Homeowners Are Losing Thousands—Because No One Told Them About This August 1 Deadline

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-9d1c1320-7fff-b2e4-4449-231ae21636c1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQrZ2cFWtdo-eF8jxN_YW0p8tVW0KM2S-OVQhkLG7KSOl5JBHIHcz0zkxVHw4roX59pvhvCjlhcAutShM4we75khvBkvk0iI68NnYdEWuZ07baB9-16s0ezXMqSTG0OmLnuZD4pH6hsT7StFfc45EtG2F6j9ez2KYEF1eQhxzHYlCqgOTroJfPNhCJfc/s1152/2QZTXjEYxTC-1FQAJ5Vsd.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQrZ2cFWtdo-eF8jxN_YW0p8tVW0KM2S-OVQhkLG7KSOl5JBHIHcz0zkxVHw4roX59pvhvCjlhcAutShM4we75khvBkvk0iI68NnYdEWuZ07baB9-16s0ezXMqSTG0OmLnuZD4pH6hsT7StFfc45EtG2F6j9ez2KYEF1eQhxzHYlCqgOTroJfPNhCJfc/s320/2QZTXjEYxTC-1FQAJ5Vsd.png" width="240"></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.83696; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As featured in HousingWire and Inman News. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.83696; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.83696; margin-bottom: 14pt; margin-top: 14pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ask a homeowner who is witnessing double-digit home value appreciation what they wish someone had told them when they bought their first home, and they might tell you this: “No one warned me how fast property taxes could rise.” <i>That part!<span></span></i></span></p></span></div>

atlanta, atlanta legal aid, beltline, fulton county, georgia, homestead exemption, property tax appeal, property taxes

Homeowners Are Losing Thousands—Because No One Told Them About This August 1 Deadline

As featured in HousingWire and Inman News. Ask a homeowner who is witnessing double-digit home value appreciation what they wish someone had...

"You’re Fired!" – But What If It’s the Fed Chair?

<div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As featured in <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/real-estate-news/fed-chair-jerome-powell-firing-housing-market-effect/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Realtor.com</span></a> </span>and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/fed-chair-firing-could-mean-220339578.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Yahoo! Finance</span></a>. </span></div><div><br></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHLAkIGr0E8cmEp6-R6e7vO1XseJrunnZ60fPlFKyuvmgYVtVBXpN20-h4jNJrLTF8MQQlCKEs4SrJsdzwl_88HcQgC3mvloCoo2t8Bwc1QKf4Dzaeh9xydeCbY_vvt1vaUrTtrGJ2Z0QHmfmH60g2-2AGKC4hOoSTx-ImzCrFVh_bQG-fva89z4UxgY/s1024/sJIv4GdHtyZuQ2lIeLVX3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHLAkIGr0E8cmEp6-R6e7vO1XseJrunnZ60fPlFKyuvmgYVtVBXpN20-h4jNJrLTF8MQQlCKEs4SrJsdzwl_88HcQgC3mvloCoo2t8Bwc1QKf4Dzaeh9xydeCbY_vvt1vaUrTtrGJ2Z0QHmfmH60g2-2AGKC4hOoSTx-ImzCrFVh_bQG-fva89z4UxgY/w400-h400/sJIv4GdHtyZuQ2lIeLVX3.png" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">AI-generated image of hypothetical Fed Chair Jerome Powell being fired. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What could the Fed Chair's firing mean for the housing market?</span></div><div><span></span></div>

fed chair, housing market, jerome powell

"You’re Fired!" – But What If It’s the Fed Chair?

As featured in Realtor.com and Yahoo! Finance .  AI-generated image of hypothetical Fed Chair Jerome Powell being fired.  What could the Fe...

How Many of These Homebuying "Cheat Codes" Are You Using in 2025?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">As partially featured in</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://www.homes.com/learn/what-to-offer-on-a-house/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Homes.com</span></a><span style="text-align: left;">.  </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a3gXXmSwhWg" width="320" youtube-src-id="a3gXXmSwhWg"></iframe></div><div><br></div><div><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-size: 14pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-emoji: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 28.575px; margin: 13.716px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It's no secret that <i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">"it takes a savvy shopper to beat out investors and cash buyers."</i> And in today's competitive market, knowing how to negotiate creatively—without sacrificing your protections—can make all the difference.<span></span></div></div>

buying a home, fair housing, home buyer

How Many of These Homebuying "Cheat Codes" Are You Using in 2025?

