Lindsay's experience in different aspects of real estate and administration make her the perfect Director of Operations for The Giant Group. She ensures our team runs smoothly and our clients are happy and satisfied. She is very positive and enjoys helping others, which makes her an amazing fit in her position here at The Giant Group.

Lindsay is married with 3 awesome boys. These days Lindsay can be either be found at work, real estate school, the ball field, or at church! She is one busy girl, but is always there when you need her. We appreciate Lindsay and all she does for our team and our clients. We are so happy and proud to have her in The Giant Group!

"Since joining The Giant Group, I have found where I belong. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I try to live life with a spirit of thankfulness!" -Lindsay

We asked Lindsay a few fun questions to help our clients and friendsget to know her a little better!

1.    What would you name the autobiography of your life?

She Made It! 

2.    If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

Sewing

3.     If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Take a vacation to Ireland

4.     When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time?

Chores, Netflix, Coloring

5.    If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose and why?

No Clue! Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman….because I just really like that movie. 

6.     What is something you learned in the last week?

I love my career!

7.     What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?

Anything as long as I’m with family and friends

8.    What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?

             Be true to you! You can survive anything!

9. How do you define success?

            When the people around you are succeeding 

10. What is your favorite thing about working at The Giant Group?

            They are like family! 

11. What are your plans for the future? 

            To travel more

12. People would be surprised if they knew: 

            I’m an introvert.

13. What do you like to do on your days off? 

            Spend time with all my boys!

14. What does a typical day look like for you?

            Work, school, baseball, and church 

15. What is on your bucket list?

            To go to Ireland

16. What is one thing you can’t live without? 

            My Boys

17. You’re happiest when? 

            The people around me are happy

18. What is your biggest pet peeve?

            When I can’t fix something 

19. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

            Sunflower Yellow

20. What are you most proud of?

            My Salvation 

21. What is your favorite movie of all time?

           Pride and Prejudice and Pretty Woman

Don't miss our First Annual Client Appreciation Fall Festival Event this Saturday October 6th at Peloquin's Perch from 10AM to 2PM! We have so many fun and exciting things lined up! It will be fun for the whole family! Don't Forget to stop by our booth to say Hi! We have some giveaways for you as well as a chance to win a night out for two to dinner and a movie!

Here are some of the fun activities we have lined up for the event! 

Pumpkin Patch 

Yard Games - jingo, corn hole, bocci, and kerplunk

Live Animals - llamas and ponies

Inflatables 

Singing Princesses and Pirates

Pet Adoptions from Fur the Animals Rescue, CSRA Forgotten Souls Rescue, and Best Buddies Rescue

Family Photos

Food Trucks - Jerk City Truck, Shave Ice Sweet Treats, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more

We have a wide range of vendors who will be offering everything from artwork to vacation planning. A few items you will see at the festival are tile art, home décor, wood art, watercolor painting, wreaths and arrangements, Color Street, holiday ornaments & cards, wood decorations, Scentsy, SeneGence, Paparazzi, Disney Vacation Planning, Lula Roe, Plunder, Elevate Coffee, Advocare, and more! 

THANK YOU To Our Sponsors!

Take a look at a few of our business recommendations in the CSRA! We work personally and professionally with our sponsors want to refer them to our clients and friends!

If you have any questions about this event, feel free to call 706-831-2295 or contact Lindsay at Lindsay@thegiantgroup.org

RSVP or Tap Interested On Our Facebook Event Here!

We Hope To See You There! 

#1. You can sell your home faster with an agent

Selling your home with an agent results in a faster sale. Real estate agents already have the systems in place to market your home effectively and are ready to get your home sold FAST! They have access to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) databases, which are widely searched by people looking for homes. Many times, an agent is already working with multiple buyers and may be able toget an offer on your house before it even hits the market. Long story short…an agent has more contacts and resources than you do. They know the business inside and out and are equipped to deal with any situation that arises. A real estate agent is in the business of building relationships with everyone around them, so when it comes time to list your home they may already have multiple buyers in their back pocket.

#2. You could come away with more $$$

You heard that right! You may be trying to list your home on your own to save some cash, but you may end up losing money on the deal. Not only are you narrowing your market to those who are willing to deal without an agent, but you may also lose thousands on the sale price. Real estate agents are literally experts in the field and will do everything they can to get the most money for your home. In most cases, your financial position will be much better even after paying a commission.  

