I am sitting next to an open window and it's about 9:30 in the morning on this beautiful April Thursday in Nashville.  Just thinking about a cool new listing I am about to have...I met a nice young couple with a sweet baby at a recent Open House.  We have decided to to work together to get their house sold for a VERY reasonable price...  This new listing will be in the Eaton's Creek Subdivision, SO CONVENIENT to Briley Parkway and the west side of Nashville!This house has nearly 2400 square feet, 3 Bedrooms and 2.5 Bathrooms. Here are some of the upgrades that were added when this couple bought the house new:Sunroom!  An added sunroom on the main level of the back of the house provides not only extra dining/living space right off the kitchen, but also lots of natural lighting.Central Va... 04/24/2008

This is the first in a series of posts that I am going to make on how to read the serial numbers for the more popular units in my area. I am going to start with Goodman heating and cooling products out of Houston, TX. These are very common to see throughout the south and here in the Middle Tennessee area. One of the questions that I get asked quite frequently by real estate agents and home owners alike is what the age of the unit and will it adequately cool my house? As inadequate tonnage and older units can lead to considerable expense for the potential home owner, I tell them the approximate tonnage and the approximate age. Different manufactures have their own system for identifying the age, tonnage, and where the unit was manufactured. But I will start with Goodman since their ident... 04/23/2008

As a member of The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) for the past five years and a licensed home inspector for the state of Tennessee for the past 2, there are certain guidelines that we must follow when inspecting a property. I cannot speak for other home inspectors in other states as each state, if licensed, has their own guidelines for inspecting. Here in Tennessee which follows an old 1991 ASHI Standards of Practice, we must open electrical panels provided that the conditions are safe for the inspector. The purpose for this is that many properties have irregularities in the wiring system or panels. Most of them being either home owner or jack-leg handy man electrician induced. The picture to the left shows an older panel with wires tapped off the top of the main bus lugs wh... 04/22/2008

The attached photo is a classic example why insurance companies classify extension cords as a fire safety hazard. The home owner used an extension cord that was designed and rated for light duty use such as lamps and other light duty appliances to run the air conditioner unit. Depending upon the size or tonnage of the unit, these can pull any where from 12 - 15 continuous duty amps which severely overloads the capacity of light duty cords such as this. These can only safely handle 5-7 continuous duty amps and even that is a stretch. For your own personal safety, I highly recommend that you use the appropriately sized extension cord for the job. If you need to add another outlet, hiring a licensed electrician to add an additional outlet is far cheaper than replacing a burned out room. O... 04/22/2008

 Tennessee Tians 2008 Schedule Can you believe the Tenneessee Tiatans are now 10 Year Old ! I'm looking forward to a GREAT YEAR !  2008 is gonna be GREAT ! Are you ready for some FOOTBALL ?                      Preseason GamesSaturday, 8/9: ST. LOUIS (7pm) Saturday, 8/16: OAKLAND (7pm) Friday, 8/22: at ATLANTA (6:30pm) Thursday, 8/28: at GREEN BAY (7pm)                     Regular Season GamesSunday, 9/7: JACKSONVILLE (Noon) Sunday, 9/14: at CINCINNATI (Noon) Sunday, 9/21: HOUSTON (Noon) Sunday, 9/28: MINNESOTA (Noon) Sunday, 10/5: at BALTIMORE (Noon) Sunday, 10/12: BYE Sunday, 10/19: at KANSAS CITY (Noon) Monday, 10/27: INDIANAPOLIS (7:30pm) Sunday, 11/2: GREEN BAY (Noon) Sunday, 11/9: at CHICAGO (Noon) Sunday, 11/16: at JACKSONVILLE (Noon) Sunday, 11/23: N.Y. JETS (Noon) Thursday, 11/... 04/15/2008

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Nashville real estate - I had one buyer who wanted to make low ball offers on everything he liked. He stated that the worst thing that could happen is that he didn't get the house, but maybe the seller would  counter with a more reasonable price. I said it was more likely they would throw it in the trash and not take our calls. I told him that if he wanted to make lots of offers on Nashville real estate, to find someone else. It was a waste of my time and his, because the homes he wanted in Nashville were in high demand areas, and didn't usually sit on the market long, or get discounted. Making a low offer on a home that's priced appropriately usually makes the seller angry, and less willing to negotiate. I ended the relationship on bad terms, because he had no respect for my time or op... 04/09/2008