As partially featured in   Homes.com .   It's no secret that  "it takes a savvy shopper to beat out investors and cash buyers....

Does the Proposed Texas Bill Allow NAR Member Hate Speech or Simply the Expression of Unpopular Opinions?

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-cc8cb5a6-7fff-6290-5ae6-5921a40f1276"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 15pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9 Possible Guardrails to Prevent the Former (Hate Speech), Particularly if Other States Introduce Copycat Bills. </span></p></span><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p>As featured at <a href="https://www.housingwire.com/articles/does-the-proposed-texas-bill-allow-nar-member-hate-speech-or-simply-the-expression-of-unpopular-opinions/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HousingWire</span></a>.  <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadeXoZaXMNpd0iANOb7FrKuKdmXEVpGMGeoWhP3Z4G-77y9r5Zx68Ydlo0bc-q5FxKsiAi5t7meTVbzW4tKsITuRWGKvJ3-SxtggC0kMB1IFx5oSBmcGP5m1nFxGlAGDNssR7x3MmC1OjbM9PJ6_8Df52zB1loXmMYjSMqMh9e6H3BAmk-vH3-ZNFvRw/s3247/k-mitch-hodge-MMO93Zo2VyQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3247" data-original-width="2435" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadeXoZaXMNpd0iANOb7FrKuKdmXEVpGMGeoWhP3Z4G-77y9r5Zx68Ydlo0bc-q5FxKsiAi5t7meTVbzW4tKsITuRWGKvJ3-SxtggC0kMB1IFx5oSBmcGP5m1nFxGlAGDNssR7x3MmC1OjbM9PJ6_8Df52zB1loXmMYjSMqMh9e6H3BAmk-vH3-ZNFvRw/s320/k-mitch-hodge-MMO93Zo2VyQ-unsplash.jpg" width="240"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@kmitchhodge?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">K. Mitch Hodge</a><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/red-and-white-polka-dot-rain-boots-MMO93Zo2VyQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">Unsplash</a>. </td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #666666; font-size: 15pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br></span><p></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-bc6ccb53-7fff-199b-3c19-8b1abc600f02"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Everything is bigger in Texas” is a folksy saying that conjures smiles when thinking about Buc-ee’s, wide-brim western hats, or ostentatious longhorn belt buckles. <span></span></span></p></span></div>

bills, laws, NAR, realtors, senate, speech, texas

Does the Proposed Texas Bill Allow NAR Member Hate Speech or Simply the Expression of Unpopular Opinions?

9 Possible Guardrails to Prevent the Former (Hate Speech), Particularly if Other States Introduce Copycat Bills. As featured at HousingWire ...

