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        <title>Real Estate Blog, Augusta, Martinez, Evans, GA, Georgia, Ft Gordon, Christine May</title>
        <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/</link>
        <description>Christine &amp; Drew May Real Estate blog for Augusta Martinez Evans Ft Gordon Georgia</description>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/illegal-immigrant-bust-in-augusta-ga-will-it-change-new-home-prices.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/illegal-immigrant-bust-in-augusta-ga-will-it-change-new-home-prices.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Illegal immigrant bust in Augusta GA, will it change new home prices?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Recently Construction business owner, Hugo Diaz and his wife Blanca we arrested on various charges including money laundering conspiracy and harboring illegal immigrants.  His company is named De La Fuente Construction.


 


The building community has claimed Hugo Diaz, "has been undercutting everyone in the market by 30 percent or more.”  


There is much controversy about this issue and enough pointing fingers to go around.  Questions have been raised about local government officials as well as local businessmen using his company .  


At the end of the day, do the “below market” prices of labor translate to lower costs to consumers buying homes?  


Will a crackdown on the workers mean rising construction costs as well as construction delays?  It seems some builders haven’t slowed down and development of new home subdivision lots particularly around Columbia County, GA continues.  


Only time will tell but our market has become very competitive and buyers have some great choices in new construction homes.  Our current market offers an abundant selection of quality built homes from local as well as those “out of town” builders.  It’s not one size fits all. 


If you’re in the market for a new home anywhere near Augusta, GA give Drew &amp; Christine May a call to get the bottom line on your housing options.  One call today to 706-869-9478 will save you time and money!      
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            <pubDate>Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:38:55 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/mortgage-rates-continue-at-historic-lows-dont-miss-out.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/mortgage-rates-continue-at-historic-lows-dont-miss-out.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Mortgage Rates Continue at Historic Lows!  Don't miss out.</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
I know many of you are sitting on the fence of whether to buy or rent.  Daily I have conversations with my clients about housing options.  At least in the greater Augusta area with the low interest rates we've been enjoying, renting is often not the most logical answer.  


Question such as "will prices go lower?", or "I'm in the military and will only be here for 3 years?" come up all the time.  


The real answers in my opinion lie in the interest rates that are currently at rock bottom levels.  


Regarding the first question, it's hard to know for sure but price patterns are emerging depending on price range, location, and age of the home.  Overall, our prices are pretty stable however some areas are rising while others continue to fall.  If you are buying and planning to get a loan, there is much more than price to consider.  You must consider that interest rates are right now mostly UNDER 4%.  Your real  issue is a comfortable payment with a fixed rate mortgage so t's not all about prices.  To discuss this further, feel free to contact us and we can go into more detail whether you are a buyer or seller.  


For those in the military, typically working at Fort Gordon,  your VA loan is a fantastic benefit and it makes sense to buy NOW!  Strategically,  even if living here for a shorter period of time, you can lock down a low rate on a mortgage that can later be assumed by a veteran or non-veteran.  We all tend to agree rates will be climbing.  Your low interest rate when that happens can be converted to cash in your pocket. In addition, if you decide to rent instead of selling, we can manage your property and typically you'll have good positive cash flow of the home.  Contact us today for answers to these and al your other real estate related questions.  You'll be glad you made the call.   


You can also appy now at www.AugustaLoanStore.com to see what financing options are available.  They offer VA, FHA and all types of conventional financing.               
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            <pubDate>Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:12:01 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/urgently-needed-short-term-temporary-housing-for-veteran.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/urgently-needed-short-term-temporary-housing-for-veteran.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>URGENTLY NEEDED SHORT TERM / TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR VETERAN </title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 


·       I was
wondering if you may be able to help... My 80+ year old retired military client
who just arrived a few days ago - with his super SWEET wife and daughter -
(after a 36 hour travel ordeal) He has medical issues and has been in and out
of the hospital and really would appreciate a temporary home to rent while he
is waiting for his house to close. Do you have - or know of any available homes
that may offer a short term lease? THANK YOU SO MUCH! Christine


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            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:41:24 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/its-hot-outside-columbia-county-ga-subdivisions-with-community-pools.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/its-hot-outside-columbia-county-ga-subdivisions-with-community-pools.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>It's Hot Outside!!!  COLUMBIA COUNTY GA SUBDIVISIONS WITH COMMUNITY POOLS</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
If you've been struggling with locating homes with a community pool, look no further.  Check these subdivisions out in our areas best home search tool at this site.  As always. we're here to make your home search easy and stress free.  Call 706-869-9478 today to see how Christine and Drew will make your customized home search stress free!





