In this video, Mark Lackey shares with you about down payment assistance and how you may be able to qualify.

So you are headed to foreclosure, the bank has sent notice. Time to pack and move on. While packing the stuff in the basement you run across some old comic books. You pause to read a few of the old classics and suddenly you come upon Volume 1 of Superman. You have hit the comics book lottery and your home is saved. Just another day of Superman fighting for justice and the American way.  Read the unbelievable story from ABC News below.

Superman Comic Saves Family Home From Foreclosure
Unexpected Find of Action Comics No. 1 Could Fetch Upwards of a Quarter of a Million Dollars at Auction

By RAY SANCHEZ / ABC News
August 3, 2010
A struggling family facing foreclosure has stumbled upon what is considered to be the Holy Grail of comic books in their basement – a fortuitous find that could fetch upwards of a quarter million dollars at auction.

A copy of Action Comics No. 1, the first in which Superman ever appeared, was discovered as they went about the painful task of packing up a home that had been in the family since at least the 1950s. The couple, who live in the South with their children, asked to remain anonymous.

“The bank was about ready to foreclose,” said Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of ComicConnect.com and Metropolis Comics and Collectibles in New York. “Literally, this family was in tears. The family home was going to be lost and they’re devastated. They can’t figure out a way out of this. They start packing things up. They go into the basement and start sifting through boxes – trying to find packing boxes – and they stumble on eight or nine comic books.”

Most of the comic books in the box were worth between $10 and $30 but one – dated June 1938 and depicting the Man of Steel lifting a car above his head – was extremely rare. That issue, which originally sold for 10 cents, is considered to have ushered in the age of the superhero.

“It’s a tremendous piece of American pop culture history,” Zurzolo said. The couple learned online that ComicConnect.com had brokered the record-breaking sales of Action No. 1 copies for $1 million in February and then $1.5 million one month later. They immediately texted a cell phone picture to the firm’s co-owner, Stephen Fishler.
“You couldn’t have asked for a happier ending,” Zurzolo said. “Superman saved the day.”
Most Americans aren’t so lucky. Nationwide, more than 1.6 million properties were in some stage of foreclosure in the first half of the year, according to RealtyTrac, up about 8 percent from a year ago but down 5 percent from the final six months of 2009. The couple had recently taken out a second mortgage on their home to start a new business, which failed in the uncertain economy. Mortgage payments were missed and the bank soon came after their home, which became theirs after the death of the wife’s father. Fishler had to get on the phone to convince the bank to back off.

Rare Superman Comic Book Saves Family from Foreclosure
“My partner basically had to explain to the bank, ‘You’ll have your money soon,’” Zurzolo said. “We sent them information about our previous sales and what this could realize.”

A struggling family cleaning out the basement of their home stumbled upon what is known as the Holy Grail of comic books ? a fortuitous find expected to save their house from foreclosure.
(Courtesy Metropolis Collectibles, Inc.)
In a statement released through ComicConnect, the owner of the prized comic book said the family was still “a little shell shocked” after the unexpected find. “I was so nervous when I realized what it was worth,” the owner said. “I know I am very fortunate but I will be greatly relieved when this book finds a new home.”
Last Thursday, the couple’s copy received a 5.0 VG(Very Good)/Fine rating on a scale of 1 to 10. It could fetch upwards of $250,000 when it goes up for auction on ComicConnect.com from Aug. 27 through Sept. 17.

The production of 1 ton of cardboard requires:

•17 trees for the use of pulp
•7000 gallons of water
•462 gallons of oil
•1 ton of cardboard uses 9 cubic yards of landfill space and dumping paper products in landfills adds methane to the atmosphere as it decomposes, with 20 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
•In 2003, paper and paperboard accounted for 35 percent of the total materials discarded in the United States. Just imagine the impact we could make by reducing the need for so much cardboard.
•In the U.S. we have lost 95 percent of our old growth forests.
•The U.S. pulp and paper industry is the second largest consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry.
•According to the American Forest and Paper Association in 2008 the average person in the US added 220 lbs of paper waste to our landfills.

