Recently I had the pleasure of spending some time with a homeowner who is planning to put his property on the market. I had done my homework, and even had a listing agreement filled in except for a few key items. I was ready to take the listing on the spot, and begin looking for a buyer. However, the homeowner was on a different schedule, and not ready to sign. He still needed to "think about it." (How many times have we heard that?)

    Since then he has shown me the courtesy of phoning me to let me know he is still going to list his property -- but not necessarily with me. He has also interviewed another broker and agent, and they gave him some reasons why he would be smart to list with them, and he was highly impressed. But I am still on his short list.

    I told him there's nothing wrong with shopping around for a broker -- what else could I say? -- and I reminded him of things I do for my clients that my competitors don't, and the advantages of listing with me. Finally, I told him to follow his intuition, go with his gut, and he probably would make the right choice.

    In his frame of mind he probably would be turned off by being told he is going to make a mistake by not listing with me. It would come across as a sort of cheap shot at my competitors. Instead I assured him that they are very capable REALTORS, like myself, and I will respect whatever decision he makes.

    What I did not tell him, but what I was thinking, is: He's placing too much weight on the personalities of REALTORS and, possibly, making a decision by indecision. If he had signed the listing agreement when I visited him in his home, we would have kick-started the marketing process and, probably, by now would have shown the property at least once, maybe more times. He has lost marketing time which might have been profitable to him.

    What I know, that he may not know, is that we brokers and agents in our small MLS here in rural southern Georgia have similar marketing plans and strategies to a large extent. I offer my clients some advantages my competitors don't offer, but let's be fair about it: they can make the same claim. When you distill the comparisons down to their essence, we all do pretty much the same things for our clients and achieve pretty much the same results.

    Three things that set me apart are: 1) My listings get more Internet exposure by far than my competitors' do, 2) I give my buyers who are pre-approved for financing a one-year home warranty, which serves as an incentive for them to buy my client's house, and 3) when I procure the buyer myself, and there's no commission split, my client gets a nice break on the commission. As I told the gentleman, I'm the only broker who does those things for him, and I do them voluntarily. My laid-back demeanor, or another broker's more animated style, won't make or break a deal.

    What I'm looking for is a motivated seller who has his property priced right and ready to market, and a motivated buyer who likes what my seller is offering. When I bring the two together, good things happen.

  Years ago I stopped saying that I "sell" real estate. Realtors don't sell real estate; they market it. The only one who can sell real estate is the owner, the title holder. Thus the owner is usually called the "seller" for a good reason. The owner sells the real estate; the Realtor assists by marketing it.

  True, the Realtor employs selling skills when listing property or showing it to buyers. But it's the owner who needs to prepare the property to be marketed by the Realtor. The owner makes it a sellable property; otherwise, the Realtor's marketing will be in vain. If the owner wishes to attract a buyer, he or she must make the property attractive. The Realtor then markets an attractive property, and there's a good chance it will attract a buyer. The owner may then sell the property.

  In today's tight real estate market, it's more important than ever to make your real estate for sale attractive. You're competing against a huge inventory of unsold properties including many foreclosures. Buyers are cherry picking and looking for bargains. To compete, you as the seller must make your property as attractive as practicable.

  Many improvements to real estate for sale don't cost much, and have the potential to pay for themselves many times over. A neat yard is inviting to a buyer; a messy yard is a turn-off. A coat of paint can make your house much more attractive than your competition down the street. De-clutter the inside of your home so the buyer will see its good features, not its mess.

  In one sense, houses sell themselves. If your house is attractive, the buyer will be favorably impressed. The Realtor will make sure the buyer appreciates your property's good features, will answer all questions, and will tactfully move the buyer toward signing an offer to buy. On the other hand, if your house is not attractive, nothing the Realtor can say will make the buyer like it. Unless you're trying to unload a dump at any price, prepare your property to sell at market value.

  What's market value? You and your buyer are going to determine that when your property actually sells. Ultimately, it's you who sells your property. To get the best price, give your Realtor an attractive property to market for you, a property that will attract a buyer who will pay you a fair price. The Realtor markets your property; only you can sell it.

  For help marketing your property, email: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com; phone 229-924-3089.

