Get ready for what could be a long, tough weather day today.
A major weather system with the possibility of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes was expected to move into the Chattahoochee Valley about
4 a.m. this morning. The first and heaviest storm line is expected to clear through the Columbus area by 10 a.m.
But the threat won't be over, according the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, Ga.
"A nice line of showers and thunderstorms will move in early with strong gusty winds, hail and lightning," said meteorologist Spencer Smith. "As the day progresses you will see a stronger possibility of tornados."
The weather system is expected to cover the length of Alabama and Georgia. It was forecast to move into western Alabama around midnight.
The National Weather Service and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency are taking this storm seriously. The organizations participated in a number of conference calls Monday in advance of the storm.
The storm is expected to bring more than 2 inches of rain to some parts of the state. North Georgia, including metro Atlanta, is still in a prolonged drought.
Tornadoes a concern
"Of course we need the rain," said GEMA spokesperson Kandice Eldon. "But we are concerned about the possibility of straight-line winds and tornadoes."
People with weather radios are urged to keep them on overnight and during the day, Eldon said.
The high temperature in Columbus on Monday was an above-normal 77 degrees. That warming trend and the approaching cold front are what have forecasters concerned.
"We are getting the warm air, which is not good for severe weather," Smith said. "We have winds from the east, southeast, which is coming up from the Gulf and the Atlantic. That will help feed the showers and thunderstorms as they move in tomorrow."
Georgia Power Company began Monday to prepare for the storm, said Robert Watkins with the Columbus office. A statewide inclement weather plan is in place, he said.
"We have damage assessment teams ready to come in as soon as it's safe," Watkins said. "The storm center in Atlanta is open. We also have agreements with neighboring utilities."
Columbus Office of Homeland Security Director Randy Robertson said he had been in contact with Georgia Power officials Monday to make sure there is a line of communication open if the worst of the weather hits here.
Columbus Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Riley Land did not respond to a message left on his answering machine.
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Highlands at Wesley Chapel, Marietta - We invite everyone to visit our open house at 4043 Chapel Grove Drive on March 2 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Property information
The Georgia Senate has unanimously passed a bill that would correct survey errors along Georgia's northern border and give the state a claim to a portion of the Tennessee River.
Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) sponsored the legislation. The House of Representatives is now expected to take up a companion resolution sponsored by Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell).
Senate Resolution 822 creates a boundary commission to work with Tennessee and North Carolina to resurvey and mark Georgia's boundary to the 35th parallel. A surveying error in 1818 placed the boundary 1.1 miles south of its actual location, but according to Shafer, "The erroneous survey was never ratified by either the Georgia General Assembly or the United States Congress. Our border remains at the 35th parallel, exactly where it has always been."
Moving the border a mile north would allow Georgia to tap the Tennessee River. Behind the scenes, the move is just the latest in a plan that's been in the works for months -- if not years -- to make the Tennessee River a new water source for drought-stricken Atlanta:
- A potential pipeline route from the Tennessee River to north metro Atlanta has already been identified.
- A national water engineering firm, Brown and Caldwell, has a preliminary agreement to refine the plan and design a facility that could pump and treat the water.
- Potential customers for Tennessee River water in metro Atlanta are being courted.
- And if the border move dies in court, a backup plan could tap underground aquifers connected to the river by drilling wells near the Tennessee line.
"The Tennessee River is a massive body of moving water, with fifteen times the flow of the Chattahoochee River," Shafer said. "Over six percent of the water in the Tennessee River comes from streams and creeks in the North Georgia Mountains. There is more Georgia water in the Tennessee River than in our own Chattahoochee."
Shafer added that after the Tennessee Valley Authority allocated a portion of the Tennessee River to Georgia in the early 2000s, the Tennessee legislature passed laws that would make it difficult for Georgia to obtain the water if the erroneous boundary lines are upheld.
"The Tennessee River flowed through Georgia long before the state of Tennessee was even contemplated," Shafer said. "Allowing our northern neighbors to hoard the water of the Tennessee River is simply not an option."
