Monday, September 10, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
New listing!
NEW LISTING IN HICKORY HILLS!!!!
WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!
153,500
THIS HOME IS A MUST-SEE! VERY WELL-KEPT AND CLEAN! VAULTED CEILINGS THRU-OUT, FIREPLACE, UPGRADED APPLIANCES, WIRED FOR SURROUND SOUND, CUSTOM CABINETS IN KIT, CERAMIC TILE BATH, WALK-IN CLOSETS, SEP. LAUNDRY ROOM, OVERSIZED DECK! 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHS. OVER 1300 SQ. FT. SOUGHT AFTER NEIGHBORHOOD!
GIVE US A CALL TODAY TO FOR A PERSONAL VIEWING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME! IT WON'T LAST LONG....
The Homes Around Nashville Team
1-888-656-1169
615-376-4500
jennifer@homesaroundnashville.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
pricing of your home
If you start out with too high a price on your home, you may have just added to your stress level -- and selling a home is stressful enough. There will be a lot of "behind the scenes" action taking place that you don’t know about.
Contrary to popular opinion, the listing agent does not usually attempt to sell your home directly to a homebuyer. That would be inefficient.
Listing agents market and promote your home to the hordes of other local agents who do work with homebuyers, dramatically increasing your personal sales force. During the first couple of weeks your home should be a flurry of activity with buyer’s agents coming to preview your home so they can sell it to their clients.
If the price is right.
If you and your agent have overpriced, fewer agents will preview your home. After all, they are Realtors, and it is their job to know local market conditions and home values. If your house is dramatically above market, why waste time? Their time is better spent previewing homes that are priced realistically.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Economy is stable reports show
Data suggests economy is sound
By Joanne Morrison
Falling gasoline costs held U.S. consumer prices nearly in check in July and industrial output rose, according to data that suggested the economy was sound despite credit fears in financial markets.
Other reports on Wednesday showed a slight dip in New York state manufacturing activity this month and a decline in the amount of capital flowing into the United States in June.
Analysts said the latest data, combined with reports earlier this week showing solid retail sales and a shrinking trade deficit, point to an economy that is doing pretty well.
"Things don't look that bad. There is no evidence yet in the data that the economy is on the cusp of losing steam," said Michael Darda, chief economist at MKM Partners in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Still, a gauge of home builder sentiment from the National Association of Home builders hit its lowest since January 1991, suggesting a housing slump had a ways to run.
"Builders realize that issues related to mortgage credit cost and availability have become more acute, filtering some prospective buyers out of the market and prompting others to delay their decision to purchase a new home," said NAHB President Brian Catalde, a home builder from El Segundo, California.
The bulk of Wednesday's data was close to expectations on Wall Street and financial markets focused more on the fear credit would evaporate as problems in the subprime mortgage market widen than the economy's health.
Throughout the day, stocks teetered between gains and losses, while prices for U.S. government bonds were mixed.
Central banks around the globe have pumped money in the financial system over the past week in an effort to keep credit flowing.
Financial markets now expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower interest rates at its next meeting on September 18, if not before, to buffer the economy as credit becomes more scare.
Many economists, however, do not expect the central bank to act that quickly.
"To me, the risk remains the economy not inflation, but I doubt the Fed will change course before the September 18th meeting without an even more major deterioration in financial conditions," said Joel Naroff, president and chief economist of Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.
CONSUMER PRICES UP LESS THAN EXPECTED
The Consumer Price Index, a key inflation gauge, rose just 0.1 percent last month as gasoline prices fell 1.7 percent, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise of 0.2 percent.
So-called core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2 percent, matching forecasts. Year-over-year, the core CPI held steady at 2.2 percent for a third straight month.
The Fed said last week that inflation remained its predominant concern, although it acknowledged that a wobbly housing market had led to tightening credit terms for some households and businesses.
"The July CPI readings don't make it any harder or easier for the Fed to cut interest rates," said Richard Huber, economist at A.G. Edwards and Sons in St. Louis. "The trade deficit data we got yesterday will drive GDP numbers for the second quarter higher, which will allow the Fed to say that it's still focused on inflation."