This is a comprehensive list of Columbia County GA community pool subdivisions:


BARTRAM TRAIL


BERKLEY HILLS


BROOKWOOD (CO)


CANTERBURY FARMS


CARSON CUTOFF @ PETERSBURG STATION


CHAPARRAL


CHASTAIN PLACE


COUNTRY PLACE (C0)


CRAWFORD CREEK


EUCHEE DOWNS @ IVY FALLS


FARMINGTON


GLENNWOOD


GROVE LANDING


HIDDEN CREEK


HIGH MEADOWS


HIGHGROVE @ WILLIAMSBURG


INDIAN SPRINGS


IVY FALLS PLANTATION


JONES CREEK


JOSHUA TREE VILLAS


KNOB HILL


LAKEVIEW COMMONS


MAGNOLIA STATION


NORTHWOOD (CO)


PARK CHASE @ JONES CREEK


PETERSBURG STATION


PINEBROOK @ FARMINGTON


RIVERSHYRE


RIVERWOOD PLANTATION


SPRINGLAKES


STRATFORD


SUMTER LANDING


THE COTTAGES @ WEST LAKE


TUDOR BRANCH


WATERVALE


WEST HAMPTON


WEST LAKE


WEXFORD


WILLOW LAKE @ JONES CREEK


WILLOW OAK VILLAGE


WINDMILL PLANTATION


WOODBRIDGE


WOODLIEF


  
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            <pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:09:19 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/complaints-about-builders-and-poor-quality-construction.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/complaints-about-builders-and-poor-quality-construction.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Complaints about Builders and Poor Quality Construction!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
It seems that when buyers talk about "new construction", they often are concerned about problems related to "construction quality".  I often hear comments about they don't build like "in the good old days, etc.  Clearly, we live in a different world with many new products and workers that have different values and work ethics.  Actually, homes today are built to stricter energy standards than just a few years ago.  I also see workers on new home sites working way past what many of us consider normal hours, even framing at 7 PM on a Sunday night in the summer months.  What's really happening?  


I don’t think there is any builder that wakes up in the morning and decides “today, I’ll cut corners and build a crappy, poor quality house”.  That just doesn't make good business sense.


I would say that no matter which builder you research, there will always be someone who is unhappy with something and will blame the "builder".  Fact is, a builder hires sub-contractors that provide various services.  The builder must monitor these workers and results to insure delivery of a quality product. Supervision and monitoring is a main key to a quality result.  The builder gets all the credit both good and bad for the final result you will call home.   


Another important aspect to understand is how "production builders" operate.  Locally, it may be Crown Communities, Wilson Parker, JR Homes, Bill Beazley Homes or others.  Who is the real "builder"?  The big name is obvious however, these builders have "builders", "foremen' or "construction supervisors" on site that actually coordinate construction.  This person is "the eyes on the ground" and may only work in one of the many subdivisions under construction.    


It could happen from time to time in a neighborhood that construction is not up to the standards set by the owner of the building company.  This is no different than a cook messing up your dinner but it doesn't make the restaurant all bad.  Once problems are identified, the responsible company owner makes corrections and if appropriate may even “fire” the people who messed up and fix the problem.  Builders do realize how important a "reputation" is and at the end of the day want happy customers. 


