<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>The Lake and Home Group Blog</title><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/blog</link><description>Buford GA real estate market news provided by Keller Williams Realty</description><lastBuildDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate><item><title>PRICE REDUCED ON LAKE HARTWELL HOME</title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>Big Reduction in Price</strong> for this Lake Hartwell Waterfront Home at <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/property/250-HARBOR-HEIGHTS-CIRCLE-LAVONIA-Georgia"><span style="color: #0000ff;">250 Harbor Heights Circle in Lavonia, Georgia</span></a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/york%20ft%20hm%20fr%20left%20far.jpg" alt="" width="362" height="288" /></p>
<p>Here it is &ndash; at only $400,000, A Beautiful Lake Hartwell Waterfront 5 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath Home with over 3 acres (3 lots) , 400 feet of Waterfront, Single Slip Dock in Place in Great Water, An Open Floor Plan with Nice Lake Views from most Rooms, Circular Driveway and Cement Path to Lake. What more could you want? Well, add a Master Bedroom and Bath Suite on the Main, Wide Plank Pine Hardwood Floors, Fireplace in the Great Room and Terrace Level, Terrace Level Bar and Entertainment Area, Screened-In Patio, and a Mother-In-Law Suite that includes its own Private Entrance, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bath, Family Room Area, and HVAC unit.&nbsp; And, you&rsquo;re just a minute off I-85 and the Harbor Light Marina. It&rsquo;s being sold &ldquo;Furnished&rdquo; so - if you're looking for <strong><a href="http://www.lakeandhomesearch.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Hartwell Real Estate</span></a></strong>, "You don&rsquo;t want to miss this one"!&nbsp;</p>
<p>Check out the <a href="http://realestgallery.com/250HarborB.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>VIRTUAL Tour</strong></span></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=9dee8c4e-78bf-46d7-a4ec-6c9295b1448d&amp;Report=Yes" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>MLS #20110005</strong></span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span></p>
<p>Contact Jay Hufnagel, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a>, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a> , 770-757-2799 .</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/PRICE-REDUCED-ON-LAKE-HARTWELL-HOME</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/PRICE-REDUCED-ON-LAKE-HARTWELL-HOME</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>2010 LAKE HARTWELL REAL ESTATE ACTIVITY</title><description><![CDATA[<p>I&rsquo;m getting a lot of inquiries about Real Estate Activity for waterfront homes on Lake Hartwell and how it stacks up to last year. As you can see below, Lake Hartwell Homes are still Selling. Homes that have sold and current activity are exceeding last years pace, but the average price per sale has dropped significantly (from approximately $391K to $324K). That&rsquo;s great news for Buyers, but Sellers are being forced to give huge discounts if they want to sell. Surprisingly, there are very few <strong><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=8de446a6-da75-42a1-ae84-652709e6e58f&amp;Report=Yes" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Foreclosures</span></a></strong> and <a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=e1ac98bc-2fb3-455a-99fb-05069953e010&amp;Report=Yes" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>Short Sales</strong></span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong> </strong></span>on the Lake. Overall, there are 435 Active Waterfront Lake Homes on the market, which is an increase of about 36% since the first of the year. Now, is definitely the time to buy with the best Interest Rates in nearly 50 years. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Homes Sold</strong> - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>47</strong></p>
<p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong>Average Days on Market&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 188</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Sale Price&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$324,082</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Active Listings&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;435</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Homes Pending or UC&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;23</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=68f1a5fd-469a-4fa6-a9c7-27d1a798c4ff&amp;Report=Yes"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ACTUAL LISTINGS THAT MAKE UP THIS REPORT</strong></span></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>(This link expires in 30 days)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Note: This list does not include condos and townhomes (source: SC Western Upstate MLS and does not include FSBO and non Upstate MLS listings).</p>
<p>By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a> , 770-757-2799 .</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-HARTWELL-REAL-ESTATE-ACTIVITY</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-HARTWELL-REAL-ESTATE-ACTIVITY</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>2010 LAKE LANIER REAL ESTATE ACTIVITY</title><description><![CDATA[<p>Are you curious&nbsp;what has been selling on Lake Lanier? &nbsp;So far this year, 36 waterfront homes have sold, and 22 are currently under contract (out of 458 homes active on the market). As you can see by the link below, the majority of the activity is below $450,000, with some great deals around $300,000. It&rsquo;s interesting to compare the &ldquo;original&rdquo; list price to the actual &ldquo;sale&rdquo; price. As you can see, there&rsquo;s quite a difference.</p>
<p><strong>2010 Lake Lanier Real Estate</strong> (Waterfront Home Sales)</p>
<p><a href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?emailGUID=21d8665a-98c4-475e-b870-1e96ea189f09&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Buyer Full Report</span></a><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><a href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/Cma/Custom/BuyerCma.asp?emailGUID=21d8665a-98c4-475e-b870-1e96ea189f09&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">CMA Buyer</span></a></p>
<p>How has Lake Lanier waterfront lots fared? 2 waterfront lots have sold and 4 are under contract (out of 130 lots active on the market). Buyers are finding that they can get such a great deal on resale homes right now with great interest rates, that buying a lot doesn&rsquo;t make that much sense to them, unless they&rsquo;re getting a great deal or want to build right away.</p>
<p><strong>2010 Lake Lanier Real Estate</strong> (Waterfront Lot Sales)</p>
<p><a href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?emailGUID=61353017-82e4-47fd-b9f2-a934c4c4dbdf&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Buyer Full Report</span></a><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><a href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/Cma/Custom/BuyerCma.asp?emailGUID=61353017-82e4-47fd-b9f2-a934c4c4dbdf&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">CMA Buyer</span></a></p>
<p>Whether&nbsp;you&rsquo;re buying a home or lot, <strong>&ldquo;now&rdquo; is a wonderful time to buy</strong>. Either way, please let me know how I can help.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Note: &nbsp;Source is FMLS. The statistics above do not reflect For Sale by Owner (FSBO) activity or non FMLS listings.</p>
