Virtual Real Estate Solutions : August 2007

I know buying your first home or any home, is exciting. Its a rush. With so many homes to choose from it can become the thrill of the chase. But listen up....there are ALOT of mistakes you make whether you want to admit them or not. As a Real Estate Agent, we disclose to you to the best of our ability exactly what the owner of a home discloses to us or possibly what we can see on the forefront when inspecting the home for listing. However, Real Estate Agents are not psychic, we do not own crystal balls that tells us things. We are not your welcome mat when something goes wrong and we are not to blame if you choose to go against the real knowledge we give to you !

The biggest mistake I am seeing lately is home buyers waving their right to a well needed and well warranted home inspection. Why ? Here in TN a home inspection will cost you anywhere from $150.00 - $300.00. Although there are many ads that read NO MONEY DOWN, keep in mind there are "things" that will require money. Buying a home is NOT free, when you buy a home YOU take over all maintenance, taxes etc associated with that home. Would you rather spend $150.00-$300.00 and know what your getting into BEFORE getting into it, or move in to find you need a new roof that will cost you $3000.00. I know and understand times are tough, that forking out $150.00 or more is not something we like to do, but if you buy a car don't you test drive it to see if you like it ? Or do you stand in the parking lot and simply observe ?

A home inspection can protect you in so many ways. If there are major repairs needing to be done, in most cases you can get the seller to rectify these before closing...if not...then MOVE ON, don't buy someone else's headache. In brief summery here is what a home inspector will do :

They will make sure all electrical function properly and up to capacity and code.

They will check plumping and fixtures for leaks and operation.

They will check basements and crawl spaces for leaks and / or bugs.

They will check the roof of the home, ensuring all shingles are secure, noting whats missing or any and how bad their is damage.

I have listed the most important things that should be checked and you should know prior to moving into /closing on a home. In many cases if something is wrong with the home, most sellers are not aware of it either. Smaller, minor things can be disclosed but the things, that are not on the surface, not seen cannot be. I advise all of my buyers to get a home inspection. Ultimately it is up to the buyer. However, if you don't, than consider it your problem ! Because believe you me, when we get to closing you will be signing an addendum stating you have waived your right to a home inspection and if you don't, simply we just don't close! And if you don't get a home inspection and you find many things happening in your home that are great expenses for you Please, do not call your agent , yelling and blaming her/him for a mistake you must own up to ! Forgive my brutal honesty here people, but the facts are if you are unwilling to open your wallet at anytime during the purchase of a home you should continue to rent because this is simply preparing you for opening your wallet when a toilet won't flush and you have to call and pay a plumber rather than your landlord !

So, even if your Real Estate agent doesn't advise you of getting a Home Inspection, you are now armed with the knowledge of telling her/him you want one !

So today is Monday. For many like myself its a mad race to get out of bed, get the coffee brewing, the kids off to school and yourself to work. Many of us run behind, run late and try to convince our boss we are late because the dog hid our car keys.

Remember, school is back in session. There are bound to be delays as we sit behind the idling school bus waiting for children to load. Or as we roll through those 15 mile an hour school zones. Lets give ourselves some extra time so we dont feel rushed and can be alert and on guard for many children standing at bus stops or at crosswalks.

Crossville is such a beautiful place to be. With so many beautiful sites maybe we should allow ourselves some extra time to admire what we may pass by each and every day. I noticed this morning the leaves have changed color even more so than when I stepped out the front door on Saturday morning. The air seemed cooler and it looks like we may need our umbrellas today.....i hope !

Well Crossville, hopefully this week will be a wonderful one for all of you. Remember while you are in Crossville there are many places to visit and see. Many homes for sale along with lots and acreage too ! Check out Cumberland Cove for your secluded but yet close to all the amenities acreage, or Lake Tansi if you are a boater or golfer.

If you like great chicken sandwiches or salads Zaxby's, next door to Walmart will sure cure your taste buds !

A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for the occasion.
They arrived at the home and the owner read the card; it said "Rest in Peace".

The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new home".

Hope you all have a great day !

CROSSVILLE TENNESSEE ATTRACTIONS

Cumberland County Playhouse, Tennessee's Family Theatre http://www.ccplayhouse.com/static/shows.html

Cumberland Mountain State Park

Big South Fork

Cumberland Caverns

Rock Island Park

Museum of science and energy

Ozone

check out the palace theatre

COME GET YOUR GAME OF GOLF ON IN CROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE

If you like to golf, Crossville is certaintly the right place. Lake Tansi and Cumberland County State Park have golf courses, and Fairfield has four! Also, you can fish and boat at any of these. Cumberland Gardens has a spectacular (and high) golf courses. Also see River Run and Deer Creek. But that's not all of them, not at all. See the chamber's page on tourism for a  more information.

Tennessee is known for its beautiful Hummingbirds. Build or buy your dream home here in Crossville, TN whether in Tansi, Fairfield Glade, Homestead or the City of Crossville, you can sit and watch and llisten to the beauty of these wonderful birds !

Races in Crossville:

• White Non-Hispanic (95.9%)
• Hispanic (2.4%)
• Two or more races (1.2%)
• Other race (1.0%)
• American Indian (0.9%)

Ancestries: United States (21.3%), Irish (13.6%), English (10.3%), German (8.4%), Scotch-Irish (2.3%), Scottish (2.0%).