Go through these shocking truths about the environment of our planet and share them with your friends.
•80% of the world’s forests are gone.
•Over 40% of all tropical forests have been destroyed and another acre is lost each second.
•The US has less than 4% of its forests left.
•The U.S. burns 10,000 gallons of gasoline a second. Burning one gallon of gas creates 22 lbs of carbon dioxide. Now that’s 220,000 lbs of Co2 per second.
•An average American creates 4.5 lbs. garbage a day — an amount doubled from 30 years ago.
•Every year we throw away 24 million tons of leaves and grass. Leaves alone account for 75% of our solid waste in the fall.
•Over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected to cause birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations.
•99% of all those things we buy are not in use after 6 months.
•Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.
•About 1% of U.S. landfill space is full of disposable diapers, which take 500 years to decompose.
•40% of our waterways are undrinkable.
•The US has 5% of the world’s population and 30% of the waste.
•Energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is the equivalent to half a can of gasoline.
•As per an estimation by The University of California, 30,000 deaths occur a year because of gasoline or diesel fuel use.
•Approximately, 70,000 people in the U.S die prematurely from heart and lung disease aggravated by particulate air pollution.
•Glass produced from recycled glass instead of raw materials reduces related air pollution by 20%, and water pollution by 50%.
•Americans annually use 50 million tons of paper. This equals the consumption of more than 850 million trees.
•Homeowners use up to 10 times more toxic chemicals per acre than farmers.
•Turning down your central heating thermostat by one degree can cut fuel consumption by as much as 10%.
•Insulating your attic reduces the amount of energy loss in most houses by up to 20%.
•The amount of glass disposed of in 1990 was enough to fill the Twin Towers (1,350 feet high) of New York’s World Trade Center every two weeks.
•Using energy efficient bulbs in place of every 75 watt light bulbs can prevent 1 ton of carbon dioxide from being released in the air.
•Many banks lent large sums of money to developing nations. In order to pay those debts plus interest many nations have turned to the mining of their natural resources as a source of financial aid.
•40,000 children in the world die every year from preventable diseases.
•The human population of the world is expected to rise by nearly three times by the year 2100.
•A 3% annual population growth will result in the doubling of consumption and production of food and other products within 2033.
•The number of automobiles is expected to increase by 15 million per year until at least 2010.
•The world’s per capita grain production has been on the downfall since 1985 despite the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Already a train system has been developed (back in 1987) which is based on magnetic levitation and causes minimal pollution. These versions of a train are already in use in several countries.
•Fibre optics, made of glass, are being used to replace copper cables throughout the world.
•Uncontrolled fishing has resulted in the reduction of the population of many commercial species; some upto one-tenth of their original population.
•Every day 50 to 100 species of plants and animals become extinct as their habitat and human activities destroy them.

Whether you live in a condominium or a single-family house, landscaping can certainly make your home easier to sell. But will attractive landscaping add value? It depends.

Potted plants, freshly edged green lawn, and weed-free garden areas will make your home more attractive and appealing. The more appealing the home or condo, the more marketable it is and the faster it will sell.

Well-manicured landscaping helps frame other elements of curb appeal. It is considered a value-added feature because it helps create a positive first impression. Most buyers, however, will not pay extra for trees and lawn, flowers and shrubs.

But you can almost always get a return on your investment in decks and patios. As decks have become more desirable, their resale value has continued to increase.

In the yard and garden of your single-family home or in pots on your condo deck or patio, use plants, trees, and other landscaping elements freely to make your home more appealing and help you sell it more quickly when the time is right.

If you have any real estate–related questions, please call or email me. I am always happy to help.

Bay Creek Estates subdivision, located in the eastern area of Walton County, Ga.

Bay Creek Estates subdivision, Loganville, Ga. is conveniently located in Walton County near Hwy. 78. The neighborhood is minutes away from fine shopping and dining at in Loganville while being a quiet rural neighborhood. Large all brick homes estate homes.

Bay Creek Estates is very close to outstanding amenities in Loganville Arena. It is very close to the Hwy. 78 with all the fine restaurants and all types of shopping. Great location for commute to work being 30 minutes from I-285, and 30 minutes from Athens. Bay Creek Estates is one of Walton’s most established and desirable neighborhoods.

The outstanding local schools that serve are Bay Creek Elementary, Loganville Middle and Loganville High School. The school buses make stops throughout the neighborhood.

Homes in Bay Creek Estates are typically priced from the $ 250,000 range to $ 300,000, so there really are homes in a choice of price ranges for any Walton home buyer.

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR AVAILABLE HOMES IN BAY CREEK ESTATES

My wife Anne Lackey and I have renovated dozens of home in the past ten years.  The home almost always gets new flooring.  Sometimes we use pre-finished engineered wood, sometimes it is vinyl, other times we put down tile and in every home goes some carpet.

For our rental home we have used a base grade of carpet over the years and am now transitioning to a vinyl product that looks like wood and is installed in planks. It is similar to those Pergo type flooring products only the base isn’t a masonite type substance that can expand if it gets wet.

In the last major high end renovation we put Bruce engineered wood flooring on the entire first level, plush heavy pile carpet up stairs in the bedrooms and a smooth commercial type carpet in the terrace level.  The master bathroom received travertine tile on the floors and in the wet areas.  The travertine even extends into the walk-in closet in the master bath area.

Nearly everyday we are involved in the repairs and maintenance of the rental homes we own and those we manage for others.  ‘Turnkey’ is the term we use for the work to be done when a tenant moves out to get the home ready for the next tenant.  Very often the carpet that has a 5-7 year life needs replacing and sometimes vinyl gets torn when the tenant moves the stove, washer or refrigerator.