Having personally had several houses built by local “reputable” builders (including our office), I would always suggest hiring an independent home inspector to monitor different phases of the construction.  This will help avoid missed items that can easily be corrected during the construction process.  In the event a house is already complete, an inspector can be retained prior to walkthrough and closing.  The items of concern can almost always be addressed before you go to the closing.  In Georgia, you also have a full 1 year builder warranty but it's best to have any obvious mistakes corrected before you move in your new home.  New homes today can offer great value.  Call us today to discuss your needs and see if a newly built home is best for you.    
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            <pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:00:53 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/market-conditions-in-augusta-martinez-evans-fort-gordon-ga.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/market-conditions-in-augusta-martinez-evans-fort-gordon-ga.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Market Conditions in Augusta, Martinez, Evans, Fort Gordon GA</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 

Market Conditions in 2011 for Augusta, Martinez, Evans, Grovetown, Fort Gordon GA Going into 2011 in the Greater Augusta market comes with restrained optimism.  Rising interest rates could dampen housing demand but the last couple years have been flat in overall sales transaction volume in the area.  


The new construction sales have been strong as more new players enter the market mainly from the Atlanta area.  Several local builders have also adjusted floor plans, suppliers and designs to be more competitive.  One of the newest players in the Greater Augusta area is Wilson Parker.  As a direct competitor to Crown Communities, they are making a stand in over six subdivisions.  Growth in Grovetown, GA which is very near Ft Gordon continues with brand new subdivisions and strong competition for market share among builders.  Generally land prices are lower in this are area compared to Evans and Martinez contributing to lower overall prices per square foot.   


The resale market continues to be challenging as large new construction homes sell at amazingly low prices.  Existing home owners wanting to sell must remain in the home, rent them out or be able to sell at competitive prices.  Sellers that find themselves in a difficult financial bind should call us to discuss possible options including rental management or possibly offering the home as a short sale.  Short sales are becoming increasingly necessary to deal with the economic reality in real estate today.          


In addition, “REO” or bank owned homes also compete for home buyers’attention around Augusta GA.  Potentially, additional foreclosed homes entering the market could push resale prices lower.  Many of these homes require special financing programs or cash to buy them due to physical condition.  The can be great values however it is best to work with an experienced real estate professional to avoid frustration and get the best deal possible. 


As always, you can contact Drew &amp; Christine May for all your real estate needs in the Augusta area.  For straight answers and to deal with full time professionals, call 706-869-9478 today!     

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            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:56:02 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/new-construction-bank-foreclosures-in-the-charming-hammonds-ferry-north-augusta-sc.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/new-construction-bank-foreclosures-in-the-charming-hammonds-ferry-north-augusta-sc.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>NEW Construction Bank Foreclosures in the Charming Hammonds Ferry, North Augusta, SC</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
This is a rare find!&nbsp; See neighborhood details below property information.

(1)&nbsp; 516 Arrington Ave, North Augusta, SC

$195,000  Bank Foreclosure  this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is &ldquo;under construction&rdquo; and is sold &ldquo;AS-IS&rdquo;

(2)&nbsp; 514 Arrington Ave, North Augusta, SC Hammonds Ferry Neighborhood (light blue exterior)

$265,000  Bank Foreclosure  NEW construction - Victorian style 3 bedroom, 2bath cottage with 10 ceilings on main floor, kitchen with granite counter tops, wood flooring on main floor &amp; stairs, Moen oil rubbed bronze fixtures,&nbsp; living room with fireplace, large laundry room with coat rack and storage shelves, outdoor tankless water heater, Peachtree windows, two AC units,&nbsp; metal roof, rocking chair porches in front and back.

If you would like to view these or ANY other home FOR SALE call Christine May of Exit Realty Leading Edge at (706) 869-9478. Our sales team is available 7 days week! Please visit www.AugustaHomeStore.com 


Hammonds Ferry, City of North Augusta,SC is a quaint community on the Savannah River with several parks and, a town center with shops and restaurants including Manuels Bread Caf which has received 5 stars on Urban Spoon. 
&nbsp;Manuels Bread Caf offers also offers a catering service, using fresh ingredients from their own organic Blue Clay Farm.The Boeckh Park offers public access to a boat ramp, dock, and fishing piers on Hammonds Ferry Drive. 

The Savannah River is a great place for a number of water activities, such as rowing, canoeing, kayaking or fishing. 

