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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Buckhead City Talk - ATL Senate and HouseMap courtesy of Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID). My neighborhood - little dot in the left map. In Atlanta now, a group of people with real concerns about serious matters - crime and punishment for one and distribution of tax money for another - are trying to split the City of Atlanta in two pieces which they think will solve the issue. The effort is reminiscent of the story about the King's New Clothes.Where is Buckhead in relation to Atlanta? Map above.  The 'Buckhead' designation includes a coalition of 22+/- different neighborhoods at the north end of Atlanta. Midtown Atlanta thrived with neighborhood unity. Uniting to bolster up the area, the neighbors made it happen! In the 1970's, our family lived in ... 02/01/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Atlanta Police Merge Doorbell Home Videos  In Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, Home Doorbell Cameras record videos and connect owners to their homes whether the owners are at home or far away from their place of residence. Now, the Atlanta Police Department offers owners access to the FUSUS system. In their continuing effort to enhance public safety in neighborhoods throughout the City,  Atlanta Police Department allows the public to register and share at home camera footage of incidents, regardless of brand, with them at the APD.As well as residential home cameras, businesses also may integrate the footage from their cameras into FUSUS. Thus, in addition to collecting information, FUSUS can share information, providing complete inbound and outbound i... 01/31/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: IRS Asks For 2020 Returns To Be Sent Again  In Atlanta Buckhead, Midtown, the Westside and every other part of the USA, a letter from the IRS attracts attention.In January, people began receiving letters asking them to send their FULL DOCUMENTATION FOR THEIR 2020 INCOME TAX FORM 1040 again.WHY???Well, it seems that the IRS has a backlog of unprocessed filings. As of Dec. 4, 2021, the IRS said it has a backlog of 6.7 million unprocessed individual returns and 2.6 million unprocessed amended individual returns. Taxpayers who filed 2020 returns by paper and the regular mail now say the IRS wants them to send copies of their returns, even if the payment check was already cashed a year ago. (1)Guess someone there had an idea that duplicating the submissions as reque... 01/30/2022

Atlanta Buckhead Midtown: Snow And Still Have Electricity! Great Combo In Atlanta Buckhead Midtown and the Westside, snow is beautiful. When the flakes begin to melt and then freeze into ice, the trouble begins!The storms this weekend gave us the beauty of the snow dusting without coating either the trees or the streets with ice. Life proceeded as normal - people out walking and running and having fun in general albeit a bit colder outside - like 28 degrees instead of the usual balmy 45 degrees of January days! And one other lucky break - the winter flowers stayed in full bloom - no ice to kill them!   01/29/2022