According to Bizjournals.com Atlanta is ranked the number 10 most stressful metro. Report below:
Quick facts
Population: 5,138,223
Stress index: 2.97 points
Stress profile
(Ranks range from low stress to high, as do bar charts)
Days of unhealthy air per year: 1.5 (37th of 50)
Percentage of possible sunshine: 60% (20th of 50)
Robberies per 100,000 residents: 609.1 (36th of 50)
Murders per 100,000 residents: 22.6 (37th of 50)
Unemployment rate: 4.0% (16th of 50)
Rate of per capita income growth: 8.2% (49th of 50)
Commuters traveling 45+ minutes: 25.1% (47th of 50)
Families below poverty level: 8.5% (26th of 50)
Monthly home payments of $3,000+: 6.0% (34th of 50)
Circulatory deaths per 100,000: 201.9 (8th of 50)
We have started off 2008 like we ended 2007, with a large year-to-year monthly percentage decline. There were 2,787 single-family closings in January or a decline of 38.9% from January 2007. This is also the lowest reported monthly closing total since January 2001.
There were 386 condo and townhome closings in January. This was a decline of 49.0% from the same year ago period. After lags are reported, the percentage decline may be the greatest on record, eclipsing last month’s (December 2007), 32.2% decline.
Single family detached closed 2,401 homes in January. This was a 36.9% decline versus January 2007 and the 18th decline in the past 19 months.
When demand declines prices soon follow. The average price for condos and townhomes was $176,895 in January. This is 6.5% lower than January 2007 and the lowest recorded average price since January 2003. There is a good chance the average will go lower, as the months supply for condos and townhomes is 11.1 for resales and a very high 16.0 for new construction.
The 16.0 months-supply for condo and townhome new construction is only what is currently listed. The actual months-supply is probably much greater, because usually only a “floor plan” is listed. There is currently a 4-year supply of new construction townhomes and condos on the market (mostly condos). The actual supply is probably much higher and the demand may never be there to absorb all of the high-end condos that are built or in the process of being built. Many of the proposed high-end condos have even been put on hold or have been canceled and will not be built.
The average price for single family detached was $246,833 in January. This is the lowest reported monthly average since 2006’s average of $240,844. This is also $44,000 lower than the all-time high for single family detached, which was $285,078 in June 2007.
There were 7,604 expired listings for all single family in January. This is down from last month’s all-time record high, but still 2,200 greater than the same year ago period.
There were 2,925 withdrawn listings for all single family in January versus 2,237 for January 2007.
Tell your buyers they have lower prices and a lot of inventory to choose from. The chart below shows how much more months-supply we have starting 2008 than there was two years ago.
Months - Supply | 1/31/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1/31/2008 | % Change '06 |
New - Single Family Detached | 7.6 | 12.0 | 13.8 | 81.60% |
New - Condos & Townhomes | 7.1 | 10.5 | 16.0 | 125.40% |
Resale - Single Family Detached | 5.7 | 7.0 | 10.9 | 91.20% |
Resale - Condos & Townhomes | 8.8 | 8.5 | 11.1 | 26.10% |
The days-on-market for January single family was 101.8. This is the highest DOM since January 1998’s 108.4.
Third quarter 2006 we started our housing new construction downturn. Third quarter 2007 the entire housing market nose-dived after sub-prime was axed. Now after looking at December 2007 and January 2008’s results it sure looks like we are in a recession. We have had two strikes against us, lets hope we are not in strike three.
Thank you,
Steve Palm
Smart Numbers
CBG Homes and Sterling & Rhodes are hosting and event "How to Build Your Custom Home - And Live to Tell About It"
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) February 22, 2008 -- CBG Homes, a custom homebuilder in, and Sterling & Rhodes, a mortgage boutique specializing in residential and commercial financing, have partnered to buck the slowdown in real estate.
Nationwide real estate has been in a downward spiral. Almost daily, there's more bad news. Experts estimate property prices have already dropped a little over 6 percent - a more than trillion dollar loss. This decline has ravaged real estate professionals. Realtors, builders, and lenders have all been affected. The recent sale of Countrywide, formerly the top lender in the country, to Bank of America is a testament to the pain in the industry.