Just a short walk away you can experience Riverview Park, a 150 acre park with soccer fields, playgrounds, tennis courts, picnic areas, disc-golf course, and an indoor activities center. Hammonds Ferry is adjacent to The River Golf Club, right across the river from Augusta, GA between the 5th St bridge and the 13th St bridge in North Augusta, SC 

http://www.rivergolfclub.com/golf/proto/rivergolfclub/The 18-hole golf course is situated around wetlands, streams, ponds, and lakes featuring approximately 6,847 yards of golf with a rating of 72.2 and a slope rating of 130 on Bermuda grass. It has been designed by Jim Fazio and has become a favorite destination for annual Masters Week visitors. 
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            <pubDate>Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:35:42 -0600</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/builder-wars-begin-in-ft-gordon-grovetown-georgia-area.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/builder-wars-begin-in-ft-gordon-grovetown-georgia-area.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>"Builder Wars" begin in FT Gordon &amp; Grovetown, Georgia Area</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
&quot;Builder Wars&quot; begin in FT Gordon &amp; Grovetown, Georgia Area



While Animal Planet's Whale Wars take place in the icy Antarctic waters, the builder wars are just getting heated up in Grovetown and the Augusta area overall!

Since the arrival of Crown Communities&nbsp;a.k.a. Pillon Communities about 18 months ago in Augusta our real estate market has seen dramatic changes. While Crown captured a lion's share of the new construction business, it didn't go unnoticed. Local builders have adjusted construction methods and pricing while more &quot;out of town&quot; builders mainly from the Atlanta market have arrived on the scene. It's been very interesting to watch and the competition continues to increase especially in the Grovetown area targetiing the lucrative FT Gordon VA buyers.

Word on the street has Crown seeing less traffic in their neighborhoods and the pressure to sell homes is increasing on site agents. Crown builders came in real strong at the beginning but Augusta is in fact a small market where word travels fast among real estate professionals. The continual sales site turnover also includes some quality, household name REALTORS who without apparent cause are suddenly being removed from Crown sites and replaced with less capable ones. In addition they are offering a 5% buyer's agent commission on some existing inventory while the norm is often 3%.&nbsp; This is clearly a sign that they want quick sales results and move stagnant inventory by buying traffic from buyer agents.

JR Homes of Alabama is doing well in Grovetown with a sold-out phase 1 in Indian Springs and phase 2 well under way and selling craftsman style homes at a great price. In Reynolds Pond, also in the heart of Grovetown sales are doing well.&nbsp; JR Homes had purchased the lots from the local builder Joey Brush.&nbsp; Also in Grovetown, Crown has had very good success in Pamir Place selling well in the upper 130's to 170's range. Soon, Crown will also be launching a new Grovetown neighborhood at Chamblin Road and Wrightsboro Road. 

A number of other builders are heavily targeting the Grovetown military market and additional home sites are under development all around the Grovetown area.&nbsp; The latest player, Wilson Parker Homes based in Atlanta is a killer whale sized company that could be a game changer for Greater Augusta.&nbsp; Currently Wilson Parker Homes is building in 3 states and offering almost 3 times the number of floor plans as Crown.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rumors are they&nbsp;have purchased many local lots already and building dozens of homes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Grovetown currently has 240 new construction homes for sale in the Augusta MLS.&nbsp; Statistics show they have been on the market an average of 4.86 months and average $80.00 per SF.&nbsp; Considering the additional homes about to be built, 2011 will be a very interesting year.&nbsp; Some new homes have been sitting on the ground vacant for 2 years and&nbsp;are offered for sale! The real question is whether there will be enough demand from buyers to absorb all the upcoming new inventory.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

How will this&nbsp;effect existing resale home&nbsp;values as we move forward?

