Ray Carman – Auctioneer

This week we are going to step out of the county just a little ways into Robertson County. Here we find this cute home perfect for the starter or the “down sizer.” This house has a perfect layout containing 3 bdr, 2 baths, and lots of extra features. Trey Ceilings, vaulted ceilings, one car garage, cul-de-sac lot, deck, ad many more. It is definitely worth your time to venture over and give this one a look. It is only $154,900

This morning, as my 4 yr old woke me up bright and early (she likes to get up about 6 am), one of my first emails was from a company that designs websites for Real Estate Agents. Their big promo was that “first impressions mean everything with web design.” Their thought was that if your design is not attractive and captivating, it would most likely run people off.

I am presently under new construction for both my personal web page and the one for my business. What are your opinions about the above theory. Is the “attractiveness” or “appeal to the eye” one of your biggest deals when browsing through Real Estate websites? Or, is it “ease of use” and “functionality?”

Recently there was a vote and a new set of leaders have been chosen for the 2008 term in SAR. These guys are chosen by their peers to be the leaders of our large association. They carry a large resposibility to be sure that our association continues to head in the right direction and that our members are acting in professional and ethical manners. Thanks to them for their willingness to serve. The new leaders are as follows:

Please come welcome your leaders for 2008

Officers:

2008 SAR President, Lisa Green

2008 SAR President-Elect, Aretha Mims

2008 SAR First Vice President, Diana Mundy

2008 SAR Secretary Treasurer, Steve Shrum

Directors:

Barb Cree-2007-09

Molly Bass-2005-08

Scott Hanning-2007-09

Nancy Jo Martin-2007-09

Hildia McDonald-2007-09

Karli Kee Crunk-2007-09

Stan Peacock-2007-09

Donna Crowley-2007-09

If you are house hunting, here is another forum you might want to check. Advertised as a “real estate investment” site, you can find foreclosed properties in your area and make offers on them. Just another tool for your box!

This week we are featuring a lovely home in the Heart of Hendersonville! THe address is 138 La Plaza Drive. You will find this home just off of Saunders Ferry Road. It has recently had some updating and remodeling. It contains 3 bdrs and 1.5 baths on the upper story. These are complemented by a living room and nice kitchen. On the bottom floor (basement), a large area has been converted for a family/rec room. It also has large storage closets and a 2 car garage! Outside is a large yard, with the rear being fenced. It can all be had for $174,900 or best offer. Sellers are motivated and are looking to move it quick. So, come and look! MLS #911199

Thanks to Priority One Real Estate for allowing us to Feature this listing. To view it, contact your realtor, or call 824-0044

In my last post, Beth left a comment of about housefront.com. So, I decided to check it out.

Here is what I found. Beth was “spot on” about the estimate being more in line with the actual markets.  When I checked my property on Zillow it was off by about 65k! On housefront, it hit it right at what I presently have it listed for at $319,000.  I was very impressed by the accuracy.

I was also able to link in as the owner of the property. I could also correct the information on the property. THere was a google map photo available, which was again off by about half a mile, similar to Zillow. But, it was off in the opposite direction. I was not able to “fix” this one like I was on Zillow. I was able to upload a photo, and could do multiple photos.

You can also list your house on this site. It did not have the “make me move” option, but, overall, I would think it would be a great site to do some checking on if you are buying and selling. It appears to be tied into a Real Estate firm in some way, offering you to contact an agent in your area. You can also as a Realtor, sign up as an “exclusive” contact in your zip code.

There is a connection with this site and your cell phone as well. You can sign up for text messages from the site and access it from your cell phone with your mobile web connection! Overall, great site, functional, has a blog area with some interesting post, and could have alot of uses for both client and realtor.

Thanks for the tip Beth!

Have you had your zestiment today?

If you haven’t already done it, you should head over to Zillow.com and get your free zestiment and a-lot of other cool things as well. You can claim ownership of your property which would allow you add details, pictures, and other features. It is a really awesome potential for everyone to use.

Here is what I did. I put in my address and watched as it pulled up a satellite photo of our place. The photo is a few years old, and they had us in the wrong place (down in Fairvue in the middle of the golf course.) But, that was a easy change once I claimed my property. They go through a series of questions to verify you are the real owner. Once you have claimed it, they bring up the photo again and allow you to verify the location. If it is wrong, you simply fix it using the available tools. (Our house was not on the photo, but rather showed what the property looked like almost three years ago under development. This might be the one thing I noticed needed updating.) After that process, I was able to fill in house details, correct problems in the details, and upload any photos I wanted.

There is also a really cool tool known as “Make me Move.” It allows you to set a price on Zillow, and if someone sees it, they can take you up on that price. Only deal is, you have to agree to accept the price once you set it. They give you a “zestimate” on what your house is worth based on recent sales in the area. Ours was a little high, but not far off. This is in addition to you being able to tell them if your house is listed, who your agent is, and how to contact them. It is also a good tool for Realtors, as they can show your house for sale for you.

If you are a buyer, this is another search engine you can use to pul up homes not “on the market”, but have been posted with a “make me move” price.

This is a tool definitely worth exploring in regards to your property. Let me know what you think.

I received an email two days ago from a good friend in the area. He had been in discussions with a local builder with whom we are both familiar. The builder had communicated to him that they had just sold two of there “spec” homes, one at break even, and the other at a loss.

Also in the email was an interesting note on the “stock” of new homes in Sumner County. One person had relayed that there was 12 to 18 months worth of new homes on the present market. This of course would be an over stock of homes for the area due to the present “slump” in the market.

This got me to thinking, so I went to digging. This is what I found:

1. new homes on market in Sumner County = 482. Price ranging from $112,500 to $1,495,000!

2. New homes in Gallatin priced between 200k and 500k =     #94.

3. New homes in Hendersonville priced between 200k and 500k =   #133.

4. New homes in White House priced between 200k and 500k  =    #41.

5 New homes in Portland priced between 200k and 500k  =     #34.

That is 302 of the 482 new homes in the same price range.  That is 63% of the new homes all bunched into one price range. This left only 89 new homes combined from these four cities under $200k, or a meagerly, 18%.

After looking at this, I would have to agree with the builders assesment of there being a good 12 to 18 month stock of new homes on the market. Good time for the buyer to get a great deal or nice upgrades on a new home, as builders will soon be looking to lower their inventory of new homes.

(These figures do not include the new homes that have been on the market since 2006 without selling yet.)

Nestled away in the quiet town of Westmoreland, is a beautiful little lake, Lake Westmoreland. Larger land tracts have surrounded this little spot for many years, until now! Two young developers have bought 9 gorgeous acres and brought out true beauty, by dividing this into 7 small building sites. This is an awesome opportunity to live overlooking the water without laying down your entire life savings! Each tract is right at an acre and offer peaceful views.

If nothing else, these little beauties would  make a great 2 to 10 year investment. Be sure to check them out at www.realtracs.com and look up MLS #822891, 822894, 822896, 822897, 822898, 822899, 822900

Enjoy your weekend!

Just in case you are looking for something to do this Saturday, come join me and my family over in Smith County for a huge antique Auction. Trust me, you will find something of interest at this one!

See you there!