However, some areas remain largely unaffected.
"We recognize the general real estate trends," says David Lefkovits, co-founder of CBG Homes, "but things are a little different for us. While others are scaling down, we are ramping up for a big 2008. People still want to live in Sandy Spring and Dunwoody. We are confident in our work and the fact, even with all the homes for sale, finding the perfect home is very difficult. Custom building is really the best option."
According to the US Census, in 2006, the national median income was $ 48,201. The Sandy Spring Business Association (SSBA) shows Sandy Spring's average income for 2006 at $130,894 one of the highest in the country.
Furthermore, SSBA shows that Sandy Springs in 2006 had an average home value of $430,054 and the median age was 34. "This strong, young and affluent demographic is a big reason we are focused on the Sandy Springs market", says Marc Lefkovits, co-founder of CBG Homes.
"CBG has the right idea. Sandy Springs is a strong market." states Akpo Igherighe, founder of Sterling & Rhodes, "With the high incomes in the surrounding area, residents probably don't need to worry about crashing real estate. But, it could be the perfect time for someone to take advantage of the market conditions and build the home of their dreams. A few days ago, we quoted a client a 5.25% rate. Amazing!"
To promote the idea of building a custom home in, CBG and Sterling & Rhodes are hosting an event, How to Build Your Custom Home - And Live to Tell About It. The event, scheduled for March 1, 2008, gives tips to save guests time and money. With sponsors, such as No Mas Hacienda and Precision Wine Cellars, it appears it will be a huge success.
Click here for more information about registering for this event
About CBG Homes
Custom Building Group is a premier with over 25 years of experience and one of the largest inventories of home sites in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. CBG specializes in bringing to life unique homes that integrate the latest technology with traditional craftsman quality. CBG has a relentless commitment to deliver excellence through superior customer service, attention to detail, construction precision, and quality building materials.
About Sterling & Rhodes Mortgage Services
Sterling & Rhodes Mortgage Services is Atlanta's premier mortgage boutique. Built on the premise of providing sound advice and unique services - including mortgage concierge. The firm caters to strong borrowers and helps them make better financial decisions.
Exquisite Features & Upgrades
• 4 bath, 5 bdrm 2 story "Outdoor FP & Covered Porch!" - 
MLS® $739,900 - A Perfect 10!
Highlands at Wesley Chapel, Marietta - Don't miss this Elegant Southern Traditional Home with an un-paralleled list of custom features to include: Family Computer/Media Room, 10’ Ceilings on the Main, Impressive Trim Detail, Extensive Hardwood Floors, Stained Kitchen Cabinets, Stainless Appliances, Granite Kitchen Countertops, Three-Car Garage, and Full Daylight Walk-out Basement. Attractive exterior features combination of Stone, Brick, and Hardiplank/Cedar Shake Siding.
Informal and, at the same time, sophisticated, the home's interior strikes a balance between privacy and sociability. The open living areas and views to the outdoors bring a feeling of large scale; raised ceilings in the foyer, great room, and master bedroom also enhance the spaciousness of this beautiful home.
Your family chef is ready to work culinary magic with ample granite counter space, large center island and walk-in pantry to ensure your food preparation is organized. Whether taking casual meals in the breakfast room or lounging in your favorite chair by the fireplace, the hearth room welcomes your family with open arms.
The owner’s suite complete with dramatic raised ceiling, sitting area, and elegant bath was made for rest and relaxation. Two additional bedrooms share a Jack and Jill Bath, a third has its own private Bath, as does the one main floor bedroom. All have walk-in closets. A separate media room is also part of the second floor layout.
Located in Cobb County's top rated top rated school districts, the Highlands at Wesley Chapel is minutes from businesses, restaurants, shopping, hospitals, worship, parks, recreational spots, and Hwy 75 and 400.
This lifestyle can all be yours...call us today to arrange an easy showing
Property information
Looking for a career change and don’t mind relocating? Maybe you want to move. Forbes.com came up with this list of the Top Ten Best Cities For Jobs in 2008.