Welcome to the "Artesia" what a wonderful place to call home! If your looking for "Fine Living" this is it!! Different floorplans to choose from! Awesome condo unit across the street from Centennial Park's Flag Pole Hill and Dog Park; just steps away from The Parthenon. Features the highest quality finishes in the market, a balcony, fireplace, inlaid hardwood floors, and much more! Association is $175 a month and it includes: Exterior Maintenance / Grounds Maintenance / Trash Pickup /   CALL STACY GEE FOR AN APPOINTMENT! MUST BE PRE-APPROVED TO SEE INSIDE.RE/MAX CARRIAGE HOUSE615-582-1520615-872-0766WWW.NASHVILLEINVESTORS.COMSTACYGEE@REMAX.NET  04/04/2008

Majorly rainy weather here in Nashville today! And I can't remember where I heard this saying "April Showers Bring May Flowers", but somewhere along the line I picked that up.  And check out this cake that http://www.rebeccascake.blogspot.com/ created just for this saying:Too cute Rebecca! Anyway, back to the storyline, which is teaching Sellers how to enhance your Nashville home to invite in the Buyers!  First off, take a step outside your front door (don't forget your raincoat if you do it today!)Look back at your house... What do you notice first?  Get a mental list going of the good and bad things that you notice...1.  Exterior of the House --- if you have shutters, are they hanging nicely?  Do any of them have chipped paint or rotting wood?  How about the front door?  Does it need ... 04/04/2008

I was showing some Nashville commercial real estate to a client earlier this week, and since we all grew up in the same area of South Nashville, we had a lot of old memories to talk about. And then the discussion about what happened came up. The area of Nashville now know as Antioch was a very nice part of town, with good schools, very little crime, and quiet neighborhoods. 30 years later, it's the place most likely to be avoided if you want to buy Nashville real estate. The question that everyone needs to ask is why? And what can we do to prevent it from happening in other areas? Looking back, the first thing that I would do different is avoid zoning any area for apartments. Apartments buildings and the people who live in them cause a tremendous disruption to the infrastructure of any ... 04/04/2008

The other day while inspecting a property in Nashville TN, I ran across this unique way of stopping a leaking gate valve. As this property had been rehabbed, and the caulking was still soft, I really cannot blame this one on the home owner. Once again, just proving my case that there are some real quality craftsmen out there that will stop at nothing to show their ineptness or their skill with a caulking gun. Well, at least they did not use duct tape! This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing home inspections for Brentwood, Nashville, Davidson and Williamson Counties of Middle Tennessee. The views and opinions expressed are just that - views and opinions of Michael Thornton and those who comm... 04/02/2008

I absolutely LOVE my neighborhood - the Green Hills / David Lipscomb Area of Nashville is a great place to call home!  I do know, however, that this neighborhood has a 10% turnover rate each year (based on data from the past ten years), so people are flying in and out of here all the time!  That being said, if you are one of those who is ready to sell your Lipscomb Area home, what can you reasonably expect to get for it?  The average going rate for a home in this area over the past six months is $165.58 per square foot.  That means that if you have a 2000 square foot house, the current average market value for it would be $331,160.  WHAT?!?!?   That doesn't sound very good!?!?!!! Well, you have to remember - we are looking at ALL of the comparables for the neighborhood.  Now let's look ... 03/31/2008

  I just love it when I see an experienced property where the unhandy home owner has decided to add circuits to run appliances or other power utilizing necessities. In this case, the homeowner needed to get power out to his barn. The closest box was the already overloaded compressor panel. So we just tap off the bottom . . .   Add a few splices in the wiring that is not designed for exterior use . . .   One loop around the knob on the cedar tree should do it . . .   Make sure you catch the small twig to keep the wire from slipping once draped over the branch . . . And, into the barn we go. Kinda reminds me of the nursery rhyme - Over the meadow . . . This post was created by Windows Live and Picasa Web Album. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of M... 03/29/2008

