How to Rock an Interest Rate Buydown!!!  R U gonna let the interest rate elevator bring you down? Look --- it's a tough real estate environment right now.  Sellers and builders still would die 4 to get the list price and buyers would laugh in the Purple Rain to keep their rate and payment as low as possible. So what if lenders offered a temporary interest rate buydown, like a 3-2-1 buydown or a 2-1 buydown, that made it all possible?  Let's go crazy!  Rob SpinosaSVP of Mortgage LendingGuaranteed RateNMLS: 22343 Cell/Text: 415-367-5959 rob.spinosa@rate.com Marin Office:  324 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA  94960 *The views and opinions expressed on this site about work-related matters are my own, have not been reviewed or approved by Guaranteed Rate and do not necessarily repre... 11/11/2022

November 2022 - First GratitudeGratitude walks with me every day. Whenever things get difficult, I stop and think about how to re-frame to acknowledge what I feel grateful for in my life.Real estate as a career enhances my daily life. What a wonderful path - helping others realize dreams! Seeing my Clients in their new spaces is a continual joy.Real estate knowledge allows me - after stating clearly every single time that I am neither an attorney nor an accountant - to share answers with Clients. One very crucial aspect is making sure that our Clients understand all details of the contracts they are about to sign.  We remind our Clients that as they initial each page of the Buyer Agreement, they are stating that they both have read and understood the contents of each page. Are the Purch... 11/03/2022

  Top Places to Live in the USA: Atlanta Georgia  Atlanta, Georgia topped Money Magazine’s 2022 list of “Best Places to Live.”  The magazine cites trendy examples for Atlanta’s popularity.  These represent the frosting.  The grace and beauty, creativity and ingenuity of the Atlanta area has long taken the cake. A destination itself, the Southern city lies in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  Atlanta features the densest urban tree coverage of any major city in the United States.  Its rolling hills and lush greenery produce a calming effect midst the city bustle.A Sense of BelongingAtlanta happens to be the number one place where “anyone can feel like they belong.” The medium-size city itself is home to under 500,000 residents.  The culture and economy overcome much.  Some wri... 10/25/2022

How to Rock an FHA Home Loan!!!  Are FHA loans just for first time home buyers?   Is an FHA mortgage the best choice if you have bad credit? What if you have a low down payment, or even no down payment from your own savings? If you're ready to quit renting right here and right now, let's learn how to rock an FHA home loan:  Watching the world wake up,  Rob SpinosaSVP of Mortgage LendingGuaranteed RateNMLS: 22343 Cell/Text: 415-367-5959 rob.spinosa@rate.com Marin Office:  324 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA  94960 *The views and opinions expressed on this site about work-related matters are my own, have not been reviewed or approved by Guaranteed Rate and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Guaranteed Rate.  In no way do I commit Guaranteed Rate to any positio... 10/06/2022

How to Rock a Housing Recession!!!  Is now a good time to buy a house? Are we headed into another housing recession? What happens if mortgage rates keep going up? Should I just keep renting while we wait to see what happens with the economy? Since these have been the predominant questions on our clients' minds, I thought I would take a step back to the basics and look at how to make the best decisions possible in uncertain times. Are the lights going down on the real estate market?  Let's take a look...And the sun shines on the bay,  Rob SpinosaSVP of Mortgage LendingGuaranteed RateNMLS: 22343 Cell/Text: 415-367-5959 rob.spinosa@rate.com Marin Office:  324 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA  94960 *The views and opinions expressed on this site about work-related matters are my own... 09/08/2022

April '22 -  Success And Friendship! That's What ActiveRain Means To Me. Back in the Dark Ages of 2010, interesting posts from a group called ActiveRain began to show up in my reading. Looking into the community, I discovered that it actually had a phenomenal philosophical base.The Founders offered a set of Community Guidelines for individuals within the group. In fact, right there, they spelled out good conduct and "bad" as well. Good conduct included maintaining ActiveRain as"a place where real estate professionals can network with their peers and discuss industry insider topics. It is also a public forum where consumers can pull back the curtain and see what the real estate industry is really about."Because of this level of transparency and openness, ActiveRain members must remain ze... 04/30/2022

Exciting New Approach To Email and ProductivityOn Zoom May 3rd - 2pm ET   Join us to hear some wonderful suggestions for increasing yourproductivity and savingtime as you do!  Greg Vetter - Vetter Productivity - will be leading the weekly learning session for Members which meets every Tuesday, via Zoom, at 2:00pm ET.Link to Zoom available from George Souto.Over the past two plus years, Debe Maxwell, CRS and her able committee, including Kathy Streib and others, has provided an extensive assortment of learning opportunities at our Member Zoom Sessions.   You'll enjoy learning from Greg given his strong background in enhancing his Clients' success with entrepreneurship. His book, "Find It in 5 Seconds"  details the entire process.With 30+ years of experience as a  Productivity Speaker, Tr... 04/29/2022

