Nashville New Homes: Zero downpayment available to even more home buyers.

Aug20

This morning, while reading Leneiva Head’s blog about THDA’s foreclosure prevention program, it hit me that I had forgotten to do something.

http://leneivahead.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/theres-a-way-to-keep-your-home-foreclosure-prevention-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-61

Yes, I had forgotten to post about some recent changes from the great folks at THDA, who are always on the forefront of ways to boost home ownership!

Everyone should know that down-payment funding for FHA loans is still available for eligible first-time buyers through THDA’s “Great Start” program. To be eligible, your household income cannot exceed certain limitations and the price of the home you are purchasing must fall below a certain amount.

On August 1st, the income limitations were raised! These revised limitations bring the reality of home ownership within the reach of many more first-time buyers.

Lets look at the Greater Nashville area, including the adjoining counties of Rutherford, Williamson, Sumner, Cheatham, Wilson, and Robertson: A first-time home buyer can purchase a home with ZERO out of pocket if the home price does not exceed $226,100. A buyer’s household gross annual income cannot exceed $79.440 for 1-2 person households. If the household contains 3 or more, annual gross income can be as high as $92,680.

For eligibility in nearby Maury County, the home purchase price cannot exceed $200,160, with gross income limited to $70,320 for 1-2 person and $82.040 for 3 or more person households. Maury County is a designated “target” county and you do not have to be a first-time buyer to take advantage of THDA programs.

Like with any loan program, there are additional credit score and debt ratio requirements for eligiblity. Visit www.thda.org for all the details.

If you are looking to purchase a new home, and like the idea of keeping your down-payment, you will want to explore this program. We have homes available right now in almost every community that can fit within the guidelines. Visit us today and find out why Ole South is Tennessee’s # Home Builder!

www.OleSouth.com

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019 direct 615.593.6340. Specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: Through the eyes of a homebuyer

Aug17

You know the saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees.” Yeah, that one. There is a lot of truth in that cliche, and the solution is to take a few steps back and view things from a different perspective.

This week, we’ve been filming new TV spots of our new homes and neighborhoods throughout the Greater Nashville area for Home Center Network. With pictures being worth a thousand words, a TV spot must be priceless, especially through the eyes of a new home buyer.

I’ve always known our new homes and neighborhoods in Nashville, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, and Clarksville offer the best new home values in all of Middle Tennessee, but this week has opened my eyes to see way beyond that. They are also beautiful! And even more so, the closer you look.

From the “resort-lifestyle” offered in Puckett Station and Scottish Glen, to the charming craftsman styled homes of Evergreen Farms, Ole South offers something for everyone desiring a new home in Murfreesboro.

In Smyrna, the maintenance-free convenience of Lee Crossing townhomes are unmatched by any others. Our Belmont neighborhood is expanding into a new phase of homesites, in the best new school district of the area.

In Nashville/Davidson County, look no further than Ole South!

One of our most successful neighborhoods, Barnes Crossing, is almost sold out and completed, with only 6 homes under construction remaining. Close to Nippers Corner, Lenox Village, Brentwood/Cool Springs, and downtown Nashville, you will appreciate the affordable convenience of this community. Just around the corner, you will find Rivendell Woods of Cane Ridge, offering a great selection of traditional homes and town homes.

Preserve at Old Hickory offers a wide selection of traditional homes and also offers maintenance-free townhomes in the adjoining Old Hickory Commons. And we have special-purchase opportunities in the communities of Spencer Hill and Old Hickory Hills too! Seen any brand new 3 bedroom homes with garages from 110,000 lately? What about new 4 bedroom homes under 150,000? You will at Ole South!

For those wishing to live in Williamson County, we offer ALL BRICK homes from the low 200’s in Benevento East, with another location coming soon. Just around the corner is Meadowbrook and Cobblestone, offering a village of maintenance free town homes and traditional homes from the low 100’s.

The best values in the Greater Nashville area can now be found in Clarksville too! A new family moves in as fast as the homes are completed, so no TV spots there yet!