If you ever applied for a loan and you were turned down then you know how important a positive credit score could be. So many companies are opening there doors to offer credit repair and most of the time for outrageous fee's. Just think about it for a minute, if they had the money to pay of everything or pay on time then they would not need credit repair. I think that most companies forget that they are offering a service. You are charging your client for the due diligences that-you perform. Not just because they have some issues with there credit. Most of the information you are using they can get free by searching the Internet. Where you come in at is you have the time and patience to follow up on all unresolved issues. I'm not saying you should not be paid for your work. Yet I am say... 03/29/2008

I absolutely love a seller who will spend some money to get their home in top condition.  Just recently I have listed two homes and they have been willing to spend some real money to get their home in top condition in order to sell it.  One lady has lived in her home 4 years and it has appreciated $100,000.  She realizes to get it to sale in this market that there are some things that need doing.  She will more than get the money on the return of her investment and more than likely her home will be on the market for less amount of time. Here are some things that they did:Re-paintedRe-carpetedPainted CabinetsReplaced some light fixturesLet me help them stage their homeSpruced up the landscaping outside by pulling out dead trees, weeding, and re-mulching.Put granite in their kitchen and m... 03/24/2008

No its not!All this doom and gloom about the credit crunch and bursting of the real estate bubble would have you thinking that home prices are crashing, home inventories are rising, buyers aren't to be found, banks don't want to lend and we maybe in a recession. So, bend over hold on to your ankles because its going to be a bumpy ride!Ok...so I admit, most of the apocalyptic writings of the over zealous columnist and journalist are more accurate on this subject than not, it doesn't necessarily mean that real estate here in the Nashville area is as described on your national news network.Here in Nashville and the surrounding areas, we have seen home prices fair steadily. In fact, depending on the condition and location of the home, it isn't uncommon to even have multiple offers and end u... 03/24/2008

This seems to be my week for picking on plumbers. I don't know why, maybe it's just because I have seen too many things that have have done which does not make any sense. Yesterday, while inspecting a rehabbed property in a mature section of Nashville, TN, I came across this installation of a water faucet at the kitchen sink. The faucet has been installed backwards as evidenced by the valves opening away from you instead of towards you. I had to give this poor fellow a grade of "C" for consistency, as he did the same thing on the pedestal basin in the bath.         Have a great, happy and safe Easter Weekend y'all!  Don't you folks who don't live in the south wish that you had a simple, concise and succinct word that is deemed proper verbiage in normal as well as formal conversation li... 03/21/2008

This seems to be my week for inspecting new construction properties. Part of the inspection process is to do the “obligatory” crawl through the area where codes inspectors, most home owners and real estate agents fear to tread. When houses are designed by the architect, care is taken so that all plumbing fixtures fall into the right place so that there should never be a reason for “sawzall modifications” to the supporting structures of the property. Nevertheless, while inspecting this new construction property in Nashville, TN yesterday and ran across this less than professional repair of a severed floor joists. For the repair of the severed joist, this contractor took a short cut and picked up some form boards lying around the jobsite and propped them up on a solid core block instead ... 03/20/2008

I was inspecting a new construction property in Nashville, TN yesterday and ran across this professional installation of an air handler and condensate pump. Professional contractors will install a bracket on the side of the air handler on which to mount the pump and an outlet for power. This contractor took a short cut and went down to Walgreen’s or where ever was convenient and purchased a $1.29 extension cord and left it like that. The mechanical codes official signed off on this installation, making me wonder if they had even been there at all or was this just another drive-by shooting. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property of Michael Thornton of Complete Home Inspections, Inc. providing home inspections for Brentwood, Nashville, Davidson and Willi... 03/20/2008

I ran across this GREAT article on Spring Cleaning and Home Maintenance through Rismedia and thought I would share it with you!   I will add some pictures to make it more entertaining :)!   Spring CleaningThe first step to Spring cleaning is making a list of which areas of your home need to be freshened up.- Experts recommend a professional carpet cleaning every 12 to 18 months. Schedule an appointment with carpet cleaners now to cut down on your wait time.- Check your gutters. Professionals recommend gutter cleaning in the spring and the fall. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage.- Use a garden hose to remove the film left by dirty snow and rain from your siding and deck. Attach a soft-bristled, long-handled car brush to the hose for some extra help. Use a mild cleanser to get thos... 03/19/2008