Friday, February 13, 2009

Editor's note: Hello, Georgia. Georgia Online News Service leads off today with a great business story on the innovative steps some condo developers are taking to sell units during the national financial crisis. The article, by business writer Jeanne Bonner, comes in two versions: If you're an Atlanta news organization, the article focuses on metro developers; for those elsewhere in the state, we have a version with the emphasis on other cities.

Bonner, who is prolific today, also has a column on Valentine's Day – it's not what you'd call sentimental, however.

Finally, for Soapbox today, Ralph Reed is back with a look at Barack Obama's opening days as president. It all reminds Reed of another president – can you guess which one?

As always, we'd like to hear from you. GONSO is an enterprise founded and staffed by more than two dozen leading journalists and media executives in Georgia. We're providing content free -- for a limited period. Newspapers, broadcasters, bloggers and websites are welcome to use our articles -- please credit the writers and the Georgia Online News Service.

Send your comments and any story ideas to executive editor John Sugg at john.sugg@georgiaonlinenews.org. You can also call us at 800-891-3459.
Today's GONSO

FOR ATLANTA: Sometimes you do have to reinvent the wheel – if you want to sell condo units in this real estate market

by Jeanne Bonner
The grand opening of Renaissance Walk, held last year, was not your average coming-out party for a 161-unit condo building. With the housing market in freefall, The Integral Group, which developed the building in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn area, is redoubling its marketing efforts, in the hopes it can turn buzz into sales. The condo complex has played host to a number of arts events since the grand opening, and a series of Webisodes will launch this month that showcase the performances at the promotional events.
Full Story

FOR AREAS OUTSIDE OF ATLANTA: Sometimes you do have to reinvent the wheel – if you want to sell condo units in this real estate market

by Jeanne Bonner
If you've logged onto the social networking site Facebook recently, you may have noticed to the right of your personal newsfeed a small ad for a condo in your neighborhood. The ads are one small part of the arsenal of strategies Georgia condo developers and real estate agents are deploying to move properties in this dismal housing market.
Full Story

Valentine's Day Done My Way

by Jeanne Bonner
I celebrate Valentine's Day twice a year -- on Christmas and my birthday. Those are the top two days each year that I want to love and be loved. I think Feb. 14 – when the rest of the world celebrates Valentine's Day -- may just be the stupidest day of the year.
Full Story

SOAPBOX

The Audacity of Hype

by Ralph Reed
The differences between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are legion. But like Clinton, Obama has misread his mandate and underestimated his opposition. His arrogance (I won, you lost), royalist pretense (don’t listen to Limbaugh) and faux bipartisanship (only three Republicans voted for his stimulus bill) are reminiscent of the early Clinton, who viewed power as an entitlement and governance as his personal destiny.
Full Story
Tomorrow's Budget
Murder In Oak Meadow
by Bill Osinski
What really matters to sports fans isn't the score – it's who is scoring with whom
by Paul Kaplan
Protecting Big Pharma from lawsuits isn't the way to build a healthy economy in Georgia
by John Sugg
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