Wayne Long's Blog: Columbus Ga Real Estate

One of my favorite places to hang out in Columbus is the downtown area.   The city saw fit to do city scapes in the downtown area.   This along with the preservation of the old mills and foundries along the river make for a relaxing and beautiful area to eat outside or enjoy a beverage with friends.   Columbus has done a really good job of preserving the historic district as well! 

All kinds of special events are planned downtown as well like: outdoor concerts, art displays and family outings. 

There is even an internet "cloud" downtown so you can sit outside and work from you laptop if you don't have time to play! 

These are just some the Top 10 reasons to live and work in Columbus GA…

As a Realtor in Columbus Ga we have clients come to us and say “ I want to purchase a home – where do I start”.   
1) Get pre-qualified for a mortgage loan.  This will help us two ways.  First, we will know the maximum you qualify for and we can search using this as one of our criteria.   Second, you become a strong buyer.  You have cash available to purchase and the buyer is aware.   This puts you in a strong negotiating position. 
2) List the criteria important to you and prioritize these.   Eventually you will probably have to make some compromise between the criteria you select but don’t settle for a home that does not meet your most important objectives.
3) Begin to use the internet to look at homes that meet your criteria.   All websites are not…

      Since launching our first website for the Columbus Ga Real Estate Market in 2002 we have been searching for the best system available for our clients.   The most important feature on our website to our clients has always been the ability to use our system to search and find homes.  

     Real Estate Webmasters has recently created a system for us that is head and shoulders above anything available in our area to search the Columbus Ga MLS.  It includes a google mapping system which pinpoints homes in the area and has a thumbnail sketch of the home pop up next to the pin.   The advancement in technology has been tremendous and it is our goal to provide our clients with the best system possible! 

    We have combined the search and mapping system…

I was shopping mortgage rates for a client today and received back quotes of 6% and below!  Combined with the fact that sellers are willing to give great concessions - it seems like a perfect storm of buying opportunity has been created.  

Sellers are willing to pay most or all of closing costs right now.  Some builders are even throwing in extra amenities for free on new construciton in addition to closing costs.   These "extras" combined with the great mortgage rates available should make buyers willing to capitilize on some great deals for them.  I don't know when they will see this kind of opportunity again.  In addition there are a lot of homes to choose from right now. which makes finding the perfect home much easier.   … Read Full Post

When moving to a new area it is always hard to find the right home in the right location.   We have found that our new mapping feature is very helpful when our clients are searching for homes.   There are over 2000 homes listed in the Columbus Ga - Phenix City MLS.    We have had several reports from users that our IDX system, which allows users to search all the homes listed in the area, is the easiest to use in the Columbus area.    Ease of use is very important to our clients.   Searchers can even enter the criteria they are searching for and our system will send emails notifying them when a property that matches their criteria comes on the market!  Read Full Post

TSYS posted higher than expected 4th Quarter earnings which sent their stock to an all time high this week.   The Columbus based payment processor is a centerpiece for business in Columbus residing on a 52 acre complex along the Chattahoochee river.    TSYS has had to weather the loss of Bank of America as a customer but has handled it well.  They are filling the hole by adding clients like Capital One.   What's in your wallet?

TSYS is a subsidiary of the bank holding company Synovus which also posted a very good 2006 earnings and growth report.   The companies both expect 2007 to be a good year for them.  Synovus expects a 9 - 10% growth.

This coupled with the other positive news in the area from Columbus based AFLAC, KIA, and Fort Benning gives us a…

Purchasing a new home is a great idea if you avoid these pitfalls!

1) Mistake number 1 is not knowing the area.   When purchasing a new home as well as a resale it is important to know the area.  What schools will my children attend?   How far is it to conveniences?   What are the demographics of the area?  All of these questions will effect the enjoyment you have in your home while you live there and ultimately the resale value of your home when you get ready to sell.   

2) Mistake number 2 is not hiring the best builder.   If you are new to the area or you are not involved in the building and real estate business - it is hard to know the better builders.   Let's face it - some builders cut corners while others make sure they produce an excellent…

Why invest in Real Estate when the increase in the value of your investment only grows 4-5% per year?   Good question and I am glad you asked.

1) Real Estate is a safer investment than most other investments because of its very nature.  It is real property.  While the stock market has gone up and down at a dizzying pace - the worst year in Real Estate over the last 40 yrs was a 2% decrease in value nationally. 

2) You can live in it while your investment grows.  Have you ever asked if you can live at a stock brokerage?

3) Leverage!  Real Estate can be bought with only 5 to 20% down.  If you purchase stock you must put down 100%.  If you invest $100,000  in $100,000 worth of stock and it increases 5% this year you will have made 5% on your investment.  …