I personally created a unique solar powered heavy duty cast aluminum light post yard sign to make your home stand apart from the competition
10 Questions to Test Your Real Estate IQ
1. Who is required to hold the earnest money?
A. Georgia law requires that the closing attorney holds the earnest money which then gets credited to the buyer at closing.
B. It's negotiable.
C. The listing agent's broker.
D. The buyer's agent.
The explanation for who holds the earnest money
2. What Constitutional right(s) do you need to waive in order to get a mortgage in Georgia?
A. None. Constitutional rights are protected and can't be waived.
B. 4th Amendment. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.
C. 5th and 14th Amendments. No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
D. 8th Amendment which forbids cruel and unusual punishment.
The explanation for waiving Constitutional rights
3. Is it illegal to make offers on two different homes at the same time?
A. Yes. That would be committing fraud.
B. No. But you need to be careful about not getting stuck having to buy two homes.
C. No. But it's immoral and only non-serious buyers would want to do that.
D. Yes. The penalty is up to 6 months in jail and a $1000 fine
The explanation for more than one offer
4. If a buyer loses their job a week before closing, and they are past all contingency time frames, what will the buyer be on the hook for?
A. At most, Buyer will lose earnest money which will go to the seller as liquidated damages.
B. Losing a job is an unforeseen event out of the control of the Buyer, therefore, Buyer is able to default on the contract and get their earnest money back in full.
C. Buyer not only loses their earnest money but can be liable for the commissions that both agents would have earned if not for the Buyer's default.
D. Damages will be decided by an Arbitration Court by a process described in the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
The explanation for possible loss for defaulting on contract
5. Can a seller continue to show their home to other buyers even though it is under contract?
A. Yes. It's a free country.
B. No. The Purchase and Sale Agreement states that all showings must cease starting upon the Binding Agreement Date.
C. Yes. They can even accept a better offer and terminate any existing contract.
D. No. It's not only unethical, it's illegal.
The explanation for can they keep showing?
6. What does it mean when the remarks for a home contain "AS-IS" or "No Disclosure".
A. There's all kinds of problems that the seller doesn't want you to know about.
B. You can't ask the seller for any repairs.
C. It's a phrase that conveys that the seller doesn't want to fix anything. You can still inspect and ask for repairs but don't expect any concessions.
D. It is illegal for a seller not to give a buyer a Property Disclosure.
The explanation for "as-is" and "no disclosure"
7. Can you get a mortgage if the appraisal doesn't come in at full purchase price?
A. No. It must appraise for at least the purchase price for the mortgage to be approved.
B. Yes, if the seller makes up the shortfall.
C. Yes, but the buyer has to be willing and able to make up the shortfall.
D. It depends on the mortgage lender.
The explanation for a low appraisal
8. Why would someone get a survey before buying a home?
A. To make sure they know where the boundaries are so they know where they can install a fence.
B. To know where any easements or encroachments are.
C. To know where any stream buffers are in case you want to build an addition.
D. All of the above.
The explanation for surveys
9. Does a new home builder usually have the right to cancel the contract any time prior to closing as long as they return the earnest money?
A. No. Who in their right mind would agree to such a contract?
B. Yes. Most builder contracts have a "right to cancel" clause which allows them to cancel unilaterally in their sole discretion.
C. No. That goes against standard contract law in Georgia.
D. None of the above.
The explanation for can the builder cancel the contract
10. How do I like my coffee?
A. Two lumps of sugar with a splash of cream.
B. Black
C. Lots of whole milk because plain coffee is awful.
How an Extra Point on Your FICO Score Can Save You ThousandsFannie Mae requires extra points to be charged depending on your credit score. One less FICO point can put you in the next credit bracket and cost you thousands of dollars in extra mortgage fees. First you need to know your real FICO score and then you can do some adjustments in order to maximize your score and minimize your mortgage fees.
Where to Get Your Real FICO Score, not a Free Fake FICO ScoreThere are plenty of advertisements selling free credit reports. But most of them aren't the real FICO Scores that lenders base decisions on. The good thing is that there is a way to actually get your real FICO score for free if you have the right credit cards.
Be aware that the standard Realtor contract is in favor of the agent, not you.What if something happens, such as a job transfer, and you can't complete the purchase of a $500,000 home? You'll not only lose your earnest money when you default on the contract, you'll be on the hook for a $30,000 commission on a home you didn't buy. We'll show you some special stipulations you might want to include in your offer in order to protect yourself from a worse case scenario.
Submit simultaneous offers and let sellers compete.
The ultimate position for a buyer to be in is to have two great homes to choose from. Then they can feel good about walking away from one if they don't get their terms accepted.
In a fast moving market, we have had success in submitting simultaneous offers and letting sellers compete. Investors do it every day but for some reason most agents are very reluctant to do this. Success in negotiations is all about positioning and having options.
Are Home Warranties Worth It or Are They a Scam?I've personally have had bad experiences with them but my mother-in-law raves about them because she has great success when things have broken down for her. I've done the research and I'll let you decide. Do you feel lucky? Do you like dealing with insurance companies or do you just want to get something fixed when it breaks down?
Beware of the Agent With All of the Signs.Have you ever driven through a neighborhood and just about all of the homes for sale are listed by one agent. You might think that that's the agent you want to use to buy a home since they seem to be the neighborhood expert. Use them for information but make sure you understand their motivations and conflicts of interest before you use them to represent you as your buyer's agent.