<p>By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty Atl Prtnrs, Lake and Home Group, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp; </span>, 770-757-2799.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-LANIER-REAL-ESTATE-ACTIVITY</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-LANIER-REAL-ESTATE-ACTIVITY</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 May 2010 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>2010 LAKE HARTWELL REAL ESTATE SALES</title><description><![CDATA[<p>Wow! It looks like the year is starting off pretty good for <strong>Lake Hartwell Real Estate</strong> (source: SC Western Upstate MLS). So far (as of 4-8-2010) 26 waterfront homes have sold in 2010 and 18 are currently under contract (out of 397 homes active on the market). As you can see by the link below, the majority of the activity is below $350,000 with some great deals under $200,000.&nbsp; From experience and knowing what has been on the market in earlier years, some of these Lake Hartwell Homes have sold for half of what they were on the market less then 2 years ago. Click on the link below to see the actual "sold" listings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=83d11d26-1c05-4236-9393-8b91c9234830&amp;Report=Yes">2010 Lake Hartwell Waterfront Home Sales</a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">Note: The above link has been updated to 6-12-2010. Currently there are over 440 Active Lake Hartwell Waterfront Homes for sale.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Lake Hartwell Waterfront lake lots</strong> haven&rsquo;t had the success that homes have had. Only 2 waterfront lots have sold and 3 are under contract (out of 340 lots active on the market). Buyers are finding that they can get such a great deal on resale homes right now with great interest rates, that buying a lot doesn&rsquo;t make that much sense to them, unless they&rsquo;re getting a huge discount.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=7b3c6676-ad5f-470f-92b6-6ab738c2e5a3&amp;Report=Yes"><span style="color: #0000ff;">2010 Lake Hartwell Waterfront Lot Sales</span></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Whether you&rsquo;re buying a home or lot, <strong>&ldquo;now&rdquo; is a wonderful time to buy</strong>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Note: The statistics above do not reflect For Sale by Owner (FSBO) activity or non SC Western Upstate MLS listings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty Atl Prtnrs, Lake and Home Group, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp; </span>, 770-757-2799.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-HARTWELL-REAL-ESTATE-SALES</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2010-LAKE-HARTWELL-REAL-ESTATE-SALES</guid><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>VACATION HOME RENTAL FOR SALE ON LAKE HARTWELL</title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong>103 Foothills Dr, Hartwell, GA</strong> - Here's your chance! Buy a Lake Home and Earn Income while you Enjoy it. This <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/property/103-FOOTHILLS-DR-HARTWELL-Georgia"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Charming 4BR, 3.5BA, &ldquo;Cottage Style&rdquo; Waterfront Home</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>is nestled in a Quiet Cove very close to Hartwell Marina. You&rsquo;ll love the Character and Charm of this Home that includes a Carriage House, Single Slip Coved Dock, close Corps line, 150&rsquo; of waterfront,&nbsp; Screened-in Porch with great Lake Views, large Family Room with Fireplace and Sunroom. Home is being sold mostly Furnished and has been used as a Vacation Rental Home <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/43885"><span style="color: #0000ff;">(Hartwell Heaven &amp; Surf Shack).</span></a> This property is so Unique &ndash; you have to see it. Just bring your Towels!</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/kishoni%20frt%20hm%20closer.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="197" /></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://realestgallery.com/103Foothills2.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Virtual Tour of this Fantastic Home</span></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Highlights include</strong>: a Fire Pit near the Lake, a Fantastic lot with Shade Trees, Large Fig Tree, Pear Tree and two Pecan Trees and many Flowers and Perennials. The Detached Carriage House has a Game Room, &ldquo;Tiki&rdquo; Bar, and a Large Bedroom and Full Bath upstairs. Cement Drive has ample Parking and includes a large Pad for Turning and Guest parking. If you&rsquo;re looking for a true Lake Home that you have the option of Earning Income, Relaxing in a Hammock, Read a Book, Swim, Boat, Fish, Entertain, and just &ldquo;Enjoy Life&rdquo;, this is where you&rsquo;ll want to be.</p>
<p>Contact Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="color: #0000ff;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a> , 770-757-2799.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/VACATION-HOME-RENTAL-FOR-SALE-ON-LAKE-HARTWELL</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/VACATION-HOME-RENTAL-FOR-SALE-ON-LAKE-HARTWELL</guid><pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>BEAUTIFUL HOME IN LAKE HARTWELL COMMUNITY</title><description><![CDATA[<p><strong><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/property/1109-BAY-DR-FAIR-PLAY-South-Carolina"><span style="color: #0000ff;">1109 BAY DR, FAIR PLAY, SC</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>- </strong>WOW!&nbsp; Nothing quite like this&hellip; a 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath, Ranch Style, 3000+ Square Foot, Home in a <strong>Lake Hartwell Community</strong> with &ldquo;Nothing to Spare&rdquo;. Where they could have spent a Nickel, they spent a Dime. Quality and Upgrades throughout including: Four sided Brick with Hardy Plank Trim, Three Car Attached Garage with room for Storage, Circular Cement Driveway that goes through a Detached 19&rsquo;X 45&rsquo; Insulated Garage so you can store your Boat or Storage, Huge Gourmet Kitchen with Granite Countertops, Master Bedroom and Bath Suite on Main with Sun Room, Great Room with Fireplace, 56&rdquo; Built in TV, and Double Trey Ceilings in Great Room and Master Bedroom - All of this and only 2 minutes from the <a href="http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">US Army Corps of Engineers</span></a>, Glenn Ferry,&nbsp;Lake Hartwell Boat Landing and&nbsp;Community Dock&nbsp;and&nbsp;Exit #4&nbsp;off I-85.</p>
<p>Other Key Features and Upgrades include: All Garages and Interior Walls in the Home &nbsp;are Insulated, Upgraded Crown Molding throughout, Rocking Chair Covered Front Porch, Covered Back Porch and Patio, Home is wired for Sound System, all Windows are Energy Efficient, Buried 1000 Gal Propane Tank, 2 Renai Tankless Water Heaters, Central Vacuum System, Irrigation System, Kitchenaid Architech Series Appliances, Convection Oven, Upgraded Gas Stovetop with Warming Drawer, Medallion Cabinetry in Kitchen and Bathrooms, Oversize Shower Entrance with Double Shower Heads in Master Bath Suite, His and Hers Walk-in Closets, Plantation Shutters, and 400 Amp Electric Service for Home. So, if you're looking for <strong>Lake Hartwell Real Estate</strong>, this Home definitely has a &ldquo;WOW&rdquo; factor.</p>
<p><a href="http://realestgallery.com/1109Bay2.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Virtual Tour of this Beautiful Lake Hartwell Home</span></a></p>
<p>Contact Jay Hufnagel, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a> , Keller Williams Realty, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a> , 864-287-7530 for this property or other <strong>Lake Hartwell Homes for Sale</strong>.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/BEAUTIFUL-HOME-IN-LAKE-HARTWELL-COMMUNITY</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/BEAUTIFUL-HOME-IN-LAKE-HARTWELL-COMMUNITY</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>STUNNING LAKE LANIER HOME IN BEAUTIFUL LAKE COMMUNITY</title><description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/vu%20frt%20of%20hm%20fr%20lt%20side.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="156" />This Gorgeous Lake Lanier 4 Bedroom and 3.5 Bath Home at 7475 Kingfisher Lane in Dawsonville, Georgia&nbsp;is located&nbsp;in Lakes Edge Subdivision. Located just minutes from Hwy 400, this beautiful Lake Lanier Home has everything you&rsquo;re looking for - Huge Great Room with Fireplace, Formal Dining Room, Huge Kitchen with Breakfast Bar and Area, and a Keeping Room with Stone Fireplace. You&rsquo;ll love the large Master Bedroom (on the Main Floor) with Sitting Area that overlooks the big Private Back Yard that borders the <a href="http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">US Army Corps of Engineers</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>property of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lanier"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Lanier</span></a>. The Master Bath Suite includes a Double Vanity, Garden Tub and Separate Walk-in Marble Shower. The unfinished Basement is huge and just waiting to be transformed into a Showcase Terrace Level with two more Bedrooms, Full Bath, Media Room, Bonus Room and Entertainment Area.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/vu%20dock%20pic.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="164" />All of this and you&rsquo;re just a 2 minute walk to a Community Multi-Slip, Party Deck, Dock in Deep Water of Lake Lanier. Invite your Family and Friends to enjoy your Beautiful Home and the Quality of Lake Living.</p>
