New Homes Slow, Historical Coming on Market

Parts of the housing market in middle Tennessee have dropped by about 25%, most notably in the housing starts.  As a result, builders have begun layoffs.  The Daily News Journal published an article today stating that Ole South has laid off part of its work force since their usual 700 homes p/year has dropped to about 500.  In reality, that 25% drop is about what I’ve seen in our local market, though Smyrna remains strong. 

Speaking of Smyrna, I heard at our meeting today about a fantastic old home about to come on the market.  It’s called the “Coleman House” and could be described as Smryna’s first bed and breakfast.  Back when farmers would bring in cotton, the one hotel in town filled up so the owners of the Coleman House would rent the three upstairs bedrooms.  It was built in the early 1900’s and has more than 3,000 square feet.  This gorgeous 5-bedroom home has all hardwood (under carpet in some rooms), oak handrails on the stairs, a covered deck, a kitchen that could be remodeled, new roof, new siding, and a front porch that’s over 40×10 in size. 

If you’re interested in historical homes, please comment with your email (that’s not published) and I’ll arrange a tour!  I’ll post a photo once online!

A Serious Question

I have a very serious question to ask sellers.  I check what’s called the “Hot Sheets” daily which show me new listings, price changes, and homes back on the market.  I can’t count the times that homes are listed with no photos.  What’s the deal?  Why would a seller allow their agent to have a listing that doesn’t have pictures?  Now don’t misunderstand me because I can imagine there would be times that it could take a day or two to get the photos online, depending on the situation. 

For example, there’s a home in the neighborhood behind me – a gorgeous neighborhood with big yards and nice people.  On the EIGHTH day photos were finally posted.  Essentially the home missed the first week of potential buyers because I know most people tend to skip listings if there are no pictures.

So my question again is to sellers.  Why would you allow your agent to go 8 days (or 153 in a lot of instances) without raising a ruckus?  It’s great that you’re nice to your Realtor, but there’s a difference in being nice and being taken advantage of.

Builder Confidence Dips

According to today’s CNN.com, builder confidence is at an all-time low with fewer housing permits being issued than ever before.

…the problems included decreased availability of subprime mortgages, a glut of new homes available for sale and reports about declining home values.

Read more about what’s going on in the new home industry here.  In middle Tennessee, I believe the buyers are just catching up with the number of homes built and in a few months, we’ll begin seeing more construction permits pulled.

Look What Came Today!

I knew this was a day that I did NOT want to get sick!!  I dragged home not feeling spectacular, but perked right up when I saw the UPS package on my table.  LOOKIE LOOKIE!

Check out Beth’s brilliant cover design.  Beautiful, huh?  (I’ll put one in the mail for you tomorrow, Beth!)  I did find one teensie-tiny error in the book which I’ll re-upload to Lulu.com before more copies are ordered.  And now for happy me!

Woot!

Fire Prevention Week

When I was about 12 years old and we lived in North Dakota, my Mom received the call that her niece (who was the same age as my youngest brother – 3 years old) had died in a house fire.  There was a problem with the furnace and she was too young to escape the flames and smoke.  It was such a sad period in our young lives knowing that little Shelly had died such a horrible death.  To this day, it still haunts my memories.  We wonder what she would’ve been as an adult: would she be a mother, a model, a politician, a waitress?  To honor Shelly’s short life, I want to remind everyone that this is Fire Prevention Week.  Follow some of the links below to learn more.

Many people are surprised to learn that a home fire is reported every 83 seconds in the U.S. and that last year, such home fires represented 81 percent of all fire deaths and 79 percent of civilian fire injuries.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, there is a fire death in the United States every two hours, 23 minutes.  That is a shocking, devastating number!  As a home owner, renter, or regular human being, you need to do your part to keep you and your family safe.  This link to the National Fire Protection Association provides numerous reports and tips about fire prevention and safety, including:

• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.

• Keep candles at least 1 foot away from things that can catch fire, like clothing, books and curtains.

• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven.

• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire. (When I was in elementary school, I heard about a teacher who wore a loose robe that caught fire. I don’t remember if she survived or not, but it was pretty horrifying to hear about.)

• Do not operate the dryer without a lint filter. Clean lint filters before or after each use and remove accumulated lint from around the drum.

• Never use your oven to heat your home (to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning).

This site has countless other tips, so be sure to take a few minutes this week to look it over. You might be surprised to learn what you might be doing wrong

Open House Sunday!

I’ll be holding an open house tomorrow (Sunday) from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Stonewood subdivision in Smyrna.  Well, on the outskirts of Smyrna.  Take I-24 toward M’boro, exit 70 (Almaville Road).  Go right and drive for about 3-5 miles. Stonewood is on the right - the big houses.  The Titans are playing, so I know I’ll be lonely … come by and say hello.   By the way, you know that Bob Parks Realty, LLC is the official real estate company for the Tennessee Titans!

If you’re in the market to buy a $300,000+ house, this is your place!

3679 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3-car garage, huge bonus room, $379,000! 

My First Book

It’s published!  My first (of many, I hope) is now available online!  If the price seems high, remember that it’s a technical manual which do usually run more than regular paperbacks.  Plus it’s full color!

Check it out here!

Short Sale? You May Still Owe Taxes

I just read the most interesting post on Shak & Jill, a national blog that I have the privilege of writing for.  Kathy Helbig posted that if your lender approves a short sale for your home, you financial obligations may not be over after the sale.  Kathy quoted from another source,

The IRS considers any canceled mortgage debt ordinary income. This means that the amount forgiven is taxed at the same rate — somewhere between 15 percent and 30 percent — as the sellers’ salaries.

There are exceptions to the tax law…. go on over and read all about it!

Three in a Row

At the risk of my head becoming so big that I can’t walk through a doorway, I’ve sold three homes in a row as listing agent where the buyers are the first people to walk into the home.  I’d like to think it’s because of the staging advice I give (and that my clients follow).  I’d like to think it’s because of the awesome online marketing I do.  And if it’s just darn good luck, I hope it holds out because I’ve been working pretty hard lately to earn extra blessings!

So if you’re thinking about selling, let’s make it four in a row!  <– shameless self promotion!