I am a Realtor in the Nashville, Tennessee Real Estate Market - that is in Davidson County.  I have read many blogs on how our job is to market a property.                                                                          Active Rainers - I know that a lot of you are going to disagree with me, but I feel that it is my job to SELL a home or property, not to simply market it.  I have actually given this a lot of thought and what I keep coming back to is "What Does the Seller Want/Expect?"  When I get down to the heart of that question, my seller wants me to SELL THEIR HOUSE OR PROPERTY!!!  Marketing, of course, is going to be part of that.  Pricing is going to be part of that.  Advising is going to be part of that.  But the bottom line is, the house or property must be SOLD! If I d... 12/23/2007

As I was getting food ready for our "traditional" Christmas dinner of turkey, ham, and other traditional trimmings, I was walking by the door where I have this menu from the Original Maxwell House Hotel. The hotel became famous for its Christmas dinner, which featured such delicacies like some of the main entrée's on this original 1879 menu. Leg of Cumberland Mountain Black Bear, Sauce PervadeTennessee Opossum with Sweet Potatoes, Old Virginia Style  Kentucky ‘Coon, Devil's SauceRoasted Quail, au NaturalSaddle of Minnesota Venison, with Red Currant JellyCanvas-back and Red-head DucksBlue-Wing and Wood DucksRoasted Wild Turkeys, with Cranberry SauceWild GooseYoung Prairie Chickens, Broiled, Stewards SauceBroiled Pheasants, a la Maitre d'HotelRoasted Mallard DuckYum! Yum! Quite interestin... 12/22/2007

Having been a licensed electrician and an electrical engineer in a previous life, I am always on the look-out for unsafe electrical practices. Occasionally, I come across an external panel that is locked. I really wish the homeowner knew how dangerous this situation really is. All electric panels must have free and unrestricted access at all times! Your property, life or that of a loved one could be at risk.           Here are some of the things that I encounter with locked panels.The home owner does not know the combo code.The owner has to rifle through a drawer for several minutes looking for the key! They cannot find the key.The lock is frozen.I wind up cutting the lock off with bolt cutters.I understand that in some neighborhoods, kids play pranks by flipping the main breaker. Some ... 12/21/2007

I love my job! I keep telling myself that every day. I get an opportunity to see how other people live and the dumb thing that go on behind closed doors. I really cannot make this stuff up! Here are some of the more interesting things that I have encountered this week. I hope you enjoy. Dan must have stayed in the dog house more often than not. The solution, carpet the attic - it's easier than going outside and it's closer to the fridge for that beer during change of possessions. There was a cable hook-up, lights, and power in one corner. Oh yeah, the fan must have been for those hot summer days.     What time is it when all 3 lights flash on your circuit tester? Elementary my dear Watson, Get a new electrician! I won't even begin to speculate as to what is going on here.      Henry the... 12/21/2007

It is not uncommon to have real estate agents or my clients follow me through the property that I am inspecting and ask questions about my findings. While inspecting an older property, I noticed that the water volume coming out of the basin faucet reduce to a trickle when I flushed the toilet. I was asked, "What's Happening?" I'll explain.Some real estate agents and my clients seem to have some confusion differentiating between functional flow and water pressure. First of all, let's address water pressure. If you attached a pressure gauge to a spigot on your house, you would record the amount of force or pressure being supplied by the utility company or well pump. Legal water pressure being supplied by a municipality must be a minimum 40 PSI. If the plumbing system is designed right, th... 12/19/2007

Many people purchasing newly constructed homes opt not to have a home inspection. We all know the drill - the property has been inspected by codes, the property super has been watching the subs to ensure quality control, blah, blah, blah. Yeah! Right! In my 7+ years of inspecting commercial and residential properties, I can write a book about what I have seen in new construction.As is my habit, I generally do an initial walk-around to see if there may be some glaring issues that I will need to pay more attention to. I could not help but notice the condition of the roof covering on this brad new house! It looked like, "Who did it and ran!" Attached are a few photos. Not only were the tabs raised, there were several sections that looked as if the fasteners were backing out as well. What a... 12/16/2007

