Real Estate Update - Abingdon Green Subdivision 2014 - Warner Robins

Abingdon Green Subdivision - 2014 

Homes sold - 3

Avg List Price - $130,433

Avg Sale Price - $125,716

Avg Days On Market - 130

Foreclosures - 1

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Homes Currently For Sale - 2

Avg List Price - $137,200

Avg Days On Market - 166

Foreclosures - 0

Curious about your home's Current Market Value?

Call Us Today!!

Joe & Jenny Barbee

The Barbee Team @ Elite Realtors of Georgia

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

478-978-3428

478-333-6008

First-Time Buyers Should Check Credit Scores Early

    It can take years for Middle Ga first-time buyers to save up for their first home’s down payment, but even after that hurdle has been cleared, it can take even more time to secure a mortgage -- if they have neglected the other part of the equation. Their credit rating.



    Before first-time buyers in Warner Robins will be able to move forward with that initial home purchase, they need to ensure that their credit score does not raise the kind of questions that sometimes derails an otherwise well-qualified home loan applicant. This has always been true, but may become even more likely as lending limitations grow increasingly strict.



    But it’s the occasional recording error or misstatement that is most easily preventable. Ironically, those often affect perfectly well-qualified buyers—precisely because they have no reason to suspect that a problem could crop up.



    The upshot: Middle Ga first time buyers should start reviewing their credit history one year to six months before they intend to buy a home. Since the credit agencies provide upon request free copies of every individual’s report once each year, the only hassle is having to check the details line-by-line (a single reporting error can have a big impact on an overall score). And since it’s not unusual to take 90 days or more to cure a disputed entry, the earlier a first-time buyer begins the process, the better. Individuals can file a dispute online with the credit bureaus, or can hire a credit repair company to assist with disputes. In all cases, claims should be documented and correct information provided immediately.  

    Once a Warner Robins first-time buyer is certain that his or her reports are accurate, is it time to relax? Hardly. It’s important to continue to monitor those scores to ensure against accidental surprises. Especially recently, after wholesale credit card thefts sowed confusion and disruption throughout the system, it’s probably wise to assume nothing. Several online services offer credit monitoring (and it’s possible that your bank might provide free monitoring).



    From first-time buyers to seasoned investors, I’m here to help my clients every step of the way. Contact me today!

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

102 Estates Way - A Piece of Paradise in Warner Robins, Ga

The WOW factor!! This home has it all. 

 

All Brick Contruction...

4 bedrooms...

3.5 Baths...

Spacious Kitchen...

Master Bedroom with Sitting Area/Office...

Large Bonus room(4th Br) with Full Bath...

2 Back Patios...

18X36 Inground Pool...

Oversized 2 car Garage...

Additional 1 car 544 Square Feet wired Garage/Workshop. 

You have to see this house to appreciate everything it has. 

This one deserves to go on your short list.

Click on either link for more info:

102 Estates Way - Warner Robins, Ga - INFO LINK

102 Estates Way - ONLINE VISUAL TOUR

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

Mistakes to Avoid As a Warner Robins First-Time Home Buyer

 When a Warner Robins first-time home buyer begins hunting for the prize that has to serve both as a satisfactory home base and a solid investment, most feel a mixture of excitement (a home is a landmark achievement!) and maybe just a touch of apprehension. Like any expense you’ve never encountered before, it’s appropriate to take extra care the first time out — and to pay attention to what experience teaches. Along those lines, here are some mistakes that are easy for a first-time home buyer to make. Fortunately, they’re also easy to sidestep:


1. Waiting for a better rate

Adjustable rates may well be about as low as they’re going to get right now – and some signs point to an increase in the coming months. For a local first-time home owner who will be taking out a loan, if the property is right, hesitating to make a commitment based on a loan rate gamble is seldom a good idea.


2. Thinking short term

Consider thinking of a home as a lifetime investment. Even for those who are single or newly-wedded, it’s possible that being open to a house with extra rooms could end up saving considerably on moving, transaction and agent fees, taxes, etc. It’s equally important to look at neighborhoods and how they are changing and developing. If you do resell your home, location can make a big difference in how.


3. Underestimating hidden costs

The monthly mortgage payment isn’t the ultimate bottom line. When a first-time home buyer comes across a property that fills (or exceeds) everything he or she has been looking for, if the mortgage payment looks to be right, it’s easy to overlook other homeowner expenses. Experienced buyers make hardheaded estimates of maintenance fees and property taxes — they will be every bit as consequential as the mortgage bill.