  Supply continues to exceed demand for the inventory of listed properties in Americus, Ellaville, and the surrounding area. While several listings expired at the end of 2009, some of those will be renewed. We began the new year with 156 residential listings, down from 163 on the last day of December. Land listings dropped from 87 to 75 while commercial listings held steady at 26.

  The number of qualified (meaning able to get financing) buyers on any given day can be counted on one hand. It's no wonder we have so many unsold properties. Many have been on the market a year or longer without an offer.

  Realtors and their sellers may hope that the real estate market will be like the natural world in the spring, and come back to life. As a business person, I'm supposed to be optimistic and upbeat, and tell you the market will soon bounce back. Well, sorry, but I don't think it will in the first half of 2010. No rose colored glasses here.

  I won't pretend to be an economist and give you all the reasons for my less-than-optimistic stance. Let's just say, the indicators give me no reason to think we have yet hit bottom in this recession.

  Unfortunately for sellers, market conditions do not bode well. For qualified -- there's that word again -- buyers, it's a time to bargain for the best deal, and keep more money in your own pocket.

  It's a good time for investors who buy low-priced houses, rehab them if necessary, and rent them out. The demand for rentals has skyrocketed in the past year. Half of my calls are from would-be renters.

  As just one example of the properties investors can buy now, I have a brick house at 205 Rucker Street in Americus with two bedrooms, two baths, and 1,480 square feet, priced at $39,500. The out-of-state owner wants to unload it. Granted, it would take $10,000-$20,000 to upgrade bathrooms and kitchen, replace floor coverings, and turn this house into a really nice home, but the return on investment probably is there for the savvy rental manager.

  Many gems like this one need to be polished up, and made available to a waiting rental market. If you might like to see any property in the Americus area Multiple Listing Service, regardless of the listing company, call me at 229-924-3089.

  Please visit one or all five of my real estate websites. There's michaeldixonrealty.com or ellaville-schley-homes-land.com, to name but two. Let me advertise your property for sale in Premier Monthly magazine, which is distributed monthly to over 3,000 locations in eight Southeastern states. See it online at premiermonthly.com.

Do you get frustrated looking for real estate for sale online? If you're looking in the Americus, Ga., or Ellaville, Ga., area, you can quickly see every listed property on the Multiple Listing Service website: http://www.americusareamls.com. This is the website of the Americus Board of Realtors. It lists every residential, commercial and land property for sale through the real estate companies in the MLS.

Currently there are between 165 and 170 residential properties listed. There are 70 land properties, and 27 commercial properties. The inventory of unsold properties is the highest it has ever been in the Americus, Sumter County, Ellaville and Schley County area. This means, if you are pre-approved for a mortgage loan, you are in a position to negotiate a good deal on a house, building lot, or large tract of land.

A Realtor can be your best friend when it comes to finding and negotiating the purchase of real estate. Best of all, the Realtor's services are free to you, the buyer. It's the seller who pays the Realtor a commission for finding you, the buyer, and putting a deal together. If you aren't working with a Realtor, you may not hear about properties that you'd be interested in, and you may not get some professional advice that a Realtor can offer.

You can relate to your Realtor in one of two ways. You can be a "customer" or a "client." There's a big difference. If you are interested, you can visit a new website -- www.americusgarealestate.net -- and ask questions. As host of the site, I'll answer your questions. However, anyone may provide not only questions but also answers. They also may post notices of community interest. Create your own password, login, and visit the site as often as you want to.

Spring is here. This should be the peak season for buying and selling residential real estate. But even the "peak" season this year is not as good as a poor season in years past. We all are victims of a major economic downturn.

But ... take heart! After the market hits bottom there's nowhere to go but up. Get on board.

What are the smart people doing? They are investing in tangible goods including homes and land. They are taking advantage of a buyer's market. A large inventory of unsold properties, and low interest rates, have put buyers in charge of the market.

Are you taking advantage of buying opportunities?

I use those words "taking advantage" guardedly. Please don't follow the example of some buyers by making such a low offer on a property that there's almost no chance of making a deal. Not all sellers are desperate to unload real estate, and they will not entertain offers that border on insult.

On the other hand, many bargains are there for the taking. In our own area around Americus and Ellaville, Ga., we have the most houses for sale right now that we have had in my 13 years in this real estate market. Many sellers are ready to deal; they just want to be treated fairly.

