Friday, April 4, 2008

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 3/2 to 3/8

Garage with a detached home


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Video Sunday... musically speaking, took a little turn from the normal. It's music. Odd music, and interesting music.

The January/February Market Report was posted for Gwinnett County on Monday. The blog points to the report on GarageHomesUSA.com. Here is a direct link.

I found out that after this year's cancellation, the Dakar Rallye is moving to South America. The pic is from flickr and are credited on the post.

I posted up a Message from the President... of the NAR, as well as the comment I submitted. As of this evening, it wasn't on the NAR blog yet... I don't think they want to publish a contrary opinion.

On Thursday, I was able to post something that makes me truly proud. Garrett has a New Little Brother!!! Jackson Bryce Bailey was born Thursday. Details on the post.

If you want to inexpensively Increase the value of your... garage, this is the post for you. I brought up some tips ranging from lighting to color and cabinetry.

I wanted to spend a few moments pontificating about marketing strategy. There are a lot of different ideas about marketing, both for agents and properties. The big question is... Niche marketing... or not? Both for agents and the properties they represent.



Remember, the new stuff is posted directly to LaneBailey.com first. This is just a recap... You might also find my blog on Active Rain. The content there is about 95% unique.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Blog Anthology, Post Dated 2/24-3/1

Garage with a detached home


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Sunday, Sunday, Sunday... Videos, Hummer, Jeep, big rocks, steep climbs... Sunday is video day.

The GBR4WD Club announced their 5th Annual Mud 4 Blood Drive in connection with LifeSouth, Bass Pro Shops and 4Wheel Parts. This year's event will take place on May 10th. Are you a blood donor? Mud 4 Blood.

Short Sales are all of the rage in real estate right now. The NAR is telling agents to learn the new specialty. There are scores of seminars. Lots of agents are now "Short Sale specialists." Sorry, but I think it takes more than a quick course to make one an expert. I don't know it all.

But I can tell you that Price ≠ Value. Too many people have bought into the idea that a discount from list is the same thing as buying below market value.

In the next couple of days, I will be sending out my first E-Newsletters. Get the E-Newsletter. Sign up at LaneBailey.com.

With sadness, I learned of the death of Boyd Coddington. He contributed a lot to the world of hot rods even for those that weren't fans of American Hot Rod. The art of his creations is self evident.

For the last entry of the week, I just wanted to say Thank you! I write so that people can read it. I know that I have between 30 and 70 readers on any given day. And I appreciate that EACH OF YOU take a moment from your day to see my rants, opinions, observations and news.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 2/17-2/23

Garage with a detached home

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Similar blog time... same blog channel... da na na na da na na da na na na da na na... Blog Man..

Pow. Sunday's video recipes... include some ice and some sand and some rock. Gotta love 'em.

Bang. The cat is out of the bag. I've been keeping a secret... and it is about my other blog. That's right. Glutton for punishment that I am, I keep up with more than one blog. This one doesn't even count, because it just recaps my main one now.

Smack. My business coach wanted some numbers regarding my market niche. The news isn't good. But, there is a silver lining. Those of us that like garages have been ignored by other real estate agents forever... I have a plan to change that.

Coool. Did you see the new logo? There it is. I like it... Of course, I'm a hot rodder and a 4wheeler, so I've been tweaking it since the day I drove it off the showroom floor.

Ooff. Technology giveth, and technology taketh away. I'm having an email issue... or at least I was. I think it is solved now.

Crank. I try to always call them like I see them. Stupid criminals... Stupid banks. Everyone is appently entitled to be idiots. Of course, that doesn't mean that they should be shielded from the consequences of those actions.

Fizzle. As I mentioned previously, I have another blog. Posting from the Rain is a post I reprinted from my Active/Rain blog. I've been harping that the government trying to fix the foreclosure crisis would NOT do that. It seems that academics are coming to the same conclusion.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 2/10-2/16

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Time for another exciting installment of...

You would have already seen this if you were on my "real" blog...