We’ll finish up all of the filming this week and hopefully have our new neighborhood spots running in several weeks. Until then, take time to visit our many new home neighborhoods today and see the beauty through your own eyes!

Find out why thousands of Tennesseans are proud to say:

Nashville New Homes: It’s DOG DAY.

Aug11

The past few weeks, the number of people searching for a new home in Nashville has increased dramatically! Interest rates have fallen further, and rental rates have begun to rise. Perhaps all of the mess going on in Washington is a good thing! Actually it is…for those that are ready to act now.

Enough of “the time to buy is now” recording. We’ve all heard it. We all should know it by now. And those that don’t know it, can hear about it another day. I want to laugh and I want you to also…right now!

Last night on Facebook, I shared a video clip from a friend’s posting…. and many of you liked it. So, here it is again!

Pretty cool dog, huh!

Most of you know about Ruby, our Blue Doberman (which really isn’t blue but what the hell). We got her in February when she was six weeks old. Time has really flown by, and she has grown every minute of it too!

Notice her cute little floppy ears? Not for long:

A lot of people think Dobermans are typically mean, at least I did. I guess they just look intimidating. Ruby has been real good at making dog-friends, especially at the lake with Hannah The Lab, and Storm The Dobie.

Back in February, I wasn’t too thrilled about Ruby’s arrival. OK, I was pissed. Now I look back over the past months and wonder how we would have gotten along without her. I hope Ruby looks back and thinks the same thing.

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Every day is a new day with Ruby, and a new challenge for us. Even this morning!

Which reminds me….every dog really should have a new home with a fenced back yard. Find yours by calling me today! In the meantime, enjoy DOG DAY!

Nashville New Homes: The “Occupancy After Closing Agreement”

Aug9

Wait a minute! When you purchase a NEW home, there is no need for an “Occupancy After Closing Agreement” …. right?

RIGHT! When you purchase a NEW HOME from Ole South in the Greater Nashville area, to include Cane Ridge, Antioch, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, and now Clarksville, you get your keys the minute you sign the closing documents!

You can move in immediately!

That’s right…you don’t have to wait for anyone to move out! You don’t have to worry about swapping keys. You don’t have to worry about the home being damaged during the “moving-out” process, and you don’t have to worry about everything staying that is supposed to stay.

When purchasing a pre-owned home, these are all points to consider. With today’s volatile economy, anything can happen and delay a closing. Most sellers are hesitant to move all of their stuff prior to closing without a substantial deposit. They don’t want to be left on the street if the closing is delayed, or in some cases declined at the last minute.

And buyer’s of pre-owned home need to be concerned as well. What if the sellers do not move out timely? What if they take things with them that are part of the deal? Even worse, what if something happens to the property and the seller’s contents? Who really is responsible? All of those concerns should be properly addressed at the time of contract.

Just think back to May of 2010. Pretend you had just closed on your home purchase and gave the sellers a week to move out before assuming posession. Then comes the great flood. Your home has two feet of water in it and all of the seller’s stuff is ruined. Even though you own it, you are technically not yet the owner-occupant. You have insurance on your contents, but its not your stuff floating around. Even if the sellers had not cancelled their policy, would their insurance company still pay the claim with a wagging tail knowing their policy holder did not own the property? Lots and lots of complications. Situations like this, although rare, do happen.

You, the buyer, might also have everything loaded and on the way only to find out there is a complication in the title work and your loan cannot close on time. Can you say “MOTEL?”

When you purchase a new home from Ole South, you can cast all concerns to the side! Our purchasing process is simple, seamless, and reliable. We simply do not miss closing dates, unless you venture outside of our process with unknown lenders.

Through Ole South Financial, you will receive the very best financing program available and all of your closing costs are paid! No surprises. No hidden fees.

And yes, ZERO DOWN financing is still available for first time buyers.

And the best part….. when you finish signing the closing documents, you get YOUR keys to YOUR NEW HOME and can move whenever you feel like it!