Mortgage money is available from a wide variety of sources, and lenders are eager to work with you. If you are thinking about buying real estate, and have not been pre-approved for mortgage loan, talk with a lender soon. The pre-approved buyer always has the advantage over one who hasn't bothered to nail down the source of a loan.

I've said this a thousand times, but here I go again: Whenever possible, work with a local lender, someone who is a part of your community, someone you may see at the grocery store or gas station. Local lenders share your interest in your community because it's also theirs. And they compete for your business.

May I get a bit personal? I recently listed a very nice property in a very nice neighborhood in Americus. If you know someone looking in the $250,000 range, please tell them to call me. (229-924-3089)

There are some nice properties priced well under that figure, too. If you are thinking of buying, you need to be looking now. If you are thinking of selling, price your property to compete. You may want to give it a spring makeover. If you would like to have my personal advice, without obligation, please get in touch.

Best wishes, buyers and sellers.

It's a rainy day in Georgia, or at least in my part of it. After a low of 18 degrees Thursday night, this rainy day is comparatively warm. Great day for staying in and writing a blog entry.

Yours truly listed a property in Sumter County last week. It's a nice country place. House with three bedrooms and two baths on 5.69 acres with a red barn. Located at 582 Ga.Hwy.49 S, which is southwest of Americus. $75,000.

Monday is the official Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and the next day we swear in our new president, the nation's first African-American. In my lifetime we have seen men land on the moon, and now this monumental event in our nation's history. Americans can now choose to mope around and talk about how bad the economy is, or adopt a positive attitude and resolve to forge ahead as a great people. Someone once said, "Ninety percent of success is having a positive attitude."

Currently, I'm involved in my first "short sale." It's a situation in which a property is being sold for less than the borrower owes on it. I'm the listing agent, so I'm doing my best to make sure my client is protected to the extent possible. To be candid with you, I have been a bit apprehensive about being paid my commission. Likewise, the selling agent wants to be sure he is covered. My conversations with the lender's representative have been reassuring, and the preliminary closing document shows the commission.

We Realtors work for nothing right up until the moment of closing. I would hate for that time to come, and have to leave empty handed. There are many hoops to jump through between here and there, and it would be nice to be compensated. Seriously, I'm not worried about it, but this is a first-time experience for both me and the selling agent.

At the moment, I must get ready to run an errand, so will sign off and post this soon. Happy New Year everyone! And let's do what we can to make it a prosperous one.

Are any properties being sold in the Americus and Ellaville market these days? The answer is yes. Even in today's market, which is depressed at worst and uncertain at best, people are buying and selling real estate. Foreclosures account for some of the numbers, but let's take a look at listed properties during the past 30 days, beginning November 21.

The Americus area Multiple Listing Service, which includes Sumter, Schley and adjacent counties, records sales on a daily basis. In the past 30 days, 10 listed residential properties have changed hands. They ranged in price from $26,900 to $485,000. In the same period, no listed commercial or land properties have been sold.

The total number of residential properties listed in the MLS in the past 30 days has ranged from a high of 136 to a low of 131. This tells us that in the same period that 10 residential properties were sold other properties were newly listed, so there was never more than a five-unit spread in the number of properties on the market. The total has remained above 130 for the entire period.

It's also clear that inventory -- the number of unsold houses in the MLS -- remains rather high week after week, which is another way of saying that not many are being sold. Ten sold houses in 30 days is one house every three days. With over 130 houses to choose from, that sales figure seems pretty low.

However, let's not forget FSBOs (For Sale by Owner) which are not listed in the MLS. A few of them have been sold in the past 30 days. Also, some foreclosures and some REO's (Real Estate Owned by banks) were sold, and not all of them were listed with Realtors. Add them all up, and the total houses sold exceeded the 10 in the Multiple Listing Service.

What can we surmise from all of this? For one thing, even when the economy is in recession some people buy and sell real estate. In fact, some buyers are extra active in "down" markets. They sometimes are able to buy properties below normal market value. For example, the market for houses priced below $60,000 has been good for investors lately. Many are buying these small houses, renovating them, and renting them out for long-term income. Many investors believe real estate is a safer place to put one's money these days than stocks.