When we do a turnkey or renovation to resell we always depend on one guy to handle the flooring.  That guy is Rob Lowder, the owner of Floor Creations. He has the best folks working for him from the person that come to measure to the crews who come to install your selection.

Rob has a showroom on the east side of town but don’t worry, they will bring the showroom to you so you can select the perfect color for your home in the comfort of your home.  They service all over Metro Atlanta.  You can reach Rob at 770-918-0043 and tell him Mark sent you.  Check them out at www.atlantahousingsource.com/

I have seen far more activity as the credit come to an end as I did when the last credit came to an end in November 2009.  At that point last November we had 5 pending closing and as of today we have 10 pending closings.

Has the credit made a difference?  Yes.  Would those individuals have purchased anyway, most likely.  What the credit has done was created a since of urgency and lowered the inventory levels quickly.

I have had a few buyers that have not gotten under contract to qualify for the credit and the clock is ticking.  Most of them early on made the choice to find a home that they love no matter how long it takes to find it rather than rush just to get the $8,000 credit.  These are the wise buyers.

The buyers trying to get under contract have been involved in multiple offer deals where there has been intense competition.  Banks and individuals have been holding firm on their offer price.  The ones that have won the bids have offered full list price or more.

Think about it, just months ago you could get a bank or individual to negotiate, and now they are holding strong.  I think this will continue until April 30, when demand will drop off.  At that point, then they will be more agreeable to negotiate.

Is the $8,000 credit held prices artificially high? I believe that sellers felt that could get $8,000 more for their home with the credit. Those who didn’t sell will see the reduced demand equate into price reductions.

I am glad that the credit was not considered for another extension so the market can get around to self correcting.  Selfishly I want a normal market, not artificially stimulated.   Myself and many of my colleagues agree that letting the free market find its balance will be the quickest way to get back to normal.

New buyers after April 30 will be in short supply, but we will be busy getting all the homes to closing by June 30.  During this time we will have to work hard since any issues found during inspections that could kill the deal may cost the buyer $8,000. Expect sellers to be tough about making repairs or concessions since they know every issue after April 30 is a $8,000 issue.

Keep focused on keeping the relationship of protecting your clients during the next two challenging months.  Remember, our partners are getting ready to get real busy. Our inspectors, lender, appraisers and closing attorneys all need our support and patience.

If you are looking at Atlanta for Rental options, here is a video that shares with you some things you should consider before making your selection. Anne Lackey, Broker of Solid Source Property Management, provides helpful hints for people relocating from outside the Atlanta area.

If you are looking to relocate, you can find additional information about the Atlanta area on our website – www.AtlantaHousingSource.com – your Source for Atlanta Real Estate.

Earlier this week, we were delighted to know that Atlanta Housing Source was selected as one of the top 50 Gwinnett County businesses out of more than 20,000 other businesses. We are looking forward to seeing if we actually made the Top 25, but we are thrilled we made it to the Top 50!

Here is the criteria for the award.

Every year Small Business Week honors the estimated 30 million small businesses in America that employ more than half the country’s private work force, create three out of every four jobs, and generate a majority of American innovations. In support of National Small Business Week, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will honor Gwinnett’s top small businesses of the year at the Pinnacle Small Business Awards on Friday, April 23.

The Gwinnett Chamber’s 2010 Pinnacle Small Business Awards will select Gwinnett’s top entrepreneur as its Small Business Person of the Year as well as the top businesses in three categories (1-9; 10-99; and 100+ employees). The overall Small Business of the Year winner will be eligible to participate in Georgia’s Small Business of the Year competition. With the challenges facing small businesses today, this year’s process will focus more on the company’s response to adversity and service to the community

CRITERIA

Nominee businesses must:

• Be a Gwinnett Chamber member and be headquartered in Gwinnett
• Demonstrate an increase in sales and/or unit volume
• Demonstrate growth in number of employees
• Have been in business at least three years
• Show evidence of contributions to community-oriented projects
• Be the primary owner or major shareholder of the business
• Demonstrate original entrepreneurship
• Not be a bank or a financial institution
• Comply with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s size standards in defining a small business
• Not be a previous finalist for consecutive years

Top 50 Pinnacle Small Business Award Finalists:

Thank you to all our loyal clients and dedicated employees for making this possible!

Mark & Anne Lackey

I stumbled upon an interesting news release by FICO – the company that establishes credit scores and evaluates risk for borrowers that they released in late February.

In short, they are finding that people who have high credit scores are still paying their credit card debt, but defaulting on their mortgages. Calling these defaults – Strategic Defaults, it is making the ability to establish risk more difficult in years past.

More interesting was the difference in default in the various regions of the country. Read the full article.