 Amanda and I work in the Buford are KW office. And, we have constantly heard other agents RAVE about this place. I think I had a sandwich from this place a couple years back and it was good, but we just hadn't sought this place out. It is a little off our beaten path.
Well, we were missing out! The first thing that you will notice is that the restaurant is actually a converted service station. It is decorated tastefully.... if Yoda on a shelf with lights projected above it to give a water-like illusion on the ceiling can be tasteful.... When I write that, it sounds tacky... but somehow it worked. One of the other things that worked was the wait staff. Kelly was our waitress and she was fantastic. Not only was she friendly and attentive, she actually knew the specials, and could describe them. She knew the regular menu equally well. She was able to answer questions and give suggestions. Honestly, it was one of the most pleasant experiences we have had with wait staff in at least a day. (There is a certain other place in downtown Buford that we learned not to go for lunch at around 2:15pm. Apparently, their kitchen closes at 2:30pm, and they do not appreciate having people pop in so close to the kitchen closing down) Actually, she really was fantastic and her knowledge of the menu really was amazing. And, she may have been faking it, but we didn't get "I don't know, I've never had that". So, what about the food? Amanda had the Scallop Po Boy special paired with sweet potato fries, and I had the Royal rooster with Fried Green tomatoes. The portions were more than ample, which is saying something because, well.... I am more than ample..... which means I can usually finish my meal. I was unable to today. It was all fantastic. I am a fried food connoisseur. One of the things that bothers me the most is food prepared in old grease, or grease that has been burnt, or that is not kept hot enough. All of our food was fried. (yep.... we are health nuts) And, all of it was delicious. None of the fried foods tasted like they were prepared in old oil and even though Rico's has a lot of fish items on the menu, the Chick, Tomatoes and Sweet Potato chips didn't have any hint of a fishy taste. Everything was crispy, hot and juicy and very well seasoned. And, as far as prices go, it is very reasonable. Mine was under 10.00 and Amanda's was 11.50. If you are looking for a great place that isn't the same ole' same ole', that is delicious, fun and reasonably priced, I hope you will consider Rico's World Kitchen. It will certainly be on our rotation from now on. Oh, and don't forget to ask for Kelly..... did I mention she was amazing?  As I was driving into the office today, I heard a national mortgage company advertising lender paid mortgage insurance, and I thought about how misleading the ad was to the public.
So, here is an overview of mortgage insurance. What is mortgage insurance? Basically, mortgage insurance protects the lender if you default on your loan. It is not home owner's insurance in any way, and really offers the home owner no protection at all. For a conventional loan, it is not required if you are putting down 20%. For an FHA loan, the MI is always required. And, for conventional loans, it is actually Private Mortgage Insurance, which is why it is abbreviated as PMI. For FHA and USDA, it is just MI. PMI and MI can vary in terms of cost due to the following factors: Loan type, Loan Amount, LTV, and credit score. PMI can be removed after a minimum of two years if the loan to value hits 78%. That can happen from additional principle payments or appreciation. Either way, you will likely have to have an appraisal from the banks approved list of appraisers. In fact, they will most likely order the appraisal themselves. You will also have had to have on time payments for at least 24 months. One hitch with FHA loans is that the MI cannot be removed.....ever. This is a recent change, that is often misunderstood. So, what's with lender paid PMI? The lender makes the interest rate higher to pay for the PMI. It will usually result in a lower payment versus a payment with normal PMI. The hitch comes in that your rate will be locked in higher. So, if you were to keep the loan for the full 30 years, you would actually pay more than if you had PMI that could be removed. The point is that the lender isn't paying it for you out of the goodness of their heart. You pay a higher rate. It may be worth it. You may be able to afford a larger, nicer, more expensive home with lender paid MI. But, just know going into it that there are pluses and minuses to this loan product. If you have questions, don't hesitate to call me at 678-992-3817. If you have feedback, please leave it below! And, as always, "Make the Wise Move".  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have formally announced their 3% down options on home purchases.
“The new lending guidelines released today by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will enable creditworthy borrowers who can afford a mortgage, but lack the resources to pay a substantial down payment plus closing costs, to get a mortgage with 3% down. These underwriting guidelines provide a responsible approach to improving access to credit while ensuring safe and sound lending practices.” FHFA Director Mel Watt Click here for details...  Let's take a look at the projections on the number of home sales (existing and new construction) we will see over the next two years. Click here for the good news!
 Consumers use technology to do just about everything, including looking for and buying a home. A recent independent poll commissioned by Discover Home Loans shows 89 percent of homebuyers use some form of online technology to help them with the homebuying process. In fact, 76 percent of buyers feel technology made them a smarter homebuyer and 69 percent says it made them more confident.
A Better Buyer Buyers who use technology during the homebuying process feel smarter, more confident and more satisfied.
While it’s no surprise nine out of 10 buyers, 89 percent, use online resources during the homebuying process, two-thirds say looking at online property listings has reached the point of becoming addictive. The top three ways people use online resources in the homebuying process are:
Nearly all, 93 percent, of technology users say technology allowed them to do things remotely they otherwise would have had to do in person. “Buyers are clearly looking to play a larger role in the homebuying process and turning to the latest technologies to find the information they need,” says TJ Freeborn, senior manager of customer experience at Discover Home Loans. “Technology is a great resource for buyers because it gives them access to online property listings, allows them to preview homes and find reviews on real estate agents and mortgage lenders. It’s truly changing the homebuying process, and the result is a more confident, informed buyer.” Technology’s Impact on Real Estate Agents While the real estate agent’s role remains critical, technology has become more important to buyers, and more integrated in the work of both real estate agents and buyers in the homebuying process. Understanding the more informed and confident homebuyer is essential for an effective real estate agent-buyer relationship. The real estate agent’s role is still critical, as 83 percent of respondents reported working with real estate agents to buy their homes. Seventy-four percent of homebuyers feel it’s important for their real estate agents to be tech savvy, with most, 82 percent, saying their agent was tech savvy. In communicating with agents though, nearly all, 98 percent, communicate through phone calls. Of buyers working with agents, 42 percent feel that they did most of the work to initially find properties. The national survey of 1,003 recent homebuyers was commissioned by Discover Home Loans and conducted by Versta Research, an independent survey research firm (http://www.verstaresearch.com), September 5 to September 17, 2014. The sample was carefully balanced and weighted using AHS (American Housing Survey) and NAR (National Association of Realtors) data to ensure an accurate representation of homebuyers by region, age, marital status, and first-time vs. repeat homebuyer status. Source: Business Wire Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved. Want to know what to look for in an agent? Click here for "5 Demands to Make On Your Real Estate Agent" Want to talk to a great agent that meets all these criteria and will go above and beyond to make you happy? Click here! 
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