You didn't see these videos coming. My wife made me wallpaper a bathroom over the weekend, but I had to take a moment to grab a couple of interesting videos. Break dancing and Jeeping...

Donald Trump made the simple words You're fired... way more famous than they should have been. And I still wonder how Omarosa manages to stay there week after week... Anyway, I make sure that MY clients have the ability to fire me... and I also make sure that they don't have a reason to choose to exercise that ability.

Let's have a little political fun... with George Bush rappin' out a State of the Union Address, and all of the candidates vying for American (political) Gladiator. It doesn't matter which side of the spectrum you fall onto, these are fun.

More brokerages are looking to do it. "Agents" buying buyers... Good idea? I don't think most buyers are well served by going with the highest bid in the buyer auction. Furthermore, I don't think that some companies are genuine when they say on one side that commissions are too high, and on the other side, their entire business plan revolves around those same commissions not changing.

We have a 1/3 share in Atlanta Thrashers season tickets available. If you are interested, let me know.

In economics, as well as many other areas, there are Leading indicators v. Trailing indicators. They give us clues as to what is coming, or confirmation of what has already happened. Real estate has its indicators as well. One of the leading indicators is looking pretty good...

It was high Time for some cool garage touches... I have been neglecting the garage side of things for too long. What with the NHL All Star Game, and all of the real estate stuff, I needed to give up some cool garage stuff. So, I knocked it out.

>>>Remember, the latest is at LaneBailey.com<<<

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 2/3-2/9

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Got behind again...

The week kicked off with a couple of videos. After all, Sunday is Video day!... let's have fun. This week's videos were about humor, with Kip Adotta and the Man Song. As a bonus, I included a handy-dandy tool definition glossary that could be passed along to spouses to help then understand what all of our tools do.

Is it time to buy or sell a house in Gwinnett County, GA? Always an interesting question. There isn't a clear cut answer, despite the NAR's message to the contrary... They ALWAYS say it is a great time to buy. For many, right now is great. For many others, not so much.

Is this a simple truth, or rebel marketing? Sellers only need 1 buyer! Some feel that we need to not exclude anyone from the marketing of a house. I don't agree. While we certainly won't, can't and shouldn't exclude people based on race, familial status or other protected criteria, there is no good reason to market every house to every demographic. People without cars don't need big garages...

I had a chance to talk with the builder/ developer of a New Lilburn development with a nice garage plan. It was an interesting conversation. They also did a presentation on some of the cool programs they are offering to spur sales. Whether yo are looking for the big garage or not, these are some great looking homes. Give me a call and I'll happily help you with one.

Zillow published their recent survey of homeowners regarding the appreciation of their properties. Value really up or down? shows the disconnect between perception and reality.

I plan on introducing a new service on my listings for February. How cool is this? As a home buyer, how would you like to be able to put your furniture into a floor plan and move it around to make sure it fits? As a home seller, how would you like prospective buyers to have this kind of tool? I think it would help the house sell faster... and that isn't the only new tool I want to offer...

The big question lately has to do with rates. So, still wondering about interest rates? Here are the answers. Ken from Novation put up the latest. However, the rates are changing every day... or even more on some days. But, there is no denying that rates are good, and if you are the right buyer, this is a GREAT time.

>>>Remember, I have moved the blog to LaneBailey.com. That is where the fresh material is. If you haven't changed your feed reader or bookmark, now is the time. Thanks.<<<

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 1/27-2/2

Caught up... To today even...


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More All-Star stuff... and more.

In NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, Part IV and Part V I talked a little more about the driving tasks. It was great.

There is a bad person floating around in Gwinnett County. Open Houses... why we don't like them so much is about one of the places where these two items intersect.

It's Sunday... video day (or not) was actually on a Wednesday... but that isn't a good reason to skip the videos for the week. (See, I told you that I would shake it up).

I had to have a little rant. I want my Mommy!! (or not so much) is that rant. Why do people refuse to be responsible for themselves and their own actions. Stop being a victim and be an adult...

Greg Swann at Bloodhound Blog wrote an incredible post on one of the key difference between a Buyer's Market and a Seller's Market. Buyer's Market? Take your time? No... I commented, but he made a great point.