Home for sale in the Lakewood Ga, 30315         169 Adair Ave SE Atlanta Ga, 30315       169 Adair Ave Se Atlanta Ga 30315 property and community information                                                                                Why Do People Live here?  Lakewood is a beautiful community full of single-family bungalows.  These homes are conveniently located near the Cellairis Amphitheater at Lakewood, eleven minutes from downtown Atlanta, and a local coffee shop- Community Grounds Coffee shop.  While in the community you will see charming homes and newly renovated properties.  The lots feature large backyards and massive porches to enjoy the birds singing and view lush leafy foliage. Looking for a home in Lakewood?Interested in finding homes for sale in Atlanta Lakewood neighbor... 04/23/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown - CRM - EZ Search Using IXACT Contact What's the BEST Client Relationship Manager (CRM) on the market? The one you actually use!Don't continue to search around in all the possible locations where Client info might be stored. Make your business life easy! Use a Client Relationship Manager to store everyone in one place! Quite a few options exist. In an earlier post, Which CRM Is The Absolute Best To Use?,  you'll find a list of 32 different company names and the results of the AR Survey about CRM's.After trying about three options, ODAT Realty settled in with IXACT Contact. IXACT Contact offers free weeks to start and free assistance to upload your existing contact list(s) to your trial of the new CRM.  For complete system access in a FREE TRIAL* of IXACT Contact... 03/10/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Client Feedback At Its Best  In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside and throughout the country, many real estate professionals have enjoyed working with amazing Clients during home searches. When they respond to our service by sending a special review, the process is brought full circle!In the 21st century, as everyone knows, Client Reviews are very important. I treasure the Reviews I have received for sure. Chose Lee Fox photo above to represent what we REALTORS may achieve when working with Clients.We can be the beacon that gets them home safely!In December 2013, I helped someone find his first house. In 2021, he and his new bride asked me to help them find a home to share! And we did! I loved what he said about me back in January 2014. Especially liked ... 02/20/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: How Many Repetitions Before You Listen?  In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown and the Westside, plus many other areas in Metro Atlanta, computers are "Basic Furniture".  So are Mobile Phones. So are Tablets and Laptops. In some homes, even the thermostats have computer components. The question for tonight is:When you hear about a "a zero-day exploit", do you immediately pay attention and take the 15-45 seconds to update your Browser, shut down the Browser and then start it again? EDIT:  If you don't shut Browser down completely and then restart the Browser, the Update may not succeed.Pay attention when DANGER is announced. The upgrade for Microsoft EDGE and for Chrome are just waiting to be used. Detailed instructions below.Microsoft EDGEGoogle ChromeDON'T BE THE PERS... 02/18/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: EDGE Browser URGENT UPDATE NEEDED - Now!    In Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, browsing safely on the web is crucial. When the Browsing Site itself identifies threats -- URGENT UPDATE needed immediately. Microsoft can only protect your computer if the LATEST version of the Browser is in use.NOTE:  Before beginning the UPDATE...Remember to save any web pages or online work. For the "patch" to take effect, the browser must restart. Unless SAVED before restart, work may be lost. If you use Chrome Browser, check here. Edge Open your browser and click the three horizontal dots upper right corner. Click "Help and feedback" at the bottom of the menu that pops up Select "About Microsoft Edge." Edge will automatically check for updates. If you need to restart... 02/17/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Chrome Browser  URGENT UPDATE NEEDED - Now! In Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, browsing safely on the web is crucial. When the Browsing Site itself identifies threats -- URGENT UPDATE needed immediately. Chrome can only protect your computer if the LATEST version of the Browser is in use.NOTE:  Before beginning the UPDATE:Remember to save any web pages or online work. For the "patch" to take effect, the browser must restart. When it restarts, previously unsaved work may be lost.                                                        Steps to reach the the latest version, 98.0.4758.102: Open the Chrome browser on your desktop computer. Click the three stacked dots in the upper right corner (the menu). Hover over Help at the bottom and click on About G... 02/16/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Visit BBT/SunTrust B4 Truist Merger 2/18-21/22 In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside and all over the Southeast, big changes coming this weekend. Merger day is just over the horizon! Whether you bank with BB&T or with SunTrust, go and finish your banking needs before the end of business on Friday, February 18, 2022.  Whether you bank with BB&T or with SunTrust, go to your profile page online, double-check your Login Information: Record your Name and your Password!  To assist bank clients, TRUIST published a QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE.  Go to the QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE for help.  For SunTrust clients, a list of instructions appeared at Login this week: YOU WILL UPGRADE TO TRUIST OVER THE WEEKEND February 18-21, 2022​1.  ​At first login, you’ll enter your Usernam... 02/15/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Georgia Power Outage Direct Notification Text In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown and the Westside, many trees shade our homes. When flying into Atlanta, the tree canopy resembles a beautiful lush living carpet of green. Yet many trees means many limbs may fall during or after storms and bring down power lines. Often Metro Atlanta suffers from power outages when receiving heavy rain for several hours. After the storm ends, the tree limbs are heavy with water. If that added weight faces a temperature drop below freezing and heavy winds, it is a limb-cracking combination.  Georgia Power instituted an OUTAGE ALERT via text for everyone's convenience. One may register with Georgia Power online and from there forward, the information travels smoothly. Or, from a mobile ph... 02/14/2022