Many questions...............few answers............stay tuned!
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            <pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:49:18 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/build-on-your-own-land-lot-or-home-site-super-value-building-now-outside-a-subdivision.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/build-on-your-own-land-lot-or-home-site-super-value-building-now-outside-a-subdivision.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Build on your own land lot or home site! Super value building now OUTSIDE a subdivision!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ Build on your own land lot or home site!&nbsp; 
Have you shopped for a new construction home lately?&nbsp; Have you started noticing how close the houses are together?&nbsp; How small the yards are?&nbsp; How many homes back right to another house? How small the lots really are?&nbsp; Where did all the trees go?&nbsp;&nbsp; Years ago the lots were 1/3 to even &frac12; acre  with beautiful trees.&nbsp; Most of the homes were brick and many had rocking chair porches.&nbsp; Did large lots, country porches and trees go out of style?&nbsp; Why is no-one buying them?&nbsp; The answer is  its just not out there&hellip; It makes you wonder why.&nbsp; 
The prices of homes most certainly have not come down compared to 10-20 years ago.&nbsp; As long consumers are buying NEW homes on small lots  the developers will continue &ldquo;optimizing the land&rdquo; (optimizing for whom?... most certainly not the consumer).&nbsp;There are a few very special large lots and even acreage land, with trees, scattered throughout Martinez, Evans, Grovetown, Harlem, Thomson, Dearing, Hephzibah, Lincolnton!&nbsp; &nbsp;You may even own your own land and have tried to find a quality construction builder who will build your new dream home at a reasonable price.&nbsp; You may have even started calling around just to find out that most of the inexpensive, value builders do not build outside their subdivisions. Why am I writing all this?&nbsp;&nbsp; Because I know how you feel!&nbsp; I have heard the same requests for years and years.&nbsp; I have been searching for the answer and finally found it!&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;We can offer you an incredibly high quality NEW home built on YOUR lot at a price you did not think possible!&nbsp; If you dont own land, we help you find it.&nbsp; I have already identified a good selection of building sites all around the CSRA for your consideration.&nbsp; 
Interest rates are at an all time low!&nbsp; Now is the time to buy and building a home is affordable!&nbsp; Don't wait until interest rates go up again. 
&nbsp;Call Christine May at 706-869-9478 for details today.  ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:57:48 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/crown-builders-getting-more-attention-in-augusta-ga.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.augustahomestore.com/blog/crown-builders-getting-more-attention-in-augusta-ga.html</link>
            <author>broker@augustahomestore.com (Christine May)</author>
            <title>Crown Builders Getting more Attention in Augusta, GA!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
It's been about a year since Crown Builders, aka Crown Communities and Pillon Communities, arrived in full force in the Greater Augusta, Georgia new home market.&nbsp; It's been a great ride for them so far based on sales volume and some local builders are working hard to adapt and become competitive with this product that was somewhat &quot;new&quot; to our marketplace.&nbsp; 

Locally based market leaders including Bill Beazley Homes and Keystone Homes have been reworking their product to offer better value and enhanced features to recapture lost market share.&nbsp; Bill Beazley Homes recently announced &quot;Loaded 2-Story Homes - $65 per sq. foot&quot;.&nbsp; Based on the descriptions at least, these 4-sided brick homes on spacious home sites could put Bill Beazley Homes back in the game.&nbsp; Not that long ago, Ben Brush homes were being promoted on Washington Road billboards at $80.00 per square foot and that was the lowest our market had seen for years. Crown changed all that by building &quot;big box&quot; homes in the $50's and $60's all around Augusta and even in Evans and Grovetown areas.&nbsp; In addition to the new construction builders being challenged, it's another huge story how these low priced new homes have dampened resale properties.&nbsp; These sellers had paid much higher prices and are often unable to sell and cover loan payoff amounts.&nbsp; These can result in potential short sales as well as growing numbers of local foreclosures.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Crown Builders has apparently ruffled some Augusta feathers as evidenced recently by the launch of a website www.crownaugustagabuilding.com .&nbsp; The site launched in late March 2010 by someone whose identity is unknown and then quickly was taken &quot;Down for maintenance&quot;.&nbsp; The site was titled &quot;The Good The Bad and The Ugly&quot;.&nbsp; It portrayed an outsider's story of the growth of Crown in Augusta including questionable dealings and business practices while taking some cheap personal shots at the builder and affiliates.&nbsp; It did give them credit for a good quality product produced by &quot;hard working Mexicans&quot;.&nbsp; These homes are in fact really packed with extras not common for the price range.&nbsp; Only time will tell where the loyalties of consumers and locals land in relation to this powerhouse &quot;Atlanta Builder&quot;....... It continues to be an interesting story unfolding in the face of a challenging local real estate market. 
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            <pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:28:50 -0500</pubDate>
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