<p>Other Key Features and Upgrades in this Beautiful Lake Lanier Home include: Room for Large Swimming Pool in Backyard, 13 feet Ceilings in Basement, Upgraded Marble Baths throughout home, Granite Countertops in Kitchen and Baths, Extended Wrap around Deck, Fireplaces have Floor to Ceiling Stone Treatment, Hardwood Floors throughout Home (Upstairs and Downstairs), Tank less Water Heater, Gourmet Kitchen with Stainless Steel Commercial Appliances, Wolf six (6) Burner Stove, Bosch Front Load Laundry Appliances, Extra Windows in Keeping Room, Wall of Windows in Great Room, Granite Buffet Shelf in Dining Room, Iron Railings and Cat Walk, Iron Railings on Deck and Decorative Columns, Extra Canned Lights, Stone Steps to Backyard, Surround Sound Wiring and Custom Walk-in California Closets.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://realestgallery.com/7475King.htm"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Virtual Tour of this Beautiful Lake Lanier Home</span></a></p>
<p>If you're looking for <a href="http://www.lakeandhomesearch.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Lanier Real Estate</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>don't miss seeing this home.</p>
<p>Contact Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="color: #0000ff;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, 770-757-2799.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/STUNNING-LAKE-LANIER-HOME-IN-BEAUTIFUL-LAKE-COMMUNITY</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/STUNNING-LAKE-LANIER-HOME-IN-BEAUTIFUL-LAKE-COMMUNITY</guid><pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>SHORT SALES TO BE HOT ITEM THIS YEAR</title><description><![CDATA[<p>First, I&rsquo;ll try to explain what a short sale is. <strong>A short sale happens when the net proceeds from the sale of a property are not enough to cover a seller&rsquo;s mortgage and closing costs (such as real estate commissions, property and misc. taxes, etc.).</strong> Plus the seller is unable or unwilling to cover the difference. In many cases, the lender agrees to accept less than the total amount due and will release or satisfy the mortgage and the note. The words Preforeclosure or Pre-Foreclosure sales are sometimes used in place of a short sale.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>The cause for a short sale can be due to a variety of reasons. Property owners (Mortgagors) may be in default on their mortgage due to employment issues, divorce, medical challenges, death, unexpected debt and other hardships. Some may have bought at the top of the real estate market and now find themselves &ldquo;upside down&rdquo; on their mortgage. Others may have drained equity out of their property through refinancing. In any case, they find themselves unable to make their payments and faced potential foreclosure.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One of the key requirements in buying a short sale is having patience. Many potential home buyers find that short sale listings take forever and never close. Many Real Estate Agents, experienced in listing or assisting in the buying of short sales, question whether it&rsquo;s really worth the time. That may change.</p>
<p>Recently, there was a great article in the January 31, 2010, AJC homefinder section of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) by John Adams, &ldquo;<a href="http://www.ajchomefinder.com/mortgage-center/big-news-on-short-286575.html"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Big News on Short Sales</span></a>&rdquo;. John talks about a new rule that is going into effect in April that will force many of the big lenders to respond to short sales within 10 business days of getting an offer. This new rule will solve one of the biggest challenges that face buyers wanting to buy a short sale. Today, many buyers wait weeks and months to hear back whether a loan servicer (lender) has accepted or countered their offer. It also affects the property owner which in many cases face foreclosure before the deal is accepted.</p>
<p>Shown below is a great video talking about Short Sales and explaining the new rules going into effect in April, 2010.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">WILL FEDERAL GUIDELINES SPEED SHORT SALES?</span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Realtor TV</span></strong></p>
<p>
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<p>So, expect to see big changes in the amount of interest in buying short sales this year. At a recent seminar by the <a href="http://www.okelleyandsorohan.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Law Firm of O&rsquo;Kelley &amp; Sorohan</span></a>, Joe O&rsquo;Kelley Jr stated that we can expect the distressed property challenge to continue for at least another two years. Currently, close to 50% of homes sold are distressed. That&rsquo;s bad news for many home owners, but great news for home buyers and investors.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a> , 770-757-2799, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/SHORT-SALES-TO-BE-HOT-ITEM-THIS-YEAR</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/SHORT-SALES-TO-BE-HOT-ITEM-THIS-YEAR</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>ARE YOU READY FOR TAX TIME?</title><description><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Did you buy or sell Real Estate in 2009? If you did, or planning to buy or sell in 2010 you may want to read Grant Ballew&rsquo;s message below and his<span style="color: #0000ff;"> "10 Big Deductions too many people miss" </span>article (email me <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="color: #0000ff;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;</span> to receive a copy of this). Grant is a Senior Mortgage Consultant from WR Starkey Mortgage. Here&rsquo;s a note that I received from him this afternoon.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">I hope this email finds you doing well. I can&rsquo;t believe that we are already in February. I am fortunate to be in the business I am, I love what I do! Please take a couple minutes to read this email.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Most people have heard about the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers, but did you know you may qualify for an extra tax deduction after your refinance? </span></span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">People who refinanced in 2009 may qualify for a special deduction of thousands of dollars.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">If you do your own taxes, you may want to review IRS Publication 936. Or ask your tax person about prepaid finance charge deductions. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">To calculate this deduction you will need the HUD and the Truth In Lending Statement from the loan we paid off at your closing, so bring those documents with you to meet with your tax professional.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Another important deduction to keep in mind is the federal deduction you get for paying state and local taxes. