The Dirt Lady, serving Madison GA and Lake Oconee

  When you’re buying a Lake Oconee home – should you buy the best view or best home? When searching for your lake home on 19,000 acre LakeOconee, how do you sort out your priorities?   If you’re lucky enough to be able to say "money is no object", then you can choose a great home on a fantastic l...

When I list a property, I promise the homeowner that I'll do everything reasonably possible to get qualified buyers to know about their home, and to be sure its presented in the best possible light. Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and literally hundreds of other search sites have created a modern re...

  You and your better half are looking for a new home, and it’s looking like an episode of House Hunters on HGTV.     One of you is focused on the house. It can’t be too old, and it must have updates like a jetted tub, and hard surface counters, and oiled bronze finishes.        Wood floors, exce...

  This is my first original post since before Christmas - you may recall that I cleared my schedule for a 3000 mile road trip to enjoy the Dufort Family annual Christmas party in upstate NY and time with my daughter's family over New Year. Reached home late last Sunday, January 4 - and my dance c...

Recently I did an addition on my 1970's cabin - the new space has foam insulation and large windows made to modern standards. The original space at least got wrapped with insulation when we replaced the siding with hardy board, but funds ran short before we could replace the windows. At least I h...

Are you looking for a home in the Madison Georgia area that's priced under the median sale price of $200,000, and was built in 2000 or newer? There are just a few homes that fit that criteria: two are small cottages in Madison's acclaimed Historic District, within walking distance of shops and re...

Excellent news for qualified borrowers - this upcoming change in how PMI (private mortgage insurance) is priced could shave as much as $100 per month off the cost of a $250,000 home! Mortgage underwriting standards have long since been tightened, and research shows that low-down payment borrowers...

The gift of time. Its irreplaceable, and priceless. I've been thinking about how to use time this holiday season, with inlaws 90 miles away, daughter and family 400 miles away, and my family in upstate NY nearly 1000 miles away. Making the "family christmas" with as many of my 6 siblings and thei...

I have been using Madison Tire and Auto for many years now - its a low key place. No flashy web presence, not on the fashionable side of town. Just good service - they have put tires on many of my vehicles, and even a horse trailer or two. A few years ago, Scott joined the team. He brought with h...

FAA has kicked the can down the road, with its recent announcement extending its deadline for determining rules that would allow the use of drones for aerial photography in the real estate business. Last month, I reported on the seminar on drones, offered at the recent NAR conference in New Orlea...