Agents spend years learning everything they can about marketing homes and it isn't something a “For Sale by Owner” could just learn overnight.  Yes, we do more than just open doors for potential buyers.

#3. Take the spam out of property showings 

If you have a FSBO sign in your yard, people will show up unannounced to look. I mean you’re the agent, right?! You never know when someone might be driving by and want to stop out of curiosity. You may think these are good leads, but having an agent filters out those who just want to window shop. An agent is only showing your home to pre-approved buyers who are ready to make an offer on your home.  

#4. Greater safety & privacy to a seller

This is a big one! Real estate agents will not show your home to just anyone. An agent will weed out those who only want to look and waste time.  Instead, most agents will recommend buyers become pre-qualified for a mortgage first. This ensures they only show people homes that are in their price range and for which the potential buyer has been approved while also providing a greater level of personal safety and privacy for a seller.

#5. Selling with an agent saves you time

It takes a lot of time and effort to effectively list and market a home as well as getting from the contract to the closing table. There are so many details that are not as straight forward as just putting a sign in the yard. You’ll need to have showings, open houses, place online ads, answer emails and phone calls, draw up contracts, coordinate inspections, complete legal documents, and so much more. If you get an offer and a contract, it may fall through as it sometimes does and you’ll start the whole process over.  Bottom line is this - you will need to become a full time agent while your home is on the market if you sell it yourself. 

#6. An agent is unbiased

Agents have no emotional attachment to your home. Most sellers tend to price their home higher than the comparable homes around the area while an agent will price your home accordingly. Your agent can also give you practical advice on staging your home or avoiding certain color schemes. 

#7. Buyers don't feel like you’re watching their every move

Buyers don’t want to feel like they are being watched. When selling a home yourself, you are the one showing your home. This can make buyers uncomfortable. You may also attract fewer buyers, because not everyone is comfortable handling real estate transactions on their own. Buyers who feel intimidated by this process will likely consult with a realtor, and will consequently avoid viewing any “for sale by owner” homes.

#8. They negotiate every aspect of the deal

Agents don’t just negotiate price! The negotiation list is endless when it comes to getting a sale to go through. If you’re not skilled at negotiating, you may find yourself agreeing to unfavorable terms, simply because you get an offer close to your listing price. There are taxes, closing costs, repairs, and many other items to consider in the negotiation, and you don’t want to get an unfair deal just because you are not skilled in the process.  

#9. An agent and their team guide you through the whole process

Getting an offer on your home is not the end of the road in selling your home. In some cases, that is where the hard part starts. There is a lot of negotiation that goes on behind the scenes that agents and their skilled team deal with on a daily basis. 

Inspections are one of the many areas where things could get hairy. On top of that there’s appraisals, title searches, and so much more. A buyer’s loan could also be a source of frustration, if you aren’t well versed in the process. Most things are negotiable in a sale so knowing what repairs are standard and what you can get away with not doing could save you thousands. Contracts on the sale of your home may also need to be very specific and the loan could fall through if you don’t have everything just right. This could mean the loss of a potential buyer. Let's not even get started on the fact that your home might not even appraise. 

Overall, your sale is more likely to end up on a positive note when you enlist the help of a realtor from the beginning. If you’re considering buying or selling property in the CSRA, contact The GIANT Group so we can help you every step of the way! 

Last week we had the chance to do some team building at Mega Camp 2018, where we were able to focus on our goals and embrace big opportunities ahead of us. 

Jennifer Ramey, Vicki Flores, and Lindsay Straughn

We were also able to gain inspiration from some of the most esteemed leaders in the industry. Some wisdom we took back to the Giant Group was to be intentional in everything that we do. Whether it be working with our team selling homes or working on personal goals, we want to be purposeful. We found that each of us have an individual path, and we can walk it better than anyone else! We look forward to honing our leadership skills to skyrocket our business and be a GIANT in the industry to serve you better.

Lindsay Straughn & Jennifer Ramey             Lindsay Straughn & Vicki Flores

Our team leader, Jennifer Ramey, wants to create a culture of “Feel It” moments for our team! This means that we will strive to be more than just real estate agents, and selling homes will be more than just a job. We are business owners and team leaders, and it is our passion! We look forward to creating an environment within our group that is inviting to everyone we come in contact with.

We not only want our team members to thrive but we want our clients to have a cherished experience because it is such an important time in their lives. Whether you are buying a home, investing in a property, or selling your house, you are making huge decisions that impact your life greatly, and that matters to us. We want you to know that we are intent on building a relationship and not just a transaction. We have big goals and great vision for the upcoming year, and we look forward to sharing all of our growth with you, our client and friend.