Buyers with adequate credit scores and other qualifiers can obtain mortgage loans. While lending qualifications may have tightened up since the days of high-risk lending that threatened to collapse the mortgage industry, money is available for the qualified buyer. Is that you? Find out by talking with a mortgage lender. (Remember: Deal with local lenders when possible. To them you are more than an account number in a distant location; you are part of their community.)

After you have been pre-approved (with conditions) for a mortgage loan, get together with a Realtor and look at some properties in your price range. You may be pleasantly surprised to see what you can afford.

Latest studies tell us that about 80 percent of people looking for real estate to buy search for it on the Internet. Print advertising -- in newspapers and magazines -- still reaches some buyers, but online advertising reaches the most.

If you are selling real estate, you need to have your property on the "world wide web."

Q: Who gives your property the most exposure to potential buyers?

A: Michael Dixon Realty

Put this claim to the test. Go on Google, the major search engine, and type in the search bar:

On the first three pages, out of 10 items per page, you will find that Michael Dixon Realty outnumbers other sites that advertise real estate for sale in Americus, Sumter County, Ellaville and Schley County. In fact, there's no comparison. Other real estate companies that serve our area are hard to find -- even if you look for them.

My sites have different domain names: americusgarealestate.com, ellaville-schley-homes-land.com, clientrealty.net and michaeldixonrealty.com, but all of them are called Michael Dixon Realty when you open them.

If a buyer happens to miss seeing your property on one site, he or she probably will find it on another. Again, the other real estate companies in the Americus and Ellaville market offer you nothing comparable.

What about print advertising? When I invest in print advertising I want it to be in a classy publication with some shelf life. That publication is Premier Monthly, a magazine with a mix of well written articles, professional quality photographs, and eye catching ads. Premier Monthly is circulated in more than 3,000 locations in 400 towns and resorts in eight Southeastern states. It is free of charge, and people tend to hang onto copies for future reference because of the recipes, feature stories, photos and ads.

By contrast, what usually happens to your property's ad in a newspaper? We all know the answer to that one.

When you're ready to advertise your property, and you want maximum exposure to prospective buyers, call Michael at 229-924-3089. Let's talk about all the advantages you'll enjoy when you do business with Michael Dixon Realty. (One of them is that your property will have its own, individual, unique website on the Internet. No other company in this area does that for you.)

There's a reason why my business slogan is: "This is real estate today."

Are you looking for a house or land to buy in Americus, Ga., Ellaville, Ga., Plains, Leslie and vicinity? What's available in Schley County, Sumter County and other nearby counties in southwest Georgia?

As of August 7, 2008, if you were looking for a house to buy, you could choose from a total of 153 in the Multiple Listing Service -- MLS -- for this area. That totals included 74 homes in Americus, 49 in Sumter County, 21 in Schley County (including Ellaville) and 9 in other counties such as Macon or Marion.

Are you looking for land? As of August 7, 2008, here are the numbers of available lots and tracts. Farms: 3, all in Sumter County. Acreage: 16 tracts in Sumter County, 11 in Schley. Residential lots: 4 in Americus, 28 in Sumter County, 15 in Schley County and 2 in nearby counties. Vacant commercial lots: 10 in Americus, 5 in Sumter and 1 in Schley. Industrial properties (land and buildings): total of 24.

If you're a seller, these numbers give you an idea of the competition your property faces from other sellers.

Although a few properties, especially residential and land, are being sold these days, we still have a large inventory of unsold properties. This is good news for buyers -- IF they can get financing. If you are thinking of buying, do yourself a favor and get pre-approved for a mortgage loan.

Pre-approval will tell you your price range. It also will give you an advantage with sellers who expect you to have done your "homework" before trying to put their property under contract. You need to KNOW you can get that mortgage loan when you make your offer to buy a house or land.

Pre-approval also gives you an advantage with real estate agents. They are looking for buyers who are prepared to act when they find an acceptable property. Believe me, agents will go the extra mile for buyers who have taken the time to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan.

If you don't already have an agent to show you properties and prepare your written offers, how about me? I am now in my 12th year of helping buyers and sellers of real estate in the Americus and Ellaville area. I'll gladly show you any listed property regardless of the listing company, and will be your professional assistant right through the closing of your purchase.

My services to buyers are free.