Elevation: 1863 feet

Land area: 14.7 square miles.

The ratio of number of residents in Crossville to the number of sex offenders is 308 to 1.

 Nearest cities: Lake Tansi, TN (5.7 miles ), Crossville North, TN (8.3 miles ), Lantana, TN (9.3 miles ), Fairfield Glade, TN (10.4 miles ), Crab Orchard, TN (11.1 miles ), Pleasant Hill, TN (11.7 miles ), Clarkrange, TN (19.3 miles ), Monterey, TN (20.8 miles ).

As a seller there are so many things you can do to add value and curb appeal to your home. Many that are very reasonably cost effective or may require no money at all.

As a Real Estate Agent I hear "feedback" all the time from potential buyers while house hunting. The biggest thing I hear is "clutter" and how they cannot get a real feel for the home with so much clutter. If you are like me, a pack rat, never wanting to throw anything away because it has some sort of sentimental value, I get it, however to a potential buyer it does not even have half the meaning to them as it does to them. I have found that those $5.00 storage bins that you find at walmart are wonderful and cleans up alot of clutter of papers and such and can easily slide under a bed. I am also a book hog, I found at some local thrift stores some nice wood 5 tiered shelves and found a nice wall to ease my clutter. Although it may not seem like clutter to us it may very well be a cluttered room to buyers that can get a accurate feel for the room size.

Also, neautral colors serves much purpose in preparing your home for sale. It gives a more "open" feel to all the rooms, inviting, cheery. Dark colors close up the room, making it seem smaller, bright colors like pepto bismal pink leaves the buyers with a bad taste in their mouth as well as a bill they feel is senseless having to repaint.

Most of the time when buyers are searching they are searching for homes unless actually specified that they can move right into and maybe one room at a time do some re-decorating or re-modeling. If they leave with a long list of to -do's chances are they will find another home or give you a not so nice offer on yours deducting immediate expenses.

Pressure Cleaning the outside of your home is way to "cheer" it up without having to replace old siding. Their first impression of your home is when they pull into the driveway. Delicate landscaping adds a nice touch.

It is always best to remove garbage, old wood, anything that will appear as an "eye soar". Keep things as neat and tidy as possible both inside and outside the home.

If you are a smoker, try to refrain from smoking in the home or at least while the home is being shown. There are ALOT of non smokers out there and some will immediatly be turned off by your inside smoking leaving them with more expense to move right in with having to get "rid off" smoked filled carpets and re=painting. If you do smoke , leaving bowls of vinegar throughout your home in hidden spaces helps pull nicotine out of the air.

There are so many ways to get your home ready. To add value and curb appeal so the offers to purchase your home meets your needs. Do not give buyers reason for any deductions.

"Native Americans deserve an equal opportunity to share in the dream of homeownership, and this program helps them do just that. Indian tribes around the country have utilized these loans to increase and improve their housing. With the President's signature, we can help create more homeownership opportunities and greater economic growth for more families in Indian Country," said Jackson who stood alongside the President as he signed the law.

The Native American Home Ownership Opportunity Act of 2007 reauthorizes HUD's Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program. Created in 1992, this program addresses the lack of mortgage lending for Native Americans and was designed to give Native American families the opportunity to purchase their own homes. To date, over 4,500 loans have been guaranteed by this program for a total of $573.1 million, including 790 loans in Fiscal Year 2007 for $113.2 million. The Section 184 program provides a 100% guarantee for mortgages on Indian lands, enabling private sector lenders to make mortgage loans to eligible Natives American families, tribes, and tribal housing entities that are purchasing homes. The program can also be used to rehabilitate existing homes, build new homes and refinance higher interest rate loans.

The President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget provides $367 million for the Section 184 Loan Guarantee program, which represents a $251 million increase over the enacted FY 2006 Budget and $116 million over the FY2007 request.

There are several reasons to choose Crossville, Tennessee but the biggest that comes to my mind is the beauty it holds. The Cumberland Plateau with its bluff views, waterfalls and running creeks are sure to grab the attention of all ages !

With Fall right around the corner you can visit the ever changes in the color of the leaves and the views become bigger, brighter and more spectacular than ever !

Aside from the gorgeous mountain tops places like Lake Tansi, Fairfield Glade, Cumberland Cove are simply captivating with their amenities and family orientation. In lake Tansi for example you can come and enjoy the beach with vollyball and a playround for the kids. Pavillians and cook out areas. There is boat rentals and marinas and fishing. Lake Geronimo abounds many beautiful homes waiting for new owners.

There are so many places and things to see along the CUmberland Plataeu and breathtaking views. Crossville is centrally located and close to both Nashville and Knoxville.

With Hurricane Dean out there and fast approaching many areas I think it would be nice to keep area's, people and places close at heart, in our thoughts and prayers.

I personally felt the devastating effects of 2 Hurricanes 2 1/2 weeks apart from each other in Florida. I was in the eye of both storms, Frances and Jeanne.

I will never forget the sounds, the whistle of the wind, things crashing about.

Not only are Hurricanes devastating in the physical essence and presents they leave long time emotional effects on residents of all ages, shapes and sizes.

My heart goes out to those in its wake, and you will all be in my thoughts and prayers.

Good luck to you all, may God watch over you and bring you peace.