How Accurate Are Zestimates?One would think that since Zillow states their Zestimates down to the dollar that it must be pretty accurate. Think again. I did an analysis of recent home sales with their Zestimates to see how far off the numbers were. They aren't much to base financial decisions on.
Our Clients Say the Nicest Things!
Click the Zillow button above and go read all of my 5 star reviews
Here are a few:
Kostadin Doukov
Tim is an agent who has a thorough understanding of the Atlanta market. He is up-front and honest and gives the most realistic advice, rather than the one the buyer or seller wants to hear.
Tim was our agent when we purchased our home in 2008. He was extremely organized (we could go though multiple properties in a thoughtful manner) and pointed out things that may be of interest to us or could cause problems. As a buyers agent, he was there to protect us and we felt that we had the right person on our side at all times.
We sold our house and Tim was our selling agent in 2015. Selling a house is a significantly more stressful experience than buying one. We contacted Tim several months before we wanted to put the house on the market. Tim performed an initial analysis of the sale and was extremely diligent in pointing to us the things we should improve, the items that are not of great significance, the best time to put the house on the market, the marketing strategy, suggested price, etc. We were selling through a relocation company and Tim was great in following all of the relocation company rules without putting too much burden on us. I felt at ease discussing with Tim any part of the sale and knew that he would have a point of view and a direction to guide me to. He was great in telling me when my thought process or analysis was not realistic and could delay the sale of the house.
At the end it was a marvelous experience and I would recommend Tim to everyone looking to buy or sell in Atlanta
Rosemary and Stephen Wachtel:
We recently purchased a home and one of the best decisions we made was choosing Tim Maitski as our agent. He was very knowledgeable about the market, accommodated our schedule, and had great suggestions throughout the entire process. We appreciated how hard he worked to negotiate the best possible deal for us. On top of all these great things, he provided a generous rebate that most other agents wouldn't even consider. We HIGHLY recommend him !
Jeannie Blom MD, Physician/Medical Director:
I'm a physician and Medical Director and I had the privilege of obtaining Tim Maitski as my buyers agent. Tim worked with me for 5 months making sure I got my dream home at a dream price. We consider Tim family. His honesty and integrity are legendary. The level of service he provides is beyond compare. Tim is the Clark Howard of real estate and I would not do business with anyone else. Tim's advocacy skills exceed top attorneys. He truly has your best interest at heart at all times. Once you work with Tim, no one else will ever suffice. Like the iconic lyrics of Tina Turner, he is "Simply the Best".
Ned Mulligan, Head Chaplain at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School
We moved from Rhode Island and we had four days to buy a home. We saw 22 homes in a day, made two offers, and had a contract on the home we bought two days later. He is the best, most professional, and thoughtful realtor with whom I have ever worked and I have owned quite a few homes.
Art Linton, Study Abroad Advisor Emory University
Tim Maitski was a pleasure to work with in helping my wife and I find our first home. Tim knew the market inside and out and was easy to work with, flexible, knowledgeable and a straight shooter who tells it like it is. He is very confident and low pressure on clients. Trustworthy, consistently very reliable and a great guy too! He is very experienced as a real estate agent and I give him my highest recommendations. If you are looking for a home in Atlanta, Tim is your man!
This offer has nothing to do with any other agent at Atlanta Communities other than Tim Maitski.
Each agent is an independent contractor who can choose to do business as they so desire.
Our market area is in the north metro Atlanta area. We service Cobb County, north Fulton County, Dekalb County, Forsyth County and Gwinnett County. We are very familiar with Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Marietta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Buckhead, and Midtown.
We have sold homes inside the perimeter and outside the perimeter. We can't know everything so for clients who want to look for property in Peachtree City, Newnan, Stone Mountain, Douglasville, Macon and areas further out we will gladly recommend a good agent who specializes in those areas.
We help buyers negotiate with builders for residential new construction houses. New houses in Atlanta are hot right now. We can represent you in the purchase of your new house built by any of the following builders: Torrey Homes, MDC Homes, Centex Homes, Pulte Homes, Morrison Homes, Ryland Homes, John Wieland Homes, Winmark Homes, Meridian Homes, John Willis Homes, Benchmark Homes and many more home builders.
We can help clients find short term apartments for rent but normally we don't work with clients who are just looking for rentals. We do help clients find Atlanta condos. We can also help you purchase HUD homes in Atlanta. We are an authorized agent with them and have the HUD key to get into HUD homes. We have access to foreclosure homes that banks want to sell.
We love showing executive homes and luxury homes. We always like to know how people find our site. Send us an email and tell us which search term you used. Some terms that we might be found by are realty Atlanta, Ga homes, Atlanta realty, condos Atlanta, Atlanta realestate, Atlanta property, houses Atlanta, Atlanta realtors, Ga houses, or realtors Atlanta. Maybe you found us by typing in Atlanta MLS listings, or Atlanta MLS search, or MLS Atlanta GA. Hopefully we don't come up under nursing homes or funeral homes.
It is always amazing to me how the Internet can allow total strangers to find each other and build new business relationships. It truly is becoming a small, interconnected world.
All information about homes from the Atlanta MLS home search engine is input by thousands of individual real estate agents throughout Atlanta and is made available through a service called ListingBook. We provide access to this data for the convenience of our clients. We have no control over this database. All information on this web site is copyrighted and intellectual property of HomeAtlanta.com. It is deemed to be current and accurate, but is not warranted.� 2002. Tim is a licensed Realtor with Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage.