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">For many borrowers, this can include the intangible tax you paid on your recent mortgage, last year&rsquo;s state income tax, and the ad valorem tax you paid for your automobile.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Your financial well being is important to me, so always seek personal tax advice from a professional.　</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Grant Ballew</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times new roman,times;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000;">By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, Lake and Home Group, <a href="http://www.SayJayLakeandHome.com"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, 770-757-2799</span></span></span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/ARE-YOU-READY-FOR-TAX-TIME</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/ARE-YOU-READY-FOR-TAX-TIME</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>2009 LAKE HARTWELL HOME SALES IMPROVE</title><description><![CDATA[<p>Real Estate activity with waterfront Lake Hartwell homes have started to warm up. Now if we can get the weather to warm a little, things would be really great. As you know, the lake level has come up with all the rain we&rsquo;ve been getting. Plus, with the Stock Market and Consumer Confidence growing it&rsquo;s just a matter of time before lake property and second homes become a priority again. I&rsquo;m averaging about four showings a week with potential lake property buyers that want to take advantage of the &ldquo;great deals&rdquo;.</p>
<p><strong>Lake Hartwell Home sales improved 15% over 2008</strong>. That&rsquo;s a strong indicator that we&rsquo;re moving in the right direction. Average Sale prices have decreased by 22% with most buyers looking in the $200,000 to $350,000 range.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, lake lots have not had the success that homes have had. Lenders have not been willing to open up the way that they used to for lot purchases. Plus, buyers that may have wanted to build, are now finding that they can buy a resale much cheaper then spending the money to build. Many lake lot owners wanting to sell are willing to take big losses just to move their property.</p>
<p>Here are statistics for the 2009 <strong>&ldquo;waterfront&rdquo;</strong> Real Estate activity on Lake Hartwell. This list does not include condos and townhomes (source: SC Western Upstate MLS and does not include FSBO and non Upstate MLS listings):</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>2009&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong></p>
<p><strong>Homes&nbsp;&nbsp;Sold -</strong><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;65</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Days on the Market &ndash; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 161&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average List Price - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$404,822&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Sale Price -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;359,514&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sale vs. List Price &ndash; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 88.8%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Note: List Price is the last price reflected in the MLS listing and may not be the Original List price. Also, some properties may have been listed multiple times. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Active Listings - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;278&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Homes Pending (under contract) -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 13</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Waterfront Lots Sold</strong> -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>15</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Days on the Market &ndash; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;205&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average List Price &ndash; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$160,753&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Sale Price -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;140,946&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sale vs. List Price &ndash;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;87.8%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Active Listings - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 221</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Lots Pending (under contract) -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 0</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;d like to receive an actual list of the homes/lots that have sold in 2008, please click on the link below or email Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, at <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Homes Sold</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=bc4ac5ee-c258-48e2-9991-1703cd60023f&amp;Report=Yes"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click Here for Homes Sold or Under Contract</span></a></p>
<p>Lots Sold</p>
<p>&nbsp;<a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=bfe88c03-67e9-481c-b823-2e866c5d3d5c&amp;Report=Yes"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click Here for Lake Lots Sold or Under Contract</span></a></p>
<p><strong>The time to buy lake property is now &hellip;.&rdquo;they&rsquo;re not making any more of it&rdquo;. &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>By: <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, Lake and Home Group</span></a>, 770-757-2799, just &ldquo;Say Jay&rdquo; for Real Estate</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2009-LAKE-HARTWELL-HOME-SALES-IMPROVE</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/2009-LAKE-HARTWELL-HOME-SALES-IMPROVE</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>LAKE LANIER 2009 HOME SALES SURPASS 2008</title><description><![CDATA[<p>At this time last year the lake was 17&rsquo; down from full pool and the thought that the lake would fill to full pool was just wishful thinking. Wow, what a difference a year makes! All it took was a lot of prayer, near record rainfalls, and today we&rsquo;re at full pool. Lake home owners are optimistic again, and there&rsquo;s an increase in Real Estate activity for Lakefront property. &nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's some great news! 2009 sales of Waterfront Lake Homes saw an increase of 12% over 2008 sales. That&rsquo;s not much, but it signals things are improving. Plus, buyers are getting great bargains. Last year the average sale price was approximately 88% of the original list price. This year that figure has dropped to 80%. &nbsp;Every lake home buyer that I talk to wants the same thing &ndash; &ldquo;<strong>a great deal</strong>&rdquo;.&nbsp; As 2010 begins and the inventory improves, indicators show that buyers will get what they want.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are statistics for 2009 <strong>&ldquo;waterfront&rdquo; </strong><a href="http://www.lakeandhomesearch.