For National Heart Month, I wrote a post about being CPR certified... ok, it's really because my wife wanted us to get updated. Are you CPR Certified?



Drop in to LaneBailey. I look forward to hearing from you.

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 1/20-1/26

Catching up here... For the latest, please feel free to click below.

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On to the posts...

Here are the Sunday videos... enjoy, on time and everything. Just when you start to expect them... we'll see.

I thought I would give a little information about one of the local schools here in Gwinnett County, GA. The first in the series is Parkview High School.

Cub Scout Car Guys was a GREAT opportunity to hang out with some cool kids and talk about cars. I was invited to speak to a group of Cub Scouts about cars. We had a great time, too. And the videos rocked.

Cashflow 101... interested in a little financial gaming? I ran across the game and it looks pretty cool. I'd love to get together a group of interested prospective investors to play. Read for details.

NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, Part I is about me driving NHL VIPs around during the festivities... and so is NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta Part II. And there is a little bonus at the end.

NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta, Part III is actually about going to the skills competition. We had a great time. It wasn't just the hockey, but the bonus from the previous evening was a hit with the kid... makes me happy.

Blog Anthology, Posts dated 1/13-1/19

If you haven't figured out by now, all of my posts are now going directly to LaneBailey.com. Drop by... here are the latest posts.

Garage with a detached home

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So, on to the posts...

It's Sunday... must be time for some videos of Jeepsters and Commandos. A little 4wheeling to bring in the new week.

While it looks to be another Jeep related post, If it ain't broke... fix it anyway! is actually about real estate and customer service, as well as making business better.

Has your listing expired? in Gwinnett County? If so, I'd love to get your opinions.

I went to breakfast with Ken Cook of Novation Mortgage. We came up with a killer product if you find a Cool house... not cool garage? Drop in, read more... and then let's go look.

In my travels around the blogs on the net I came across a great real estate promo video... and it is nothing like 99.73% of the videos out there. Real estate video, New and Improved? asks about consumer impressions.

Every one needs a break. I took a little road trip with the guys... Cold and dirty... I love my hobby is a little about the trip. Stuff goes wrong... but that is ok.

That is the week. I know there are only six posts... I missed one because of the trip.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts 204 - 213 (1/06/08 - 1/12/08)

Woohoo!! I'm caught up. I can make these weekly until I cut this platform off.
BTW, the reason for the discrepancy in numbers is vebcause a number is assigned when I write a draft that isn't published. I will be altering this next week to just have the dates, rather than the post number and date.



Garage with a detached home

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Let's go to the review!

In what has become my Sunday tradition, I tossed up a couple of videos. This weeks videos include one rally video, and a short film by a French film-maker on one of the Pike's Peak entrants. Gratuitous rally and Pike’s Peak video

Each month, as soon as my local MLS publishes the numbers for the previous month, I jump in and run my Market report. It took a few days for the numbers to come out for my Market update for Gwinnett County, November/December, but I put them up. I have jumped back into the MLS to look at the numbers, and they have already started to update.

I read a lot of different sources of news each day. And every once in a while, I hit a story that is just funny on several levels. Moron arrested after driving truck into house is just such a story. If you want to know why... click!

Seth Godin wrote about the dumbing down of America. I was struck by the fact that we are constantly talked down to. I don't want to do that. I think that if i assume I have smart people reading, I will attract A better client? What do you think.

One interesting concept I've heard about recently is allowing buyers to Test Drive a house? What do you think? I see some great benefits, as well as some pitfalls.

Atlanta is hosting the monsters tomorrow was just a tease for the fans going to Monster Jam at the Georgia Dome on Saturday. I was next door watching the Thrashers beat the Penguins in a shoot-out (quite exciting, BTW).

I ran across an article outlining what needs to be done to Sell your Gwinnett Co., GA home fast. It wasn't about Gwinnett, but the same rules apply everywhere.