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT UP
Industrial output rose 0.3 percent in July as automotive-related production surged 2.6 percent, offsetting a big decline in utility output, a Federal Reserve report showed.
Manufacturing output rose 0.6 percent.
"Low inventory levels, strong export demand, and ongoing moderate economic growth at home have allowed the manufacturing sector to shake off the depressing effects of the housing downturn," said Daniel Meckstroth, chief economist for the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury said net overall capital inflows into the United States dropped to $58.8 billion in June from May's revised inflow of $107.3 billion, hurt by a plunge in net purchases of U.S. securities by private investors.
June's net overall capital inflow barely covered the U.S. trade deficit for the month of $58.1 billion.
In another report, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said manufacturing in New York State factories slowed in August. The New York Fed's "Empire State" general business conditions index fell modestly to 25.06 from 26.46 in July.
(Additional reporting by Julie Haviv, Ellen Freilich and Emily Kaiser in New York, and Patrick Rucker, Nancy Waitz and David Lawder in Washington)
By Joanne Morrison
Falling gasoline costs held U.S. consumer prices nearly in check in July and industrial output rose, according to data that suggested the economy was sound despite credit fears in financial markets.
Other reports on Wednesday showed a slight dip in New York state manufacturing activity this month and a decline in the amount of capital flowing into the United States in June.
Analysts said the latest data, combined with reports earlier this week showing solid retail sales and a shrinking trade deficit, point to an economy that is doing pretty well.
"Things don't look that bad. There is no evidence yet in the data that the economy is on the cusp of losing steam," said Michael Darda, chief economist at MKM Partners in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Still, a gauge of home builder sentiment from the National Association of Home builders hit its lowest since January 1991, suggesting a housing slump had a ways to run.
"Builders realize that issues related to mortgage credit cost and availability have become more acute, filtering some prospective buyers out of the market and prompting others to delay their decision to purchase a new home," said NAHB President Brian Catalde, a home builder from El Segundo, California.
The bulk of Wednesday's data was close to expectations on Wall Street and financial markets focused more on the fear credit would evaporate as problems in the subprime mortgage market widen than the economy's health.
Throughout the day, stocks teetered between gains and losses, while prices for U.S. government bonds were mixed.
Central banks around the globe have pumped money in the financial system over the past week in an effort to keep credit flowing.
Financial markets now expect the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower interest rates at its next meeting on September 18, if not before, to buffer the economy as credit becomes more scare.
Many economists, however, do not expect the central bank to act that quickly.
"To me, the risk remains the economy not inflation, but I doubt the Fed will change course before the September 18th meeting without an even more major deterioration in financial conditions," said Joel Naroff, president and chief economist of Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.
CONSUMER PRICES UP LESS THAN EXPECTED
The Consumer Price Index, a key inflation gauge, rose just 0.1 percent last month as gasoline prices fell 1.7 percent, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise of 0.2 percent.
So-called core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.2 percent, matching forecasts. Year-over-year, the core CPI held steady at 2.2 percent for a third straight month.
The Fed said last week that inflation remained its predominant concern, although it acknowledged that a wobbly housing market had led to tightening credit terms for some households and businesses.
"The July CPI readings don't make it any harder or easier for the Fed to cut interest rates," said Richard Huber, economist at A.G. Edwards and Sons in St. Louis. "The trade deficit data we got yesterday will drive GDP numbers for the second quarter higher, which will allow the Fed to say that it's still focused on inflation."
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT UP
Industrial output rose 0.3 percent in July as automotive-related production surged 2.6 percent, offsetting a big decline in utility output, a Federal Reserve report showed.
Manufacturing output rose 0.6 percent.
"Low inventory levels, strong export demand, and ongoing moderate economic growth at home have allowed the manufacturing sector to shake off the depressing effects of the housing downturn," said Daniel Meckstroth, chief economist for the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury said net overall capital inflows into the United States dropped to $58.8 billion in June from May's revised inflow of $107.3 billion, hurt by a plunge in net purchases of U.S. securities by private investors.