Doesn’t it make sense to look at new homes first? Our model homes are open daily and anytime by appointment.

Nashville New Homes: Public Education: My third grade teacher could fix it.

Aug2

I just finished reading an article in today’s Tennessean where Metro Nashville Public Schools will be making special efforts to turn around 10 of the worst-performing schools in the system, as measured by “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) standards.

With these schools identified, it is great to see immediate action taking place to lift these schools up to acceptable performance levels and school leaders need to be commended for their prompt actions. Here is the article:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110802/NEWS04/308020017/Nashville-schools-turnaround-plan-set?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Of the ten schools identified, one is elementary, seven are middle and two are high schools. The NCLB act calls for the state to take over underperforming schools, but state leaders are encouraged by the new plans and do not plan a take-over anytime soon.

These schools will now belong to an “innovation cluster” where teachers and school officials will work closely with a consulting group developing and implementing plans to turn these schools around. The article failed to mention any specifics, so we will have to have some faith and a watchful eye. Like Ronald Reagan once said, “Trust, but verify!”

The consulting firm, Tribal Group, (a British firm) will receive $6 million dollars over the next five years for their guidance. WOW…that is $1.2 million each year, or $23k each week! (I wonder how many consultants will be assigned to this project… and if they might need another member on the team! :0) I’m in!

I attended Metro Public Schools for all of my school years. My mother taught in the system for 35+ years. It does not take a consultant to identify the three main problems our schools face:

1) Lack of discipline – teachers are powerless to enforce proper conduct and learning habits. When I was in third grade, my teacher, Corinne Judd, had a big paddle and could swing it well. Anytime anyone did not have their homework, they got the paddle…at least three whacks! No parents complained, and a whole lot of homework got done, at least in Mrs. Judd’s class!

2) Lack of Accountability – Again back to my third grade, we were told on day one of the school year that we would know the multiplication table up to 12×12 from memory before the school year ended or we would fail. We would also be proficient in cursive writing, or we would fail. Every parent wanted Mrs. Judd to be their child’s teacher. And guess what…rather than being the “unwanted other 3rd Grade teacher,” the other teachers picked up their “game” also.

During the summer break, my mother used to spend a huge amount of time preparing for the coming school year. She had my dad making or repairing furniture for her classroom, and spent many days looking for materials to turn into projects for upcoming students. I would always tell her….”Mom, you get paid the same whether you do this stuff or not…why?” She would simply answer…”I get paid to give my students the best education possible and that is what I’m doing.” By the way, she and Mrs. Judd were good friends, which made 3rd grade a bitch for me! :0)

3) Parental Involvement – Most parents still do support our teachers, but it seems everything has changed to support those parents that do not, which is unfortunate. “Make my child do right and I’ll back you up” has evolved to “touch my child and I will sue you!” And in today’s PC world, “say something that makes my child uncomfortable and I’ll sue you” is something I can imagine as well. Perhaps a constitutional amendment giving teachers the right to teach would work?

Many compare Metro Public Schools to the systems of surrounding counties. Metro spends more money per student than any of them and Nashville, being the growing city that it is, faces many challenges. The international population of the city is growing, requiring more bi-lingual teachers. New schools are needed in many areas and those needs are being addressed.

All of us have an opportunity to become involved for the betterment of our schools. We need to take those opportunities and encourage others also, while Nashville is still at a peak for sustaining growth and quality of life.

A dear friend and educator once told me, “the apple rots from the core.”

For those that do not live in Davidson County, this is your problem too. If we cannot all work together in improving public education in Nashville, watch closely and see the quality of life erode in all adjoining counties, even the more-affluent ones.

Last I checked, there were no commercial airline flights into Williamson County International Airport…come to think of it, Williamson County doesn’t even have an airport. :0)

For now, I am going to hope someone like Mrs. Judd will be in the new consultant group! The past may be a great place to start in “innovating” the future.