How To Talk To The 71% Of Potential FSBOs Who Doubt Their Decision

<div><span id="docs-internal-guid-55e0eb60-7fff-6442-588e-154ba0f7cce3"><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">As featured in <a href="https://www.inman.com/2025/05/09/how-to-talk-to-the-71-of-potential-fsbos-who-doubt-their-decision/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Inman News</span></a> and <a href="https://www.mediadecision.com/money/what-every-home-seller-needs-to-know-about-their-real-estate-agent/article_0b5437de-59c4-48f0-b0cd-a79cbf951d45.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Media Decision</span></a>.  </span></span><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kLaaL3-GfyLOHsiZ7vHn7OWw6t3w2Le1cEkKaI52GyITaOz8OSVYE5Sm__Z6jCWWzasAXb-aITjl0pt8jMdhkkzCrx2NZLhg46oPNWzl7v28m1xGsUceNLy8CYfLxt8VpAfJ5TRzu2moH_PJ3v2E3-QYxK22k_5V_KWc4CwIB4XmKNWt_eRLS2-OStQ/s3936/brandy-kennedy-TeP2tce3QMs-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2624" data-original-width="3936" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kLaaL3-GfyLOHsiZ7vHn7OWw6t3w2Le1cEkKaI52GyITaOz8OSVYE5Sm__Z6jCWWzasAXb-aITjl0pt8jMdhkkzCrx2NZLhg46oPNWzl7v28m1xGsUceNLy8CYfLxt8VpAfJ5TRzu2moH_PJ3v2E3-QYxK22k_5V_KWc4CwIB4XmKNWt_eRLS2-OStQ/s320/brandy-kennedy-TeP2tce3QMs-unsplash.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;">Skeptical Sellers. Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@thebrandyk?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">Brandy Kennedy</a><span face="ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-wrap-mode: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-sitting-at-a-desk-with-a-laptop-computer-TeP2tce3QMs?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Noto Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap-mode: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out;">Unsplash</a>. </td></tr></tbody></table></h1><span id="docs-internal-guid-770f3b31-7fff-f804-a60f-d12c6a7a801a"><br><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water”</span></h1><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Have you ever wondered if home sellers who opt for FSBO (for sale by owner) listings had doubts about not using a professional? No need to guess. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">According to a </span><a href="https://anytimeestimate.com/research/what-does-a-real-estate-agent-do/" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">recent survey</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, almost "three-quarters of sellers who don’t plan to use an agent (</span><a href="https://anytimeestimate.com/research/what-does-a-real-estate-agent-do/#lowstandards" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">71%</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) have concerns about that decision". <span></span></span></p></span></span></div>

fsbo, home seller

How To Talk To The 71% Of Potential FSBOs Who Doubt Their Decision

As featured in Inman News  and Media Decision .   Skeptical Sellers. Photo by  Brandy Kennedy  on  Unsplash .  “Don’t Throw the Baby Out wit...

Did You Know THIS is one of the Top 10 Neighborhoods to Live in the US?!

<div>As featured at <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-10-best-neighborhoods-to-live-in-america/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Realtor.com</span></a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/top-10-best-neighborhoods-live-220928661.html?guccounter=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Yahoo! Life</span></a>. </div><div><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB-YEXm7RRyMPDdhYlEQkmXx4DU1pQHXMbCfK42AjWjz3PV_l-OtcaFa0Zh3kguTO4aYuns6klBZjb9TdDadwNpYF3mX8aNgyeyvcmR2JwB0HkxY14oXib1yd9ujLtBYFzbLJ6bzo24oNyJTGh9ii1L8fqfXYX-obxgmkl4qf9KmZQybOF8Fs7wxJOCQ/s2048/Screenshot%202025-04-01%20at%201.55.36%E2%80%AFPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB-YEXm7RRyMPDdhYlEQkmXx4DU1pQHXMbCfK42AjWjz3PV_l-OtcaFa0Zh3kguTO4aYuns6klBZjb9TdDadwNpYF3mX8aNgyeyvcmR2JwB0HkxY14oXib1yd9ujLtBYFzbLJ6bzo24oNyJTGh9ii1L8fqfXYX-obxgmkl4qf9KmZQybOF8Fs7wxJOCQ/s320/Screenshot%202025-04-01%20at%201.55.36%E2%80%AFPM.png" width="320"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Venus Williams warms up before a special women's exhibition tennis match against Madison Keys at the BB&T Atlanta Open Tournament at Atlantic Station. BRANDEN CAMP/SPECIAL </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br><div><br></div><div>Did you know that Atlantic Station here in Atlanta, Georgia was listed as a top ten place to live in the US? Are you curious as to why? How?</div><div><br></div><div>Although I am a fair housing educator and business coach now, I started as a real estate sales agent in Metro Atlanta just when Atlantic Station was only an architectural doll-size model in a display case. Once Atlantic Station became life-size, showing and selling the then-new homes was a cherished highlight of my day as I began my sales career because it was one of in-town Atlanta‘s first live/work/play areas of the new millennium. ⁣<span></span></div></div>

atlantic station, top 10 best neighborhoods, venus williams

Did You Know THIS is one of the Top 10 Neighborhoods to Live in the US?!

As featured at Realtor.com and Yahoo! Life .  Venus Williams warms up before a special women's exhibition tennis match against Madison ...