The Greatness of Savannah, Georgia Real Estate

Some say that Savannah has two distinct sides. Life in Savannah, Georgia is fast and stylish, but it’s old Southern custom sees to it that it shall always sustain its calm. Savannah, this modest city that happily welcomes the rest of the world, derives its name from the Native American word for grassy plain. Savannah has come quite a long way from its original existence as the quiet plain.

Living up to the reputation of being known as the hostess city of the South, Savannah, Georgia treats both local people and tourists to charming squares, blossoming garden parks, culture, a diverse variety of entertainment, and luscious food. Savannah personifies the southern belle: entrancing, friendly, full of energy and proud.

The twenty-four squares neatly arranged here and there in the historical area lay out the heart of the downtown area. General James Ogelthorpe is to be credited with laying the city plan for Savannah, much of which remains intact today. The squares form not only the literal city center, but also form the historic and cultural heart of the city. Savannahs activities and life spread from her squares. Each unique square tells its own tale of local and world history, having made it through two wars. The Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

Art and culture are to be found on each and every corner of Savannahs bustling streets, at any time of year. Savannahs Music Festival in March and the Jazz Festival in September fill the air with cool melodies. African Americans, Greeks, Irish, Scots and Asians, among others, share their culture with cultural celebrations spread throughout different weeks of the year. Concurrently, students of the Savannah College of Art and Design please the visitors when they bring the sidewalks of Forsyth Park to life during the Sidewalk Art Festival. Savannahs indoor cultural scene is amazing, with over eighty museums, art galleries, and theaters.

The outskirts of the city of Savannah offer the security of a small town for families who enjoy quietness and space, while the center of the city offers a metropolitan feel with three universities , great shopping, and a nightlife that seems to start in and expand out from CityMarket.

Locals of Savannah spend their free time the way most people spend vacation time — easy to live with temperatures open up the way for endless outdoor activities, nearby beaches, plenty of golf courses, and blues bars. . Even the public transport system is stress-free. The Chatham Area Transit (CAT) operates an efficient system of buses, trolleys, and a ferry for those crossing the Savannah River.

It is no surprise that Savannah is regularly listed as one of North Americas top 10 most beautiful cities. Savannahs magnetic appeal stretches forth to a extremely prominent variety of tastes. These diverse interests and lifestyles complimentary coexist, which serves to contribute to Savannahs growth. Artists contribute its culture, small businesses encourage tourists and benefit as a result of them, and big industry thrusts the economy forward. Therefore, this petite city, with her big city mentality, knows how to get the worlds attention without even rufflin her petticoat.

Gene Hernandez is a independent writer and historiographer. He has delighted in the beauty of Savannah for over 15 years. He often recommends is: http://www.greatersavannah.com/ for Savannah, GA. Real Estate.

Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare: Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent

Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare:
Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent

Let the Real Estate Buyer Prepare:
Internet Tools to Assist in Your Search for a Real Estate Agent

Real Estate transactions evoke the most sense of trepidation amongst consumers. After all, these are the transactions where the largest amounts of money exchange hands. Who is there to guide you through the process? Most of us turn to a seasoned real estate agent to help.

With an average commission of 5% coupled with the fact that you are often ‘married’ to an agent for some period, it’s essential to check their reputation before sign the nuptials. Word of mouth recommendations are one way to put your mind to ease, but failing that, the Internet, until recently, didn’t have much to offer.

The Internet featured hundreds of referral sites yet all of them lack prominent ratings provided by the actual consumers that have interacted with them. Many referral sites feature pages of sponsored ads which cloud any useful data. Others offer extensive information about a given agent, such as, the agent’s pets and number of children the agent has. While that’s nice to know, it’s useless in answering four important questions about your perspective agent:

1) Integrity: Was the agent honest and loyal to past customers’ interests?
2) Quality of the Deal: Did the agent strike a good deal for his/her past customers?
3) Recommendation: Would past customers recommend this agent to their friends?
4) Availability: Did the agent expeditiously respond to past customers’ requests?

RankYourAgent.com seeks to level the field in real estate by providing answers to these crucial questions about perspective agents. RankYourAgent.com (http://www.rankyouragent.com) collects the answers to these questions provided by web users. These statistics are made available free of charge to anyone who’d like to view a real estate agents ranking.

RankYourAgent.com derives its income from unobtrusive Google(tm) Adsense(tm) ads. A quick visit to RankYourAgent.com will allow the user to rank an agent that isn’t already ranked, or view agents by name or region.

Visit http://www.rankyouragent.com today and see if your agent is listed. At the end of your real estate transaction, don’t forget to come back and provide rankings so that others can benefit from your experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Buying Real Estate When It’s Not For Sale

Buying real estate can start with a look in the newspaper, a visit to a broker, or a search online. These are all good ways to find your next investment property. You’re looking at the same properties as every other investor, of course, so it’s not always easy to beat the competition to a great buy.

A better way to find good real estate investments is to look for properties that aren’t yet for sale, and make an offer. I bought my first home this way. I put an ad in the paper stating what I was looking for, and soon had a call from an old couple that had been thinking about selling. I bought their place at a good price, and they saved a broker’s commission.

Buying investment real estate that isn’t for sale starts with a three step search process. First decide what you are looking for. Single family rentals or apartment buildings? Then start looking for properties that fit your criteria. Then contact the owners.

Buying Real Estate From Non-Sellers

Don’t limit yourself to “fixer-uppers” or other “problem” properties that seem more likely to have owners willing to sell. Many owners of investment real estate have thought of selling, so you can start with almost any building you like. You never know beforehand if or why a landlord is ready to call it quits. You find out by asking.

Tact is necessary here. Call the owner and tell him you’re an investor, not a broker. Let him know that you like what you see. Tell him you can have an offer ready in a week if he’s interested. If he’s not interested, thank him politely and hang up, but send him your card or a letter. Many investors have bought from owners that changed their minds.

If there is some interest, explain that you are an investor, so your offer will have to be based on your return on investment. This means you’ll need to see the books. Specifically, you’ll need to see the rent roll, listing the units and what they rent for, plus current occupancy, and operating expenses for the last year.

Have a confidentiality agreement ready before you call. Let the owner know that you’ll sign it and deliver it to him before you see the books. He may not want to let the tenants know he’s thinking of selling, so inspecting the units may have to wait until you make an offer. Just make an acceptable inspection a contingency in the offer.

Why is buy investment properties this way? No competition and no sales commission means you may get a better price. Also, instead of waiting for that perfect property to be listed for sale, you just find it now. Why wait until it’s for sale before buying real estate?

About the author:
Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. See a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500 on his home page, or go straight to the section on real estate investing: http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com/investing-in-real-estate.html