Nashville New Homes: The Buyer Representation Dilemna

Jul24

In over 11 years of on-site new home sales, I have always had the utmost respect for Realtors serving as Buyer-Agents. They drive clients around to every home that remotely comes close to meeting their specific needs and also keep a vigilant watch for new listings. They schedule entire days with their clients to evaluate their many choices.

And then their home buying clients venture out on their own and in many cases develop an interest in properties that have nothing at all in common with the “need query” their agent is trying to satisfy. All of a sudden, everything “having to be on one level gives way to all bedrooms upstairs,” simply based on the size of the master bedrom and suite bath. Go figure.

I know this, and have always made it a practice to discover what Realtor the prospect is working with, and after their visit, calling that Realtor to let them know of their client’s visit, and their level of interest in purchasing one of our new homes. I truly feel this is the right thing to do.

If I was their agent, I would certainly appreciate the “heads up.” Over the years, 99% of the Realtors I have had the pleasure to work with have been very appreciative of our bringing their client a step closer to purchasing! But that leaves the other 1%.

This year has been very perplexing and has put my thoughts of the “right or wrong” thing to do through the ultimate tests.

Several weeks ago, a very nice family arrived at one of our model homes. They had seen our “human sign spinners” and came in to investigate. They really loved what they found. After all, where else in Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County can you purchase a brand new 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with a garage for $110,000….. with the seller paying all closing costs?

The family left excited and could not wait to call their Realtor to start the process. With these homes selling fast, I called their Realtor as soon as I could return to the office to bring their visit to attention.

(Rather than say it was a him or her, I will say their Realtor was an “it.”)

I spoke to “it” and gave all the details of my visit with the client. The immediate, yet sarcastic response was “Oh no, you have no clue what they want or need. They do not want to be in that neighborhood.”

Hmmm. I was just with them. They loved the home. Their only added desire was a smooth top range and side-by-side refrigerator! Their best friends live right next door. What did I miss? Even more, why did I make that call?

I made the call because it was the right thing to do, especially for the 99% of Buyer Agents that deserve, and would appreciate that call. Several weeks passed and no sign of that family. I did follow up with a personal thank you card to the family, but did not want to interfere with their “representation” by “it.”

Yesterday, the family re-appeared, with checkbook in hand ready to purchase the home they had been so excited about. I asked if their Realtor would be joining us, and the answer was a resounding NO.

They informed me that “it” would only show them listings in a different part of town and was virtually refusing to show them anything, or anywhere else. They were very clear… “It” would not be representing them in any way.

This family will soon be moving into their brand new home and couldn’t be happier. Their parents are also moving to Nashville next month and left a deposit on a homesite around the corner. They are all happy, I am happy, and Ole South is happy.

“It” probably won’t be too happy. What would you bet that I get a call from “it” insisting on being added to the contract as Buyer’s Agent? Procuring cause? My ass.

Being a Realtor is all about bringing willing sellers and willing buyers together. Everyone has a different idea of what the “perfect home” should be and we Realtors really have no right to impose our personal objections or desires, when they are different from our client’s.

Whether “it” was simply trying to limit this family’s selection to a certain listing, or “it” really did not personally like another particular area of town, the buyer’s desires and interest clearly were not being addressed.

And “it” lost out on not one, but two sales.

If “it” had been attentive to our “courtesy call,” “it” would be in our Yes Club for Realtors from the first sale, and received 4% commission on the second sale… and all future sales for 2011 & 2012.

The moral of the story…. when a prospect is interested in a new home, especially one built by Ole South, go with them to look at it. It will be a deal. They will be happy, and you will be too.

So much for the 1% and thank goodness for the other 99%. Perhaps we can create another professional designation for those “its”….CDA. (Certified Dumb Ass.)

In the meantime, I’ll continue calling Realtors when their clients show interest in our homes and keep my fingers crossed that they will fall in the 99% category!

Nashville New Homes: How can a government that prints it’s own money go broke?