Ask An Ambassador: Which CRM Is The ABSOLUTE Best One To Use?  In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, Westside and all over Metro Atlanta and most probably in many other cities all across the USA, REALTORS and other professionals ponder that burning question.Everyone wants to know which Client Relationship Manageris the ABSOLUTE best to use. Here's the DEFINITIVE ANSWER: the one you use consistently!The beginning of every year gives us the chance to put our new plans to their paces. Whatever we decided to do at the end of the past year can happen now! Using a good Client Relationship Manager helps keep in touch with Clients all year long! FYI - We use Ixact Contact as our Client Relationship Manager (CRM).             Look in the AR Product Reviews  to review the different CRM programs.Links be... 02/11/2022

Ask An Ambassador: Tuesday Techie Tidbit - Indenting Copy The Easy Way  Goal for Tuesday Techie Tidbit - explain small short-cuts or techniques that make posting easier so ActiveRain Members may focus on content.More or less a photo explanation!Indenting selected copyWhy? Perhaps to emphasize words without underscore,  bold or CAPITALS. Also possible to indent when using Gmail and perhaps other email options. 1.  Type what you want to say. Hope this doesn't make you hungry!    2.  Locate the INDENT arrow above    3.  Highlight the copy to be indented.     4.  One click on indent and they move.     5.  Left - added bullets and ONE indent  |  Right - added bullets and TWO indents     The bullets change from a solid dot to a circle with the second indent!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~... 02/08/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Street Racing - GSP Available Late at NightIn Atlanta, Buckhead Midtown and ALL OVER THE METRO ATLANTA AREA, illegal street racing events are causing havoc at major intersections.In addition to death and dismemberment, what consequences do these participants risk? In the City of Atlanta, just being a spectator is breaking the law. Spectator penalties include up to a $1000 fine and up to six months in jail. In 2021, APD issued 661 Citations for Spectators under the Street Racing Ordinance between January and September. The State of Georgia legislation against illegal street racing allows suspension of the Driver License for up to one year and a $5000 fine. A Buckhead neighbor spoke to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) on February 7, 2022 and was kind enough to post... 02/07/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: #1 Strategy to Sales Success - Jill Konrath  In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside and all over Metro Atlanta as well as the rest of the US right now, daily pressure for locating homes for Clients who want to buy and helping Clients who want to sell is astronomical.As REALTORS®, we have multi-layered jobs. We must know our product, know the process, know the way to successful contracts and, most of all, we must work with empathy for our Clients. We "serve" them to enjoy success together.Imagine refocusing - listen to Jill Konrath for less than two minutes and you will learn the first step! She has excellent advice for increasing productivity! Jill Konrath is a business-to-business (B2B) sales expert whose ideas and insights bolster careers and boost compa... 02/06/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: First-Time Buyers Are So Much Fun In Atlanta, Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside and all around Metro Atlanta, working with First-Time Buyers is so much fun! First-Time Buyers have unending numbers of questions and lots of enthusiasm. The best part is their eagerness to learn. I guess next would be their hope to exercise control on all the factors of their searches!I'd rate them the "Perfect 10" class of Clients.Curious - if you would be so kind to answer in the comments - what do you think is the MOST IMPORTANT first step to take with First-Time Buyers?What does Atlanta Homes ODAT Realty suggest?Most important first step for our company is that all Buyers pull their own Credit Reports and see if they agree with what they see there. Every state is different but he... 02/05/2022