And please consider this: As a token of my appreciation for your business, I give you your choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift card valued at $400 (if your purchase is for $85,000 or more). It's my way of saying thanks for your business.

If you're selling, and looking for an experienced Realtor, let me tell you the things I do for my clients that give you a competitive edge and probably will save you money. Call me at 229-924-3089.

A question I'm often asked is, "Where is your office?" People seem surprised when I reply, "I don't have one."

Then I explain: I don't need an office to conduct a real estate business. I do need a car, a telephone, a fax machine, a computer, a printer, a scanner and a copier. I need some copy paper and some extra ink cartridges. I need some letterhead stationery and some postage stamps, and I need a table where customers can sit and sign documents. I have all of the above in my home.

"Oh, so you have a home office," they usually say. "No, actually, I have no office. My equipment and supplies are in my den, and I have a dining table. So although I have everything I need to conduct business, there's no office."

Aside from not needing an office, there's another good reason why I don't have one: lower operating costs. There's no additional mortgage payment or rent payment, no additional utility bills, no additional insurance, no additional property tax, no building maintenance costs, no lawn care costs, no expensive furniture, no secretary, none of the routine costs of business operation.

So, what difference does this make for my customers? A few differences come to mind: For sellers, it often means lower fees; if my operating costs are lower, I can take less of the seller's money at closing and still do okay for myself. I can afford to spend more on advertising properties. For example, I advertise properties in a high quality real estate magazine called Premier Monthly, which is distributed in more than 400 towns in eight Southeastern states. For another, I create an individual, unique web page on the Internet for each of my listings. It costs me some money, but it helps sell properties.

What do my lower operating costs do for buyers? I give my buyers their choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift card valued at $400 if they buy a property for $85,000 or more. If they do business with me, I reward them. Everybody wins.

So you see, not having an office with all of its associated expenses makes perfect sense in this day of high costs. It works for me.

My slogan is: This is real estate today. If you have any thoughts on the subject, and would like to share them, please email me -- michael@michaeldixonrealty.com -- or call me at 229-924-3089.

Last weekend both of my parents' families held their annual reunions. The Dixons got together in their home town of Waycross on Saturday. To be more precise, their home town is Blackshear, but most of them now live in Waycross. About 80 Dixons, in-laws, aunts, uncles and cousins showed up.

The next day, Sunday, the Murray-Etheredge reunion was held at the Concord United Methodist Church in Schley County. Again, for the sake of accuracy, it should be said that my mother was a Lawhorn. But her particular Lawhorn family is now history except for her youngest sister, the last survivor, who is 88 and lives in Gwinnett County.

My mother's mother was an Etheredge (Cora) who married a Lawhorn (Fred D.). Both are buried with an infant child at the cemetery at Concord. Through my mother, I am descended from the Etheredges, Murrays and Lightners who settled in the Concord area in the mid-1800s. And so it is that I attend the Murray-Etheredge reunion every year on the third Sunday.

It's always good to see kinfolks. In the back of your mind you know you could be seeing some of them for the last time, life expectancies being what they are. My dad was one of 13 children of whom six remain. They posed for a picture Saturday. Then their children all stood together and smiled for the cameras, and then the children's children.

At this stage of my life, I know the names of the older generation, but few of the younger ones. As the elders go on to their reward in eternity, the families continue to grow but I know fewer and fewer names. In due time, I, too, will drop off the rolls. Truth forces itself upon us. We deal with it.

After our sumptuous meal at Concord Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us rode over to the Philippi Primitive Baptist Church and cemetery. The old church building still stands, but for how much longer? My cousins Margaret McMickle Gooding, Norman Manning and I were old enough to remember attending services and dinner on the grounds at Philippi.

Inside the church, the men sat on one side and the women on the other with an aisle between them. The congregation practiced foot washing. I recall seeing that symbolic act performed as members seated on the front pew would place their feet in a metal wash basin to be washed by other members.

If you have memories of people and events in Ellaville and Schley County, you would enjoy visiting the Yahoo group "Ellaville Memories." It is there for anyone with Ellaville or Schley County roots to post their memories and old photos. The website is moderated by former Ellaville resident Ernie Jones. It is entertaining and informative, and it serves as well as a repository of vignettes and pictures of people and the things they did years ago.

