.

I see properties pretty regularly pop into the market for a short time that have three or four slots in the garage at prices under $200k. I also track properties with LOTS more storage and shop space.

So, if YOU are looking for a garage homes to call your own, whether it is a luxury home where the luxury carries through to the toy storage, or a home a little closer to entry level, but still with "exteme parking"... give me a call. I have the hook up.