Which is the largest real estate company in Americus, Ga.? Well, it's not Michael Dixon Realty -- unless you consider this:

  While my company is not the largest in terms of the number of agents, secretaries, franchise fees, mortgage or rent payments, insurance, property taxes, building and grounds maintenance, equipment and supplies, or any of those operating costs, mine is the largest in one very important way: Internet exposure.

  When you list your property with Michael Dixon Realty, it is posted out there on the world wide web in more places than other companies provide, thus giving it maximum exposure in the very place that the majority of people look first to find real estate -- the Internet.

  A listing with Michael Dixon Realty is placed on his three real estate websites, and is syndicated to more than 40 real estate search sites on the Internet. Anyone, anywhere in the world with a computer, looking for real estate in Americus, Ellaville, Sumter or Schley or surrounding counties is able to find your listing quickly and easily.

  Like the other companies, Michael Dixon Realty puts your listing in our Americus Area Multiple Listing Service (MLS). From there it is automatically picked up by Realtor.com, the huge search site of the National Association of Realtors. Eventually, it may show up on Yahoo, Zillow, Trulia, and other major search sites. When Michael lists your property he immediately syndicates it to 40+ real estate search sites on the Internet.

  No, I don't have the largest company, the highest operating costs, or the highest commissions in town, but I offer the same full service.

  Not only that, but as a way of saying "thank you" to buyers who work with me, I give them a home warranty on their house that costs $85,000 or more. Or, if they prefer, a Lowe's gift card valued at $400. I appreciate my customers.

  Are you thinking of buying or selling real estate? Before you sign anything, give Michael a call. 229-924-3089

Q: Are you a discount broker?

A: No. "Discount broker" is a misnomer. For there to be "discount brokers" there would have to be a set brokerage fee, or commission, throughout the real estate brokerage business. But there is no set fee; therefore, there's no fee to "discount."

If there were a universal fee, such as 6 percent, brokers would be in violation of fair trade practice. It would be essentially the same thing as price fixing. That would be unlawful. Brokergage fees, usually called commissions, are negotiable. They are not set in stone.

A typical fee is 6 percent for most properties, but that's not a requirement for doing business. Why 6 percent? Brokers know that they often must share a commission 50-50 with a second company. Within each company the broker deducts a small percentage of his share of the commission to cover operating costs. What's left is again split between the broker and the agent who listed or sold the property. By the time the commission is sliced and diced, there's not much left to compensate the two brokers and two agents.

In cases where the broker gets to keep the entire 6 percent commission, he or she still must pay operating costs and share the commission with an agent (unless the broker listed and sold the property himself/herself). If the brokerage is a franchise, the broker's operating costs include a franchise fee. In addition, he or she has all the expenses of a business operation. Somebody has to pay for it all.

On very large sales the commission may be less than 6 percent. Also, when agents work with building contractors to list and sell new houses, the commission usually is reduced. There are other reasons why sellers and real estate agents may agree to less than 6 percent commissions.

The important point is: Real estate commissions are negotiable. Since we don't begin with a set commission we don't "discount" the commission. However, we may agree on a lower commission when, for example, the seller will be performing some of the usual services of a real estate agent. By agreement, the agent will provide less than full service, and will be paid a lower commission.

Michael Dixon Realty always negotiates commissions and offers a menu of services ranging from full service to partial. You're the customer. You know what you want.

Q: Is anything selling in Americus and Sumter County?

A: Yes. Although results are disappointing in some cases, some properties are being sold. Since January 1 this year, REALTOR members of the Americus Board of Realtors have listed 124 residential properties; 57 of them were sold so far. That's a little less than half being sold.

Of 28 land listings, 5 have been sold. Of 8 commercial listings, 6 have been sold. Percentage-wise, commercial sales have outperformed residential and land. As recently as 10 years ago, land sales in Sumter and adjoining counties comprised a hot market, thanks in part to buyers from Florida. When the housing bubble burst and the economy tanked, that market almost dried up.

Q: Why do real estate agents get paid so much for the little time they spend working?

A: Oh, boy, that's a question I love to answer. The public sees real estate agents unlocking doors so their customers can look inside houses, and may think that's about all they do. The truth is, the public only sees a small part of what agents do. Most of our work is done behind the scenes in our offices, cars and homes. We spend a lot of time putting deals together and more time keeping them from falling apart -- a constant hazard.

Agents have to balance the interests of buyers and sellers while coordinating the transaction with mortgage lenders, appraisers, surveyors, home inspectors, repairmen, pest control guys, attorneys and paralegals. That's a lot of time spent in phone calls, writing and answering emails, meeting workmen at the house to let them in, making sure the house is locked up after they leave, etc., etc.

But here's the most important point to remember: Real estate agents get paid for performing, not for their time. A good agent performs the work necessary to insure a smooth closing. When the agent sits there at the closing table, he or she should have little to say and nothing to do. The agent's work has been done in advance of the closing, and that's why we're able to have a closing. It may have taken two hours or 10. The agent performed his or her duties under the contract, and that's what an agent gets paid for.

Further thoughts: Agents spend thousands of dollars obtaining and maintaining their licenses. They spend many, many hours taking classes to stay abreast of the latest legal and technical information they must know to perform their duties. They assist buyers and sellers with one of the most important transactions they will ever engage in, the buying and selling of real estate.

Most of us think nothing of leaving a 10 or 20 percent tip for a waiter, even when the service isn't all that great, but some of us begrudge the real estate agent a "tip" of 6 percent. Bear in mind, the agent will get to keep only a part of that "tip." The agent's broker gets a share of it, and it may be split 50-50 between two companies. The companies have operating costs. After all deductions, the agent gets a small slice of the pie.

