I don’t know what got into me this morning, but after our meeting at work on Tuesday about how marriage nulled quit claim deeds simply by virtue of marriage, I kept picturing Clementine.  Probably because Quit Claim sounds like Clementine…  so I wrote a story about a miner and quit claims over at Shak & Jill.  It’s silly, but I like it!

After years of living in this squalor, however, the tired bride decided she’d had enough and packed her garbage bag suitcase to head to the suburbs of Chicago to find a real home.  The gruff, grizzled man was okay with her departure because she never quite seasoned the prairie dog just right.  He knew he’d do better on his own, plus he could keep all the proceeds from his mining claim for himself if she left.

Autumn must be story-telling season in Middle Tennessee! 

I absolutely can not believe we are staring right square in the face of Fall.  Though this has been a challenging year for the real estate market, time marches forward.  The kids are back in school, lawns continue to get mowed, flu shots come and go, and now we’re just two months from the first-time home buyers tax credit deadline!

In LaVergne, there are still many wonderful homes available for under $120,000.  Incredibly there are also many under $100,000!!!  Smyrna’s market is a little tighter, but there are definitely homes to be found at those very affordable prices.

In fact, all of middle Tennessee has fared very well through this housing downturn.  Yes, sales are slower.  However, when a home is in good condition and priced right, it WILL sell!  I’ve already experienced several sales where we’ve had to compete in a multiple offer situation!  Sometimes my buyers refuse to step up and miss out on the house because they think that all prices should be low now, but other buyers have been willing to offer a little more and get a house they love – for a price that’s still fair!

When I bought my homes, I always asked myself “How badly do you want this home?”  If I could live without it, I’d bid low and let it pass.  If it was one that I adored, I’d find a way to buy it!

Here’s a secret that is an effective negotiating strategy when you’re buying a house and know there’s competition:

Write on the offer that you will pay $1000 more than the highest offer, not to exceed X amount (the top amount you’re willing to pay).  Make sure you ask for proof of the highest price – and yes the listing agent CAN show you the other offer with permission from the seller.

If you’re interested in buying or selling in this market, please feel welcome to contact me and I’ll gladly tour your home and/or show you new ones!

Here’s one of my listings in the Donelson area:

The list price is $175,000, three bedrooms, two baths, an office, and an unbelievable backyard and deck area!

Well hello friends.  I know I’ve not been here often enough in the last month, but things seem to finally be picking up again for real estate in Middle Tennessee!   I’ve been working with some sellers who’ve kept me on my toes, as well as working with marketing my listings.

I have officially retired as a Girl Scout leader, so I will be able to spend even more time focusing on real estate.  Of course, my daughters will still get plenty of attention from Mom … my youngest won the title of Junior Miss Tennessee of Baton Twirling this summer so you’ll be able to find us at parades throughout the area this Fall and during Christmas.  My oldest daughter moves into the dorm next weekend, so getting her ready for college life has also been wonderful time spent this summer!

Meanwhile, I’ve started writing for our company blog site … you can find me at Guide Me Home 2 Nashville-Rutherford.  I continue to write for Shak & Jill and Banks.com, so come on over and pay a visit sometime!  If you have any real estate related questions, you can comment here or any of the other sites.  Or you can always call or text me at (615) 491-2161.

Come by my open house this Sunday between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. at 304 Cumberland Drive in Smyrna. I’d love to see you there! Here’s the skinny…

For Sale: 3BR/1.5BA Single Family House in Smyrna, TN, $120,000

Shared via AddThis

I just uploaded a couple of new listings under the “Buy Me” tab… go take a look!  Check out the homes on Langford Court and Cumberland Drive.

Then come back here and let me know what you think!  You won’t be disappointed! 

I am heading out tonight for Orlando, Florida with my youngest daughter and a bus filled with other Moms, chaperones, and baton-twirling girls.  We are going to the USTA Southest Region Championships where my daughter and her team (along wth several other teams) are competing for titles.  Wish them all luck!

On Monday, I’ll be spending time with Mickey and the Disney gang and hoping to not get sunburned or heat exhaustion!  I’ll bring back some fun pictures to share with you.

Meanwhile, if you need me I’ll be back on Wednesday, June 17th.  If it can’t wait, please contact my broker Virginia Pappafotis at 615-459-4040 and let her know you’re calling on my behalf.  Thank you and have a great week!

Note:  Password protected post has been deleted – no longer needed.

Sometimes I work with buyers who are not in this area (out of state, far far away).  Other times my buyers want to see more photos of a certain home than what’s available on the MLS.  In these cases, I do provide photos for them BUT I also want to protect the privacy of the seller and their belongings, home layout, etc.  Occasionally you’ll see a password protected post (like the one below) in order to do that.

If you are my buyer, I am happy to take photos on your behalf – and with permission from the seller or seller’s agent – and password protect it.  Thank you.

I just wanted to thank Mark for the shout-out he gave me on This is Smyrna.  He is right about the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers.  To qualify, you can’t have owned a home for the past three years.  There are some income limits but they’re very generous ($75,000 for singles, $150,000 for married).

The best news is that if you buy, you don’t have to wait until 2010 to collect the tax credit.  You can amend your 2008 return that you filed in ‘09 and receive the check a few weeks after closing!   Meanwhile, the Federal government may give permission soon to use the $8000 toward a down payment.

So if you’re qualified, I encourage you to contact a Realtor soon.  You only have until November 30th to take advantage of this great incentive.  You can reach me at (615) 491-2161 by phone or text.  I look forward to hearing from you and will be pleased to help you find a home anywhere in the middle Tennessee region (Nashville, Sumner County, Williamson, Rutherford, and more!).

Again thanks to Mark for the kind words.

Realtors have really stepped up to the challenge of helping families with children who lost homes and a sense of safety because of the tornado on Good Friday.  According to the Daily News Journal,

MTAR’s first effort, a toy drive, focused on children currently in city and county elementary schools. Over the three weeks following the tornadoes, Realtors from across MTAR’s eight-county membership contributed enough toys to distribute several age-appropriate items to each of the 75 students identified by the school systems as tornado victims.

For more information about efforts to help tornado victims, go here.

Check out the visual tour of this beautiful home!