Jul18

Raising the US Debt Ceiling has been a topic of discussion all over this great country. Last week, one of our trusted vendors, Tommy, asked this great question:

“How can a government that prints it’s own money go broke?” That is a simple question. One with very complex answers. Very thought-provoking to say the least.

Tommy has a simple solution. “Print up all the money we supposedly owe these other countries, stack it on pallets, and airlift it to them. Then, simply tax them whatever they would tax us on imports and exports.”

Well, hmmm…. simple enough. Would it work? Let’s look further at just what our money is:

Notice at the top of the dollar bill is the phrase: “Federal Reserve Note.” Take a look at the history of our US Dollar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_dollar

In summary, prior to Richard Nixon removing the “gold standard” of our currency, for every dollar in circulation, there was physical gold of the same value in storage, gold that is still stored at Fort Knox, KY.

And there is another analogy comparing our debt ceiling to a personal credit card. As long as you can continue to raise your credit limit, you can pay your obligations and take on new spending initiatives. When someone says NO to your request to raise your limit, you have a serious problem. You have to STOP spending. And if you cannot pay the minimum payment due, the issuing bank will stop your spending for you.

Many deficit hawks are pushing Congress NOT to raise the debt ceiling because there will still be ample revenue coming in to operate our government. That is true. But just like a credit card, when you are not able to pay your minimum payment, in this case the interest on our national debt, word spreads to all the lenders you owe, just like on your credit report.

Ever read the fine print on your credit card statement about a late payment? The interest rate goes up. The same is true with our nation’s debt obligations, only the “world market” determines how much the rate goes up.

Our nation’s budgets have been in deficit for 80% of the past 82 years, so the problem is not new. Furthermore, our total deficit has been over 10% of GDP only 4 times in history – The Civil War, World War I, World War II (aproximately 25% of GDP) and the financial crisis of 2008.

Here is a closer look of where we stand as a country right now, according to Tresury Secy Geithner in February of this year: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-14/geithner-quietly-tells-obama-debt-to-gnp-cost-poised-to-increase-to-record.html

And now, this dilemna lies soley in the hands of Congress. Oh joy. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/congress-tees-up-crucial-votes-on-debt-limit/2011/07/17/gIQA40IZKI_story.html

There are many views on deficit spending and its effect on our economy, all of which have merit. Read this interesting commentary on deficit spending by Marshall Auerback: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/07/marshall-auerback-there-is-no-progressive-case-for-deficit-cutting-%E2%80%93-the-myth-of-the-virtuous-clinton-surpluses.html

Now is a time that our elected officials have to put politics aside. They have to quit posturing for the 2012 elections. Our nation’s debt ceiling must be raised to continue any hopes of economic recovery, but we must also have serious plans in place on how the excessive borrowing will be spent. Everyone has a right to know.

I frequently tell prospective first-time homebuyers “every day you do not own a home is another day you will have to pay for one.”

The same applies with our deficit-dilemna. “Every day we put off addressing the problem is another day we will be affected by it.”

You know what’s really funny? After hearing all of the many solutions being proposed, I like Tommy’s solution the best!

Nashville New Homes: Need more reasons to buy now? You’ve got em!

Jul15

If you’ve been waiting for the planets to become perfectly lined up before buying your first home, wait no longer!

Buying your first home is a big decision, and if you haven’t thought much about it, you need to start now. According to HUD, home prices have stabilized and will start rising.

Nashville New Homes: It all starts with affordable housing.

Jul11

It came as no surprise to anyone familiar with Fourth of July celebrations in Nashville for 2011’s “Let Freedom Sing” to be ranked in the top fifteen national celebrations. From aol.com: http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/28/july-4th-fireworks-15-of-the-biggest-shows-in-america-ranked-p/

And while the fireworks went BOOM, Forbes was busy compiling its list of 2011 Boom Towns! And Nashville is #3 on the list:

http://blogs.forbes.com/joelkotkin/2011/07/06/the-next-big-boom-towns-in-the-u-s/

Nashville is on a roll with Forbes, ranking #6 in the country for business and careers http://www.forbes.com/2011/06/27/best-places-11-top-50_slide_7.html and #4 on the list of best places to retire: http://www.forbes.com/2011/03/23/best-retirement-places-cities-living-costs-doctors-crime_slide_11.html

And late last year, Nashville was ranked as the 4th best college town in America! http://www.insidevandy.com/drupal/node/14645

All of these rankings are a benefit of affordable housing. Plain and simple.

