Mike Stott

Allowing pets is often a difficult decision for the owners of rental properties here in Northwest Atlanta - many families have pets. Do the benefits outweigh the possible negatives? Do pets really cause more damage than they are worth? The benefits to offering pet negotiable…

Owners are reading about  rising rents all across the country and eagerly await lease renewals to increase their profit and after the years of downturn it's a welcome change.  However we see tenants balking at rent increases and threatening to vacate the home if the…

Real Estate Forecast for 2013
 Here is my view of what will be happening in the Atlanta Real Estate market in the
coming year. Some of the information is from other articles and some is from
 my observation and experience. Prediction #1 is the same as…

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/26/case-shiller-october/1791535/   What does this mean for the Northwest Atlanta Investor? Good news if you own - prices went up - if you're looking ot invest - buy now - low interest rates and the general publics' reluctance to buy until it's a "sure thing"…

Atlanta has yet to get that first big freeze of the season, but it’s on its way. And when the frozen temperatures arrive, hopefully property owners will have already made preparations to protect sensitive vegetation to sustain the landscape through the non-growing season. In a…

8. Atlanta 8 of 10 Median home price in 2012: $122,000 Projected home price in 2015: $164,253 Projected annual rent in 2015: $12,255 A knotty foreclosure problem has plagued Atlanta's housing market, with thousands of vacated homes weighing on home prices. In March, the city recorded a 17.7%…

Traditional collection agencies are complicated, time-consuming and keep 35% of what they collect.  A lower cost option is a service we provide through the credit reporting agency we use.   For $35 each debtor a national collection agency will send a series of letters (including…

Many, many comments on yesterdays post asking for more information on why buying an investment now is so attractive. It's simple - our prices are low, our rents relatively high and the historically low interest rates mean carrying costs are very very low.  For example:…

Not a lot but we are starting to see an uptick in rental rates. $25 to $50 a month in many cases.  We're also seeing a dichotomy in tenants. With lenders making it very hard to get a loan  we are seeing tenants with strong…