I look forward to seeing you at my new blog, or on my website.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts 191 - 203 (12/30/07 - 01/05/08)

Just about caught up enough to make these weekly. I wanted to get this one knocked out previously, but just didn't have the time. I'll be trying to update these each Sunday or Monday going forward until the traffic here drops off. Obviously, you can skip straight to the source by visiting LaneBailey.com each day, or subscribing there. Here is a banner with the latest headlines.

Garage with a detached home

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Let's get into the review.

With the New Year celebrations getting ready to ramp up (and the Christmas decorations getting ready to ramp down) I was a bit busy and just dropped some fun video. I started with WRC Video from the Rally of Portugal.

For New Year's Eve, I posted up a video of Trials Riding in California. These guys are amazing to watch. The goal is to cross the difficult terrain without putting a foot down.

Everyone has them, and I made my New Year's Resolutions County, GA or the Atlanta area, s here. Some are just about me, but if you are looking to buy, sell, or invest in properties in Gwinnettome might be worth a read.

Continuing on my fluff tour, I headed over to Ebay to find Ten cool tools... straight off Ebay. They ranged from a great welder to a project.

I'm often asked How many 4+ car garages are currently in Gwinnett County? (for sale). on the day I wrote this, there were... You'll have to read. And I plan on revisiting this one every once in a while.

Look for a featured garage next week. Ok, now it is this week. It is up...

I ran across a cool new tool for buyer and sellers. Now you can find out Is that a Superfund site... or just a lot of yard art? This is a government (EPA) site that graphically displays all of the known environmental issues. If you are wondering about it... it's there.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Blog Anthology, Posts 181 - 190

My primary blog has moved to LaneBailey.com and that is where all of the new material shows up. you might also check out my website, Garage Homes USA.

Probably the biggest story in real estate for 2007 has been the meltdown of the "Sub-Prime Mortgage" market. Big players went out of business, and the implosion touched (like a Three Stooges Smackdown) every part of the real estate market. Everybody put your heads on the desk is about one of the things in the aftermath. The President announced a plan that is intended to ease the burden on homeowners that are looking at resets, but I think the unintended consequences are going to reverberate in the market for years.

Continuing my Top Ten series, I hit cars. Again, I couldn't just pick cars that are on every corner, nor the ones that every teenager is already drooling over. Top Ten Nastiest vehicles you have never heard of... is that list. Land Rover power, Subaru power and GM EcoTech power aren't the first things that come to mind when SuperCars come up... but read and you will see.

Since it was almost Christmas, I tossed out a Christmas present from me. It's a nice little music video... a classic... but a bit twisted.

Heads Down needed a part two. Sometimes doing the right thing hurts is the part two. People ask me if I have a heart when I say that the government shouldn't be stepping in to save the homes of the majority of people facing foreclosure. I do, and I know that it sucks. But, what if the "cure" causes harm that prevents tens of thousands of other from having a chance to buy their dream home?

Bubbleheads are a favorite topic. If you don't know who the bubbleheads are, they are the ones that preach about the impending implosion of home prices. They quote each other as proof... I don't like that. Housing apocalypse revisited examines some claims about the coming devaluation. I cited the sources for all of my claims.

Despite the fact that I think the NAR does some good things, they really need to project a little more of a grip on reality when they talk about the market. It doesn't help with the credibility to always say the same thing... no matter what is going on. It seems like they just want to Say it until it's true... NOT!

The better way to look at everything is to find the positive... only if it is there. There is some good news in this market, and Seth Godin helped me find it. Of course, there are people that absolutely NOT get into real estate in this market... or any market.

Do you Plugoo? I just set up a widget on my blog to allow people to catch me on IM (anonymously) if I am online.

Another video quickie. This one is one of Those crazy Europeans drifting a truck. It just looks wrong... I mean really wrong. Tune in and turn on.

For international buyers, US Property on sale 17% off. I looked at the past few years and compared exchange rates with property values. The weakness of the US Dollar is creating a great buying opportunity in the US. Florida is on sale to the Canadians. Atlanta is a GREAT place for international businesses to create a presence.

I look forward to seeing you over at LaneBailey.com.