I have a friend from Australia that enjoys “taking a holiday” with his American wife for periods up to six weeks at a time. On some trips, their luggage is a backpack and their transportation, a motorcycle. This mode of traveling is not for the lighthearted and requires a certain adventurous gene that is not [...]
About jwest
Canton, GA546 Reasons Why We Are Where We Are Today
I found an interesting article that I wanted to share regarding the current situation in our country. If I had written the article I would have added one additional person/reason, you and your individual power of choice. There are many altars where we could lay the blame for our current economic situation, corporate and individual [...]
Check Your Emotions at the Door when entering the Atlanta Real Estate Market
It’s Not Personal, It’s just Business There are many cities around the country where there is a considerable amount of residential inventory for a potential investment buyer to sift through. The metro Atlanta area is certainly no exception to this rule. When investors are pursuing opportunities in Atlanta real estate, they will often make an offer that is [...]
Rough Week for Investors in the Stock Market
Investors in the stock market have been going through a rough period this week and for the last year. Investing in tenant occupied commercial properties with a decent CAP rate is a viable alternative to investing your money in the stock market. This form of investing requires extensive due diligence but has the ability to grow [...]
Your House and Cold Weather
We are seldom exposed to the low temperatures that are currently in the Atlanta area. Here are a few tips that may prevent you from costly repair bills. 1. Go to each of your outside water faucets and remove the garden hose. Removing the hose will allow any excess water to escape from the faucet and will [...]
Happy New Year
Out with the old and in with the new. 2007 was a year of uncertainty in the real estate market and I’m confident that 2008 will not be denied its share of uncertainty as well. While news commentators are discussing the number of homeowners that are in a financially difficult time and analyst are pondering [...]
Choices Regarding Where We Live and Work
The are many factors that go into our decisions regarding where we live and work. Some of the factors for where we live are cost of living, travel time, distance of travel to relatives or friends, school districts, and convience to the places that we prefer to use in our free time. The factors regarding where we work include [...]
The Tides of Change in Our Real Estate Market
Many years ago an Irishman named Sean Lemass coined the phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats”. This phrase is often used to describe the effect on the economy when it is stimulated by using tax cuts, low interest rates, and by creating policies that generally spur the growth of that economy. There are many [...]
An Historical Perspective on 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgages
Real estate professionals monitor the current real estate market and the vital signs that cause the market to fluctuate. They accumulate information on the properties that are currently on the market and on the properties that have sold or been withdrawn from the market. They also keep a close watch on the current interest rates. [...]
Opportunity in real estate–Will it be lost or gained and is it a knocking?
I enjoy participating in conversations with individuals that I consider to be the elders of our society. They often speak in envious tones of times gone by when life was enjoyed to a fuller extent and the simple things were enough to get you by. Inevitably at some point during the conversation, a statement is [...]