Another valuable source of Ellaville and Schley County history is the Schley GenWeb site maintained by Harris Hill, a Florida resident with strong Schley County ties. Harris is indefatigable. He has transcribed many articles from old newspapers that served the area over the years including The Ellaville Sun. If history interests you, visit (and contribute to, if possible) these informative websites. We must not bury our history.

MLS mysteries:

Just in case you have not had any experience with the MLS -- Multiple Listing Service -- let me give you a brief introduction.

A Multiple Listing Service is a voluntary, cooperative group that real estate brokers and agents join to make it easier for buyers, sellers and REALTORS to get from point A to point B in the real estate buying and selling process.

For example, the Americus Board of Realtors has its own MLS, with its own website, where sellers can advertise their properties for sale and buyers can "shop" for properties to buy. REALTOR members of the MLS make their listings available to each other for showing and selling.

As a buyer, you can use one agent to look at any listed property in the MLS rather than skip around from agent to agent in different companies. Your agent can show you all the other agents' listings, and handle your offer if you make one.

When your purchase is closed and you become the new owner of a piece of real estate, the company that listed the property is paid a commission. If you worked with a different company to buy the property, the two companies will split the commission, usually 50-50.

Throughout the process you have been able to look at properties and purchase one while working with one agent. This enabled the agent to get to know your likes and dislikes about houses or land, and be better able to help you find what you wanted.

The MLS makes it possible for one agent to take care of you from start to finish. It gets the property sold by the seller, bought by the buyer, and earns a commission for the listing broker, the selling broker, and the agent or agents who worked with the buyer and the seller.

When you go online to look for a home or land to buy, hopefully you and the agent who shows properties to you will develop a rapport and be confortable working together. When that happens, stick with your agent. Your loyalty will motivate your agent to help you reach your objective. Everybody wins.

Do you have a question about buying or selling a house or land? For example, what is earnest money? What happens to your earnest money? Who gets it? How about commissions? How do you decide how much commission to pay? Who pays the commission? Buyer, seller, or both? It's something to think about. Email me at: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com or call me at 229-924-3089.

P.S. -- Don't listen to the doom and gloom commentators on TV about us being in a recession, and how terrible everything is. They are politically motivated, and are trying to effect the outcome of the November presidential election. The growth of our economy has slowed, but it does not meet the standard definition of a recession.

This is a great time to buy real estate because supply exceeds demand and most prices are negotiable. The value of your property should appreciate as the inventory of unsold properties declines. Think long term. As an investment, real estate should be a top priority.

Being "pre-qualified" is usually a reference to having a preliminary clearance to obtain a mortgage loan. Sometimes it's called "pre-approval," but by whatever name, it precedes final approval. There are hoops to jump through in the loan application process, beginning with a chat with your friendly loan person. That always should be your first step when you are thinking about buying real estate.

I tell my customers: Don't look at homes or land for sale until you have at least been pre-qualified by a lender. Ask the lender for a written statement. It will be conditioned on your meeting certain requirements, but it will give a seller some assurance that you have the ability to buy his or her property.

Pre-qualification tells you your price range. Why waste time looking at properties you can't afford? If you have been pre-qualified for a loan of $100,000, there's no reason to look at houses priced at $200,000.

There's another kind of pre-qualification that's very important as well: motivation. On your list of priorities, how high is buying a house? If you are both financially and mentally ready to buy a house now, then you are pre-qualified. If one element is lacking, you are not ready to buy.

Money and motivation: Make sure you have both.

When your real estate agent can see that you are ready, he or she will go all out to help you reach your goal of home ownership. After all, your agent is also motivated. There's a commission check waiting at the end of the process, but to get there may require a large investment of time, energy and expertise by the agent.

We REALTORS get paid, not so much for what we do, but for what we know how to do. A big part of what we do in many cases is "put out fires." We save deals that might otherwise go down the tubes. Again, we are motivated by the financial reward that awaits us. If our buyer and seller are equally motivated, we all will be rewarded at the closing table.

If you are a first-time buyer, and want to get started on the right foot to buy a home of your own, please call me. Let's chat. I have no "sales pitch," and there are no "dumb questions." I'll try to put myself in your place, and give you my best advice. Till then, best wishes.