Robert Rogers Named Realtor of Year by I-85 North Board of Realtors®

Johns Creek resident Robert Rogers, a REALTOR® with Prudential Georgia Realty in Suwanee, was recently honored as the 2008 REALTOR of the Year by the I-85 North Board of REALTORS.

A Georgia native who grew up in Alpharetta, Robert is a graduate of The Marist High School and the University of Georgia. He serves as an officer in the Jackson County UGA Alumni Association.

As a member of the I-85 North Board of REALTORS, Robert was highly involved in the Board’s Toys for Tots drive last year. The drive went from having a goal of 500 toys to collecting over 2,500 toys thanks, in part, to Robert’s tireless effort with emailing past clients and making calls. Nearly every one of his clients donated at least one toy. In fact, the Board gathered so many they had toys left after providing for area foster care children and could assist several area churches as well.

Robert created the “Lunch and Learn” series to help fellow real estate board members learn and master the fast-developing technology and better serve their clients. He currently chairs the I-85 North Board’s Technology Committee. Robert is very active in the I-85 North Board serving on numerous committees.

Robert holds his real estate license, his broker’s license and earned his Graduate REALTOR Institute (GRI) and Certified Skilled Negotiator (CSN) designations. He specializes in residential real estate and first-time home buyers in Gwinnett and Jackson counties.

Extremely committed to his buyers and sellers and specializing in first-time home buyers, Robert estimates he saved his buyers more than $820,000 in 2008. “That’s a lot if instant equity for my home buyers,” Rogers explains. “The smart agent realizes this business is all about the client and what you can do for them. It’s how I conduct my real estate business every day.”

To contact Robert Rogers, please call Prudential Georgia Realty’s Suwanee office at 770-814-2300, or visit www.your24-7agent.com to learn more about the local real estate market, gain information on becoming a first-time home buyer (including the details and benefits of the 2009 First-Time Home Buyers’ $8,000 Tax Credit) or to conduct a search of some 80,000 available properties and foreclosures in metro Atlanta.

Prudential Georgia Realty (www.PrudentialGA.com) is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, a full-service residential and commercial real estate network with offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. Ranked by Real Estate Magazine as one of the top 100 real estate companies in the U.S., Prudential Georgia Realty placed 43rd for most 2008 sales in the real estate trade magazine’s 2009 Power Broker Report. It is the 12th largest Prudential real estate affiliate in North America.

Prudential Georgia Realty recently became the first large brokerage company in the nation to win the REALTOR.com Online Marketing Award of Excellence. For the last five consecutive years, the firm has been honored with a Consumers’ Choice Award as Best in Class for Executive Home Sales in metro Atlanta. Prudential Georgia Realty annually has real estate sales well in excess of $1.5 billion, has 23 metro Atlanta locations and 1,200 REALTORs, and just completed its 45th year serving metro Atlanta. To learn more about the state of the metro Atlanta real estate market, visit www.atlantarealestate2009.com to view a quarterly-updated video by Prudential Georgia Realty President and CEO Dan Forsman, filled with the latest statistics, information and the local housing market outlook.
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Ron Barnes Named Realtor of the Year by Pickens Board of Realtors

Pickens County resident Ron Barnes, a Realtor with Prudential Georgia Realty in Canton, was recently honored as the 2008 Realtor of the Year for the Pickens County Board of Realtors.

Ron has long been involved in the community and giving back to his profession. A long-time member of the Pickens County Board of Realtors, he served as the organization’s president in 2008 and is now on its Board of Directors as well as its Professional Standards Committee. Ron also belongs to the Masonic Lodge and the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce, where he serves as an Ambassador and graduated from its 2008 Leadership Pickens class.

Ron holds his real estate license, an associate broker’s license, the Accredited Seller Representative (ASR) designation, is an eCertified Realtor (signifying he is proficient in the latest technology to assist his clients), and is a Prudential Fine Homes Specialist.

To contact Ron Barnes, please call Prudential Georgia Realty’s Cherokee office in Canton, 770-720-1400, or visit www.RonBarnesRealEstate.com to learn more about the local real estate market or to conduct a search of nearly 100,000 available properties in metro Atlanta.