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong>Lake Lanier Real Estate</strong></span></a>. This list does not include condos and townhouses. (Based on information from the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) and does not include FSBO and non FMLS listings):</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>2009</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;<strong>Homes&nbsp;Sold&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>105&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Days on the Market&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 160&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Original Average List Price&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;$717,882&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Sale Price&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;577,185&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sale vs. List Price &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 80%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Current Active Listings &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 475&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Homes Pending (under contract)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 19</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Waterfront Lots Sold</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>8&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Average Days on the Market &ndash;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;150&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average List Price &ndash; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;$355,462&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Average Sale Price -&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 310,987&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sale vs. List Price &ndash;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 87%&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Current Active Listings - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 111</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Current Lots Pending (under contract) - &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 5</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;d like to receive an actual list of the homes/lots that have sold, please click on the link below or email Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, at <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net">sayjay@bellsouth.net</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Homes Sold</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?emailGUID=d1a583b1-580b-40f0-be0b-113185efedd6&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1265039199_0" class="yshortcuts">Buyer Full Report</span></a><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/Cma/Custom/BuyerCma.asp?emailGUID=d1a583b1-580b-40f0-be0b-113185efedd6&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1265039199_1" class="yshortcuts">CMA Buyer</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;<strong>Lots Sold</strong></p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?emailGUID=c61be12c-8bc4-4390-ad8b-9c1a20064cd6&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1265039242_0" class="yshortcuts">Buyer Full Report</span></a><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/Cma/Custom/BuyerCma.asp?emailGUID=c61be12c-8bc4-4390-ad8b-9c1a20064cd6&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1265039242_1" class="yshortcuts">CMA Buyer</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>The time to buy lake property is now &hellip;.&rdquo;they&rsquo;re not making any more of it&rdquo;. &nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p>
<p>By: Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty Atlanta Partners, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, 770-757-2799, just &ldquo;Say Jay&rdquo; for Real Estate</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/LAKE-LANIER-2009-HOME-SALES-SURPASS-2008</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/LAKE-LANIER-2009-HOME-SALES-SURPASS-2008</guid><pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Does your "real" home value match your tax bill?</title><description><![CDATA[<p>In many areas of the country property values have declined by over 20%, but few counties have reassessed home values and reduced tax bills. <strong>Property owners are starting to ask, &ldquo;Why&rdquo;?</strong>&nbsp; More and more of these owners are appealing their tax bills and want big reductions.</p>
<p>&nbsp;For example, three weeks ago I was asked by a lake lot owner (and seller) to do a comparative market analysis on this property and let him know if his taxes were similar to others that were on the market for the same price. Two years ago his lake lot was on the market for close to $260,000. Today, his lot is listed for less then $150,000 and still hasn&rsquo;t sold. Here are two paragraphs from a letter that accompanied the analysis:</p>
<p><span style="color: #3366ff;">1.&nbsp; When comparing this subdivision to others in the same price range, it appears taxes, appraisals and assessments are totally out of line. For example, your total tax appraisal (according to the CRS Property Report, through the MLS) is shown at $151,530. After pulling other similar &ldquo;Active&rdquo; listings in the same price range ($145-150k) the average total tax appraisal was approximately $108k. That&rsquo;s a pretty significant difference, (and those are probably high for the existing housing market and economy).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #3366ff;">2.&nbsp; Values have clearly declined as seen in the last 11 months of Sales and Listing activity. As of today&rsquo;s date, November 22, 2009, according to the SC Western Upstate MLS, only 9 lake lots have sold, out of 254 &ldquo;Active&rdquo; listings. When you compare the sale price to the list price, lots sold for just 62% of the &ldquo;original&rdquo; list price (this doesn&rsquo;t reflect list prices, which could have been even higher, on earlier listings of those properties).&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></p>
<p>This property owner was told by the Assessors office that if they went out and reassessed his lot it could come back even higher. It appears that this scare tactic is being used quite frequently. In his case, it&rsquo;s not going to work &hellip;he&rsquo;s determined to have his day in court.</p>
<p>I urge you to look up some old issues ( December 7 &ndash; 11, 2009) of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). During this week the AJC ran a weeklong series on the <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/why-youre-paying-too-228962.html"><span style="color: #0000ff;">&ldquo;Property Tax Meltdown&rdquo;.</span></a> After each article they concluded with, <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/lowering-your-atlanta-property-229062.html"><span style="color: #0000ff;">&ldquo;What you can do now &ndash; How to lower your tax bill &ndash; Returns and Appeals 101&rdquo;.</span></a> Following many of their tips could save you thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>Maybe you&rsquo;ve already appealed your taxes. If so, I&rsquo;d be interested in hearing your story.</p>
<p>By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="color: #0000ff;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>or 770-757-2799.</p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Does-your-real-home-value-match-your-tax-bill</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Does-your-real-home-value-match-your-tax-bill</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Anderson's Western Upstate KW Office is Up and Running</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/kw%20anderson%20ofc%20sign%20close%20up%20best%20one%20resized.jpg" alt="" width="116" height="84" /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Back in August I blogged about Keller Williams Realty (KW) planning an office in Anderson, South Carolina. It wasn&rsquo;t too long after that blog, that the office became a reality. <a href="http://www.kwgreenvillesc.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Tommy Stevenson, Operating Principle (OP),</span></a> for the Market Center has hired Jan Rogers as Team Leader. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, Tommy commented that &ldquo;Things are going very well&rdquo;.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>They hoped to have over 82 Agents (Keller Williams and other realty company participants) attend a Lead Generation class that they were sponsoring at Tri-county Tech. Currently, they have 73 Agents working out of the Market Center (Anderson and Powdersville). Not bad for an office just a couple months old.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">The main office location is at 4107 Liberty Highway, formerly Terri's Team Real Estate office. Terri is now with KW (still located at the Liberty Highway address) and a big part of their success.