Because kids do the darndest things and most household fires start in bedrooms, arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) breakers have been required on all newly constructed residential properties as of 2002 and all residential properties where the wiring system and panel have been updated. These devices are required for the bedroom areas of the property and some building jurisdictions require them on smoke the alarm system. Many people purchasing newly constructed homes opt not to have a home inspection. We all know the drill - the property has been inspected by codes and the onsite building super and the property is in "perfect" condition. Yeah! Right! In my 7+ years of inspecting commercial and residential properties, I have seen several safety issues with these devices.About 10% of the... 12/15/2007

As part of the inspection process, we are required to inspect all readily accessible electric panels in a property. Several times a week, my inspector or I run into the situation where either unhandy Andy or some lazy electrician has used improper screws to hold the dead-front cover on the service panel.This is a very dangerous situation as the pointed screws can bite into the soft insulation on the conductors which can cause a short-circuit, electrocution or fire. Several years ago, one of my inspectors re-installed one of these screws and got the shock of his life. We do not re-install these screws any more.These screws were taken out a cabinet in a new construction property! The final electrical tag had been placed on the cabinet stating that it was in compliance. NOTProperly designe... 12/14/2007

The Hidden Danger in Your HomeIf your home was built after 1990 to present date, there may be a safety hazard in your home which has the potential to injure you or your loved ones.No, it is not Radon or the chemicals stored under your kitchen sink or closet where you keep your cleaning supplies. The culprit is what may be HOLDING up your cabinets - drywall screws. I subscribe to several trade publications and there have been a few articles about this hidden danger which just recently have begun to surface. There are several instances where cabinets have fallen off the walls injuring people - some of them severely. These instances have been traced back to where the cabinet installer used drywall screws to affix the cabinets to the walls.The combined weight of the cabinets, dishes, canned... 12/14/2007

An article in the Tennessean from Mandy Wachtler reported that prices of single family homes were up again last month compared to 2006. The average price of Nashville Real estate single family homes was $179,900 compared to $174,900 in 2006. Nashville real estate condo's rose from $159,900 to $167,035. Nashville real estate  sales were down 21 percent from 2867 to 2260, Inventory sits at 22,301 compared to 17,175 last year. Approximately 8 months supply of real estate is available at this time, compared to 6 months last year. As a comparison, some other parts of the country have 3 years supply at current sales levels. We are in a very good real estate environment for both sellers and buyers. Year to date Nashville real estate closings through November were down 13 percent from 2006 a re... 12/14/2007

Crye-Leike Realtors is on the move to open another Nashville real estate company office location in Midtown in the beginning of 2008. The real estate company location will be on Broadway near Music Row.Crye-Leike Nashville Commercial real estate division negotiated a contract to purchase and close on a 6900 square foot office building.  Contracted with Crossroads Architecture to handle renovations and improvements to both the interior space and exterior of the property.  One block from Music Row at 1819 Broadway in Midtown Nashville TN. Located at the corner of 19th Avenue and Broadway Near the new Adelicia condominium development, walking distance to Noshville Deli, Midtown Cafe and other nearby eateries and stores. "The location is ideal for Crye-Leike, Realtors," said Harold Crye, Fo... 12/14/2007

Looking for a home/condo/townhome near Vaderbilt College? Let me find you a great deal! Homes ranging from 99,000+ Executive housing too! Live near campus! Walk to school! Live in Nashville or right outside for privacy! Save on gas living directly in Nashville. Penthouses available! All prices, all floorplans! Call me now! I specialize in these properties! Need a rental? I can help with that too! Click here to go directly to my website or call me now! 12/13/2007

Stone Creek Park, Nashville Situated in a relaxed country setting, Stone Creek Park features rolling wooded home sites with panoramic views of the Tennessee hillside. A family amenity center features a pool, kiddie pool, pavilion, and basketball court. Located in the Metro Davidson County School district, Stone Creek Park is just minutes from interstates, shopping, parks, and recreation. Click here for more info 12/13/2007