Prudential Georgia Realty (www.PrudentialGA.com) is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, a full-service residential and commercial real estate network with offices throughout the U.S. and Canada and 2008 winner of the J.D. Power Award, #1 for Highest Satisfaction for Home Sellers Among National Full Service Real Estate Firms. Ranked by Real Estate Magazine as one of the top 100 real estate companies in the U.S., Prudential Georgia Realty placed 41st for most 2007 sales in the real estate trade magazine’s 2008 Power Broker Report. It is the 10th largest Prudential real estate affiliate in North America.

Prudential Georgia Realty recently became the first large brokerage company in the nation to win the Realtor.com Online Marketing Award of Excellence. For the last five consecutive years, the firm has been honored with a Consumers’ Choice Award as Best in Class for Executive Home Sales in metro Atlanta. Prudential Georgia Realty annually has real estate sales well in excess of $1.5 billion, has 23 metro Atlanta locations and 1,200 Realtors, and just completed its 45th year serving metro Atlanta. To learn more about the state of the metro Atlanta real estate market, visit www.atlantarealestate2009.com to view a quarterly-updated video by Prudential Georgia Realty President and CEO Dan Forsman, filled with the latest statistics, information and the local housing market outlook.

Economic Slump Weakens Pending Home Sales

/PRNewswire/ -- After holding fairly stable for a year, pending home sales declined in the face of job losses and an eroding economy, according to the National Association of Realtors(R).

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in November, fell 4.0 percent to 82.3 from a downwardly revised reading of 85.7 in October, and is 5.3 percent below November 2007 when it was 86.9. The current index is the lowest since the series began in 2001.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a weakening was inevitable. "Mounting job losses and very weak consumer confidence deterred home buyers from signing contracts in November," he said. "December's housing market activity could be comparably lower due to ongoing problems in the economy, so a real estate-focused stimulus plan is urgently needed."

Yun said the outlook will depend heavily on the stimulus package. "With a proper real-estate focused stimulus measure, home sales could rise more than expected, by more than 10 percent to 5.5 million in 2009, and easily begin to stabilize home prices in many parts of the country. Stable home prices will, in turn, lessen foreclosure pressures and lay the foundations for a solid economic recovery as the nation's 75 million homeowners regain confidence," he said.

The impact of mortgage interest rates declining to near 50-year lows in December is not reflected in current data.

The PHSI in the Northeast dropped 7.2 percent to 63.2 in November and is 14.6 percent below a year ago. In the Midwest the index fell 6.7 percent to 74.2 and is 10.1 percent below November 2007. The index in the South declined 2.2 percent to 85.3 in November and is 12.7 percent below a year ago. In the West, the index was down 2.4 percent to 101.2 but remains 19.3 percent higher than November 2007.

NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth, said there can't be an economic recovery without a focus on housing. "It's crucial for Congress and the new administration to move quickly to remove impediments and offer home buyers the incentives they need to tap into today's historic low mortgage interest rates," he said.

"NAR advocates expanding a $7,500 tax credit to all home buyers and eliminating the repayment feature, and permanently raising loan limits to bring down interest rates for many buyers in high-cost areas. We also need to expedite short sales and unclog the mortgage pipeline," McMillan said.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage should hold fairly steady through the first half of the year and rise slightly in the second half. NAR's housing affordability index, which looks at the relationship between home prices, mortgage interest rates and family income, is on track to match a record high set in 1972.

"The unique housing affordability conditions in today's market underscore the opportunity in giving consumers the necessary incentives to stimulate our economy through a housing recovery," Yun said.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity from 2001 through 2004 parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months. There is a closer relationship between annual index changes (from the same month a year earlier) and year-ago changes in sales performance than with month-to-month comparisons.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales.

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Existing-Home Sales Rise on Improved Affordability

PRNewswire/ -- Existing-home sales increased last month as buyers responded to improved housing affordability conditions, according to the National Association of Realtors(R).

Existing-home sales -- including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops -- rose 5.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate(1) of 5.18 million units in September from a level of 4.91 million in August, and are 1.4 percent higher than the 5.11 million-unit pace in September 2007.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said more markets are seeing year-over-year gains. "The sales turnaround which began in California several months ago is broadening now to Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Rhode Island," he said. "The South was hampered by much lower home sales in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike."

NAR President Richard F. Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif., said low home prices and low interest rates have been attracting buyers. "This is the first time since November 2005 that home sales have been above year-ago levels," he said. "Credit tightened at the end of September, but the improvement demonstrates that buyers who've been on the sidelines want to get into the market to make a long-term investment in their future."

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.04 percent in September from 6.48 percent in August; the rate was 6.38 percent in September 2007.