Think about this: What if the agent was also the broker, and his only "operating costs" were copy paper, ink cartridges, and a few other supplies. That broker/agent could perform the same services as the other brokers and agents but at lower "operating costs," and could offer savings to his customers. One broker/agent in Americus meets that description.

  There's nothing I would rather do than sell your house -- actually, to help YOU sell it -- because until you sell it I'm working for nothing. My commission is the only pay I get no matter how much time I devote to you and your property. So, of course, like you I want to sell the house and get a check.

  If it were totally up to me, we probably would have sold your house already. But it's not. There are some things I can't control, such as:

  The house. Is the house inviting and attractive? When prospective buyers first drive up to your house, before they get out of their car, do they get a good impression? When they first enter your house are they eager to see more, or silently wish they had passed it by? Is it clean and neat, free of clutter, free of pet odors or food odors? Are the kitchen and bathrooms sparkling? Unless you can answer yes to these questions, your house is not ready to be shown. I have no control over your house.

  The price. Is your asking price competitive? Is your house priced to sell? Please keep in mind, your house is competing with many others similar to yours in some basic ways. Buyers may look at a dozen or more houses before making an offer on one of them. No one expects you to "give it away," but if your house is not priced competitively it may not make it onto a buyer's short list. As your REALTOR I know what similar properties are selling for, and what you can reasonably expect to get for yours, but I have no control over your asking price.

  The market. We are in the worst real estate market in the memory of most agents. The market is flooded with foreclosed properties, all of them competing with yours for a buyer. Some of them are selling for much less than they would in a market where supply and demand are in balance. Those days are gone for the foreseeable future, a fact we just have to get used to. But, let's say, you need to sell your house. Your real estate agent wants to help you get the best price for it (because his or her commission is based on your selling price). However, the eventual selling price is not necessarily what we WANT it to be but what the market determines it to be. I'll try to find a buyer for your house, but I have no control over the market.

  In fact, neither of us controls the real estate market. You can control your house and your asking price, but not the market. Your agent is as much a victim of a down market as you are. Working together, we just have to make the best of a bad situation. Fortunately, here in the Americus and Sumter County area some property is changing ownership. The market may not be what we experienced years ago when it was brisk, but it's not dead either. At least some property that is priced to sell is selling. Property that's not priced to sell isn't selling.

  When a REALTOR can bring together a motivated seller and a qualified buyer, things happen. In that case, the REALTOR has some control over the process. That's when real estate gets sold.

What I won't do as your Realtor.

I won't make you pay for my operating costs such as:

-- rent or mortgage payment

-- franchise fees

-- commission splits with agents

-- utility bills

-- property taxes

-- repairs and maintenance

-- expensive office equipment

-- insurance (property damage or liability)

-- secretary or staff

-- cleaning or yard maintenance

  You won't help me pay any of the above expenses because I don't have them. Operating an Internet-based real estate brokerage from my home eliminates any extra costs of doing business that would be incurred in a bricks-and-mortar office situation. Who needs them? So much of what we brokers and agents do is electronic; it's quite possible to do it all from home with the basic equipment.

  This is real estate today. It doesn't need to be expensive or complicated. Because my costs are lower, you may benefit as my customer while enjoying the same full service you'd have to pay for somewhere else. You can even opt for partial service if you prefer and save more. I give you choices.

  What else do you get from Michael Dixon Realty?

  If you're selling, you will get the most Internet exposure for your listed property. I will feature your listing on my own three real estate websites as well as the Multiple Listing Service. In addition, I'll syndicate your listing to 15-20 real estate search sites where it will be seen by the most people who are looking. Research shows that more than 80 percent of buyers begin their search on the Internet.

  If you're buying, and you are pre-approved for financing, and you buy property for $85,000 or more, you choose your gift: a home inspection, a home warranty, or a Lowe's gift card valued at $400.

  Home sellers, the above buyer incentives are offered to your buyer, but I pay for them as my thank-you gift. When you favor me with your real estate business, you are appreciated. Some conditions apply, so please ask me about them. Call me at 229-924-3089.

  In today's real estate market, a lean, low-overhead operation works to everyone's advantage. This is real estate today.

Q: Can't I sell my own house better than a real estate agent?

A: That's certainly possible. It depends on your answers to some questions:

     -- Will you always be available to show the house when a potential buyer wants to see it?

     -- Will you market the property effectively including an easy-to-find presence on the Internet?

     -- Can you detach yourself from the house emotionally and handle criticism and objections like a pro?

     -- Are you a good negotiator who remains calm under pressure?

     -- Can you create a binding legal agreement with a buyer that protects you against a default?

     -- Can you follow up with a buyer to make sure he or she is obtaining financing and meeting other obligations?

     If you're not fully confident in your ability to meet these requirements, you'd be smart to turn the marketing of your property over to a professional. Untold numbers of sellers have started with a For Sale by Owner sign in the yard only to turn to a real estate agent after months of frustration.

     A common mistake sellers make is overpricing their property. This is easy to do because of the seller's emotional involvement and a desire to recoup all of the costs of improvements made over the years. Unfortunately, this approach flies in the face of reality in too many cases. The market value of your property is not necessarily what you think it is "worth." And some improvements don't translate into a higher selling price.

     You and your buyer must agree on a value in order to get the property sold. Clinging to a subjective concept like "worth" may prevent you and your buyer from ever reaching at an agreement. A real estate agent can help you arrive at a value for your property based on objective criteria, and keep you from having unrealistic expectations and the disappointment they produce.