For a first-time home buyer in Warner Robins when thoughtful perspective goes into your final decision, it’s that much more likely to be a decision that pays off in the long run. If you are preparing to buy in 2014, I’ll be standing by to help get you started!

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

Warner Robins Relocation Planning Should Put Children First

Relocation is seldom simple, but it can be particularly challenging for children. Each year more than $25 billion is spent on relocation, frequently made necessary because of professional reasons. While many adults are able to settle into their new surroundings quite easily, children often have a harder time making the transition.  But parents can have a major impact on whether that happens. If you’re planning a relocation to the Warner Robins Area this winter there are ways you can make the process easier on the children.

Before the move

This is the perfect time to bring the kids into the relocation process. By involving your children as much as possible as early as possible, you will minimize the sense of powerlessness that can be the source of much anxiety. Take them to see their new town before the moving process is underway ­— and before the moving vans arrive, involve them in packing their favorite toys (and artistically decorating the cartons that are their very own)! In the best circumstances, unpacking will become like an extra birthday celebration; the new room, more thoroughly theirs than even the old one. The more a child feels an important part of your relocation plans, the more likely he or she are to experience it as empowering.

Just afterwards

Immediately after the dust has settled, set aside a few days helping them get to know the local area.  Take them to nearby child-centered attractions, explore the parks, help them learn about

 Warner Robins fascinating history. When they begin school, they’ll find they are able to regale their new schoolmates with local lore even the locals didn’t know!

Settling in

What you know (but the kids may not) is that new best friends are going to show up sooner or later. Sooner is better — so encourage them to join sports teams, actively get to know the neighbors, and make a point of attending any of the Houston County civic events.

If you’re planning a relocation to Warner Robins this winter, I’d be delighted to offer a full portfolio of community resources. Don’t hesitate to contact me today to talk about your move!

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

TheBarbeeTeam@gmail.com

Basics of Buying Foreclosed Homes in Warner Robins

   You may have seen the reports — and they are correct — that the number of new foreclosures has dropped almost everywhere throughout the country. Although the Mortgage Bankers Association’s report about the drop in non-seasonally adjusted foreclosure starts might indicate otherwise, this year, sharp-eyed buyers can still find any number of foreclosed homes in Warner Robins. For those whose goal is to find an appreciably nicer home at a lower-than-average price, a few basics shed light on the process.



   Short sales differ from foreclosures. Although the sale price may be a good deal less than what is still owed on a loan, it may be more or less than the actual value of the home. A foreclosed home in Houston County is one that is actually owned by the bank holding the underlying loan — with the previous homeowners already having moved on.



   Success in the foreclosure realm means saving money by buying Warner Robins foreclosed homes — and it means being aware of the motives of the lender. First, any bank will typically offer foreclosed homes on an as-is basis. To keep losses in check, no repairs will have been made on the property. Some homes may be in fine condition, but others will not. That’s why it’s so essential to be willing to pay for an inspection on the property: it’s the only way to know exactly what you are getting into before you sign on the dotted line.

   Unless you have prior success in buying Warner Robins foreclosed homes, it is universally recommended that you enlist a buyers agent to help throughout this process. An agent can advise you whether or not the property value is in line with the market for comparable properties in comparable condition. While you can work with the bank on your own, it is advantageous to have an experience professional to assist at the bargaining table.



   If you are interested in buying foreclosed homes in Warner Robins this year, why not contact me today to discuss your search parameters? The values really are out there to reward the patient — and anyone willing to put in a dollop of elbow grease!

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Joe Barbee
Associate Broker
Elite Realtors of Georgia
478-978-3428 - Direct Cell Phone
478-333-6008 - Office
www.WarnerRobinsRealtor.blogspot.com 

Distinguishing a Good Warner Robins Foreclosure from a “Walkaway”

While it makes perfect sense to assume that a Warner Robins Foreclosure should be more affordable than a non-foreclosure, not every one constitutes a great bargain. Even if the goal is to land your next residence, a worthwhile way to gauge the value of any foreclosure is to look at it from an investor’s point of view: would the property yield worthwhile returns?

Determining that involves using some common benchmarks. Here are some of the leading factors that contribute to making a cool foreclosure evaluation:



How much did other houses sell for locally?



While the price of a property you are looking at may strike you as quite affordable, whether it represents true value is only apparent when compared with recent area market trends. According to Calculated Risk, the discounts foreclosure buyers are finding have begun “to drop to pre-crisis levels.” That lines up with other evidence that the foreclosure market is stabilizing as underlying home values and inventories rise. In any case, be sure to have your agent provide comps for similar properties sold in the area.



