My New Blog

There's been a decline in the inventory of available homes for sale in recent days -- a fancy way of saying some houses have been sold -- but it's too soon to say it's a trend. 

Today, June 1, the total number of available residential properties in the Multiple Listing Service covering Americus and Ellaville, Ga., is 149. That's down from 162 just three days ago.   

Are things looking up in the real estate market? Let's hope so. There's a buyer out there for every house, and some of them have been on the market for six months or more. Most sellers are pricing their homes to sell. So what's the problem? Some buyers can't get mortgage loans.

But now there appears a glimmer of silver lining behind the mortgage money cloud. A few more buyers are being pre-approved for loans, and are able to put homes under contract. That's great news for buyers, sellers, mortgage lenders, real estate agents, closing attorneys, builders, home improvement stores, the cities and counties that collect property taxes, the school systems that depend on taxes, and everyone in general. 

So if you're a pre-approved buyer, thank you very much! 

A reminder: Pre-approved buyers who use Michael Dixon as their agent, and who close the purchase of a home (priced at $85,000 or more) get their choice of a one-year home warranty covering the major systems of their home against breakdown, or a gift certificate from Lowe's valued at $400.00. Which would you rather have?

Are you familiar with the purpose of the Multiple Listing Service and how it works to your advantage? Maybe I'll write my next blog about the MLS. Till then, thank God or your lucky stars that you live in southwest Georgia. Ain't it great!         

This past Friday brought a special pleasure to yours truly when I attended the closing of a real estate transaction in Ellaville. Sheriff Shane Tondee sold a house at 740 Ebenezer Road to Robert Kite. The Kite family will be a great addition to Ellaville and Schley County. Please say hello to them and welcome them to the community.

Thanks to Sheriff Tondee for making the house ready for the Kites to move in, and thanks to the Kites for buying it. Thanks also to Ken Wilson, Sheriff Tondee's Realtor, Debbie Simmons, Mr. Kite's mortgage lender, and Dewey and Cindy Gill for preparing the documents and closing the sale. Everyone cooperated to the maximum and made the transaction a pleasure for me. And at least one house in Ellaville got sold last week.

We still have a large inventory of unsold properties, and not enough qualified buyers. If you are thinking about buying a home, by all means talk to a mortgage lender now. You can still get a fairly low interest rate, and there are quite a few homes to choose from. I offer qualified buyers another incentive: their choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift certificate valued at $400. It's my way of saying thanks for your business. If you have not already done so, check out two of my listings: www.343westwooddrive.com and www.236buchananrd.com. These are four-bedroom homes in the $150,000 price range. Of course, I can show you any listed property regardless of the listing company. Call me at 229-924-3089 if you are thinking about buying.     

The Village at SouthLand Ridge held its open house today. For Americus and Sumter County, Ga., this is an exciting development. 

This is a first for the area -- a gated community for senior citizens. A few contracts for homes have been signed already, and we can expect to see more as the word spreads.    

The open house provided an opportunity to tour one of the completed homes. It is stunning. The craftsmanship and attention to detail are impressive. At the same time prices seem quite reasonable: condos from $149,900 to $179,900, and free standing cottages from $167,896 to $213,340. Plenty of upgrades are available, too.

Amenities of The Village at SouthLand Ridge include a club house, a lake and a walking trail. There will be a variety of commercial shops in a section of the development.

The community is located within five minutes of city shopping, Sumter Regional Hospital East, pharmacies and restaurants. It is 27 miles west of I-75, 125 miles south of Atlanta, and 95 miles north of Thomasville, Ga.

You can see a web page on the community at: www.199southlandrd.com.  

Are you looking for a home site in Schley County, Ga.? Drive by this new listing on Ebenezer Road. It's 3.36 wooded acres, and has 310 feet of road frontage. The deed restrictions say that doublewides no older than 5 years or smaller than 1,200 square feet of heated area are allowed.

It is located on Ebenezer Road 5.5 miles west of US Hwy 19 in Ellaville, or 1.4 miles past Ebenezer Baptist Church/Stevens Road. Look for my sign on the right.    

This may be just the space, privacy and price -- $17,500 -- you have been wanting.

I had the pleasaure of showing houses to a nice family recently -- the Kites -- and they have contracted to buy one we looked at. They are doing their inspections and arranging their financing during their "due diligence period." They have been totally cooperative and a delight to work with, and I know they will be a welcome addition to the Ellaville and Schley County scene.

People are looking again -- and buying -- so if you have property to sell you might want to go ahead and put it on the market to catch the upswing in qualified buyers who are ready to buy.

Buyers, don't forget: My company offers its buyers a free one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift certificate valued at $400 (on homes that sell for $85,000 or more). It's my way of showing appreciation for your business, and it helps you get off to a good start in your new home.

Stay cool.