The rankings for the forecast were determined by equally weighing (1) the state’s unemployment rate, (2) job growth, (3) income growth, (4) median household income, and (5) cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007). The data was provided by Moody’s Economy.com, and is from the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.
“Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody’s Economy.com, acknowledged the housing market depression the company is facing and said the destinations that prevail on this list weren’t as heavily vested in the real estate development boom, which ultimately led to a historic bust.”
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Wichita, Kansas
- Austin, Texas
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Fort Worth, Texas
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Houston, Texas
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Seattle, Washington
“Some notables: Honolulu is the best in the pack for low unemployment, a good sign that tourism there remains healthy. Edison, N.J., ranked the highest in the median income category. Buffalo, N.Y., has the lowest cost of living, while San Jose, Calif., has the highest. New York sits at No. 58 on the list, while Los Angeles is No. 87.”
View the full Forbes.com report here.
Water restrictions are easing in Georgia. Today Governor Sonny Perdue gave north Georgians permission to hand-water plants for 25 minutes three days a week. Homeowners and professional landscapers can water newly-installed landscaping up to three days a week for ten weeks, once they pass an online certification program that will start running in April. The severe drought forced the state last fall to virtually ban all outdoor watering in north Georgia and order public water providers in the region to cut their water withdrawals by ten percent. Public pools will also be allowed to open this summer.
It has been raining, but the future still looks dry; that was the message of Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch as she updated a house committee today on Georgia’s drought. She's also the advisor to the governor about Georgia’s water supply.
Couch said that it could take four years to replenish our drought-depleted water supply, but we don’t have to choose right now between drinking water and pool water. The governor has run with that recommendation.
"Today," Governor Perdue said, "I’m pleased to announce we will be exempting outdoor restrictions to swimming pools as well. So swim, kids, swim."
Earlier, he lifted restrictions on watering out-door plants.
"We're not taking the foot off the throttle for water-use" said Couch, but this is an effort "to strike a balance between drinking-water needs and economic interests."
As another solution to the drought, two Georgia lawmakers want Tennessee to share its water with Atlanta.
Republican Senator David Shafer and Representative Harry Geisinger, introduced legislation that would move Georgia's Northwest boundary a mile north.
Which means a section of the Tennessee River would flow into Georgia.
The two cite what they call an old survey that placed the marker below Tennessee's Nickajack reservoir when it should have been in the middle of the river.
A federal appeals court on February 5, 2008 ruled against an agreement that Georgia reached with the Army Corps of Engineers for water rights to Lake Lanier, handing Alabama and Florida a major victory in the states' years-long water wars.
The decision overturned an earlier ruling from 2003 that said Georgia could receive about a quarter of Lake Lanier's capacity over the coming decades as a drinking water source. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington said that the 2003 agreement constituted a major operational change at the federal reservoir that requires congressional approval.
The agreement was challenged by Alabama and Florida arguing that Georgia doesn't have any legal right to the Lake Lanier's water supply which was initially built as a federal reservoir for hydropower. Had the decision not been ruled against the withdrawels could have meant the drying up of river flows into Alabama and Florida that support smaller municipalities, power plants, commercial fisheries and industrial users like paper mills.
A spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue told the Associated Press that Georgia has not ruled out appealing the decision to the US Supreme Court, but added that Georgia will continue discussions with Florida and Alabama, mediated by the federal government, to reach a mutually satisfactory water-sharing agreement.
Full story
More and more online businesses are allowing for their visitors to have real-time conversations with company representatives via an instant message window powered by some form of live chat or live support software. I believe this to be a key component in any business' web 2.0 marketing strategy.
I always see the positives and benefits of technology applications, however there are also several negatives that new technology brings with it. For instance, I recently had a negative experience using Charter Communications Live Chat feature...this is not a feature to outsource to another country and it is important to have skilled and knowledgeable operators on the other end. It is also important to have operators ready and standing by...I have had to wait over ten minutes before to make contact!
I believe the positives of this technology outweigh the negatives and for that reason I believe it is here to stay.