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/kw%20anderson%20ofc%20resized%20to%2030.jpg" alt="" width="114" height="81" /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">It&rsquo;s obvious that many Agents in the Lake Hartwell and Anderson areas are taking a look at what KW has to offer. Take a look at </span><a href="http://www.careersworthhaving.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.careersworthhaving.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>. You&rsquo;ll read about Keller Williams history, the philosophy of the company, training goals, opportunities, and why they&rsquo;re growing so fast. For additional information on Keller Williams or the Anderson office, feel free to contact me at </span><a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.com"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">sayjay@bellsouth.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"> .</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.sayjaylakeandhome.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, just Say Jay for Real Estate, 864-287-7530.</span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Andersons-Western-Upstate-KW-Office-is-Up-and-Running</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Andersons-Western-Upstate-KW-Office-is-Up-and-Running</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Senate And House Vote To Pass and Expand Homebuyer Credit</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">This is great news for &ldquo;First Time Home Buyers&rdquo; and potential &ldquo;Move-Up Buyers&rdquo; to receive the Homebuyer Tax Credit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">First Time Home Buyers will receive up to an $8000 Tax Credit if they&nbsp;sign a Purchase Agreement by&nbsp;April 30, 2010 and Close by June 30, 2010,&nbsp;and Move-Up Buyers will qualify for up to $6500. Unfortunately, as nice as this is, Vacation Homes don&rsquo;t qualify for the credit. <a href="http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/realtor-party/documents/2009-NAR-Issue-Brief-Homebuyer-Tax-Credit-Changes-1104-1107.pdf"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click here for Qualifications</span></a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">But, I expect&nbsp;when this is signed by President Obama, that this will&nbsp;&ldquo;fire up&rdquo; the housing market even more then what the "current" tax credit has done.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">For those of you that haven&rsquo;t taken advantage of this opportunity (and may qualify), now is the time to start looking. <a href="http://rismedia.com/2009-11-04/senate-clears-homebuyer-tax-credit-extension-may-pass-as-early-as-this-week/#ixzz0VzjdWqQC"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click here for some more information from RIS Media (The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems).</span></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, Lake and Home Group, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.sayjaylakeandhome.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>. </span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Senate-And-House-Vote-To-Pass-and-Expand-Homebuyer-Credit</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Senate-And-House-Vote-To-Pass-and-Expand-Homebuyer-Credit</guid><pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>ARE YOU STILL CONCERNED ABOUT LAKE HARTWELL'S WATER LEVEL?</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Recently, I received a couple of emails stating that the <a href="http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">US Army Corps of Engineers</span></a> is accepting comments on reducing the water flow this winter. About three years ago, the Corps did the same thing for Lake Lanier in Georgia. Out of over 10,000 Lake Lanier home owners, only 300 &ndash; 400 sent comments. That&rsquo;s sad!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Here&rsquo;s an opportunity to voice your thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Please see the email messages below for contact information.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Email Dated October 20, 2009</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There is a Public Comment period open until October 31<sup>st</sup> for a temporary provision to reduce the amount of water released this winter. These comments can be made via email, US mail, or fax. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;Send comments to:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;US Army Corps of Engineers</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Savannah District, Savannah Planning Unit</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ATTN: <span class="yshortcuts">Mr. William Bailey</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">PO Box</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> 889</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: IT;" lang="IT"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Savannah, GA 31402-0889</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: IT;" lang="IT"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fax: <span class="yshortcuts">912 652 5787</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="mailto:william.g.bailey@usace.army.mil"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">w<span style="mso-ansi-language: IT;" lang="IT">illiam.g.bailey@usace.army.mil</span></span></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: IT;"> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Sample comment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I am a member of <span class="yshortcuts">the Lake Hartwell</span> Association and a full time resident on <span class="yshortcuts">the lake</span>. I strongly urge the Corps to maintain reduced flow rates until the Upstate lakes have reached full pool levels or until there is clear evidence of adverse impacts to the basin (we have certainly experienced our share of clear and severe impacts to <span class="yshortcuts">Lake</span><span class="yshortcuts"> Hartwell</span> in recent years). The historic drought of recent years has taught us that we must take every measure to conserve the <span class="yshortcuts">precious water resources</span> of <span class="yshortcuts">Hartwell</span><span class="yshortcuts"> Lake</span> and the <span class="yshortcuts">Savannah</span><span class="yshortcuts"> River Basin</span>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Email Dated October 12, 2009&nbsp;</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you have not done so yet please send an email to <span class="yshortcuts">Col</span>. Kertis of the Corps immediately.&nbsp; We need to get as many emails to him as possible before the deadline for public comment is over on <span class="yshortcuts">October 30</span>.&nbsp; Tell him in your own words how you feel about the Corps continuing to ignore our economic and recreational losses around the lakes.&nbsp; How you feel about&nbsp;them refusing to correct the drought plan so we don't have a repeat of the mess we had last year.&nbsp; In your own words remind him how they almost lost control of the lakes completely in the last drought and Save Our Lakes Now proposal would prevent that happening in the future.&nbsp; If you had a bad experience during the last drought such as being unable to use your dock, etc. you may want to throw in a comment or two about that.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Colonel's email address is </span><a href="http://us.mc1803.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=edward.kertis@usace.army.mil" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #0000ff;">edward.kertis@usace.army.mil</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;">&nbsp; </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://water.sas.usace.army.mil/home/indexDU.htm">Please Click here for Current Lake Level Information.</a></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://water.sas.usace.army.mil/home/indexDU.htm">&nbsp;</a></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, 864-287-7530.