Skilled buyer agents are critical to a successful home purchase. Recent changes to real estate law regarding buyer agent compensation are prompting a new batch of "disruptive" and "innovative" ideas. Simply put, there is no substitute for the guidance provided by an experienced buyer's agent. The internet is ripe with "do it alone" advocates; that advice is straight stupid. Buying a home is a rather significant purchase, most buyers are not savvy to the process.  What could go wrong? Well...consider an inquiry that I received.

"After several missed opportunities a listing appeared in XXXX for an unoccupied home as an estate sale and the asking price was in line with market rates, so we made an offer of asking price. We engaged an inspector, but…

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HGTV home flips are not the real world, so why do so many "investor wanna bees" swallow that hook? In just 22 minutes, you see homes transformed from disasters to diamonds, complete with upbeat hosts exchanging forced banter and crews magically working under budget. Sure, it’s entertaining, but many gullible viewers buy into the fantasy of “getting rich by flipping homes,” only to have it end badly. Trust me, I know. With over 35 years of experience as a full-time broker and appraiser, I’ve worked with both traditional clients and investors. Flipping homes can be a risky endeavor for those who aren’t well prepared — just ask Zillow, Redfin or Opendoor. Combined losses for those all-stars exceeds $1 billion.

Here’s an example, an investor client of…

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Looking good. That's the short "to the point" summary of the greater Atlanta real estate market for the 3rd quarter of 2024. Fluctuations? Of course, but real estate is not the stock market and it must be looked at over several quarters to allow enough time for patterns to develop. Q3 especially; July sees closings from May and June, but vacations slow buyer activity. School cranks up in August, always slow as everyone adjusts. Labor Day signals the start of the fall market for the last few weeks of the quarter. It's a challenging but predictable pattern, which is why it's best to compare Q3 '24 to the previous ones. This data here considers the Atlanta real estate market as the counties of Fulton, Cobb, Cherokee, Dekalb, Forsyth, and Gwinnett.

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