December wrap up for Franklin, TN As many of you have heard or seen through the media, the "housing market" was "terrible". Well that's not really the case in our great state of Tennessee. When the media reports this information, they are loking at it on a national level, not local which in turn may hurt the rest of it. Sure last year there were more home sales, but did you realize that this was the 4th best year for our local market? According to GNAR's Mandy Wachtler: "Ending the year as the fourth-best year on record is very encouraging considering the state of real estate in other parts of the country," said Mandy Wachtler, 2008 President of the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors. "While our numbers are down compared to most recent years, it would be nearly impossible to keep... 01/11/2008

Compared to December of 2006, the single family residential closings decreased 30 percent and the median price decreased by 2 percent.  The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.  The average price of homes sold in Williamson county for December was $471,523. Average days on Market was 74 days, up from 53 days in 2006. The market for Williamson county real estate is still strong in comparison to the national average, and prices are very stable. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area. 01/09/2008

 Check out this web commercial -  3010 Jubilee Ridge  Check out this web commercial -  3010 Jubilee Ridge5,970 sq. ft., 5 bath, 4 bdrm 3 story "walk out basement" - Jubilee Ridge, Franklin  -  WELCOME to your Hilltop hide away! INCREDIBLE estate nestled among the trees on almost 6 acres! VERY private home is in PRIME horse farm area & is 1 OF A KIND! Perfect for the discerning buyer! Built in 2003 this home features 3 Master suites and one bedroom area on lower level. "MILES" of covered porches & a VIEW too die for! MUST SEE! No detail or expense was missed! Under ground irrigation, surround sound, even outdoors, lestate lights look like fairy land at night, instant hot water, back up generator, central vacuum, 3 HVAC's, 2 huge water heaters, Granite kitchen, sub zero, double ovens, gas... 01/07/2008

We were driving through Franklin this week when it started to snow. The sun was going down at the end of main street, and the Christmas lights were starting to show. It was a rare opportunity to get this picture, and we were lucky enough to be in the right place with a camera. I thought it looked great, so Elizabeth was able to take a few good pictures of the snow and Christmas lights. If you would like to live in Franklin, click here to search for Franklin real estate. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area. 01/04/2008

Brentwood Real Estate  One of the most important lessons in owning a home is learning when to throw in the towel...or the plunger and call for professional help.  It does not mean you are stupid or ignorant.  It just means you know when to give up.  It is a smart person that knows when to give up and stop killing yourself over trying to do it yourself.  For most people it is a last resort and many times it should be.  Plumbers are generally overpriced and you pay for travel time and several other hidden fees. Please be sure that you absolutely have to call a plumber before you do.  If you have to call a plumber to take on a project there are a few things you can do to keep some of your money.COMPARE PLUMBERSThe first thing most people do is call the plumber with the lowest rates.  This ... 01/01/2008

Franklin, Tennessee has a brand new development, Henley Subdivision, located between Franklin and Brentwood, just off Highway 96.  The community is convenient to both downtown Franklin and the Galleria shopping areas.  The community is zoned for the Williamson County School System.  Homes range from the $600K to the $900K price range, and there are a total of 87 lots in this newly developed community.  With only eight homes built so far, there is time to pick out an excellent lot and build the home of your dreams.  For more information, please contact me, and I will gladly give you a guided tour of both the model and other homes already built in the community, www.dorismarlow.com. 12/30/2007

  So, you're thinking of remodeling your kitchen?     How much will it cost??????????  In Franklin ?????? It's up to you.  If you're going for the "Kitchen to die for."  Get ready to spend lots of money.  If you're planning on updating for style and functionality you can set the price yourself.  Also, if you are remodeling for resale. Know the market; Spring Hill Real Estate is a great market for kitchen remodels with a good return on investment. Knowing the vision of the end result is important and following the suggestions below will help.  Start with the appliances.  Appliances are often a focal point and can be a large portion of the budget.  Also, take into consideration the area of Franklin you are in for real estate resale. Decide what type of counter tops you will install.  Gran... 12/16/2007