</span></span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/ARE-YOU-STILL-CONCERNED-ABOUT-LAKE-HARTWELLS-WATER-LEVEL</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/ARE-YOU-STILL-CONCERNED-ABOUT-LAKE-HARTWELLS-WATER-LEVEL</guid><pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Lake Homes are Still Selling</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Homes on the lake are still selling, but Sellers are finding that Buyers want huge discounts. And, lake home owners are starting to get the message&hellip; if you really don&rsquo;t have to sell or want to sell &ldquo;real bad&rdquo;, now may not be the best time to put it on the market. The days are gone (at least for a while) where overpriced homes are on the market, &ldquo;just to see if someone will bite&rdquo;. They&rsquo;re not biting, and if they did, appraisals aren&rsquo;t supporting prices that are above, hard to find, comparables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>See for yourself!</strong> Listed below are links showing the actual waterfront homes sold and under contract since July 1, 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Pay close attention to the difference from the Original List Price to the Actual Sales Price. What use to be 95 &ndash; 98%, is now 80 &ndash; 85%. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>It&rsquo;s definitely time to buy!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Lake Lanier (34 Homes Sold, 21 Pending or Under Contract, Avg. Sale Price $599,504)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;<span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span><a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtBuyFul/PrtBuyFul.asp?emailGUID=3fc88c85-3053-48be-ae32-2d1dcbd3451e&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1255967050_0" class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Buyer Full Page</span></span></a><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><a rel="nofollow" href="http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/Cma/Custom/BuyerCma.asp?emailGUID=3fc88c85-3053-48be-ae32-2d1dcbd3451e&amp;AgentId=HUFNAGEL" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1255967050_1" class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #0000ff;">CMA Page</span></span></a><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Note: Source is FMLS and does not include For Sale By Owners (FSBO) or non FMLS properties.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_hartwell"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Hartwell</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>(27 Homes Sold, 8 Pending or Under Contract, Avg. Sale Price $356,922)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">&nbsp;<span id="lw_1255967440_0" class="yshortcuts"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=33059760-529b-403a-8b91-5d13debe732e&amp;Report=Yes"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click Here to View Listings</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_keowee"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Keowee</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>(19 Homes Sold, 13 Pending or Under Contract, Avg. Sale Price $650,936)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://upstatemls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=47fc6ad5-bbcf-4731-9544-982d56e5d73b&amp;Report=Yes" target="_blank"><span id="lw_1255967593_0" class="yshortcuts"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Click Here to View Listings</span></span></a></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Note: Source for Hartwell and Keowee is SC Western Upstate MLS and does not include FSBO and non Upstate MLS properties.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The time to buy lake property is now &hellip;.&rdquo;They&rsquo;re not making any more of it&rdquo;. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">By: Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, </span><a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"> ,770-757-2799, just &ldquo;Say Jay&rdquo; for Real Estate</span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Lake-Homes-are-Still-Selling</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Lake-Homes-are-Still-Selling</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>LAKE LANIER IS FULL</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Lake Lanier is finally full as of October 14, 2009. That&rsquo;s about 5 years since it was at the 1071 mark. Who would have thought we would be looking at a full lake after seeing it last year when people were referring to it as Lanier Pond. All it took was about a foot more then average rainfall for the year and close to 6&rdquo; of rain in the last 15 days.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/agent_files/Lanier%20Full%20Pool%20Pic.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="101" /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">You can&rsquo;t pick up a Newspaper around here today without reading the good news. Also, the web is buzzing about how people are amazed at the speed the lake came up and the new appearance. Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has written to the <a href="http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">US Army Corps of Engineers</span></a><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>asking them to increase the &ldquo;Full&rdquo; level so more water can be stored at times when we&rsquo;re in a drought. Here&rsquo;s hoping and praying that we can keep this precious commodity at the level it is today&hellip;.for the good of everyone.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">By Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, Lake and Home Group, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, 770-757-2799. </span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/LAKE-LANIER-IS-FULL</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/LAKE-LANIER-IS-FULL</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>US Army Corps of Engineers sends out "shotgun" Letter</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Sandy Campbell, Chief Ranger of Shoreline Management (US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District), sent out a &ldquo;shotgun&rdquo; letter on September 18<sup>th</sup> to Lake Hartwell property owners reminding them that the &ldquo;ghost&rdquo; dock deadline for installation is January 1, 2010. Here is an excerpt from that letter:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;This letter is a reminder of the upcoming deadline for dock installation on Lake Hartwell. If you have a permit that was issued over one year ago and have not installed your dock, this is a very important notice for you. The deadline for dock installation is <strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">January 1, 2010</strong>. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Property owners who have not yet installed their &ldquo;ghost&rdquo; docks fall under this installation deadline. The term &ldquo;ghost dock&rdquo; refers to dock permits which were issued under previous Shoreline Management Plans (SMP&rsquo;s) which did not require docks to be installed. The current 2007 Hartwell SMP, implemented on June 26, 2006, required docks to be installed within one year of issuance. Due to the recent drought this date was extended to January 1, 2010. Docks issued under the 2007 Hartwell SMP that are past their one year installation deadline are also held to the January 1, 2010 deadline. We continue to urge those who have adequate water depth to install their dock to avoid a back-log of dock installations at the end of the year. If your dock is currently in pace, please contact our office so we can update our files accordingly.&rdquo;</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The bottom line is &hellip; if you&rsquo;ve got a dock permit and no dock installed, you&rsquo;d better <strong>do something quick</strong>, or you may have to reapply under the current permit issuance criteria, which may cause you to lose your dock re-issuance ability, location and size of your dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Fortunately with the recent rain we&rsquo;ve experienced, many lake property owners that haven&rsquo;t installed their docks due to low water levels, will now be able to have that done. For further information on the <a href="http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/lakes/hartwell/hsmp.htm">Shore Management Plan (SMP)</a> contact the US Army Corps of Engineers at 1-888-893-0678.