For many Americans, economic uncertainties and unexpected situations make short sales a necessary procedure. When a homeowner’s financial state suddenly becomes uncertain or diminished they may have the option to sell the home for less than is due on the mortgage, giving all the money to the lender.
Talk to your real estate attorney, and a real estate agent to clarify your options during the event of a short sale. Finding the right agent is key to making a short sale a success. The right real estate agent will have experience short selling homes, and will be knowledgeable in all the regulations in your specific area, and will also be able to get the most money from your sale as possible. Determine the true value of your home, and ask your real estate broker for an estimate to be sure you’re getting the most value. Negotiating with the bank will also help you get the most money from your sale. Overall, make sure your home is in great condition to sell, and be honest and forthright with your real estate agent, and your mortgage lender to make your short sale a successful one.
Now that we have discussed the proper ways to stage your home, it’s important to go over what not to do when you are ready to sell your home. Even the tiniest of oversights can make a difference in selling your home, and having your home on the market for months and months.
Don’t wait until the last minute to get your home ready to sell. Begin the process of tidying the area, updating the paint, and de-cluttering your home. Don’t leave major obstacles that home buyers have to walk around, and certainly don’t leave trash lying around for viewers to see. Never display toiletries or hygiene products in the bathroom when staging your home. A good rule of thumb is to remove all personal belongings and objects that can influence the home buyer who is viewing your home. Remember that home buyers will be looking at every aspect of your home, so don’t neglect the small things like baseboards and chipped paint. The sooner you rid your home of unsightly damages, the quicker you can stage your home and sell it for a great price.
It really is great to live on the lake. When the weather is right, my husband and I will take the short ride to Anchor High Marina to enjoy a nice dinner. Sometimes, we go out on the lake just to take a ride. However, taking a ride on the boat is not the only great thing about living on the lake.
The natural ecosystem is alive with wildlife of all sorts: ducks, fish, and creatures of all sizes. This is one of the greatest joys of living on the lake. There is a certain awareness of nature that you get from being so close to the water. You get a real sense of the wonder of the world we live in. Please don’t hesitate to call if you are interested in a property on the lake. I guarantee that you won’t regret it.
The Gulch is one of the hippest up and coming areas in Nashville. The area is home to trendy shops and great restaurants that bring people from all areas of Middle Tennessee.
Velocity, located in the Gulch, is home to hundreds of condominium units. In order to fill up the units quickly and efficiently, Velocity has sold 220 units to a real estate company in Atlanta. The company plans on leasing the condos out as apartments. While the move will undoubtedly bring a lot more residents to the Gulch, it may lower property values as the value of the specific condominiums will be lowered too. The move is a great way to sell units in the building quickly, and it will be interesting to see the effect this sell has on Velocity, and on the Gulch in general. Either way, the Gulch will likely continue to thrive as more shops and popular restaurants pop up in the area. This is also a testament to the dynamic nature of all sectors of the real estate market in Middle Tennessee.
My husband and I haven’t seen many barges on Old Hickory Lake since the US Army Corps of Engineers shut down traffic on the Mississippi River. Last night, while we were taking some friends out for a spin in our run-about boat after dinner, we saw a single barge being pushed by an Ingram push boat. The barge trains we see on Old Hickory Lake are typically 2 wide and 3 long (total of 6).
Most of us who live near Old Hickory Lake (OHL) very much enjoy the recreational opportunities. The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) estimates 8.5 million visitors take trips through the lake annually. These range from fishing and boating to camping and swimming. OHL extends 90 miles, boasts 440 miles of shoreline and is a peaceful transition from the city and industry to tranquil farmland and forests.
But recent flood headlines illustrate other aspects of our “lake” which is actually part of an extensive river network for commercial navigation, power generation, and flood control. Currently, thousands of barge trains are tied up waiting for Mississippi River levels to drop. This is to make sure the wakes do not top the levees, and also because many locks are currently closed. Since a single barge holds 1500 tons (60 eighteen wheelers), and a typical train averages 10 or more barges, it backs up quickly! Ingram Barge Co (which supports our Gallatin Steam Plant and several cement plants) alone operates 140 towboats and 4000 barges. Thus, commodity shipments to and from Nashville and even Sumner County are affected by the hold up. Thankfully, Gallatin Steam Plant, which powers electricity for Sumner County, has 20 more days of coal in reserve. Last year’s Nashville flood also illustrates the delicate balance faced by the Corps as they try to regulate this overall system. For more information, visit http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/.
Old Hickory Lake, as a river system, opens up great new possibilities for those with a little recreation time. Locking through the Old Hickory dam opens up the river to Nashville and beyond. A recent book chronicled a two week odyssey by two retirees via pontoon boat clear to the Gulf. Your author recently enjoyed a leisurely 3 day trip on our sailboat (6 mph) to Kentucky Lake. Sights included Nashville from the water, many river-based industries, railroad draw bridges, passing under many bridges (one with only 2 feet to spare above our 50 foot mast), sleeping and cooking at anchor. It’s great to enjoy the fun of OHL, but it is also key to remember it’s place in the environmental and commerce ecosystems.
In an ever-changing housing market, it’s helpful to gain all the insight and information you can. Equally important is making sure that information is relevant and up to date. Supplement your research with helpful advice from those who have recently bought a home, and be sure to consult with your trusted real estate agent. Here are some current real estate tips to give you a little home buying wisdom.
As with all advice, home buying advice will be specific to your financial situation, your familial situation, as well as the current housing market. A good example of possible outdated home buying advice pertains to new sub-divisions. When new sub-divisions are built, many people are not privy to the possible risks of buying a home in these areas. Homebuyers may initially buy up these properties, but as the sales die down, so do the property values as the builders may lower the prices by as much as half. This can be detrimental to your property value if you’ve purchased in a new sub-division. Another piece of advice pertains to buying a home with versatility. If you purchase a home with a bedroom with private bathroom, you may be able to take on a roommate and avoid foreclosure in an uncertain economy. This is a great way to plan for the future when buying a home. Planning for the future when buying a home is a great way to appreciate the value of your investment.
Think outside the box when making this important investment, and be wary before investing in brand new subdivisions, because it may be best to wait a little. These two pieces of home buying advice may seem surprising, but being privy to this knowledge can allow you to make the most out of your home buying decision. Being a savvy buyer can make the difference between a sound real estate investment that will appreciate after many years, and buying a home you may not be happy in.
Technology is moving at the speed of light, and surpassing our wildest expectations. New advances in technology are helping us run our businesses, find activities for our families, and get the best deals on the things we need. Technology is also making it easier than ever to find a new home.
The iPad has revolutionized the way home buyers shop for new homes. Rather than trolling classified advertisements in newspapers and online, there are many tablet applications can make the home buying process more streamlined and effective. Realtor.com has a new iPad application that lets you target a specific neighborhood or location in order to make your home search more effective. You can also organize and highlight properties that you are interested in, to keep your home shopping experience simple and organized. Many home shoppers find it difficult to keep the homes they like separate from the homes they don’t like. A pen and paper may not be the most effective tool. Now, the Buyfolio application for iPhones and iPads lets you easily drag properties into categories based on whether or not you viewed them yet. Once you have viewed the properties you can categorize them further based on your preferences. If you’re looking for a free application, the ZipRealty application allows you to view recent sales in your locations and with the help of other websites (like HomeGain) can give you an idea of the price you should realistically expect to pay in that area.
Technology allows us to make decisions easier, and to organize our data in ways that make sense for us. User friendly and intuitive these mobile applications make the home buying process fast and easy, and it may even make it fun! Give these applications a try and see how they enhance the home shopping experience for you.
