The Dirt Lady, serving Madison GA and Lake Oconee

You get what you pay for. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Those were just 2 of my Dad's favorite life lessons. In my past life, I was a buyer for a major department store, and then later the VP-Merchandising (ie boss of all product decisions) for a manufacturing company that developed and...

If your dream includes: Privacy, with no restrictive covenants Room to garden Access to a lake with great fishing And a well maintained home   All at a price that won’t break the budget – look no further   This updated ranch home sits on a private 2 acre lot in an established Lake Oconee communit...

The mortgage interest tax deduction has been in place since 1913 - making it about the same age as the Realtor Code of Ethics! For many homeowners, the reduced income tax burden makes the difference between becoming an owner and remaining a renter. There is good data to show that increasing home ...

Loan affordability is not just about the interest rate! If you're planning to buy a home in the Madison and Lake Oconee area, and don't want to put 20% down on you purchase - you'll find a variety of loan programs available, including USDA, FHA, and VA (if you qualify) One thing you will need to ...

My family has a tradition of giving back - most often in service to schools and church - but I learned early that when you join a group, you had best be prepared to serve. So its with glad heart that I'm taking on the (time-consuming) task of being president of the Lake Country Board of Realtors ...

One of the things I love about my chosen town of Madison, Georgia is that we don't wear our wealth, and we don't drive our wealth.  The late Norris Bryans, one of the county's wealthiest "self made men", drove the sorriest pickup truck you have ever seen, and it was hard to get him out of his fa...

Updating your Madison, Georgia home, and taking care of the honey-do list, is a smart strategy before you offer your home for sale. Buyers today are showing a distinct preference for well-maintained, updated homes - most of them are asking me for "move-in ready" homes. Home selling for top dollar...

How's the market? Its the burning question all around the Lake Oconee area. Continuing to improve is the best way to answer the question, followed by "it depends" on what type of home you are asking about. Overall, homes sales in the Lake Oconee area continue to increase, with 740 closed sales th...

Just a few years ago, FHA loans began making a comeback as one of the most affordable options for many cash-strapped home buyers. Today, not so much as tweeks to their pricing models have put FHA loans out of reach for many buyers, including first time buyers and buyers recovering from the recent...

Below is some helpful basic information about title insurance.  I always counsel buyers to research the matter - if they are getting a loan, then the lender will require it and the further endorsement to add owners coverage is not much more.  The question comes up more often for cash buyers - is ...