     One real estate company, mine, will actually advertise For Sale by Owner property free of charge or obligation. Why would I do this? For one thing, it costs me nothing except a little time to take pictures and put the property on one of my Internet websites. Since the property is not listed with me, I can't lose something I don't have. But, who knows, some day you may decide to list the property with a REALTOR, and you may choose me. At least I'll have a shot at it.

     What's more, while your property is displayed on my website I may get calls on it. You may agree to let me show the property, and prepare the written agreement if there's an offer and you accept it. In that case you can compensate me with a partial commission based on my level of involvement. It's a win-win-win situation for you, the buyer and for me.

     If you'd like to talk with me about your property, and consider your options, call me at 229-924-3089. Would you like to get an idea of the value of your property in today's real estate market? Would you like to know what properties comparable to yours are selling for? Call or email me at: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com.

  Can we take it as a given that somewhere out there in the world is the person, couple or entity that is going to buy your property? We don't know who, and we don't know where that buyer is located. Our job is to find him or her or it. How can we do this?

  We will advertise your property. We will put it on numerous Internet websites that people use to search for real estate for sale. Surveys tell us that 80 percent or more of people looking for real estate begin their search on the Internet. That's where you want your property to be found.

  My company, Michael Dixon Realty, places your listed property on 15-20 Internet websites. It would be hard for anyone looking for property of your type not to find it on the Internet. The best part: it's free.

  If we already knew who was going to buy your property, we would contact that buyer immediately and obtain a signed offer for you. Advertising would not be necessary. Listings on the Internet would not be necessary. But because we don't know who, or where, the buyer is we must search for him or her or it. While we are searching for the buyer, the buyer is searching for your property. We may find each other right away, or it may take months. Your buyer may be located within five miles of your property, or may be 500 miles away, or even in another country.

  If we accept that your buyer is out there somewhere, it's just a matter of time until we find each other. Again, if we knew the identity of your buyer, we would go straight to him (or her or it) and obtain a signed offer. That offer would be for an amount of money acceptable to you. It would be accompanied by an acceptable amount of earnest money. It would contain an acceptable closing date, and acceptable terms and conditions.

  In other words, if we could avoid a long search for the buyer, and could tie up your sales contract with a pretty ribbon, the selling process would be so simple, so profitable and so much fun that you might buy another property and flip it just for the sheer pleasure of selling real estate. What joy. Alas, however, it's not like that. Finding your buyer can be a trying and exasperating experience that drags on and on until you are ready to give up in defeat.

  Your REALTOR, meanwhile, is as frustrated as you are. He or she is investing lots of time and effort trying to find your buyer -- and failing week after week. Your REALTOR has a sales commission at stake, a sales commission that doesn't actually exist until he or she closes your sale. But, there will be no closing unless there's a contract, and there will be no contract unless your REALTOR locates your buyer, shows your property, gets an acceptable offer, gets a contract, and guides, prods and coaxes your transaction to a successful close. It doesn't hurt to pray as well.

  It has been said, true or not, there's a buyer out there for every property. That means there's a buyer out there for your property. But who? Where? When will your buyer bubble up to the surface and become a reality? Your REALTOR is searching for your buyer. Your buyer is searching for your property. Somehow, some time, they will find each other.

  In fact, no REALTOR can sell your house -- or your commercial building or your land. REALTORS don't "sell" real estate. REALTORS market real estate -- they list it, they advertise it, they promote it, they tell people about it, they show it to prospectve buyers, they try to get offers on it -- but they don't sell it. Only you, the owner of the real estate, the title holder, can sell it, can transfer the title to a new owner.

  Your REALTOR may bring you offers on your property, and may help by negotiating the offers with the buyers, but only you can sell the property. You must accept an offer, or counteroffer, and must enter into a contract to sell the property to the buyer. Your REALTOR facilitates the transaction, but only you can sell the property. Why am I repeating myself? Because too many sellers don't get it. They won't make their property ready to sell, won't price their property to sell, and won't sell their property when presented an offer or counteroffer.

  Everyone knows we are in a depressed real estate market. We have a huge inventory of unsold properties, and only a few qualified buyers. If you are the seller this means that when a qualified buyer offers to buy your property you must be flexible. You must be willing to negotiate -- if you really want to sell your property. It begins with pricing the property; you can price it sell, or you can price it to sit. Your REALTOR can give you some advice on pricing to sell, based on the prices that properties comparable to yours have been selling for. You can take the REALTOR'S advice or not. Price to sell, or price to sit.

  When all is said and done -- when your REALTOR has marketed the property according to proven practices, when offers have been presented and negotiated -- only you can sell the property. If your property didn't sell, you chose not to sell it.

Why do I advertise For-Sale-by-Owner (FSBO) properties on my websites?

Two of my four real estate websites allow me to show FSBOs. And why not? They enhance my websites by giving visitors more properties to look at. I have nothing to lose (except a little time) since the properties aren't my listings anyway, and may never be. If I help a seller advertise a FSBO property, and that seller later wants some help selling the property, he or she may turn to me. They may list the property with me, or ask me to do the necessary paperwork if they have a buyer lined up. In that case the commission would be based on the level of service they require. It would be a win-win situation, so why should I not offer to help owners sell their property?

What happens to my earnest money deposit? Will I get it back?

Your earnest money is held for you by a real estate broker in his or her trust account at a bank. My trust account is at the Tripp Street branch of Wachovia Bank in Americus. Your earnest money is a deposit, not a down payment. It will come back to you as a credit when you close your purchase of the property you're buying. You'll see it on your copy of the HUD-1 settlement statement on the left side of the first page. It shows you're getting a credit toward the purchase price for the amount of your earnest money deposit.

