Miami Bound!

Well, today is going to be a hectic day because tomorrow Matt and I leave for Miami!! He teaches a Real Estate Technology Specialist (RETS) seminar to real estate agents and the REALTOR Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches (RAMB) has asked him to teach his course to their agents. His seminar is 6 hours and teaches the most cutting-edge marketing tools for agent's to use when marketing their listings and themselves. Some of the tools taught are: creating picture and virtual tours, researching property information using GIS databases and how to capture satellite images and use them as listing pictures. The course also comes with the Real Estate Flash Drive which has over $1,500 worth of free software with programs essential to your business, including a full office productivity suite. If you are interested in taking his course sometime, please check out his Website: www.RealEstateTechnologyOnline.com

Signing Contracts is Always Fun!

Tonight Matt and I met our current buyer couple at Outback Steakhouse for a nice meal and to sign the latest revision of their contract and discuss the different tasks that need to be completed before closing happens later this month. It was a fun night for many reasons...for 1. we got some business accomplished--always a plus!, 2. we had a great time talking and getting to know our buyers even more and 3. I had the great advantage of not having to cook tonight...although, as most of you know, I really enjoy cooking--but it's always nice to have a night off now and again! Of course, I should have chosen my food more wisely--the cheesy bacon fries looked AMAZING and I've been craving them everytime I see a commercial for Outback, yep, you guessed it, I ordered them as my meal...I know that makes me sound like a pig for getting it as my entree; however, I did order the half portion (still HUGE) and only ate about half of that...still, my tummy is wishing I had just gotten a salad! Anyways, it was a fun night and we enjoyed taking our clients out to dinner! Only a few things have to be lined up and we'll be all set for our next closing...

A Restaurant to Try...

Last night Matt and I our neighbor friends went to downtown Buford and tried out 37 Main. This was a neat restaurant with a cool atmosphere and a tapis-style menu. We arrived around 7:30 though and were a little disappointed that we were practically the only people there. However, we decided to stay and try it out and were not disappointed. The food was good--especially the Lobster Ravioli and the Olive Hummis Dip--you could tell the hummus was freshly made and the kalamata olives on the side with the crisp, lightly fried pita chips were great.

The drinks were also very good! I would recommend the colada martini...with coconut rum and pineapple flavors. Another great one was the chocolate martini--a combination of several chocolate liqueors and some cream. If you are more of a wine person, there were plenty of different kinds to choose from as well.

We could have stayed for the live band (which they have every Friday and Saturday night for a $5 per person cover) but we decided to go somewhere else...and headed to Atlanta to Lola's.

Calling All Buyers!!

As you all know, the real estate market today is a buyer's market--there are so many houses for sale these days that buyers have a huge selection of homes to pick from. And with so many foreclosures happening everyday, buyers have the opportunity to get a great deal.

I really enjoy working with buyers because I find it a lot of fun helping people find their dream home! It is so neat to walk through a house with someone and see them falling in love with it...and then they start talking about what they are going to do to make the home feel like their own--discussing paint colors, new floors and furniture. All of that is right up my alley because I enjoy decorating so I have a great time hearing the changes they would like to make.

Don't get me wrong, I like listing homes and helping people get theirs sold, but currently, the market is so flooded with homes for sale, that many sellers get so frustrated and don't have the patience needed to sell their home. With buyers the process is a bit more simple; in fact, the other day we showed a couple five or six homes and they narrowed it down to a top two--from there we put an offer in on their number one--it was accepted and now we have a closing coming up in a few weeks...it was quick and simple.

When we help people find their future home, we take many things into consideration--we calculate how far their work will be, show them where they will grocery shop, ask them if they like the school system, etc...the point is, we want you to like all aspects of your new home and the community it is in.

So, the question is...Are you ready to buy a home? If so, contact us today!

Barrow Crossing Development Coming Soon!

The much-needed Barrow Crossing development is set to be finished just around the corner, Spring 2009. This development will be conveniently located at the Highway 316 and Highway 81 intersection. Some of the larger stores include: Best Buy, Target, Publix, Belk, Michaels and Ross. It will also include several smaller shops and some restaurants too.

Currently, Bethlehem residents must travel to Winder or Loganville to grocery shop and further to shop at stores like Target and Best Buy.

Speaking as a resident of Bethlehem myself, I am really looking forward to not having to drive so far for groceries, but still live in a great location. I love that Bethlehem doesn't have much traffic and that I can jump on Highway 316 in a matter of minutes.

This new development is sure to impact property values (in a good way, of course)! So now is the best time to buy in Bethlehem. I really enjoy living in Bethlehem, not only do I have the benefit of living in a great neighborhood, but the "country" atmosphere is very relaxing...what I mean is that I love driving around and seeing farms and fields and so much green space.

Bethlehem is one of the areas that my husband and I focus on in our real estate business, so if you have an interest to buy a home in this area, please don't hesitate to contact us! We would love to show you around!! You can visit us at www.TheRainsTeam.com for further information.

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UPDATE: 3/6/2009

It is with great excitement that I come with an update on this new development!!

• TARGET and BELK are now OPEN!!
• Publix, Staples and PetSmart should all be opening soon
• A stand-alone McDonald's is already open as well
• Also, the Barrow Crossing development did not get the Best Buy after all; it was put at the new development in Loganville instead.

Here are a few pictures from driving there today:

Thank You for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

4 Bedroom Home For Sale in Family-Friendly Community...

This spacious home in Bethlehem was recently reduced to $254,900! The community it's located in is perfect for a growing family or those who enjoy having amenities; the neighborhood includes a HomeOwner's Association, swimming pool, 2 lighted tennis courts, a walking trail, 2 fishing ponds and sidewalks.

The home itself is immaculate and definitely worth checking out! Some of its features include: a large great room open to the breakfast area and amazing kitchen that has stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets and corian countertops. Beautiful hardwood floors cover the main floor. An oversized master suite is upstairs with a sitting area and large master bath complete with garden tub, dual vanities, large walk-in closet and separate shower. The home sits on a full basement ready for finishing with a stubbed bath and exterior entry. The property is a wooded lot full of privacy.

Check out its website: www.3828SnowshedRun.com for more information and a complete gallery of pictures.

Marketing Your Listings on the Internet...

If most of your marketing for your listings is not being done over the Internet, you should seriously re-think how you are marketing. In a study performed by REALTOR.org, over 80% of people check the Internet first when searching for a home; which is why it is so important for the Internet to be covered with your listings.

One of the best Websites I've found for this is Postlets.com; this Website is fabulous because it takes the information you put on Postlets and places this on over TEN other Websites--you don't have to do a thing!!

Some of the sites are:

Backpage
Craigslist
Dothomes
Google
Hot Pads
Oodle
Properazzi
Trulia
Vast
Zillow

So go to Postlets today and sign-up...it's free to create an account!