I was recently talking to a friend who shared with me a story about her great grandmother who kept a large bucket to catch rain water in her yard to water her plants. I laughed when I heard it because I keep hearing about young people who are gathering rain water in large barrels to water gardens and plants to conserve water. We are just getting back to a more natural way of doing things as a country and maybe as a world.
Part of this is a movement called “Slow Food”. This organization believes in eating locally grown foods and that eating naturally is the best thing for you. Well, I can’t argue with that! There seems to be a lot of people that are dedicating themselves and their families to eating this way. Many are growing their own food or getting involved in community gardens, which I think is wonderful! Not only is this an exercise in health through eating but also a great way to meet your neighbors and share a common goal. They also seek out restaurants that buy and prepare local foods as well for those of us who like to eat out more than prepare food at home. I say go for it!
Since so many people are deciding to stay in their homes instead of selling, here are the top five tips for repainting your home.
- Spend time taking everything down off the walls and patch the holes and any sheetrock or plaster damage before applying paint of any kind. Once you get the new paint on you just might want to hang the pictures in different places and if you don’t patch the wall you will have a nicely pained room with holes.
- Either prime the area that you are painting or invest in a paint that is guaranteed to cover the wall in one coat. (Yes, they do exist, just cost more but worth it)
- Make sure you cover your floors with a painters cloth or you might be replacing the floors next. (Of course, this might be your intent!)
- Invest in a good trim tool. This will ultimately save you time and money and make the paint job a lot easier and professional looking. Once you learn how to use these tools, you will never go back to trimming with a brush.
- If you hate doing this type of work and can afford to; hire a professional to get it done. You’ll be giving someone a job and be happier than if you spend your time trying to perfect something you hate to do. Either way, have fun redoing your place and have a gathering to show off the new abode.
The end of February is the perfect time to start cutting back those plants that are sitting listlessly in your flowerbeds or yard. It’s also a great time to really look at your plants, grass, fence and other outdoor structures that may need some work or just need replacing before you can enjoy them throughout the spring and summer months.
One of the best ways to start planning and prioritizing is to make a master list with everything you can think of that you want to get rid of, replace or fix out in your yard. If you need some help, it’s a great time to hire someone to help you decide what to do in your yard that will give it that “pop” you are looking for. This will make you feel better about staying in a home that you thought you would be selling by now or give you a leg up on the competition if you plan on selling your home within the next year or so. After all, first impressions can make or break a deal!
I was looking around the other day and decided to see what kind of deals I could find just in the Hendersonville area. I know from a couple of showings that I have done in East Nashville and Madison recently that there are some real gems on the market; you just have to find them! I was not shocked to find some great deals in Hendersonville as well. I understand that many people are holding back and waiting to see what the government is going to offer in terms of tax credits and interest rates but I will also say these bargains won’t last!
I spoke to a lender today and he let me know that 5% is still doable and the $15,000 tax credit was struck from the stimulus bill so it’s still the $7,500 that is the same as before with the same provisions. He also told me he had no information on the lowering the interest rate to 4.5%. What I do know is rates are still good and there are some great deals out here in the Nashville and surrounding markets!
This past week has been a very trying week for me because my elderly mother fell and broke a rib and I have had to go and take care of her throughout the nights and continue working in the day to fulfill my obligations as a Realtor to my clients. Though I have always been aware and grateful to the people that support my business efforts, I have never been so relieved to have them on my team!
My husband, who is also a part of my business, has been wonderful in taking so many things off my plate and just handling them; the various people at ReMax Choice Properties in East Nashville and Hendersonville who have filled in the gaps when Bob nor I could; the guys who take care of my website; and the friends and my “sales force”, also known as the Metro BNI Chapter who have given me both moral support as well as referrals to get some much needed help with my mother. There is beauty in having a team behind you that you can count on when things are rocking right along and when not so good things happen; to all of you, many thanks!
With all the financial news and goings on, it is good to know that interest rates for mortgages are still good right now. They seem to go up a little and then down a little and stay somewhere between the high 4’s to low 5’s. That’s not to say that rates won’t go higher or lower since no one is ever able to predict exactly what will happen. All we have are the trends so that’s all we can look at to see if rates are staying relatively healthy for buyers. Today’s interest rate trends definitely are good for buyers. However, there are some other things to consider in today’s market.
The cost of the loan is something that you will need to consider as well as the overall housing market in your area. Working with a good mortgage loan officer and a real estate professional should help you make good decisions, if you are in a place to purchase a home. Even though rates are low, you will need to have at least 3.5% to put down on the home as well as up to 3% closing costs money if the seller is not able to negotiate paying some closing costs. Be prepared and you will come out ahead of the game!
I have just heard that the CEO’s of some of the largest banks in America have testified that you DO NOT have to miss two payments in order for them to work with you to get your loan modified if you are having issues making the payments! This is great news! I can’t tell you how many people I have talked to that have been in crisis over their mortgage that have been, apparently, misled to believe they have to miss several payments in order to get some help.
They miss two payments; are now late with their mortgage payments, thus ruining their credit rating; and have very steep late fees that have to be made up on top of the shame they feel. After all of this, only a handful have been able to renegotiate their loans and now, because they have been advised by the mortgage company and banks to do so, they are way behind and either have to play catch up or they end up in bankruptcy or foreclosure. What a terrible way for people who want to do the right thing to be treated and we find out today that they, in fact, did not have to get behind on their payments for the banks and mortgage companies to work with them!
For some, this information is too little to late for those who seemingly were misinformed but I hope in plenty of time for those who find themselves in a current difficult mortgage situation. The bottom line is to reach out to the lender as soon as possible and let them have the chance to help you. If they won’t or don’t, call your representative and let them know. After all, these CEO’s told them they would help!
As my mortgage person tells me, “timing interest rates is no more affective than timing the stock market”. I guess it’s true because I have heard several people lately say things like; “I’ll buy a home once the rates bottom out” and “I won’t refinance until I can get the lowest interest rate possible”. The trouble with this type of thinking is that the interest rate may have bottomed out or not! Know one knows when interest rates are going up or down.
Another misconception has the interest rates for mortgages either tied to the bank rates (rate for money borrowed from the Fed or from bank to bank) or prime and mortgage rates are not calculated on either of these factors except for HELOC loans (Home Equity Line of Credit). There are a lot of things that go into how rates are calculated and I have been told it is not unusual for rates to shift and change several times a day. So I agree with my mortgage people that whenever you have money to put down (3.5% or better), a stable employment history, a good income and good credit history; it’s a good time to buy for you. Yes, get the best rate and cost at the time but don’t try to time the market. You may just miss a great opportunity by waiting too long!
I am all about passing along a good recommendation when I can; and boy, can I! My husband and I had lunch at Barefoot Charlie’s, located at 125 Saunders Ferry Rd in Hendersonville, TN after church on Sunday and all I can say is Wow! The food and service was great and we had a very enjoyable time. I loved the island theme and the colorful atmosphere.
As they put it; “Island Attitude Local Latitude” – Here’s what they have to say about themselves right off their website!
“Barefoot Charlie’s founded by a group of like minded misfits, weary of the same old O’Chili-bee’s chain mentality, wary of the flip-flop-free bistro bandwagon, and wanting a not-so-greasy spoon. They were looking for their lost shakers of salt and somewhere kicked-back, laid-back, and out-back to sip a cocktail (or three) with fellow rat racers ready to trade their cube view or corner office for a lakeside sunset.”
You have to love anyone with that kind of laid back attitude in this fast paced, stress out life we all tend to lead. It’s just one more reason to come north to Hendersonville!