And of course...we intend to have a lot of fun along the way! We hope you will join us on this awesome journey!

Vicki Flores

Just another reason why Keller Williams is the best place to buy or sell your home. 

The ZERO PLUS loan by Keller Williams is a unique loan with NO LENDER FEES! You might be asking, how is that possible? Well, it's simple. Keller Williams exists solely to give Keller Williams agents the ability to provide their clients a financial benefit by providing thousands in savings!

A Zero Plus Loan is ONLY available to those who are involved in a KW transaction! It's a win-win! You get thousands in savings, and you buy with us. It's that simple. 

So I keep saying thousands of savings...lets see the breakdown! Not only does the buyer get $1000 at closing. You save thousands on lenders fees. Typically lenders fees are about 2%. That could be up to $6000 on a $300,000 loan. That's a chunk of change! 

Not only is there huge upfront savings, interest rates are low, which will save you even more in the long run. 

So the question is, what are you waiting for? If you are looking to buy a home, chances are you will need a loan. Get Pre-Approved today right from our APP! Download Our App and Apply Now!

Once you have it downloaded, just click the bottom right icon that says "Keller Mortgage Save Thousands". 

If you have any other questions about this amazing opportunity, give us a call! 706-831-2295

You’ve spent weeks getting your house in order. The kids are back into their school routine, and your home is a well oiled machine! Right?!...

If you are like me, this probably isn’t the case. Pretty soon you’ll have school papers stacked to the ceiling, fundraiser packets spilling onto the floor, and no time to organize any of it. It’s NOT too late to get things in order before the chaos starts. 

Here are just a few tips to get things in order before it’s too late! 

1. Make A Backpack Station

You’re one of two people. You’ve already done this and you’re thinking “duh, way ahead of you” or…you’re like me and sometimes you let events like the first day of school sneak up on you. If you’re the latter, you’re probably thinking “OK Susan, I’m trying to get organized here, not start construction on my house.” It’s ok. It can be as SIMPLE or elaborate as you want. The only necessity is a hook or a cubby to give the book bag a landing area when it comes through the door. Everything else is up to you. Make it your own!

2. Put The Papers Away

What do you want to keep, and what do you want to throw away? If it’s staying, give it a home! If you’re a pack rat like me and have a hard time throwing away school papers and projects, use file folders and label them by year. Use mail sorters or cute bins to sort things you're keeping or need on a daily basis.

This next one sounds simple, but you probably aren’t doing it and it could really save your life. Ok…not literally, but you get the point.

3. Write It Down

You probably have a million things happening all the time. You can’t keep it all in your head. Take notes! I’ve recently started a bullet journal to keep up with things, and it is amazing. I keep record of upcoming events for the kids, homework schedules, recipes, party plans, and much more. If you’re more of a techy person, use a notes app.  Again, make it your own. Make it as simple or extravagant as you like. 

Are you getting frustrated that your home hasn't already sold? Has it been sitting on the market with little to no showings, while houses nearby are going under contract almost immediately? We're here to tell you, the solution is simple: lower the price! I know, I know, you probably already heard this from your agent and thought that it was worth the price you wanted. But the truth of the matter is, the market is hot. It's at the hottest point it has been in a long time, and if your home isn't selling in today's market, and your agent is working their butt off to market it, then the price is too high.

Who doesn't want to sell what they own, and cherish, for the most they can get? And your agent wants to sell your home for top dollar as well! But if you still haven't received an offer in such a strong seller's market, it's time to sit down with your agent, reevaluate your motivation to sell, and talk about a new price. Do you have goals when it comes to moving? A new house, a new state? That's awesome! So if you want to move forward with your life, cut out the stress of slowing down your sale, and make the best decision to ensure your home can get under contract. And keep in mind, there is a highly likely chance, that by pricing lower than market value, you can anticipate a bidding frenzy that can get you even more than you anticipated. Supply and demand, it works wonders when you let your agent play the numbers to get buyers in a frenzy for your home. Drop it down to what your trusted agent recommends, and you'll be putting your best foot forward in your market. 

Congratulations to our buyers and sellers this week.

It's a great time to buy or sell your home! We've had a busy week at the Giant Group offices! We've had 4 closings and 2 more under contract. Let us help you sell your home! It's a great time to list, and our team is ready to help you every step of the way. 

Call the Giant Group today! 706-831-2295