Williamson County Real Estate

Nashville real estate - New vs Used. I'm always answering that question.

Why buy a pre-owned Nashville Home?

• A used home in an established neighborhood will have little or no construction traffic.
• A used home may have an established yard with mature trees.
• A used home is usually less expensive than a new home of the same size with a similar location.

Why would I buy a new Nashville home?

• Maintenance - Any home that's several years old has used up some of the life of the Heat and cooling systems, roof, paint, and flooring. More than likely all of those will have to be replaced much sooner in a used home than a new home.
• Energy cost - New homes in general are more energy efficient than old homes. Codes for most areas require more insulation, better doors and windows, and HVAC units with a higher energy (SEER) rating than was required just a few years back.
• When you buy a pre-owned home, you're buying someone else's dream. Even if that "vision" involved avocado green appliances and countertops. Homebuilders today are offering the latest in popular choices at up-to-the-minute design centers that allow consumers to choose from hardwood flooring to cabinetry, fixtures to lighting - and everything in between.
• With a new Nashville home, the sky's the limit when it comes to design choices - and they're all yours. New home buyers end up with a house that's perfectly suited for their needs. Buying new means also adding elements as your home is built - the kind of custom features that would cost far more if they were added after the fact. Consider the cost of such finished spaces as game rooms or media rooms, or such extras as fireplaces and built-in microwave ovens. It's usually much less expensive to choose these kinds of options up-front.

Selling Nashville real estate is what I do. Check out my website at http://www.nashvillerealestatelink.com/ to search for homes in Nashville, or for more  information about Nashville real estate

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, and the middle Tennessee area.

11 year old Haley Ham is trying to make a difference. Last year when her dog was poisoned to death by antifreeze, she decided to do something about it. She's asking the legislature to force manufacturers to add a bitter taste compound to antifreeze so that dogs and children wont be tempted to drink it. She's already has a petition signed by 1100 people sent to the Tennessee legislature, and sent a letter to the president.  This is a common sense change that should have been done many years ago, and the government should not have to force companies to do the right thing, consumers should.

If I ran an antifreeze company, I would make the change now, and advertise it.

I think our newspaper has lost touch with reality when I read the headlines. But I've said this for years, the air quality in Nashville has improved dramatically in the last decade. Why? I'm not sure that anyone knows all the reasons, but I would attribute it to better cars and trucks. Also the fact that the city is spread out with lots of green space helps.

 Whatever the reason, the Nashville area is one of only 13 areas nation-wide to meet federal standards for air pollution.  For cities that don't meet the standard, expect the EPA to step in make changes of their own.

Nashville real estate - Saturday was my wife Elizabeths birthday, and i decided to take the day off, no showing properties, no setting up open houses, if I could put it off until Monday, I did. We spent the afternoon at the GArden and antiques show at the convention center in Nashville. It was interesting to see dining room tables that cost more than a new car, and clock that were 200 years old.

I had a call at around 03:00 while I was at the show, from a realtor wanting to show one of my listing at 06:00. This particular home was a new construction property that wasn't completely finished. I didn't ask, but I wanted to. WHY would you show a home in the dark? 

I know that sometimes you have to do the best you can in the time you have, but I really try my best to show homes in the daylight. You just can't get a feel for the houses or the neighborhoods in the dark.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing Nashville real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Williamson County, and the middle Tennessee area.

Nashville real estate sales were down in January compared to 2007. No surprise here, we've been hearing the bad news for months now. What you don't hear is that the prices were up 4 percent this year compared to last year. So for all of the shoppers out there looking for a Blue Light special, I'm sorry, it's probably not going to happen. Even though sales are down 28 percent in volume, sellers in general are not in a panic. The average days on market is 78 which is still very good historically.

The 1,644 home closings in January represents a decrease of 28 percent from the 2,289 closings reported for the same period last year.

The median residential price during January was $179,900  That compares with last year of $172,900. 
Inventory levels were up 27 percent to  21,952.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Williamson county, and the middle Tennessee area.

So, you're thinking of remodeling your kitchen?     How much will it cost??????????  In Nashville???????

It's up to you.  If you're going for the "Kitchen to die for."  Get ready to spend lots of money.  If you're planning on updating for style and functionality you can set the price yourself.  Also, if you are remodeling for resale. Know the market; Nashville Real Estate is a great market for kitchen remodels with a good return on investment. Knowing the vision of the end result is important and following the suggestions below will help. 