There are many providers of such features. The "Soldon" (Sold on Alpharetta, Sold on Dunwoody, Sold on Johns Creek, Sold on Marietta, Sold on Milton, and Sold on Sandy Springs) sites as well as the RKiHomes site use this feature powered by a free "all-in-one" instant messaging service called Meebo. This feature is located in the right sidebar of the sites, type a message and hit send and you will instantly be connected with someone.
The downside to this feature is you may not always get a quick response, I am the sole operator for these sites and if I am busy I may not respond right away, however if you leave your contact info I'll be sure to get back to you. Try this feature out and let us know how we can make ourselves more assessable to you!
As warmer weather approaches I anxiously wait to find out whether or not I will be able to fill the swimming pool at my new house with water.
I have heard that if the level of drought we are in gets reduced that I could apply for an exemption as this would be my first time filling the pool and because I am the new owner of the house. I came across an article written by Jim Osterman titled, “Pool issue hits home; so how do we react?”, it was published online in the AJC. The article prompted me to call the city of Roswell in an attempt to get some answers.
I called the city of Roswell’s main telephone number and after being bounced around to several departments I was finally put in touch with “Jim”. I explained to Jim my circumstances…being a first time home buyer, filling the pool for the first time…just in case this would make any difference as to how Jim would answer.
Although I didn’t really get an answer, I figured it was still worth posting here. Jim said that the Governor and the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) are set to meet in the next few weeks to discuss this matter. So…there you have it, the most recent update regarding the “pool situation” here in Georgia.
I have an active interest in the outcome of these discussions and will post to this blog as soon as I hear anything!
Over the last five years the RKiHomes Team has sold over 100 homes and $30 million dollars in total sales volume.
This will not be an encouraging year-end report. October & November produced signs of market stabilization, but
December returned to a lot of downward trends.
Single family detached had 3,178 closings for December or a decline of 37% from December 2006. This result is also lower than December’s 1998-2005 results. After lags are reported, Single family detached may exceed 12/2001, three months after 9/11.
Single family detached has declined year-to-year for 16 out of the past 17 months.
Condos and townhomes closed 579 units in December or a decline of 38.9% over the same year ago period. This is the 10th consecutive monthly year-to-year decline and the 13th decline out of the past 16 periods.
For the year, condos and townhomes were down 12.2% from 2006. Single family detached was down 16.9% 2007
versus 2006. The only other year-to-year decline for single family detached was 2000/1999. That was the year of the NASDAQ collapse and the percentage decline was only 2 tenths of 1 percent. On the other hand, the only year-to-year decline since 1996 for condos and townhomes was 1999/1998 and that was only 8 tenths of 1 percent.
Total single family was down 16.2% for the entire year, 2007 versus 2006. Since 1996 there has never been a reported year-year decline for all single family housing, until 2007.
The very weak demand for housing during 2007 really showed up in the pricing trends for December. The average sale price in December for single family detached was $250,910 or a decline of 3.5% from December 2006. Since 1994, this is the greatest year-to-year monthly negative change in average price. There have been only 5 negative changes in year-to-year monthly average price declines in the past 13 years and two of them have been in the past three months.
The average price for condos and townhomes was $186,034 in December. This was a 7.8% decline from December
2006 and the lowest reported average price since July 2006.
Single family detached had 8,128 expired listings in December, easily a new monthly record, surpassing September 2007’s 6,561.
There were 1,656 expired listings for condos & townhomes in December and a new monthly record, easily surpassing December 2006’s 1,311 expired listings. For all single family there were 76,140 expired listings in 2007 or almost 20,000 more than 2006.
Days-on-market for all single family was 88.1 for 2007. This is the highest recorded yearly DOM since 1994.
Well, we are through with December and 2007! Now we are in 2008 and we need more interest rate cuts and to stay out of recession. However, it may be too late. Hopefully recent and future actions by the government can stave off any economic downturn.
However, what a GREAT time to buy a home in 2008, as lower interest rates are coming, prices are coming down, and it is an entertaining election year! What a FANTASTIC time to buy a home!
Thank you,
Steve Palm
Smart Numbers
© 2007 Smart Numbers