You'll get your earnest money back if you are unable to get a mortgage loan. When you enter into a contract to buy real estate you will have a certain amount of time to obtain your mortgage loan. If you are turned down, you should get a "letter of denial" from your lender, and you'll get a refund for your earnest money from the broker holding it.

Can you lose your earnest money? Yes, you probably will lose your earnest money if you default on your contract to buy the property. In that case the broker may, at his or her discretion, give the earnest money to the seller. The purpose of earnest money is to protect the seller against a buyer's default. After all, the seller has taken his or her property off the market because you promised to buy it. The seller may have missed other chances to sell the property after it was taken off the market. Therefore, if you default on your contract, the seller gets your earnest money.

How much do you charge?

This question is about the sales commission or brokerage fee. Commissions vary and are negotiable between the seller of real estate and the broker. A typical commission for residential property in Americus, Ellaville and vicinity is 6 percent of the selling price. It's not a "standard" fee, it's just a typical one. Why 6 percent? It often happens that you list your property with one company, but a different company shows the property and procures the buyer. Therefore, the two companies must split the commission; in most cases, it's 50-50. Each company would get only 3 percent of the selling price. Agents can't afford to work for less than that. Here's why:

In most real estate companies the broker must deduct operating costs off the top of the commission. What's left is then divided between the real estate agent and the broker. The agent winds up with a fraction of that 6 percent commission.

In my own case, since I work alone, and from my home, I have minimal operating costs. I can give the seller a break on the commission when I am both the listing agent and the selling agent for the property. That means I don't have to split the commission with another company, and I can work for 4 percent of the selling price. I take care of both sides of the transaction for one-third less than the 6 percent you would pay otherwise. You and your buyer still get full service, and we walk away from the closing with more in the amount of our check.

Attitudes about real estate commissions intrigue me. Most of us think nothing of leaving a 15 or 20 percent tip on the table in a restaurant, even when the service may not have been all that great. Yet a REALTOR performs a valuable service in one of the most important transactions someone can make, buying or selling real estate, and the client may think a 6 percent "tip" is too much. In dollars it looks like a lot of money, but as a percentage of the selling price it's small.

Do you have any real estate related questions? Please call me at 229-924-3089 or email me at michael@michaeldixonrealty.com. You also can go to my website michaeldixonrealty.com and use the "Talk to Me" box on the left side of the page. No need to give your name or phone number. Sample questions: Should you always get a house inspected? Answer: Yes. Can you get a warranty on the house you buy? Answer: Yes, and I'll tell you how to get a one-year warranty for free. Should you always get pre-approved for a mortgage loan? Answer: Yes, and I'll tell you how being pre-approved is worth $400.00 to you.

    Recently I had the pleasure of spending some time with a homeowner who is planning to put his property on the market. I had done my homework, and even had a listing agreement filled in except for a few key items. I was ready to take the listing on the spot, and begin looking for a buyer. However, the homeowner was on a different schedule, and not ready to sign. He still needed to "think about it." (How many times have we heard that?)

    Since then he has shown me the courtesy of phoning me to let me know he is still going to list his property -- but not necessarily with me. He has also interviewed another broker and agent, and they gave him some reasons why he would be smart to list with them, and he was highly impressed. But I am still on his short list.

    I told him there's nothing wrong with shopping around for a broker -- what else could I say? -- and I reminded him of things I do for my clients that my competitors don't, and the advantages of listing with me. Finally, I told him to follow his intuition, go with his gut, and he probably would make the right choice.

    In his frame of mind he probably would be turned off by being told he is going to make a mistake by not listing with me. It would come across as a sort of cheap shot at my competitors. Instead I assured him that they are very capable REALTORS, like myself, and I will respect whatever decision he makes.

    What I did not tell him, but what I was thinking, is: He's placing too much weight on the personalities of REALTORS and, possibly, making a decision by indecision. If he had signed the listing agreement when I visited him in his home, we would have kick-started the marketing process and, probably, by now would have shown the property at least once, maybe more times. He has lost marketing time which might have been profitable to him.

    What I know, that he may not know, is that we brokers and agents in our small MLS here in rural southern Georgia have similar marketing plans and strategies to a large extent. I offer my clients some advantages my competitors don't offer, but let's be fair about it: they can make the same claim. When you distill the comparisons down to their essence, we all do pretty much the same things for our clients and achieve pretty much the same results.

    Three things that set me apart are: 1) My listings get more Internet exposure by far than my competitors' do, 2) I give my buyers who are pre-approved for financing a one-year home warranty, which serves as an incentive for them to buy my client's house, and 3) when I procure the buyer myself, and there's no commission split, my client gets a nice break on the commission. As I told the gentleman, I'm the only broker who does those things for him, and I do them voluntarily. My laid-back demeanor, or another broker's more animated style, won't make or break a deal.

    What I'm looking for is a motivated seller who has his property priced right and ready to market, and a motivated buyer who likes what my seller is offering. When I bring the two together, good things happen.

  Years ago I stopped saying that I "sell" real estate. Realtors don't sell real estate; they market it. The only one who can sell real estate is the owner, the title holder. Thus the owner is usually called the "seller" for a good reason. The owner sells the real estate; the Realtor assists by marketing it.

  True, the Realtor employs selling skills when listing property or showing it to buyers. But it's the owner who needs to prepare the property to be marketed by the Realtor. The owner makes it a sellable property; otherwise, the Realtor's marketing will be in vain. If the owner wishes to attract a buyer, he or she must make the property attractive. The Realtor then markets an attractive property, and there's a good chance it will attract a buyer. The owner may then sell the property.

