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| Dining Room |
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| Den - Great Room |
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| Backyard |
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| Kitchen |
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| Breakfast Room |
Sunday, October 5, 2014
8866 Forest Breeze Drive
8866 Forest Breeze Drive: We just listed this beautiful 4 bedroom plus an office home in the Sanga Trails community of Cordova, Tennessee. If you know someone who wants to purchase a move-in ready home, let us know. Low maintenance brick and a new roof was just installed last month. Click on the photo below for a virtual tour and if you like what you see, call or text us at 901-359-3095 to arrange a private tour.
Friday, October 3, 2014
September Housing Trends e-Newsletter
Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.
The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau, Realtor.org reports and other sources.
Housing Trends eNewsletter is filled with local and national real estate sales and price activity provided by MLSs and the National Association of Realtors, U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, consumer videos, blogs, real estate glossary, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, and REALTOR.com local community reports.
If you are interested in determining the value of your home, click the “Home Evaluator” link for a free evaluation report:
Sound decisions can only be made with accurate and reliable information, and we are happy to be a trusted resource for you. We look forward to answering any questions you may have and to the opportunity to be your REALTOR® in the future.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Haunted Hooting Owl Pretzels
I know, I know... It's not a real estate article, but... Halloween is quickly approaching.
Whoo-oo dare eat this menacing owl? Everyone! Though they look especially spooky, these chocolate-dipped pretzels are a hoot to make.
To make, follow these steps:
- Dip large pretzels in melted confectioner's coating. Place the pretzels on waxed paper.
- As the coating sets, sprinkle with coarse black decorating sugar. Press a black jelly bean to the twist of each pretzel for the nose and small pieces of licorice candy onto the base of the pretzels for the talons.
- Separate a sandwich cookie and press the halves onto the pretzel for eyes.
- Ice white candy pieces and press onto each cookie eye, then add chocolate chips to them for pupils.
- Use black licorice twists as eyebrows.
source: Better Homes and Gardens
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Baby Boomers Face Housing Crunch
AARP reports that half of Baby Boomers doubt they'll ever be able to retire. Many Baby Boomers are nervous about retirement. The Great Recession took a heavy toll on many investments and former financial goals don't seem as attainable in some cases. A recent article from the Career Institute's newsletter is pretty eye-opening and frightening. According to the article, many Baby Boomers (of which I am one) will struggle to keep their homes. Many will enter retirement with less savings and more debt than previous generations. Many will not have their homes paid for by retirement and that debt alone will account for more than 30% of their retirement income. Over the next decade, Boomers 65 and older living on less than $15,000 a year is expected to increse by nearly 40%. Read below for the entire article...
America’s Baby Boomers are facing a serious housing crunch, with many expected to struggle to afford their homes come retirement.
By 2030, the number of adults age 65 and older will more than double to 73 million, according to a report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the AARP Foundation.
And many of these retirees will need to put so much of their income toward housing — more than 30% — that they will have to cut back on other expenses like transportation, medical care, even food, the report found.
A big part of the problem: many Baby Boomers will enter retirement with less savings and more debt than previous generations.
A growing number of seniors are carrying mortgage debt into retirement, with more than 70% of younger Boomers ages 50 to 64, and 40% of those age 65 and older still owing money on their home in 2010. Even worse, they owed even more money on their loans, which is putting many older Americans in a “financially precarious” position, the report found.
Meanwhile non-housing related debt among the 65-plus crowd climbed from an average of $4,300 in 1992 to $7,200 in 2010, mainly as a result of credit card and auto loan debt.
Adding to Boomers’ burdens, less money is expected to come in. Over the next decade, the number of households age 65 and older living on less than $15,000 a year — below the poverty level for a two person household in 2014 — is projected to grow by nearly 40%.
The authors of the report argue that the government isn’t doing enough to help low income seniors. In 2011, just one-third of low income seniors who were eligible for federal rental assistance received any assistance at all.
The report recommends a variety of fixes, including property tax relief for seniors, increased federal rental assistance and improved programs to help seniors “age in place” in their homes, instead of in costly institutions.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Trends, Tricks & Tips
Home Improvements & Which Ones to Do
Whether you plan to sell
in the near future, or just want to improve the value of your home, here is one
low cost improvement you should consider.
Light Up Your Life. Lighting can dramatically affect your
mood, so brighten things up! Breezy window coverings allow you to control how
much natural lighting you'd like to let in. A strategically placed table lamp
or a dramatic chandelier can add character, while making your rooms appear
larger and more open. Replace old bathroom or kitchen lights that give your
home a dated feel.
Monday, September 1, 2014
August 2014 Housing Trends eNewsletter
This eNewsletter is specially designed with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you’re in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.
The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau and Realtor.org reports, videos, key market indicators and real estate sales statistics, a video message by a nationally recognized economist, maps, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, plus local neighborhood information and more.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Before You Buy... Are You Ready to be a Homeowner?
Buying a home is one of the most exciting events in your life and is likely to be the most expensive purchase that you will ever make. Before you make a commitment, make sure you are ready. Avoid the pressure to buy a home that you cannot afford. Here are some things to consider:
- Are you ready to be a homeowner? It is critical that you consider whether you have saved enough money to support a down payment in addition to your other debts. You must have job stability and a steady income.
- How long do you plan on living in your home? Real estate is not always an investment. No one can predict what will happen with your local housing market. If you plan to sell your home in the next few years, realize that the property may not increase substantially in value or may have actually lost value. You may ultimately owe more to pay off your mortgage than your home will be worth.
- What is your estimated monthly payment for the home? In addition to the monthly payment for principal and interest, you will have to pay for taxes and insurance and possibly homeowner association dues. If your down payment is less than 20%, your lender may require that you pay the added expense for mortgage insurance.
- What are the other costs of owning a home? Be realistic about the costs of owning a home like heating and cooling and other utilities. You will generally need to budget for repairs and routine maintenance of your home, especially if you buy an older home.
- What can you afford? Be confident that you can make the monthly payments.
- Have a financial plan and make a budget. Do you have a steady source of reliable income to pay your mortgage should your interest rate increase in the future? Consider how many long-term debts you have such as car or student loans, as well as credit card bills.
- Have you talked with a housing counseling agency? Housing counselors can be very helpful, especially for first-time home buyers. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) supports housing counseling agencies throughout the country that can provide free or low-cost advice. You can search online at HUD’s web site, or you can call HUD’s interactive voice system. This contact information can be found below.
After answering the questions above, have you determined that buying a house is right for you? If so, congratulations! It's time to start shopping for a house and a loan. Be sure to utilize the services of a reputable Realtor and Lender to help guide you through the home buying process.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1112
http://www.hud.gov
HUD Housing Counselors
1-800-569-4287 (Interactive system)
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm
source: HUD's Settlement Cost Booklet
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