Maxsell reaches first page of Google for ‘Canton Real Estate’

By: Brad Nix, Managing Broker
Posted: May 25th, 2008
Discussion: Comments



Maxsell Real Estate makes the first page of Google for the search phrase ‘canton real estate‘! In fact we are #8 and #9 for Canton Real Estate.  See Google results for yourself.

Our goal is to have Maxsell Real Estate on the first page for Canton Real Estate, Woodstock Real Estate, Marietta Real Estate and Ellijay Real Estate (we are already in the top 25 results for all these search phrases).

As more consumers turn to Google to begin their real estate search, Maxsell is positioned to garner many visits.

This is just another example of how Maxsell Real Estate is ahead of the other local real estate brokers when it comes to new technology, online marketing and quick market adaptation.  Stay tuned for future announcements as Maxsell.net continues to expand it’s online presence.

Real Estate should be Good

By: Brad Nix, Managing Broker
Posted: May 24th, 2008
Discussion: Comments



I am tired of companies telling me how green they are.. It seems as if every single company now does something green just because it’s hip to be green. Don’t get me wrong, I am for saving the environment, conserving, recycling, etc… I just get frustrated when companies throw it in my face about one or two things they do green. Shouldn’t doing what’s right and what’s good be a given and not an advertisement?

Okay, I’ll step down from the soap box and share a Good story.

Good is a real estate development in Sacramento that opens this weekend. Their mission and process is admirable and may very well become the standard for future real estate projects across the country. They also have a great concept for doing good across the globe. Here is their commitment:

“The commitment is simple: for every eco-urban house LJUrban sells, we will fund the training of a local mason to build sustainable homes for families in West Africa. We hope the long-term impact of this commitment means entire villages throughout West Africa will experience dramatic socio-economic transformation.”

How does this commitment specifically correlate with your Good project?
Good has 35 homes: For each home that sells, we will give enough money to train one VN builder and support him in developing as an independent entrepreneur with his own team of apprentices. As a result, the program of construction of ecologically sound, sustainable, VN homes for rural families in Burkina Faso will be accelerated, and work will be provided for villagers currently unemployed.

Does a Good house cost more in order to pay for this?
No. We’re covering the cost. The prices for the homes are not established and then “marked up” to pay for this. Likewise, it’s not a “value-added” option. You are simply buying a house that helps build a village. In this sense, we’re both helping build houses in Burkina Faso! — us by covering the cost, you by buying the house.

Tornado Damages Woodstock Real Estate

By: Brad Nix, Managing Broker
Posted: May 23rd, 2008
Discussion: Comments



1000+ homes were damaged by a tornado and severe storm with hail and high winds on Tuesday night. Georgia Governor, Sonny Perdue, declared State of Emergency for Cherokee County. Governor Purdue had this to say, “I am always amazed at the extensive damage caused by these storms, but we are proud to see our communities pull together as neighbors help neighbors recover from this type of situation.”

Forecasters said it was at least the 32nd tornado to hit Georgia this year. The National Weather Service said winds reached 95 mph in southern Cherokee. According the AJC, most of the structural damage was caused by falling trees, officials said. “Homes aren’t blown away, but the damage is widespread,” Cherokee Sheriff Roger Garrison said.

Southern Oaks and Farmington subdivisions seems to be the hardest hit. The elementary school I attended, Johnston Elementary off East Cherokee Drive, was also damaged and served as command post for first responders.

It is really good to see neighbors helping neighbors during these tough times of clean-up and recovery. It just proves what a great community Woodstock really is.

A Tale of Two Houses

By: Brad Nix, Managing Broker
Posted: May 22nd, 2008
Discussion: Comments



Al Gore's Ranch

House #1 A 20-room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool ( and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400 per month in natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern “snow belt” area. It’s in the South.

President's Bush's Ranch

House #2 Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every “green” feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.

The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000-gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

Now, for the clincher:

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of the “environmentalist” Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford ,Texas; is the residence of the President of the United States ,
George W. Bush.

Is this an “inconvenient truth?”

You can verify it at:http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

(i stole this post because I thought my readers would find it entertaining)

Cumulative CAM Cap and Your Commercial Lease, guest post by Justin Daniels

By: Justin Daniels, Commercial Real Estate Attorney
Posted: May 12th, 2008
Discussion: Comments



My name is Justin Daniels, a local commercial real estate lawyer in Atlanta. Brad Nix asked me to pen a quick legal post on important legal issues that comes up in commercial Leases.
I came across a situation you should be aware and try to avoid or mitigate when negotiating your office or retail lease. Common Area Maintenance (CAM) are the charges landlords typically pass through to tenants for their office or retail space (etc. parking lot repaving or utilities for the hallway lights). You should always negotiate to cap inevitable increases in these charges or you can be obligated to pay the entire increase. A variation on this theme, however, is a cumulative cap over the term of the lease. You should be aware that this cumulative cap allows the landlord to pass along to you CAM increases in later years of the lease that it did not capture in the early years of the lease.
 
This is best explained in an example. Lets say you negotiate for a 5% cumulative cap. In year one your CAM goes up 2%. In the next year, the landlord can recover 8% in CAM increases from you because they get 5% per year and the three percent (5% - 2%) they did not use in the prior year. For tenants leasing significant square footage, this can add up to a significant expense for which you are unaware and have not have budgeted.
 
This situation can be handled as follows:
 
1) Refuse a cumulative cap.
 
2) If you cannot eliminate it, get a percentage number by which CAM can never increase for each year of the lease (i.e. CAM can never go up more than 7% in any given year).
 
As always your trusted resource for practical legal advice, have a great week. If you want more information please contact me at 404-261-0500.

 Page 1 of 2  1  2 »