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Also, if interested, please feel free to email Jay Hufnagel at </span><a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"> for a copy of the complete letter.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, Lake Hartwell Property Owner, 770-757-2799.</span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-sends-out-shotgun-Letter</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-sends-out-shotgun-Letter</guid><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:51:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Which Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is Best for Lake Hartwell</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Currently there are two primary Multiple Listing Service (MLS) companies that serve <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_hartwell"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Hartwell</span></a> (Georgia MLS and South Carolina Western Upstate MLS). As you may know, Lake Hartwell has over 962 miles of shoreline, and about 70% of that is in South Carolina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>So&hellip;which one serves Buyers and Sellers the best?</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">It depends on who you talk to. Brokers that work out of Georgia (GA), and prioritize the GA side of the lake, would say GAMLS is the best. Brokers in South Carolina (SC) would say the SC Western Upstate MLS is a better choice because the majority of the lake is in SC. Fortunately; many Lake Hartwell Agents have access to both MLS systems and are licensed in both States. Based on my research and experience, the SC Western Upstate MLS has the most Lake Hartwell listings and is more &ldquo;user friendly&rdquo; than GAMLS. Recently I tested this assumption by sending the same property from each MLS system to a customer in Georgia. They were far more impressed by the SC Western Upstate MLS than the GAMLS system. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Personally, I use both MLS systems to market and give access to my Sellers and potential Buyers. Unfortunately, many Brokers don&rsquo;t list all of their lake listings in both systems so Buyers on <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/WHAT-IS-NEW-LISTING-AUTO-NOTIFICATION">Auto Notification</a> may not see all of the available properties in their search criteria. Sellers don&rsquo;t get the exposure that they&rsquo;re expecting.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">So, if you&rsquo;re a potential Buyer, what should you expect from your Buyer&rsquo;s Agent? I would ask to have access to both MLS systems so I would have more options and choices. I would want to get new <a href="http://www.lakeandhomesearch.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">listings from SC Western Upstate MLS Auto-Notification</span></a>, and also I would want <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://www.georgiamls.com/agentsite/search/mainsearch.cfm?SiteID=HUFNAGELJAY"><span style="color: #0000ff;">access to GAMLS </span></a></span>to be sure I saw all of the listings on the GA side of Lake Hartwell that may not have been entered into the SC system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>As a Seller, I would make sure my property was listed in both MLS systems to get the most exposure.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In this market, Sellers need to have the maximum amount of exposure, and Buyers want to see as many comparable properties as they can to make sure they&rsquo;ve made the best choice and decision. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">For more information on Marketing or Buying Lake Hartwell property, please contact Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, </span><a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"> </span>, </span><a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"> , 770-757-2799. </span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Which-Multiple-Listing-Service-MLS-is-Best-for-Lake-Hartwell</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Which-Multiple-Listing-Service-MLS-is-Best-for-Lake-Hartwell</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Keller Williams Realty Plans New Office In Anderson</title><description><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="http://www.kw.com/kw/">Keller Williams Realty</a> (KW) is in the planning stage of opening a new office in Anderson, South Carolina. <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://www.kwgreenvillesc.com/">Tommy Stevenson</a></span>, Team Leader in the Greenville, SC KW office, will be the new Operating Principle (OP) for the office and the Western Upstate area. The Market Center will be called Keller Williams Realty Western Upstate.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Terri Anderson, from Terri&rsquo;s Team Real Estate, will be the Broker in Charge (BIC) of the office until a new Broker and Team Leader is announced and trained. The main office will be located at 4107 Liberty Hwy in Anderson.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">Tommy estimates that by the time the Market Center opens, sometime in September, there will be over 60 Real Estate Agents committed to the new office. Plus, he added, as with most KW Market Centers, he expects this office will be profitable in its first full month of operation. All of this coming at a great time, as Real Estate activity appears to be heating up in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_hartwell"><span style="color: #0000ff;">Lake Hartwell</span></a> and <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_keowee">Lake Keowee </a></span>areas.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">As you can imagine, Real Estate Agents all over the Upstate are setting new goals and looking for new opportunities. Working with KW and its &ldquo;Win Win&rdquo; culture may be a great way to increase their business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>Here&rsquo;s an excerpt from Tommy&rsquo;s website: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>&ldquo;At Keller Williams&reg; (KW) we believe in training our associates so that they have the knowledge to build the best possible real estate team and have a successful career. When a KW Realtor&reg; develops a system that works and is successful, they don't mind sharing it with everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Our associates and leadership believe in helping you obtain your goals and want to see you get there.&rdquo;</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times New Roman;">On a personal note, I&rsquo;ve worked with <a href="http://www.kwgreenvillesc.com/">Tommy Stevenson</a> on many occasions, and I expect his expectations are well within his grasp. Within the next couple of months, expect to see hundreds of red KW signs in front of <a href="http://www.lakeandhomesearch.com/"><span style="color: #0000ff;">homes for sale throughout the Upstate</span></a>.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">For more information on Keller Williams Realty and Real Estate in the Upstate, please contact Jay Hufnagel, Keller Williams Realty, <a href="http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/"><span style="color: #800080;">www.SayJayLakeandHome.com</span></a> , <a href="mailto:sayjay@bellsouth.net"><span style="color: #0000ff;">sayjay@bellsouth.net</span></a> or 864-287-7530.</span></p>]]></description><link>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Keller-Williams-Realty-Plans-New-Office-In-Anderson</link><guid>http://www.sayjaylakeandhome.com/Blog/Keller-Williams-Realty-Plans-New-Office-In-Anderson</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>