June's net overall capital inflow barely covered the U.S. trade deficit for the month of $58.1 billion.
In another report, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said manufacturing in New York State factories slowed in August. The New York Fed's "Empire State" general business conditions index fell modestly to 25.06 from 26.46 in July.
(Additional reporting by Julie Haviv, Ellen Freilich and Emily Kaiser in New York, and Patrick Rucker, Nancy Waitz and David Lawder in Washington)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
As Midstate apartment market tightens, rents increaseOccupancy rate soars; developers focus on condos
By CHAS SISK
Housing isn't cheap. Just ask Middle Tennessee's renters.
Rents in the Nashville area have jumped 5 percent since the winter of 2005 and are on pace to rise another 5 percent by spring, according to the latest figures from the Greater Nashville Apartment Association.
The average apartment in the Nashville area now costs $736 a month, up nearly $30 from last summer's rates, and apartment managers are having little trouble finding renters at the higher prices.
Since spring, the occupancy rate in the region's 60,000-unit apartment market has risen above 94 percent, one of the highest rates since a late-1990s building splurge sent vacancies soaring.
Investors and analysts say it's uncertain whether Nashville's apartment complexes have become so full that a round of new construction is inevitable. Developers of multifamily buildings continue to be enamored of condominium projects, which offer a better return on investment than apartments, though for considerably more risk.
"They're going to do condos instead of apartments until the market crashes," said Kent Burns, president of Freeman Webb Investments Inc., a Nashville firm that owns 30 apartment complexes in Middle Tennessee.
The occupancy rate has risen nearly a percentage point since spring and is approaching the 95 percent threshold, the point at which apartment managers say they generally have too few units available to meet demand.
Options are fewer
The high occupancy rate leaves new tenants with fewer options. Mike Rose, a retired mortgage broker who moved into the Lakeshore Apartments complex in Hendersonville recently, said he had little trouble choosing where to live, but he didn't have many choices as to the type of unit.
"I don't think there's a shortage," Rose said. "But you're not going to find four, five, six, eight apartments in a complex."
Those who stay in their apartments may also feel the pinch. Rents are up in every Middle Tennessee submarket except the Wilson County cities of Mt. Juliet and Lebanon.
In most areas, the increases are relatively modest, no more than $30 or so. But in a few neighborhoods, rents have exploded.
Along Nolensville Road, the average rent for an apartment has jumped $60 to $653 a unit since last winter. In Smyrna and La Vergne, rents are up $72 to $680.
And in downtown and midtown Nashville, rents have rocketed up $175 to $1,121.
Condos affect market
One cause of that rise has been developers' eagerness to build condominiums. Some complexes, such as the Blair House apartments on Chesterfield Avenue, have been razed to make way for new projects.
Condo construction has also indirectly deterred new projects, investors and brokers said. Prices for land in high-density neighborhoods are high, and multifamily developers have tended to choose the quick return of condo construction to recoup their investments over the slower returns of building apartments and collecting rents.
Those condos may soon have another impact on the apartment market. Over the next year, more than 1,000 condos in the downtown alone will be delivered to owners.
Those units could suppress demand for apartments, as people move out of rental housing and into condos. Or it could inflate the supply, as investors attempt to rent out units until they are able to resell them.
"I think there's a possibility of competition," said Charlie Biter, president of Nashville-based Continental Property Management LLC.
Apartments may return
As occupancy rates and rents climb higher, the odds increase that Nashville developers will turn their sights again to apartment construction.
One sign that may soon occur can be found in the Stahlman office building. Last summer, a joint venture between two local development companies reopened the 100-year-old tower on Third Avenue North as a 142-unit apartment building.
Occupancy there now approaches 90 percent, with most units leasing for $900 to $1,500, said Bert Mathews, president of The Mathews Co., a partner in the project.
Already two of Nashville's most prominent multifamily developers — Crosland LLC and Bristol Development Group — are planning to build apartments next. Both have major condo projects in the Gulch under construction, and both are now planning to build 150-unit apartment buildings in that same area.
"It's doing way better," said Steve Massey, a broker in the multifamily investment practice at CB Richard Ellis. "Now the market's getting tight."