1. Start with the appliances.  Appliances are often a focal point and can be a large portion of the budget.  Also, take into consideration the area of Nashville you are in for real estate resale.
2. Decide what type of counter tops you will install.  Granite is a heavy material and you'll want to work with a professional to make sure your cabinet choice can support the weight.
3. Make sure you have all of your choices made regarding placement of appliances and materials. 
   • If you have to reconfigure electrical outlets the Electrician will need to know the material for the back splash and the position of the stove, if it is being moved.  Or, if you're installing a gas range consider the placement of the gas line. 
   • Ice-maker lines, sink pipes, drains, etc.
4. A good idea is to draw what your vision is and include measurements ceiling heights, floor space, door ways and windows.  Once, you have picked out the appliances and materials you will  have a better idea of cost.  At this point a contractor can help provide proposed hours for demolition and remodeling.  Labor prices  in Nashville are standard, but can vary,  be sure and use a reputable contractor that is familiar with codes in your area.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Williamson county, and the middle Tennessee area.

I have clients who are having some difficult time with their marriage, so they have decided to put their home on the market, and go their separate ways. I stop by and access their property, write up the listing paperwork, and tell them the bad news. The dogs have to go.

Why, they asked. My answer, some people don't feel comfortable in a house with dogs, any dogs, do you want to sell the house? If so, take the dogs somewhere else. At that point, they had 3 dogs in the house. The house was clean, and didn't smell or look like dogs lived in it, but they did. The next day, I came by to leave some things, and the owner showed me his new pit bull. I guess he didn't really want to sell, because everyone who's seen the house could only talk about the dogs.

I know some people don't get it, but if you have dogs or cats in the house, you are eliminating part of your potential buyers before they ever see the house. I know a lot of people who have bad reactions to cats, and will not buy a home that a cat has lived in, even if it has new carpet.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, and the middle Tennessee area

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Most of us are now feeling the cold of winter. An even though it's not as cold in Tennessee as a lot of the country, I can tell when I walk in a home if it's been property insulated. Just going from room to room, you can feel a difference in temperature, and that usually means rapid heat loss.

Now is the time to consider what buying a new construction home might save in energy cost over the life of the home. When I moved to a larger home in 2006, I expected my energy bill to go up, because it was a larger home. Imagine my surprise when the energy bills were 50 percent smaller. My previous home was built in 1995, and didn't have modern windows, doors, and HVAC units. The insulation standards for Nashville real estate at that time were much lower than today, so that it was cheaper to build, but more expensive to maintain.

Some of the better Nashville real estate builders have methods of sealing homes from the outside that were not common just a few years ago. A new home can save you a lot of money on maintenance cost and energy bills.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area.

Nashville real estate closings for 2007 in the Greater Nashville area was 34,221, down 14.5 percent compared to the 40,056 closings reported for the same period as last year, which  was a record year for home sales in the region, According to the Greater Nashville association of realtors.

Nashville real estate inventory increased to 20673 from 15,815 the previous year, giving buyers plenty of choices.Average prices of single family homes increased 2 percent from $184,562 to $187,900. The average number of days on market increased from 65 at the end 2006 to 76 in 2007.

What does all of this information mean to buyers and sellers of Nashville real estate?

• Inventory levels are still higher than 2006, but they have been declining since April of 2007.
• Prices are stable, buyers and sellers both should expect fair pricing to continue.
• Sellers need to insure that their property is in good condition, and priced competitively.
• Exceptional properties are still the first to sell, so buyers need to be prepared to make quick decisions, and reasonable offers.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area.

Most people know that Nashville is the music city, and most people know that country music is the most common association for music in Nashville. The big surprise is that Jazz and blues are also becoming a big part of the Nashville music scene. The Labor day Jazz festive at Riverfront park brings in National Jazz stars and fans to downtown Nashville every year. 

Artists like George Benson, Patti Austin, and Jane Monheit, perform at the fantastic Schermerhorn symphony center, to sold out crowds.  The historic Ryman auditorium brings in great acts like B.B King and Herbie Hancock to perform for the great fans of Nashville.Some of the best recording studios in the world are in Nashville, and Jazz musicians are taking advantage of the facilities.

What does it have to do with Nashville real estate? Everything if enjoy jazz, and want to know the the music you love is becoming a favorite in Nashville.  Jazz fans are level headed, educated buyers of Nashville real estate, and it's a pleasure to work with them.

Here's a little taste of one of my favorites.

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Keller Williams Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area.