  In today's tight real estate market, it's more important than ever to make your real estate for sale attractive. You're competing against a huge inventory of unsold properties including many foreclosures. Buyers are cherry picking and looking for bargains. To compete, you as the seller must make your property as attractive as practicable.

  Many improvements to real estate for sale don't cost much, and have the potential to pay for themselves many times over. A neat yard is inviting to a buyer; a messy yard is a turn-off. A coat of paint can make your house much more attractive than your competition down the street. De-clutter the inside of your home so the buyer will see its good features, not its mess.

  In one sense, houses sell themselves. If your house is attractive, the buyer will be favorably impressed. The Realtor will make sure the buyer appreciates your property's good features, will answer all questions, and will tactfully move the buyer toward signing an offer to buy. On the other hand, if your house is not attractive, nothing the Realtor can say will make the buyer like it. Unless you're trying to unload a dump at any price, prepare your property to sell at market value.

  What's market value? You and your buyer are going to determine that when your property actually sells. Ultimately, it's you who sells your property. To get the best price, give your Realtor an attractive property to market for you, a property that will attract a buyer who will pay you a fair price. The Realtor markets your property; only you can sell it.

  For help marketing your property, email: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com; phone 229-924-3089.

  Supply continues to exceed demand for the inventory of listed properties in Americus, Ellaville, and the surrounding area. While several listings expired at the end of 2009, some of those will be renewed. We began the new year with 156 residential listings, down from 163 on the last day of December. Land listings dropped from 87 to 75 while commercial listings held steady at 26.

  The number of qualified (meaning able to get financing) buyers on any given day can be counted on one hand. It's no wonder we have so many unsold properties. Many have been on the market a year or longer without an offer.

  Realtors and their sellers may hope that the real estate market will be like the natural world in the spring, and come back to life. As a business person, I'm supposed to be optimistic and upbeat, and tell you the market will soon bounce back. Well, sorry, but I don't think it will in the first half of 2010. No rose colored glasses here.

  I won't pretend to be an economist and give you all the reasons for my less-than-optimistic stance. Let's just say, the indicators give me no reason to think we have yet hit bottom in this recession.

  Unfortunately for sellers, market conditions do not bode well. For qualified -- there's that word again -- buyers, it's a time to bargain for the best deal, and keep more money in your own pocket.

  It's a good time for investors who buy low-priced houses, rehab them if necessary, and rent them out. The demand for rentals has skyrocketed in the past year. Half of my calls are from would-be renters.

  As just one example of the properties investors can buy now, I have a brick house at 205 Rucker Street in Americus with two bedrooms, two baths, and 1,480 square feet, priced at $39,500. The out-of-state owner wants to unload it. Granted, it would take $10,000-$20,000 to upgrade bathrooms and kitchen, replace floor coverings, and turn this house into a really nice home, but the return on investment probably is there for the savvy rental manager.

  Many gems like this one need to be polished up, and made available to a waiting rental market. If you might like to see any property in the Americus area Multiple Listing Service, regardless of the listing company, call me at 229-924-3089.

  Please visit one or all five of my real estate websites. There's michaeldixonrealty.com or ellaville-schley-homes-land.com, to name but two. Let me advertise your property for sale in Premier Monthly magazine, which is distributed monthly to over 3,000 locations in eight Southeastern states. See it online at premiermonthly.com.

Do you get frustrated looking for real estate for sale online? If you're looking in the Americus, Ga., or Ellaville, Ga., area, you can quickly see every listed property on the Multiple Listing Service website: http://www.americusareamls.com. This is the website of the Americus Board of Realtors. It lists every residential, commercial and land property for sale through the real estate companies in the MLS.

Currently there are between 165 and 170 residential properties listed. There are 70 land properties, and 27 commercial properties. The inventory of unsold properties is the highest it has ever been in the Americus, Sumter County, Ellaville and Schley County area. This means, if you are pre-approved for a mortgage loan, you are in a position to negotiate a good deal on a house, building lot, or large tract of land.

A Realtor can be your best friend when it comes to finding and negotiating the purchase of real estate. Best of all, the Realtor's services are free to you, the buyer. It's the seller who pays the Realtor a commission for finding you, the buyer, and putting a deal together. If you aren't working with a Realtor, you may not hear about properties that you'd be interested in, and you may not get some professional advice that a Realtor can offer.

You can relate to your Realtor in one of two ways. You can be a "customer" or a "client." There's a big difference. If you are interested, you can visit a new website -- www.americusgarealestate.net -- and ask questions. As host of the site, I'll answer your questions. However, anyone may provide not only questions but also answers. They also may post notices of community interest. Create your own password, login, and visit the site as often as you want to.

Spring is here. This should be the peak season for buying and selling residential real estate. But even the "peak" season this year is not as good as a poor season in years past. We all are victims of a major economic downturn.

But ... take heart! After the market hits bottom there's nowhere to go but up. Get on board.

What are the smart people doing? They are investing in tangible goods including homes and land. They are taking advantage of a buyer's market. A large inventory of unsold properties, and low interest rates, have put buyers in charge of the market.

Are you taking advantage of buying opportunities?

I use those words "taking advantage" guardedly. Please don't follow the example of some buyers by making such a low offer on a property that there's almost no chance of making a deal. Not all sellers are desperate to unload real estate, and they will not entertain offers that border on insult.

On the other hand, many bargains are there for the taking. In our own area around Americus and Ellaville, Ga., we have the most houses for sale right now that we have had in my 13 years in this real estate market. Many sellers are ready to deal; they just want to be treated fairly.