By CHAS SISK
Housing isn't cheap. Just ask Middle Tennessee's renters.
Rents in the Nashville area have jumped 5 percent since the winter of 2005 and are on pace to rise another 5 percent by spring, according to the latest figures from the Greater Nashville Apartment Association.
The average apartment in the Nashville area now costs $736 a month, up nearly $30 from last summer's rates, and apartment managers are having little trouble finding renters at the higher prices.
Since spring, the occupancy rate in the region's 60,000-unit apartment market has risen above 94 percent, one of the highest rates since a late-1990s building splurge sent vacancies soaring.
Investors and analysts say it's uncertain whether Nashville's apartment complexes have become so full that a round of new construction is inevitable. Developers of multifamily buildings continue to be enamored of condominium projects, which offer a better return on investment than apartments, though for considerably more risk.
"They're going to do condos instead of apartments until the market crashes," said Kent Burns, president of Freeman Webb Investments Inc., a Nashville firm that owns 30 apartment complexes in Middle Tennessee.
The occupancy rate has risen nearly a percentage point since spring and is approaching the 95 percent threshold, the point at which apartment managers say they generally have too few units available to meet demand.
Options are fewer
The high occupancy rate leaves new tenants with fewer options. Mike Rose, a retired mortgage broker who moved into the Lakeshore Apartments complex in Hendersonville recently, said he had little trouble choosing where to live, but he didn't have many choices as to the type of unit.
"I don't think there's a shortage," Rose said. "But you're not going to find four, five, six, eight apartments in a complex."
Those who stay in their apartments may also feel the pinch. Rents are up in every Middle Tennessee submarket except the Wilson County cities of Mt. Juliet and Lebanon.
In most areas, the increases are relatively modest, no more than $30 or so. But in a few neighborhoods, rents have exploded.
Along Nolensville Road, the average rent for an apartment has jumped $60 to $653 a unit since last winter. In Smyrna and La Vergne, rents are up $72 to $680.
And in downtown and midtown Nashville, rents have rocketed up $175 to $1,121.
Condos affect market
One cause of that rise has been developers' eagerness to build condominiums. Some complexes, such as the Blair House apartments on Chesterfield Avenue, have been razed to make way for new projects.
Condo construction has also indirectly deterred new projects, investors and brokers said. Prices for land in high-density neighborhoods are high, and multifamily developers have tended to choose the quick return of condo construction to recoup their investments over the slower returns of building apartments and collecting rents.
Those condos may soon have another impact on the apartment market. Over the next year, more than 1,000 condos in the downtown alone will be delivered to owners.
Those units could suppress demand for apartments, as people move out of rental housing and into condos. Or it could inflate the supply, as investors attempt to rent out units until they are able to resell them.
"I think there's a possibility of competition," said Charlie Biter, president of Nashville-based Continental Property Management LLC.
Apartments may return
As occupancy rates and rents climb higher, the odds increase that Nashville developers will turn their sights again to apartment construction.
One sign that may soon occur can be found in the Stahlman office building. Last summer, a joint venture between two local development companies reopened the 100-year-old tower on Third Avenue North as a 142-unit apartment building.
Occupancy there now approaches 90 percent, with most units leasing for $900 to $1,500, said Bert Mathews, president of The Mathews Co., a partner in the project.
Already two of Nashville's most prominent multifamily developers — Crosland LLC and Bristol Development Group — are planning to build apartments next. Both have major condo projects in the Gulch under construction, and both are now planning to build 150-unit apartment buildings in that same area.
"It's doing way better," said Steve Massey, a broker in the multifamily investment practice at CB Richard Ellis. "Now the market's getting tight."
Saturday, June 30, 2007
HAPPY 4th OF JULY
The Great American Cookout
Throw the Ultimate July 4th Party
Every year North Americans head outdoors to celebrate summer and Independence Day. Now I know you don't want to be outdone by the neighbors, so I've put together some of the best information for you to make the most out of your summer entertaining. I must emphasize that the secret to a successful cookout is in the planning. Whether you will be grilling hamburgers, steaks, chicken or fish or maybe smoking ribs or brisket you need to know more than just the secrets to barbecuing & grilling. This is why I have put together this list of great resources to help you out.
