The current properties available for bid are:

• 2600 Kirkstone Drive, Buford
• 3201 Cross Road/3267 Gravel Springs Road
• 1625 Reynolds Mill Drive, Lawrenceville
• Vacant property at SR 124 and SR 324

We can help you purchase these properties or help you find just the right real estate to meet your needs & your goals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnvOlI7sgdo

This is such a creative ad campaign and one that truly hit home for me. Yes it is “On” now is the time for each of us to drag ourselves up from our bootstraps and get out there and go. The economy is turning and will only move forward if each of us has the atttude that “It’s On”

I laid awake last night for over an hour thinking about that commercial because I was so pumped. I never thought a commercial could get me so fired up to get moving and change the direction we all have been dealing with. We all have been through some pretty rough times over the past couple of years. I do not know of anyone who has not had to deal with some type of hardship recently and now is the time to get moving forward.

So what are you doing to get “It On”?

We all need to change our own attitudes and patterns of the past couple of years and get this country moving in the right direction.  No matter what your political or social views are, the fact remains that each of us will contribute to the rise of this country and we need to get “IT ON”.

If you are a first time home buyer, this tax credit would be in addition to the $8000 federal credit. Eligible properties include single family residences including condos, previously occupied homes that were listed for sale before May 11, 2009 and are still listed, and bank owned properties. The bill did not include investment properties.

The goal of this bill is obviously to provide an incentive to move current inventory and to get would be home buyers back in the game. If you, or anyone you know, are ready to purchase a home, Signature Lending Group would love an opportunity to earn your business and to help you take advantage of the new tax savings. We are more than willing to hold your hand throughout the entire process. Call us anytime at 678-387-5580.

While this can be partially attributed to the Spring selling season, the number of Buyers that have come to market are now in a buying mode and are ready to buy properties.  This is a welcome sign for anyone in the real estate industry and we hope all our local competitors and friends are seeing the same activity as we are.

Now is the time to sell if you are a homeowner that is looking to move up to a larger home. Will you take a “hit” on your current property? Yes, you will, but the savings and appreciation you gain in the new purchase will far outweigh the loss on your current home.

Recent figures from the National Association of Realtors shows continued signs that the current market has bottomed and good things are ahead. Do not miss the chance to get a great deal on a home.

The National Association of Realtors said pending home sales rose from February to March as buyers took advantage of deeply discounted prices and low interest rates.

In the home sales report, the NAR said its seasonally adjusted index of pending sales for previously occupied homes rose 3.2% to 84.6 in March. The index was 1.1% above last year’s levels and has risen two straight months after hitting a record low in January.

The index, which started in 2001, tracks signed contracts to buy previously owned homes. Typically there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal, so the index is a barometer for future home sales.

“After nearly three years of freefall, housing activity may have found a floor,” wrote Paul Dales, U.S. economist with Capital Economics in Toronto.

Pending sales were up 8.5% in the South and nearly 4% in the West. They fell 5.7% in the Northeast and 1% in the Midwest.

Over the past six weeks or so we have been EXTREMELY busy and buyers are out there, and they are making offers. Price and condition are key.

Overall, the state of Georgia is still struggling with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country however, the market is turning and we will make it out of the current economic conditions.

Hamilton Mill is not immune to foreclosure and the Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner website states there are currently 12 homes in pending foreclosure. I am sure there are more to come so hang on.

For the year 2009 there have been a total of 15 homes sold.

Same time period in 2008 there were 21 homes sold.

Current Pending Sales for 2009: 10

Highest Sale Price in 2009: $620,000 – Sold by Diamond Dwellings Realty.

Lowest Sale Price in 2009: $185,000

Current Inventory of Homes on market: 116

Highest Asking Price: 1,250,000

Lowest Asking Price: $140,000 Foreclosure

Median Asking Price: $387,904.00

Do you need additional information or want to get a free, no obligation as to the current market? Give me a call or drop me note. There has never been a better time to buy.

1)  I have reviewed key components of Obama’s Stimulus Package – and nothing in the plan guarantees 4% mortgage interest rates the media keeps talking about.  In fact, as Fed Chairman Ben Bernacke alluded in his March 15th “60 Minutes” interview, the Fed’s long term plan is to raise rates as the economy shows signs of recovery.