Mortgage money is available from a wide variety of sources, and lenders are eager to work with you. If you are thinking about buying real estate, and have not been pre-approved for mortgage loan, talk with a lender soon. The pre-approved buyer always has the advantage over one who hasn't bothered to nail down the source of a loan.

I've said this a thousand times, but here I go again: Whenever possible, work with a local lender, someone who is a part of your community, someone you may see at the grocery store or gas station. Local lenders share your interest in your community because it's also theirs. And they compete for your business.

May I get a bit personal? I recently listed a very nice property in a very nice neighborhood in Americus. If you know someone looking in the $250,000 range, please tell them to call me. (229-924-3089)

There are some nice properties priced well under that figure, too. If you are thinking of buying, you need to be looking now. If you are thinking of selling, price your property to compete. You may want to give it a spring makeover. If you would like to have my personal advice, without obligation, please get in touch.

Best wishes, buyers and sellers.

It's a rainy day in Georgia, or at least in my part of it. After a low of 18 degrees Thursday night, this rainy day is comparatively warm. Great day for staying in and writing a blog entry.

Yours truly listed a property in Sumter County last week. It's a nice country place. House with three bedrooms and two baths on 5.69 acres with a red barn. Located at 582 Ga.Hwy.49 S, which is southwest of Americus. $75,000.

Monday is the official Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and the next day we swear in our new president, the nation's first African-American. In my lifetime we have seen men land on the moon, and now this monumental event in our nation's history. Americans can now choose to mope around and talk about how bad the economy is, or adopt a positive attitude and resolve to forge ahead as a great people. Someone once said, "Ninety percent of success is having a positive attitude."

Currently, I'm involved in my first "short sale." It's a situation in which a property is being sold for less than the borrower owes on it. I'm the listing agent, so I'm doing my best to make sure my client is protected to the extent possible. To be candid with you, I have been a bit apprehensive about being paid my commission. Likewise, the selling agent wants to be sure he is covered. My conversations with the lender's representative have been reassuring, and the preliminary closing document shows the commission.

We Realtors work for nothing right up until the moment of closing. I would hate for that time to come, and have to leave empty handed. There are many hoops to jump through between here and there, and it would be nice to be compensated. Seriously, I'm not worried about it, but this is a first-time experience for both me and the selling agent.

At the moment, I must get ready to run an errand, so will sign off and post this soon. Happy New Year everyone! And let's do what we can to make it a prosperous one.

Are any properties being sold in the Americus and Ellaville market these days? The answer is yes. Even in today's market, which is depressed at worst and uncertain at best, people are buying and selling real estate. Foreclosures account for some of the numbers, but let's take a look at listed properties during the past 30 days, beginning November 21.

The Americus area Multiple Listing Service, which includes Sumter, Schley and adjacent counties, records sales on a daily basis. In the past 30 days, 10 listed residential properties have changed hands. They ranged in price from $26,900 to $485,000. In the same period, no listed commercial or land properties have been sold.

The total number of residential properties listed in the MLS in the past 30 days has ranged from a high of 136 to a low of 131. This tells us that in the same period that 10 residential properties were sold other properties were newly listed, so there was never more than a five-unit spread in the number of properties on the market. The total has remained above 130 for the entire period.

It's also clear that inventory -- the number of unsold houses in the MLS -- remains rather high week after week, which is another way of saying that not many are being sold. Ten sold houses in 30 days is one house every three days. With over 130 houses to choose from, that sales figure seems pretty low.

However, let's not forget FSBOs (For Sale by Owner) which are not listed in the MLS. A few of them have been sold in the past 30 days. Also, some foreclosures and some REO's (Real Estate Owned by banks) were sold, and not all of them were listed with Realtors. Add them all up, and the total houses sold exceeded the 10 in the Multiple Listing Service.

What can we surmise from all of this? For one thing, even when the economy is in recession some people buy and sell real estate. In fact, some buyers are extra active in "down" markets. They sometimes are able to buy properties below normal market value. For example, the market for houses priced below $60,000 has been good for investors lately. Many are buying these small houses, renovating them, and renting them out for long-term income. Many investors believe real estate is a safer place to put one's money these days than stocks.

Buyers with adequate credit scores and other qualifiers can obtain mortgage loans. While lending qualifications may have tightened up since the days of high-risk lending that threatened to collapse the mortgage industry, money is available for the qualified buyer. Is that you? Find out by talking with a mortgage lender. (Remember: Deal with local lenders when possible. To them you are more than an account number in a distant location; you are part of their community.)

After you have been pre-approved (with conditions) for a mortgage loan, get together with a Realtor and look at some properties in your price range. You may be pleasantly surprised to see what you can afford.

Latest studies tell us that about 80 percent of people looking for real estate to buy search for it on the Internet. Print advertising -- in newspapers and magazines -- still reaches some buyers, but online advertising reaches the most.

If you are selling real estate, you need to have your property on the "world wide web."

Q: Who gives your property the most exposure to potential buyers?

A: Michael Dixon Realty

Put this claim to the test. Go on Google, the major search engine, and type in the search bar:

On the first three pages, out of 10 items per page, you will find that Michael Dixon Realty outnumbers other sites that advertise real estate for sale in Americus, Sumter County, Ellaville and Schley County. In fact, there's no comparison. Other real estate companies that serve our area are hard to find -- even if you look for them.

My sites have different domain names: americusgarealestate.com, ellaville-schley-homes-land.com, clientrealty.net and michaeldixonrealty.com, but all of them are called Michael Dixon Realty when you open them.

If a buyer happens to miss seeing your property on one site, he or she probably will find it on another. Again, the other real estate companies in the Americus and Ellaville market offer you nothing comparable.

