Existing Home Sales Rise in February

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2008 -
Sales of existing homes increased in February and remain within a fairly stable range, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – rose 2.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (1) of 5.03 million units in February from a pace of 4.89 million in January, but remain 23.8 percent below the 6.60 million-unit level in February 2007. The sales pace has been in a fairly narrow range since last September.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the gain is encouraging. “We’re not expecting a notable gain in existing-home sales until the second half of this year, but the improvement is another sign that the market is stabilizing,” he said. “Buyers taking advantage of higher loan limits for both FHA and conventional mortgages will unleash some pent-up demand. As inventories are drawn down, prices in many markets should go positive later this year.”

Atlanta Growth

America's Fastest-Growing Large And Small Metros (Forbes)
Atlanta, Ga.Rank: 3
Projected total GMP growth, 2007-2012: 22.81%
The Atlanta metro area is a job magnet that epitomizes the economic boom of the Southeast. Companies with headquarters there include Coca-Cola, CNN and UPS. It's also got the country's busiest airport for passenger traffic. Atlanta's population has doubled in the last 20 years; by 2012, it's expected to grow another 11%. Personal income for Atlanta residents is forecast to grow by 6.3% annually during that time, according to Global Insight.
Source: Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Moody's Economy.com, Global Insight

Georgia & Florida Mortgage

Did mortgage fraud contribute to the current housing meltdown? One study that looked at 45 subprime mortgage defaults found that two-thirds of them involved owners who lied about their intention to live in the house.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n5-020608.cfm

Hot Trends for 2008

https://www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com/newsletter/pdf/122007.pdf

Atlanta Garden Show

Annual event showcases spectacular gardens, horticultural innovations, renowned speakers, fab shopping & activities galore at the World Congress Center Jan. 30 - Feb. 3, 2008.

Milton Georgia

Milton Issues Temporary Lift of outdoor Burn Ban

The City of Milton has issued a temporary lift of its city-wide outdoor burn ban that went into effect in October 2007. The lift, issued by Milton Fire Marshall Chad McGiboney, is effective immediately, and allows residents to conduct outdoor burning under specific guidelines.

2008!!

Good Stuff to Know
63% of people say they are keeping their resolutions after two months.
67% of people make three or more resolutions.
Top four resolutions:
Increase exercise
Be more conscientious about work or school
Develop better eating habits
Stop smoking, drinking, or using drugs (including caffeine)
People make more resolutions to start a new habit than to break an old one.