How can this happen? A home in a very nice neighborhood with a price that seemed exceptionally low. The home is over 5000 square ft on one acre.  The average price in the neighborhood is 30 percent higher than the asking price. By now "flippers" should have been swarming this house. But, not one in sight.  I'm sure everyone remembers the movie "The Money Pit."  (Yes, the really old movie when Tom Hanks was a baby)     The home is a stately structure on a mature lot in a well manicured neighborhood.   We begin to walk down the walk way next to the overgrown shrubs and sidewalk lighting, and notice the gutters had rusted out As we rounded the corner to the front door we noticed the sidewalk lighting had the wires  laying on top of  the ground with the wire nuts exposed.One connecting wire... 12/10/2007

Every year I spend a night checking out my neighbors Christmas lights in Franklin and Brentwood. Some people take this very seriously and seem to be competing with each other. I'll attach a few pictures from last year, and ask for some comparisons from around the country. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Elizabeth Payne Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, and the middle Tennessee area   11/25/2007

Franklin High school has a lot of fans, the quality of the school system is the most important factor in buying a home. Franklin real estate has always had great appreciation because of it's excellent school system. Here is some of the information provided by the Williamson county school system about Franklin High School. School History Franklin High School has a long and rich history of providing education to the young people of Williamson County.  It began in 1910 with twenty students and two teachers in a few upstairs rooms of the Franklin Institute, the old Franklin Elementary School, located at Five Corners.                                                             That first Franklin high School graduated three students in 1912.  In the fall of 1926, the new Franklin high School... 11/24/2007

 Brentwood TN Real Estate:Decorating for Christmas, Using What You Already Have Inside Your Home.Are you planning on becoming one the millions of Americans who decorate their homes for Christmas?  If so, where do you plan on getting your Christmas decorations from?  When it comes to Christmas decorations, there are many individuals who choose to buy new Christmas decorations each year. While it is nice to have new Christmas decorations each year, you may not have or want to spend the extra money.  If so, you are lucky because there are a number of different ways that you can go about decorating your home for Christmas by using the things that can already be found inside your home.When it comes to using the items that you already have inside your home, to create Christmas decorations, yo... 11/23/2007

Dallas Downs is a small neighborhood on the south side of Franklin with all brick single family homes priced between $275,000 and $500,000. Most of the homes were build in the early to middle 1990's and have 1/4 acre lots, 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 2 car garages.  A community pool and playground make it a family favorite  click on the button for current homes for sale in Dallas downs   This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Elizabeth Payne Brewer of Benchmark realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, 11/21/2007

     The former estate of music star Tanya Tucker in Williamson county, TN will be developed into a 500-home golf course community.  Eagle Ridge Investments of Ohio paid 11.5 million for Tucker's estate in April of this year.  The plans call for an 18-hole public golf course in addition to nearly 500 homes.  The entire develop encompasses 743 acres in Arrington, TN which is just south of Franklin, TN.  According to the Nashville Business Journal article, Tucker's home will be used as the community clubhouse.  Stillwater will be the name of the community.  Preliminary plans call for 494 lots ranging from 15,000 square feet up to 2.5 acres.  At least half of the 743 acres will be preserved as open space.  The entrances into the community will be from Horton Highway, Cox Road, and Patton R... 11/20/2007

Why do people continue to pay high prices for Franklin real estate. One answer is a great school system. Just take a look the report card provided by the Tennessee Department of Education. The Williamson county  Schools rank considerably higher than the state average in every catagory. Academic Achievement Grades   Grades 3-8: TCAP Criterion Referenced Academic Achievement View Chart ? (3 year average) 2005 2006 2007 2007 State CRT Score Grade Trend Score Grade Trend Score Grade Trend Score Grade Trend Math 67 A NC 69 A NC 71 A NC 57 A + Reading/Language 65 A NC 66 A NC 68 A NC 56 B NC Social Studies 65 A NC 66 A NC 68 A NC 54 B + Science 63 A NC 65 A NC 67 A NC 55 B + (Note: 3-yr average of state CRT NCE's, basis 1998.)   Grades 5 & 8: TCAP Writing View Chart ? (3 year average) 2005 20... 11/18/2007