Terrazzo Condo's located in the heart of downtown! Views to die for! Penthouse with soaring 14' ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, gourmet kitchens, dramatic views from private terrace, lg closets, secured parking, heated pool, 24-hr concierge! Brand new! 2 Bedrooms 2 Baths. Call to visit the model home by appointment only. Must be pre-qualified, call me to get pre-qualified quickly! $534,900 CALL STACY GEE TODAY TO SEE THIS COMPLEX!RE/MAX CARRIAGE HOUSE615-582-1520STACYGEE@REMAX.NETWWW.NASHVILLEINVESTORS.COM    12/13/2007

Today I met with Michael Thornton pf Complete Home Inspections, Anthea Click of Fresh Perspectives, and Kevin Michelson from Countrywide home loans. The topic of our Meeting was, How to make the best use of Active Rain. I consider myself a newbie, so I decided to show the group what some of the best blogger's on Active Rain suggest that we do. The first thing all newbies should do is read Brad Andersohn's blog about your profile. Don't do anything until you get your profile built, then read his blog again and I'm sure you find more that needs to be done. It's the first thing people see if they search for Larry Brewer, or Nashville Real Estate on Google or Yahoo. So it's very important that visitors get a good first impression. We talked briefly about the Nashville real estate Market, an... 12/12/2007

The time to buy a Tennessee HUD home is now.  Don't put off until 2008 what you can do today. The "Buy HUD with FHA" program is back.  This program is for purchasers of HUD homes which will be owner-occupied, meaning you will live in the house.  It is not to be purchased as a rental property or strictly for investment.  If you purchase a HUD home using an FHA loan, the downpayment requirement is reduced to only $100.  That's right five $20 bills, 10 $10 bills, or a hundred $1 bills - any way you want to do it.  If you need money to fix it up, you can use the FHA 203k rehabilitation loan and the downpayment is still only $100.  You can't beat this with a stick.  This applies to HUD homes purchased with an FHA loan in Tennessee and Kentucky.  The time to buy is now.  Contact me for a free... 12/06/2007

Crye-Leike realtors in the Green Hills Nashville, TN real estate office help homeless men and women reconnect with their families through the "More Than a Toy" (MTAT) project. This project is designed to help young homeless men and women make a reconnection with their families. "More Than A Toy" is project to help young homeless men and women send gifts to family members who they've lost touch with," said Mary Poor, an Affiliate Broker with Crye-Leike, Realtors in Green Hills. "We're thrilled to be able to support them in an effort to re-establish a relationship with their loved ones." MTAT is a holiday program sponsored by Room in the Inn, which recognizes homeless individuals who wish to reconnect with their loved ones. MTAT also recognizes that gifts are symbolic and include peace of... 12/06/2007

East Nashville is an old established community currently experiencing a lot of urban revitalization. Contributing to the wonderful changes is a new six-unit town home community called Eastwood Village. Construction is complete and Fresh Perspectives has just completed staging the model. The townhomes are ideal for first-time homebuyers with prices starting at just $169,900. Below is a tour of the model and also a tour of the community.   For more information on this great community contact:Yocia Flowers Historic and Distinctive Homes Ph: 615-668-5585 http://yocia@historictn.com                                                                                               www.yflowersathome.comFresh Perspectives is a home staging company specializing in vacant home staging, model home sta... 11/30/2007

Nashville real estate - Do most realtors advise their clients to hire a home inspector for new construction homes? Here in Tennessee, I would say that most do not. I personally do, because many of the problems  that I've seen with Nashville real estate over the years have actually been in place since the home was new.  As Michael Thornton says in his blog,  http://activerain.com/blogsview/289845/11-Month-Warranty-Inspections, you can save a lot of money by have a new home inspected before your warranty period is over. Even if you didn't have it inspected before closing. A lot of Nashville Real Estate is new construction, make sure you have it inspected. Back to my question. Do you advise your clients to have new homes inspected? This posting and the contents written here are the intelle... 11/29/2007

11/19/2007