2)  Lenders are continuing to tighten guidelines, which means:

       a)  Credit scores needed to qualify have increased significantly in the last 30 days.  I expect this trend to continue.

       b)  Many lenders are asking borrowers for larger down payments than in recent years.  Fortunately, Signature Lending Group is still offering programs with as little as 3.5% down on FHA loans. 

Again, my message here is that we are very likely entering the late stages of our “window of opportunity”.  If you or someone you know are wondering if the time is right to purchase a new home or refinance an existing one, please call me immediately.  I promise to give you the straight answers that will help you make the most of these chaotic economic times.

Chuck Walden, President

Signature Lending Group, Inc

678-387-5580

Retail Sales Rebound / Jobless Claims Fall – USA Today article:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-02-12-jobless-retail-sales_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Good News “Foreclosures Down 10%” – USA Today article:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2009-02-11-decline-housing-foreclosure_N.htm

Coca-Cola Shares Rise: Reuters article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51B3EO20090212

Now go make a positive impact on the economy and let’s get this country rolling again! -

I noticed this article in today’s USA Today online edition. Of course it was buried in the bottom of the edition. Why would the media continue to downplay positive signs of potential economic recovery when they can sell more using all the bad news. Hmmm….

The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday its seasonally adjusted index of pending sales for preowned homes for December rose 6.3% to 87.7 from an upwardly revised November reading of 82.5. That’s better than the 82.3 reading economists expected, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

The reading also was up 2.1% from December 2007.

“In an otherwise bleak landscape, this represents a ray of hope, as it’s a leading indicator for existing home sales. I’m sure it’s foreclosure-driven, so it could be a hollow number,” said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist at Forex.com.

Data from the housing market, which is at the center of the worst financial and economic crisis in decades, has sent conflicting signals in recent days.

Last week, the NAR reported an unexpected rise in existing home sales in December, driven mainly by distressed sales, with prices falling from a year earlier by the biggest margin in over 40 years.

The NAR’s housing affordability index jumped 10.9% in December to 158.8, the highest since it began tracking records in 1970. The index rose on falling home prices and low mortgage rates.

But government data Thursday showed sales of new U.S. single-family homes dropped in December by their biggest margin since 1994.

Stability in the housing market is critical to the U.S. economy’s recovery. The economy slipped into recession in December 2007.

The pending sales index tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes. Typically there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal. Home sales that were pending in December are likely to be completed in the coming weeks.

However, looking towards the remaining balance of 2009 I personally am pretty optimistic. For the past week or two I am beginning to get more phone calls from other agents as well as new clients who are interested in a majority of homes we currently have on the market. We closed two sales last week and are expecting a few offers on other listings by the end of this week.

Am I being overly optimistic? I don’t think so. There are a number of factors working in our favor currently.

Low interest rates, a new President coming on board in a few weeks, stilulus packages, and most importantly low pricing on homes. Just think, if you were to buy a home in the next few months, the amount of equity you will have in five to seven years when you go to sell.

Goodbye 2008, hello 2009. Let’s get moving.

Buford: www.CityofBuford.com

Dacula: www.daculaga.org

Duluth: www.duluthga.net

Grayson: www.cityofgrayson.org

Suwanee: www.suwanee.com

Norcross: www.norcrossga.net

Snellville: www.snellville.org

Additional Information that you will need:

Natural Gas: Buford Gas (770-945-6761), Lawrenceville Gas (770-963-2414), Sugar Hill Gas (770-945-6716)

Electricity: City of Buford (770-945-6761) City of Lawrenceville (770-963-2414), City of Norcross (770-448-2122), Georgia Power (888-660-5890), Jackson EMC (770-963-6166), Walton EMC (770-972-2917)

Telephone: AT&T (800-626-9149)

Water: Gwinnett County Public Utilities (678-376-6800)

Drivers License: Ga Department of Motor Vehicles – various locations (678-413-8400)

If you need any additional information on these services please feel free to contact us and we wil be happy to help you in any way we can.