How many houses are vacant in the neighborhood?



Some neighborhoods have a considerably higher foreclosure rate than others do. If the neighborhood you’re evaluating incorporates a high number of vacant properties, the price should reflect that. Such areas tend to be relatively unattractive to other buyers for a number of reasons (including a tendency toward higher crime rates). Even if you have no intention of reselling or renting out the foreclosure you are considering, the neighborhood’s character should be factored into your decision.



Cost to renovate?



While it’s hardly unusual for a foreclosure in town to need some work, the details can be decisive. Ask an appraiser to go over the property. A good one will be able to give you a close approximation of the extent of renovation you should expect.




Great deals can be found in unexpected places – sometimes it just takes the help of a great agent to uncover.  If you are considering buying a local home - foreclosure or not – I hope you will give me a call!

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

TheBarbeeTeam@gmail.com

Wall Street, Our Street: Different Kinds of Thoroughfares

     Even though the local housing market looks as certain to rise as fast as the grass from all the rain, behind that optimism is the perennial question about whether another “dip” is coming — a lot of which has to do with Wall Street. Remembering how 2008’s economic downturn saw the housing market and stock market take blows pretty much simultaneously, it’s not far-fetched to assume that the two markets always move together. And while some folks are emboldened as stocks soar to record-level heights, for others, the same phenomenon causes altitude sickness. What goes up must…well, you know the rest!


Historically, the housing market and stock market are hardly inextricably joined. Nor should that be a surprise. On the one hand, the housing market reflects a real good (as ‘real’ as it gets!) — something that carries intrinsic utility. That won’t change until people figure out a way to exist without shelter.

Stocks, on the other hand, represent participation in ownership of a venture, and a share of financial gain (or loss) from its success. Both markets are influenced by some of the same factors (employment, inflation, etc.), but to different degrees. It’s widely agreed that the direct influence of one on the other waxes and wanes.


So when anyone thinks about whether a dip is coming in the stock market, and whether that should influence their real estate thinking, I’m pretty certain that the answers are less important than the more measurable effects that buying or selling a home will have on their day-to-day living experience. With positive housing market data continuing to arrive (like the recent rise in land values — up 13% last year; the first annual gain in eight years), it’s hard not to agree with the majority of economists that the positive housing market trend is likely to keep going for a good while longer.


If you are considering selling your home and want to explore the housing market in Warner robins this Summer, give me a call.  Regardless of what each market is doing at any given time, I keep the latest up-to-date statistical and local neighborhood information available for my clients.

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

TheBarbeeTeam@gmail.com

www.MidGaHouseHunter.com

www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

Warner Robins Mortgage Rates Are Not the Whole Story...

                            
Good Faith Estimates — anyone actively comparing mortgage rates in Houston County receives them. Yet GFEs seem full of the kind of fine print that we don’t necessarily spend time worrying over: a glance at the bottom line would seem to suffice. Sort of like the kind of golf rule (26-1) that cost Tiger Woods his shot at a 5th green coat.



     Like Mr. Woods, even if we do everything else right, not paying close attention to the fine details can cost us. But quite unlike Rule 26-1, the details in GFEs aren’t there to limit our options —  they’re there to point the way cutting our costs!



     To get that readout, you need only provide the standard details required by all lenders. Once that’s done, they are obligated to send you a GFE quickly: within three days. Mortgages are all about your obligation to the lender: so this puts the shoe on the other foot.



     The key to GFEs’ value lies in their uniformity. The line-by-line detail makes them ideal vehicles for cross-comparing what your mortgage costs from each lender will be —  and where discrepancies lie.

     Some of the costs (like taxes and government fees) should be the same for every lender, but others will be different. You are entitled to know what third party fees you will incur, what loan charges are applied by your lender, and any other costs associated with your loan. Beyond the mortgage rates being quoted, such comparisons will be sufficient to show you who is offering the  best deal.



     Another nice thing is that you do not have to pay outsized fees for a GFE; at the most, your prospective lender can ask you to cover the costs of your credit check.



     Today, mortgage rates in Warner Robins remain at the historically low levels we have been pointing to for a while. If for no other reason than the virtual certainty that they won’t stay there forever, now continues to be an unusually opportune time for buying or selling. If you agree, contact me for an up-to-the-minute market assessment anytime.

   www.WarnerRobinsHouseHunter.com

                                               

Joe Barbee

Associate Broker/Property Manager

Elite Realtors of Georgia

478-978-3428

TheBarbeeTeam@gmail.com