Yun said there may be market disruptions. "The credit markets are not settled yet, although the mortgage market stabilized with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Inventory remains high, and price declines are pressuring owners," he said. "Additional housing stimulus would stabilize prices more quickly, which in turn would bring faster stability to Wall Street. Removing the repayment feature on the first-time buyer tax credit and permanently raising loan limits would bring more buyers into the market and further reduce inventory."

Total housing inventory at the end of September fell 1.6 percent to 4.27 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.9-month supply(2) at the current sales pace, down from a 10.6-month supply in August. This marks two consecutive monthly declines since inventories peaked in July.

The national median existing-home price(3) for all housing types was $191,600 in September, down 9.0 percent from a year ago when the median was $210,500. "Compared to a fairly small share of foreclosures or short sales a year ago, distressed sales are currently 35 to 40 percent of transactions. These are pulling the median price down because many are being sold at discounted prices," Yun explained. "The current market is not being dominated by speculative investors. Rather, 80 percent of current buyers are purchasing a primary residence, which is a bit higher than historic norms."

Single-family home sales increased 6.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million in September from a pace of 4.35 million in August, and are 3.8 percent above the 4.45 million-unit level a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $190,600 in September, which is 8.6 percent below September 2007.

Existing condominium and co-op sales were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000 units in September, but are 15.7 percent below the 664,000-unit pace in September 2007. The median existing condo price(4) was $199,400 in September, down 10.2 percent from a year ago.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the West jumped 16.8 percent to an annual rate of 1.25 million in September, and are 34.4 percent higher than September 2007. The median price in the West was $253,600, down 18.5 percent from a year ago.

In the Midwest, existing-home sales increased 4.4 percent to an annual pace of 1.19 million in September, but are 2.5 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $152,500, which is 7.9 percent lower than September 2007.

Existing-home sales in the South rose 2.2 percent in September to a pace of 1.90 million but remain 7.8 percent below September 2007. The median price in the South was $167,200, down 4.1 percent from a year ago.

In the Northeast, existing-home sales slipped 1.2 percent to an annual pace of 840,000 in September, and are 7.7 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $246,800, down 5.4 percent from September 2007.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

NOTE: References to performance in states or metro areas are from unpublished raw data used to analyze regional trends; please contact your local association of Realtors(R) for more information.

(1) The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings. This differs from the U.S. Census Bureau's series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which generally account for 85 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger sample -- more than 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month -- and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

(2) Total inventory and month's supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month's supply are available back to 1982. Condos were tracked quarterly prior to 1999 when single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases.

(3) The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to the seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if more data is received than was originally reported.

(4) Because there is a concentration of condos in high-cost metro areas, the national median condo price can be higher than the median single-family price. In a given market area, condos typically cost less than single-family homes.

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Bullard Ranks in Top 700 Brokers In 20th Annual Listing by RISMedia

Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty has been named to RISMedia's 20th Annual Power Broker Report & Survey. The Metro South-based company ranked 167th in closed transaction sides in the Power Broker Report, which identifies and ranks America's largest residential real estate brokerage companies by transaction sides and sales volume.

Last year, Coldwell Banker Bullard was in the No. 194 position in the report.

The results of this year's Power Broker Survey reflect the market downturn felt from coast to coast. Longer listing times, more cautious buyers and the mortgage meltdown resulted in fewer total transactions -- 2,322,210 in 2007 compared to 2,754,618 in 2006. Meanwhile, price appreciation continued its decline, resulting in lower total sales volume -- $749,201,552,294 in 2007 compared to $855,755,959,352 in 2006.

To view the complete Power Broker Survey results, visit www.rismedia.com.

“Appearing in RISMedia's 2008 Power Broker Report is more important than ever,” explains RISMedia President & CEO John Featherston. “By ranking the industry's leading brokerages by sales dollar volume and transaction, we have been able to identify the leaders in real estate year after year. It's a great promotion and recruitment tool and a great way to show consumers that the real estate industry is still open for business.

“Being among the top 700 brokers in the country is a sure way to gain the trust of speculative clients, differentiate your firm from the competition, and catch the eye of ambitious new recruits.”

For years, the nation's top real estate brokers have sought to be included in the report-an indispensable reference tool used by the real estate industry. RISMedia's Power Broker Report is read by more than 300,000 real estate professionals, thousands of leading corporate relocation decision makers and is accessible online to millions of interested consumers.