Franklin real estate - Christmas Decorations and the story of my friend Jerry. It's a lesson for us all.  My friend Jerry loves to decorate his home every year for Christmas. So about this time of the year, you could see him on his ladder putting up lights on the 2 story home. His home is on a hill, and is very visible to the neighbors in Franklin. Several years back, his ladder slipped and he fell on his elbow. It wasn't a long fall, but it the force was enough to shatter his elbow, and now after several years, he only has about 20 percent use of his left arm. He still decorates his home. He had hooks put on his home, and he takes a long pole and pushes the lights up to the hooks. He says it's a lot faster, and he doesn't ever leave the ground. If you put Christmas lights on your home,... 11/17/2007

 Polk Place is a great all brick neighborhood on the south side of Franklin, close to the Carnton Plantation and Franklin Battle Ground. Homes average a little more than 3000 square ft, are priced between $379,900 and $499,000. on 11/17 14 homes are for sale at an average price of $450,000, average days on market is 73, average size is 3326 square ft. To search for Polk Place real estate, of homes for sale in Polk Place, click on the button. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Elizabeth Payne of Benchmark realty.. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, and the middle Tennessee area 11/17/2007

When choosing to obtain a mortgage, it is important to decide if you can afford the loan origination fees and other fees associated with the loan you are trying to secure. This is often when you begin to wonder if you should have dealt with another lender and by that time, it really is too late to switch horses, so to speak.Mortgage companies and banks can be quite competitive on some of their fees and very much the same on others. This is one reason why it is important for you to shop around for different options before you decide on one option. Mortgage Companies will occasionally try to beat local banks on their lending fees and if they can accomplish this, then it is probably going to be very advantageous for you to secure your loan through the mortgage company. Banks are often diff... 11/10/2007

 Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker don't have to have anything on you when it comes to entertaining and planning an award-winning party. You can put together fruit trays, whip up some beautiful desserts and bake casseroles like nobody's business and best of all you only take about two days to prepare for the big party!Two days seems like a lot of time to spend on planning and preparing the menu for a simple party. Who has that kind of time? And moreover, who wants to take that kind of time to throw a party. Shouldn't you be able to just whip up something and run with it? Cooking for guests you will be entertaining in your home can be a bit nerve-wracking but that's why you need to start planning ahead and using your head to plan wisely for easy preparation and easier clean-up.If you are pl... 11/09/2007

   Molly Maid may be on your budget and you may not gather at luncheons to talk with your friends over the greatest and latest fad recently introduced by Martha Stewart, but household chores will still loom. There's no way around it. And while you may hire the Flying Broom cleaning service to sweep around some dust, you still have to find a way to manage a clean home when the house cleaning service is all but a memory!Martha Stewart and many shows like hers made all of the women of this world feel as if they were failing in the area of being a genuine homemaker. While Martha baked up banana breads and mouth watering casseroles you were burning boiled eggs. She was planting beautiful flowers and your dead roses were changing colors in the vase you should have thrown out weeks ago. There'... 11/08/2007

Halloween is a great time to visit my favorite town. It's history and the abundance of historic homes and battlefields make for some great ghost stories. Here is part of the article published in the Tennessean on Sunday about the walking tours through downtown, and events around the city.FRANKLIN - It used to be that if you heard a bump in the night at your historic home, saw unearthly apparitions at your place of business or experienced things you couldn't explain on a former battlefield site, you kept it quiet for fear of scaring off folks.Times have changed, and now ghosts are big business.Tourists fill spots on vampire and ghost tours that go trouncing through Old South cities such as New Orleans, Charleston, S. C., and Savannah, Ga. Those who don't have the time or the money can ex... 10/30/2007