Without affordable housing, all of these encouraging rankings would disappear quicker than France surrendered to Germany in 1940!

The Nashville area is committed to providing affordable housing, and there is no better place to learn more than this Sunday at the 4th annual Mayor’s Homeownership Fair at Bridgestone Arena. Here is the schedule for the day’s activities: http://www.nashville.gov/housingfair/schedule.asp

No home builder is more committed to providing affordable brand new homes in the Greater Nashville area than Ole South, and we’ll be at the Mayor’s Homeownership Fair also!

In our 26th year, we remain committed to providing the very best new home values in every one of our neighborhoods. Find our more at the 2011 Mayor’s Homeownership Fair, or by visiting our website, www.OleSouth.com.

Nashville New Homes: And what a Fourth of July it was!

Jul6

Well, the Fourth of July is now behind us, but there is still a LOT of summer left for all to enjoy. And there’s no better place to enjoy summer than in the Greater Nashville area of Middle Tennessee!

At just six months old now, this 4th of July was Ruby’s first. You can tell she is excited about going to the lake:

She wasn’t quite as thrilled about getting in the lake though:

Our weekend officially started with the fireworks show at Cedar Creek Yacht Club. I found this upload on you-tube that is much better than any pictures I could have taken, which you will soon agree:

Sunday was a busy day on Old Hickory Lake. I think this is the most boats I have ever seen in “Two-Foot Cove,” which is Old Hickory Lake’s “Party Cove.”

Sunday night, a huge crowd of boats gathered at anchor in Drakes Creek of Old Hickory Lake to view Hendersonville’s fireworks display at Drakes Creek Park:

Fortunately, I found a video on you-tube capturing the finale of this event. My pictures just didn’t turn out well. After all, I am a Realtor, not a photographer!

Monday was a day to hang out at the marina and enjoy a great meal at The Black Pearl restaurant. The steel drums playing maje it the closest thing in Nashville to the Caribbean. If you haven’t experienced their Sunday Brunch, you owe it to yourself. www.blackjackcove.com

And then, Monday night topped off the entire weekend at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville. I simply did not have the energy to make the trip downtown, but here are some videos I found on You-tube once again!

Here is the finale of “Let Freedom Sing” with this year’s special guest, Darius Rucker:

And when you have time, here is another video showing more of the extravanganza at Riverfront Park in Nashville.

Nashville was not the only city on the Cumberland River celebrating Independence Day. Clarksville was also a great place to be, especially since many troops are returning from their service for OUR freedom:

And half way in-between Nashville and Clarksville, Ashland City lit up the sky over their Riverfront as well:

]

Special thanks to all that took the time to film these great displays of fireworks and for allowing me to borrow them from You-Tube! It was a great weekend, but is now time to return to helping future homeowners find the perfect new home for their needs. At Ole South, this IS still the “Yes Days of Summer.” Come see why!

nashvillehomesblog.com

a fun look at new homes in nashville

Nashville New Homes: Zero downpayment available to even more home buyers.

Nashville New Homes: Through the eyes of a homebuyer

Nashville New Homes: It’s DOG DAY.

Nashville New Homes: The “Occupancy After Closing Agreement”

Nashville New Homes: Public Education: My third grade teacher could fix it.

Nashville New Homes: The Buyer Representation Dilemna

Nashville New Homes: How can a government that prints it’s own money go broke?

Nashville New Homes: Need more reasons to buy now? You’ve got em!

Nashville New Homes: It all starts with affordable housing.

Nashville New Homes: And what a Fourth of July it was!

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