The Power Broker Report & Survey is compiled annually by RISMedia and is based on data collected by an annual survey of leading residential real estate brokerage firms. All sales and transaction volume comes directly from brokerages and is verified and substantiated by external sources, in most cases accounting firms, prior to publication.

Based in Norwalk, Conn., RISMedia was founded in 1980 as the premier source of news and business-development information for the residential real estate and home services industries. RISMedia is the leading media organization for best practices information, breaking news and analysis, educational and networking events, and marketing and branding solutions for the leading real estate and home services companies throughout the United States. RISMedia's flagship publication, Real Estate magazine's printed edition is distributed to more than 40,000 brokers and leading agents nationwide, and RISMedia's Daily e-News is circulated to upwards of 300,000 real estate professionals each day. For more information, visit www.rismedia.com.

The Bullard organization was founded in 1956 by the late Cliff Bullard and worked out a franchise agreement with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation in early 1998. It is the largest Coldwell Banker franchise in Georgia. Steve Bullard, current owner and president, has been with the company for more than 35 years.

The oldest and largest real estate company headquartered in the Metro South area of Atlanta, Coldwell Banker Bullard has its headquarters in Jonesboro. The organization now has other offices in Griffin, McDonough, Jackson, Peachtree City, Newnan, and Conyers, and a separate but affiliated company, Coldwell Banker American Land Mart in Conyers.

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Magazine Honors Donna Tidwell as one of Atlanta's Best Realtors

Communities Magazine recently once again honored Donna Tidwell as a member of this year's Communities 100, a designation recognizing Atlanta's leading Realtors across metropolitan Atlanta real estate boards.

Tidwell, who had over $14 million in sales last year, is the leader of TeamTidwell from Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty's McDonough/Henry County office.

A member of the Metro South Association of Realtors' Gold Circle of Excellence, Tidwell has been picked for membership in Coldwell Banker's International President's Elite six consecutive years, then was named to the President's Premier for 2001 through 2007, an honor received by fewer than one percent of the Coldwell Banker sales associates worldwide.
Team Tidwell was honored by Coldwell Banker as the Top Producing Team in Georgia in 2002, 2003 and 2006.

From 2002 through 2007, she was the Top Team Producer for both the company and her office. She has been a member of the President's Relocation Club for the past eight years, and Bullard's Relocation Department saluted her as the top agent for outgoing referrals during
2002, 2005, and 2006. She also received Cendant/PHH Mortgage's Top Outstanding Agent Award for 2006 and 2007.

The special Communities 100 designation was established in 1986 by Communities Magazine to recognize only the highest producers of the thousands of Realtors in the area.

The Communities 100 honors the top producing 100 Realtors during 2007 in each of the following three groups: those who are individual agents working for general brokerage companies, those who are team agents typically working for general brokerage companies, and those who are new home agents working for new home, on-site specialist companies. The company for which they work, along with their function within that company, determined placement within a category. Tidwell was selected in the Team Agents category.

Magazine Honors Cindy Carter as One of Atlanta's Best Realtors

Communities Magazine recently recognized Cindy Carter as a member of this year's Communities 100, a designation recognizing Atlanta's leading Realtors across metropolitan Atlanta real estate boards.

Carter, who is a Realtor with the Eagle's Brooke Sales Center in Henry County, previously was named to the Communities 100 listing for her production in 2006.

She began her real estate career in 2005 with Prudential Georgia Realty in McDonough. In her first year in real estate, she was named as her office's Rookie of the Year, and she was Top Producing Individual Agent for 2005 and 2006. Recognized as being in the top five percent of Prudential Agents nationwide in 2005, she was presented with the "We Care" Community Service Leadership Award from Prudential in 2006. That same year, she was named to the Circle of Excellence by the Metro South Association of Realtors (MSAR) with sales volume in excess of $6 million.

Carter moved her real estate license to Killearn in December of 2006 to work at the Eagle's Brooke Sales Center in Locust Grove. In 2007, she again was named to the MSAR Circle of Excellence with sales of over $5 million and served as chaplain for the MSAR. This year, she is is a local director for MSAR.

The special Communities 100 designation was established in 1986 by Communities Magazine to recognize only the highest producers of the thousands of Realtors in the area.

The Communities 100 honors the top producing 100 Realtors during 2007 in each of the following three groups: those who are individual agents working for general brokerage companies, those who are team agents typically working for general brokerage companies, and those who are new home agents working for new home, on-site specialist companies. The company for which they work, along with their function within that company, determined placement within a category. Carter was selected in the New Home Agents category.

