What a Way to Start a Week!

What a way to start a week...wake up late, run around like mad trying to get myself and my family dressed and ready for school, only to realize after running 15 minutes late that the baby's bag was forgotten! Now tell me, how are you supposed to get past this? Well, the way I see it, I can do two things:
1) Let it continue to get under my skin and make everyone around me miserable, or,
2) take a few minutes shake it off, say a prayer, and get on with the day.

Once we realize that some days are just gonna' be more productive than others that's when we can really be productive. Sometimes I think God either makes or lets circumstances happen to make us slow down, I mean if everyday was great and productive how would we ever learn to appreciate one productive day from the next? The days that seem terrible and most unproductive are the very days that make us appreciate the ones that go our way.

If we were really honest with ourselves wouldn't you agree, that more times than not, WE are the reason our day does not go the way we want it too. Either we have not prepared enough (maybe not at all) or we are in one of those moods that says...I'm just not gonna' be the one to give today. There are countless reasons, however, I truly believe that if we just take a few minutes put things in perspective, and say a little prayer then we can change the course and the entire flavor of the day.

Ashantilly Cottages- The Leisure Cottage

Folks these are photos of the Leisure Cottage at Ashantilly Cottages, Darien Georgia. The Leisure Cottage is for use by residents as well as for hosting events such as weddings, wedding receptions, birthday parties, and other social events.

The large open Gathering Room looks out onto the expansive front porch and Ashantilly Lake. The full kitchen comes with a serving bar and Butler's pantry. Completing the Leisure Cottage are restroom facilities and fitness center. Since every inch of this building was hand built there are details everywhere...from patterns in the wood floor in the kitchen and front porch...to the hand build serving bar with bookshelf. It is amazing to see that true craftsmen are still around these days when cookie cutter houses have been such the craze. Come see the new building standard Ashantilly Cottages is presenting!

Congratulations Shawn Oliver!

Carter Groups very own Shawn Oliver is abosolutely on fire with real estate...congratulations for your successes! We appreciate all your hard work...way to go!!!



Misty

Policies and Procedures

We, at Carter Group Real Estate, are in the process of updating our Policy and Procedure Manual to reflect the changes we are implementing in our business model. As the Broker for Carter Group Real Estate I am keenly aware of the value this manual has to keep a company moving in the right direction as well as keeping Risk Management under control.

As we are reviewing our Policies and Procedures we have found outdated material and material that does not apply to our business model. This is one of those tasks that rank right up there with a root canal, but, one that has to be done. I encourage each of you, no matter if you are a Broker or an Agent or any other kind of business, to review your Policy and Procedures Manual to make sure it is up to date and reflects the way you run your business. Also, if you have any tips for me I would greatly appreciate them!

Carter Group Real Estate

Come by and see us at our Ribbon Cutting tomorrow at 292 Cherry Street in Jesup. We look forward to doing business with you!

Misty Causey, Broker
Carter Group Real Estate
912-399-8686 Mobile
866-770-0775 Toll Free
misty@cartergrouprealestate.com
www.mcausey.blogspot.com

Carter Group Real Estate- A Complete Overhaul On the Business Model

Carter Group Real Estate is revisiting it's business plan and completely overhauling the business model set forth by real estate and insurance companies more than 50 years ago. Since the first real estate/insurance companies were started, few have a business plan and even less have completely redone their business model.

New innovative technologies have changed not only the way people do business but the actual business itself. The consumers of today are different than even 10 years ago much less 50 years ago. We asked ourselves, "Should we continue to do conduct business the old fashioned way and become obsolete or take the time to restructure our business to conform to today's consumer?". Well, the answer was pretty clear we can't make the consumer conform to us we MUST conform to today's consumer.

We are embracing the technologies of today to empower our real estate professionals to run their business as true Independent Contractors. With this new business model we are changing the "rules" so that free trade is expanded which gives the consumer many more options. We would really appreciate your feedback.

Misty Causey- Real Estate Broker
Carter Group Real Estate
912-399-8686
misty@cartergrouprealestate.com

August Pending Home Sales Rise to 2 1/2 Year High

August pending home sales rise to 2 1/2 year high
By ALAN ZIBEL (AP) – 4 days ago
WASHINGTON —

Aspiring homebuyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit for first-time owners that expires in November, driving up the number of signed sales contracts for the seventh straight month in August.
Construction spending also rose unexpectedly in August on the biggest jump in housing activity in nearly 16 years, another sign the real estate market is recovering from its four-year slump, data Thursday showed.
Sales and homebuilding are being fueled by a tax-credit of up to $8,000, low mortgage rates and cheap foreclosures. In some of the most hard-hit areas, like Phoenix and Las Vegas, there are bidding wars for deeply discounted properties. And in all but a few cities, home prices are slowly starting to rise, reversing their three-year descent.
To make sure first-time buyers can complete their purchases by the Nov. 30 deadline, real estate agents "have been pushing buyers to sign a contract at least a couple months in advance" according to Abiel Reinhart, an economist with JPMorgan Chase.
More than a dozen bills have been introduced in Congress to extend the credit, but it's unclear if lawmakers want to continue to subsidize the market.
The National Association of Realtors said Thursday its index of sales agreements rose 6.4 percent from July to 103.8, beating forecasts. It was the highest since March 2007 and 12 percent above a year ago. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected the index would rise to 98.6.
Typically there is a one- to two-month lag between a contract and a done deal, so the index is a barometer of future sales. However, new rules for home appraisals and rigid lending standards have scuttled many sales agreements recently. In addition, the index may also double-count some buyers who agree to purchase other homes after the first deal falls through.
These factors have made the index a less reliable gauge for completed sales. Despite a steady increase in the number of signed contracts this summer, for example, completed sales actually took an unexpected 2.7 percent dip in August.
"Perhaps the real question is how many transactions are being delayed in the pipeline, and how many are being canceled," Lawrence Yun, the Realtors' chief economist, said in a statement. "Without historic precedents, it's challenging to assess."
Pending sales were up 16 percent in the West and 8 percent in the Northeast. They were up 3 percent in the Midwest and nearly 1 percent in the South.
Home prices, meanwhile rose 1.2 percent from June to July, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 major cities. On a seasonally adjusted basis, prices rose in all but three metro areas, Las Vegas, Detroit, and Seattle.
Housing experts, however, remain divided on whether the price gains signal a definite bottom to the worst housing downturn in decades or just a brief respite from plummeting prices.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.