Entertaining and Party Organizing
The first part of throwing a successful summertime bash is knowing how to cook for a crowd. If you happen to be a woman, don't be put off by the idea of grilling. Grillin' for Gals is a great guide to get you going. Remember to you are planning more than a meal, it's a party.
When cooking for a large gathering make sure you prepare something for everyone. Throw on a couple of Hot Dogs for the kids while you are grilling the rest. In fact, try getting the kids fed first to alleviate their hunger for summer foods.
Cooking and Recipes
When putting together a meal decide the best way to prepare the dishes quickly and easily. Kebabs are a great main dish because you can cook everything at once. You don't have to stick to the basics. Try a grilled meal with a Chinese, Italian, French or Mexican style.
Start off with some great appetizers for the grill or other appetizers.
If you want tradition then you need a good recipe for Potato Salad, Cole Slaw or Barbecue Beans.
If you or some of your guests are vegetarians you can still do some 4th of July entertaining, only vegetarian style. Vegetarian grilling can be more than just veggie burgers, but you will be a success if you make them from scratch.
Remember to cool things off with some Frozen Delights or go the extra mile with Italian ice cream. There is a lot you can do with desserts like a nice dish of dirt or a margarita pie.
Drinks
When it comes to serving iced tea don't forget the iced tea, or even the iced coffee. Coordinate your drinks with the meal and the season. A slightly chilled wine will go great with grilled foods. There are also a lot of cool, refreshing summer cocktails you can choose from. You might even what to check out some patriotic drinks for this July 4th. Of course no great cookout is complete without beef. What you need to make this even particularly patriotic is a good selection of beers. Colleen Graham has just what you need to stock your cooler.
No matter what you plan for this summer's entertaining I know a good place to find everything you need.
Throw the Ultimate July 4th Party
Every year North Americans head outdoors to celebrate summer and Independence Day. Now I know you don't want to be outdone by the neighbors, so I've put together some of the best information for you to make the most out of your summer entertaining. I must emphasize that the secret to a successful cookout is in the planning. Whether you will be grilling hamburgers, steaks, chicken or fish or maybe smoking ribs or brisket you need to know more than just the secrets to barbecuing & grilling. This is why I have put together this list of great resources to help you out.
Entertaining and Party Organizing
The first part of throwing a successful summertime bash is knowing how to cook for a crowd. If you happen to be a woman, don't be put off by the idea of grilling. Grillin' for Gals is a great guide to get you going. Remember to you are planning more than a meal, it's a party.
When cooking for a large gathering make sure you prepare something for everyone. Throw on a couple of Hot Dogs for the kids while you are grilling the rest. In fact, try getting the kids fed first to alleviate their hunger for summer foods.
Cooking and Recipes
When putting together a meal decide the best way to prepare the dishes quickly and easily. Kebabs are a great main dish because you can cook everything at once. You don't have to stick to the basics. Try a grilled meal with a Chinese, Italian, French or Mexican style.
Start off with some great appetizers for the grill or other appetizers.
If you want tradition then you need a good recipe for Potato Salad, Cole Slaw or Barbecue Beans.
If you or some of your guests are vegetarians you can still do some 4th of July entertaining, only vegetarian style. Vegetarian grilling can be more than just veggie burgers, but you will be a success if you make them from scratch.
Remember to cool things off with some Frozen Delights or go the extra mile with Italian ice cream. There is a lot you can do with desserts like a nice dish of dirt or a margarita pie.
Drinks
When it comes to serving iced tea don't forget the iced tea, or even the iced coffee. Coordinate your drinks with the meal and the season. A slightly chilled wine will go great with grilled foods. There are also a lot of cool, refreshing summer cocktails you can choose from. You might even what to check out some patriotic drinks for this July 4th. Of course no great cookout is complete without beef. What you need to make this even particularly patriotic is a good selection of beers. Colleen Graham has just what you need to stock your cooler.
No matter what you plan for this summer's entertaining I know a good place to find everything you need.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
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