Magazine Honors Stacey Irwin as One of Atlanta's Best Realtors

Communities Magazine recently honored Stacey Irwin as a member of the this year's Communities 100, a designation recognizing Atlanta's leading Realtors across metropolitan Atlanta real estate boards.

Irwin, who had over $5 million in sales last year, is currently the broker for the Eagle's Landing Sales Center in Henry County.

A specialist in the luxury real estate market in Henry County, she currently handles listings for 14 different builders, as well as resales in the Eagle's Landing area.

Licensed in real estate for 24 years and a top producer for the last 15, Irwin owned and operated her own real estate company for 13 years, which gives her the overall knowledge of all aspects of real estate business, management and sales.

Irwin has earned her GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and CRB (Certified Residential Broker) designations within the real estate industry and has a B. A. degree in business from Georgia State University.

The special Communities 100 designation was established in 1986 by Communities Magazine to recognize only the highest producers of the thousands of Realtors in the area.

The Communities 100 honors the top producing 100 Realtors during 2007 in each of the following three groups: those who are individual agents working for general brokerage companies, those who are team agents typically working for general brokerage companies, and those who are new home agents working for new home, on-site specialist companies. The company for which they work, along with their function within that company, determined placement within a category. Irwin was selected in the New Home Agents category.

Start-Up Company Gives Realtors Important New Tool

BUSINESS WIRE--Potential homebuyers wanting to know more about the home behind the “For Sale” sign in the yard used to have to call the Realtor or hope there was an information sheet on the premises. No more.

A Tennessee start-up company now allows Realtors to post text messages and even photos of the home straight to the potential buyer’s cell phone.

“You drive by the house, and you want to know more before you even consider calling the real estate company. With RTextUSA, you can dial up basic information and even photos right from your car,” said Phillip Poynor, founder and CEO. “The real estate community has enthusiastically embraced our product as an important new tool in communicating with prospective buyers.”

The company, based in suburban Nashville, has spent the last 12 months perfecting the technology of the product, and reaching out to area Realtors. RTextUSA launched on March 20, 2008, to wide acclaim and is now targeting markets across the Southeast.

“We have selected a good price point that enables Realtors to add this feature to their listings without adding a lot to their marketing budgets,” said Poynor.

RTextUSA offers a free 30-day trial period, which allows brokers and agents to assign up to 100 transferrable property codes to numerous property listings.

Nashville Realtor Karen Hoff of Historic & Distinctive Homes and Sales Manager Charles Hughes of Celebration Homes in Franklin, Tenn., have been beta testers over the past four weeks.

“This is a very logical application of text-messaging technology,” Hoff said. “It’s really appealing to the 20-something generation, and that’s a good part of my business. But even older folks are texting these days, and I think a lot of people will be using this service – it should do very well.”

Hughes agreed, saying the service will be appealing to both homebuyers and real estate agents. “This is an easy way to generate new business,” Hughes said. “RText offers a less invasive means for buyers to access property information.”

Also testing for RText were Shelbyville, Tenn., Realtors Josh Simmons and Dorothy Parker.

“We received a lead on one of our listings after only two days using RText,” said Simmons of Keller Williams Realty. “We’ve already taken down our brochure boxes.”

“It’s very easy to use,” added Parker of Exit Celebration Realty & Auction.

Co-founders Poynor, 29, Josh Carney, 29 and Bradley Barrett Jr., 26, have drawn upon their own work experiences in the real estate industry to ensure that the product meets the current needs of Realtors.

For more information about RText, visit its Web site at www.RTextUSA.com or call (866) 579-8398.

Coldwell Banker Bullard Welcomes Tracy Willis

Tracy M. Willis is a new sales associate with the Peachtree City/Fayette County office of Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty.

Willis, who has been in real estate for two years, joined the Bullard organization as a result of its recent merger with Coldwell Banker Fulton Realty Associates. Previously from New Jersey, she has a degree in nursing from Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, N. J., and she worked in nursing prior to entering real estate.

She is married to Steve Willis, and they have three children, Cory, 20, Ryan, 19, and Justin, 9. The two older boys are graduates of Starr’s Mill High School and now attend Jacksonville State University and Auburn University, and the youngest attends Kedron Elementary School.

Willis is a member of the Fayette County Board of Realty, Cultural Diversity, and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.