What about print advertising? When I invest in print advertising I want it to be in a classy publication with some shelf life. That publication is Premier Monthly, a magazine with a mix of well written articles, professional quality photographs, and eye catching ads. Premier Monthly is circulated in more than 3,000 locations in 400 towns and resorts in eight Southeastern states. It is free of charge, and people tend to hang onto copies for future reference because of the recipes, feature stories, photos and ads.

By contrast, what usually happens to your property's ad in a newspaper? We all know the answer to that one.

When you're ready to advertise your property, and you want maximum exposure to prospective buyers, call Michael at 229-924-3089. Let's talk about all the advantages you'll enjoy when you do business with Michael Dixon Realty. (One of them is that your property will have its own, individual, unique website on the Internet. No other company in this area does that for you.)

There's a reason why my business slogan is: "This is real estate today."

Are you looking for a house or land to buy in Americus, Ga., Ellaville, Ga., Plains, Leslie and vicinity? What's available in Schley County, Sumter County and other nearby counties in southwest Georgia?

As of August 7, 2008, if you were looking for a house to buy, you could choose from a total of 153 in the Multiple Listing Service -- MLS -- for this area. That totals included 74 homes in Americus, 49 in Sumter County, 21 in Schley County (including Ellaville) and 9 in other counties such as Macon or Marion.

Are you looking for land? As of August 7, 2008, here are the numbers of available lots and tracts. Farms: 3, all in Sumter County. Acreage: 16 tracts in Sumter County, 11 in Schley. Residential lots: 4 in Americus, 28 in Sumter County, 15 in Schley County and 2 in nearby counties. Vacant commercial lots: 10 in Americus, 5 in Sumter and 1 in Schley. Industrial properties (land and buildings): total of 24.

If you're a seller, these numbers give you an idea of the competition your property faces from other sellers.

Although a few properties, especially residential and land, are being sold these days, we still have a large inventory of unsold properties. This is good news for buyers -- IF they can get financing. If you are thinking of buying, do yourself a favor and get pre-approved for a mortgage loan.

Pre-approval will tell you your price range. It also will give you an advantage with sellers who expect you to have done your "homework" before trying to put their property under contract. You need to KNOW you can get that mortgage loan when you make your offer to buy a house or land.

Pre-approval also gives you an advantage with real estate agents. They are looking for buyers who are prepared to act when they find an acceptable property. Believe me, agents will go the extra mile for buyers who have taken the time to get pre-approved for a mortgage loan.

If you don't already have an agent to show you properties and prepare your written offers, how about me? I am now in my 12th year of helping buyers and sellers of real estate in the Americus and Ellaville area. I'll gladly show you any listed property regardless of the listing company, and will be your professional assistant right through the closing of your purchase.

My services to buyers are free.

And please consider this: As a token of my appreciation for your business, I give you your choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift card valued at $400 (if your purchase is for $85,000 or more). It's my way of saying thanks for your business.

If you're selling, and looking for an experienced Realtor, let me tell you the things I do for my clients that give you a competitive edge and probably will save you money. Call me at 229-924-3089.

A question I'm often asked is, "Where is your office?" People seem surprised when I reply, "I don't have one."

Then I explain: I don't need an office to conduct a real estate business. I do need a car, a telephone, a fax machine, a computer, a printer, a scanner and a copier. I need some copy paper and some extra ink cartridges. I need some letterhead stationery and some postage stamps, and I need a table where customers can sit and sign documents. I have all of the above in my home.

"Oh, so you have a home office," they usually say. "No, actually, I have no office. My equipment and supplies are in my den, and I have a dining table. So although I have everything I need to conduct business, there's no office."

Aside from not needing an office, there's another good reason why I don't have one: lower operating costs. There's no additional mortgage payment or rent payment, no additional utility bills, no additional insurance, no additional property tax, no building maintenance costs, no lawn care costs, no expensive furniture, no secretary, none of the routine costs of business operation.

So, what difference does this make for my customers? A few differences come to mind: For sellers, it often means lower fees; if my operating costs are lower, I can take less of the seller's money at closing and still do okay for myself. I can afford to spend more on advertising properties. For example, I advertise properties in a high quality real estate magazine called Premier Monthly, which is distributed in more than 400 towns in eight Southeastern states. For another, I create an individual, unique web page on the Internet for each of my listings. It costs me some money, but it helps sell properties.

What do my lower operating costs do for buyers? I give my buyers their choice of a one-year home warranty or a Lowe's gift card valued at $400 if they buy a property for $85,000 or more. If they do business with me, I reward them. Everybody wins.

So you see, not having an office with all of its associated expenses makes perfect sense in this day of high costs. It works for me.

My slogan is: This is real estate today. If you have any thoughts on the subject, and would like to share them, please email me -- michael@michaeldixonrealty.com -- or call me at 229-924-3089.

Last weekend both of my parents' families held their annual reunions. The Dixons got together in their home town of Waycross on Saturday. To be more precise, their home town is Blackshear, but most of them now live in Waycross. About 80 Dixons, in-laws, aunts, uncles and cousins showed up.

The next day, Sunday, the Murray-Etheredge reunion was held at the Concord United Methodist Church in Schley County. Again, for the sake of accuracy, it should be said that my mother was a Lawhorn. But her particular Lawhorn family is now history except for her youngest sister, the last survivor, who is 88 and lives in Gwinnett County.

My mother's mother was an Etheredge (Cora) who married a Lawhorn (Fred D.). Both are buried with an infant child at the cemetery at Concord. Through my mother, I am descended from the Etheredges, Murrays and Lightners who settled in the Concord area in the mid-1800s. And so it is that I attend the Murray-Etheredge reunion every year on the third Sunday.

It's always good to see kinfolks. In the back of your mind you know you could be seeing some of them for the last time, life expectancies being what they are. My dad was one of 13 children of whom six remain. They posed for a picture Saturday. Then their children all stood together and smiled for the cameras, and then the children's children.

At this stage of my life, I know the names of the older generation, but few of the younger ones. As the elders go on to their reward in eternity, the families continue to grow but I know fewer and fewer names. In due time, I, too, will drop off the rolls. Truth forces itself upon us. We deal with it.

After our sumptuous meal at Concord Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us rode over to the Philippi Primitive Baptist Church and cemetery. The old church building still stands, but for how much longer? My cousins Margaret McMickle Gooding, Norman Manning and I were old enough to remember attending services and dinner on the grounds at Philippi.

Inside the church, the men sat on one side and the women on the other with an aisle between them. The congregation practiced foot washing. I recall seeing that symbolic act performed as members seated on the front pew would place their feet in a metal wash basin to be washed by other members.

If you have memories of people and events in Ellaville and Schley County, you would enjoy visiting the Yahoo group "Ellaville Memories." It is there for anyone with Ellaville or Schley County roots to post their memories and old photos. The website is moderated by former Ellaville resident Ernie Jones. It is entertaining and informative, and it serves as well as a repository of vignettes and pictures of people and the things they did years ago.

Another valuable source of Ellaville and Schley County history is the Schley GenWeb site maintained by Harris Hill, a Florida resident with strong Schley County ties. Harris is indefatigable. He has transcribed many articles from old newspapers that served the area over the years including The Ellaville Sun. If history interests you, visit (and contribute to, if possible) these informative websites. We must not bury our history.

MLS mysteries:

Just in case you have not had any experience with the MLS -- Multiple Listing Service -- let me give you a brief introduction.

A Multiple Listing Service is a voluntary, cooperative group that real estate brokers and agents join to make it easier for buyers, sellers and REALTORS to get from point A to point B in the real estate buying and selling process.

For example, the Americus Board of Realtors has its own MLS, with its own website, where sellers can advertise their properties for sale and buyers can "shop" for properties to buy. REALTOR members of the MLS make their listings available to each other for showing and selling.

As a buyer, you can use one agent to look at any listed property in the MLS rather than skip around from agent to agent in different companies. Your agent can show you all the other agents' listings, and handle your offer if you make one.

When your purchase is closed and you become the new owner of a piece of real estate, the company that listed the property is paid a commission. If you worked with a different company to buy the property, the two companies will split the commission, usually 50-50.

Throughout the process you have been able to look at properties and purchase one while working with one agent. This enabled the agent to get to know your likes and dislikes about houses or land, and be better able to help you find what you wanted.

The MLS makes it possible for one agent to take care of you from start to finish. It gets the property sold by the seller, bought by the buyer, and earns a commission for the listing broker, the selling broker, and the agent or agents who worked with the buyer and the seller.

When you go online to look for a home or land to buy, hopefully you and the agent who shows properties to you will develop a rapport and be confortable working together. When that happens, stick with your agent. Your loyalty will motivate your agent to help you reach your objective. Everybody wins.

Do you have a question about buying or selling a house or land? For example, what is earnest money? What happens to your earnest money? Who gets it? How about commissions? How do you decide how much commission to pay? Who pays the commission? Buyer, seller, or both? It's something to think about. Email me at: michael@michaeldixonrealty.com or call me at 229-924-3089.

P.S. -- Don't listen to the doom and gloom commentators on TV about us being in a recession, and how terrible everything is. They are politically motivated, and are trying to effect the outcome of the November presidential election. The growth of our economy has slowed, but it does not meet the standard definition of a recession.

This is a great time to buy real estate because supply exceeds demand and most prices are negotiable. The value of your property should appreciate as the inventory of unsold properties declines. Think long term. As an investment, real estate should be a top priority.

Being "pre-qualified" is usually a reference to having a preliminary clearance to obtain a mortgage loan. Sometimes it's called "pre-approval," but by whatever name, it precedes final approval. There are hoops to jump through in the loan application process, beginning with a chat with your friendly loan person. That always should be your first step when you are thinking about buying real estate.

I tell my customers: Don't look at homes or land for sale until you have at least been pre-qualified by a lender. Ask the lender for a written statement. It will be conditioned on your meeting certain requirements, but it will give a seller some assurance that you have the ability to buy his or her property.

Pre-qualification tells you your price range. Why waste time looking at properties you can't afford? If you have been pre-qualified for a loan of $100,000, there's no reason to look at houses priced at $200,000.

There's another kind of pre-qualification that's very important as well: motivation. On your list of priorities, how high is buying a house? If you are both financially and mentally ready to buy a house now, then you are pre-qualified. If one element is lacking, you are not ready to buy.

Money and motivation: Make sure you have both.

When your real estate agent can see that you are ready, he or she will go all out to help you reach your goal of home ownership. After all, your agent is also motivated. There's a commission check waiting at the end of the process, but to get there may require a large investment of time, energy and expertise by the agent.

We REALTORS get paid, not so much for what we do, but for what we know how to do. A big part of what we do in many cases is "put out fires." We save deals that might otherwise go down the tubes. Again, we are motivated by the financial reward that awaits us. If our buyer and seller are equally motivated, we all will be rewarded at the closing table.

If you are a first-time buyer, and want to get started on the right foot to buy a home of your own, please call me. Let's chat. I have no "sales pitch," and there are no "dumb questions." I'll try to put myself in your place, and give you my best advice. Till then, best wishes.