Tag Archives: new homes nashville

Nashville New Homes: There’s no place like home.

Like the song says, “There’s no place like home,”  especially when that home is a brand new home.  No toenails in the carpet and no strange smells…unless they are your own!

Having just returned from a marketing conference In Salt Lake City with many other great home builders, I can say with confidence that new homes really are better…all across this great country!   If you know anyone needing a home outside of the Nashville area, please let me know because I now have more great home builder recommendations.  Even far away!

And if you’re in the Greater Nashville area and considering purchasing a new  home, you can view all of our communities on Home Center Network on Comcast Channel 49 at 9:00 am and pm, and anytime at www.homecenternetwork.com.    

You will want to give special consideration to a life in Spring Hill.  Here’s why:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110105/WILLIAMSON12/101050327/2044/A+look+ahead++Big+projects+on+horizon+for+Spring+Hill+in+2011

With brand new homes from the low 100’s for the first-time buyer in Cobblestone and Meadowbrook and brand new all-brick homes from the low 200’s in Chapman’s Crossing and Benevento East , look no further than Ole South for your best value.  You will then see first hand why…..

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

Nashville New Homes: A fresh look from a far.

You know the saying…”can’t see the forest for the trees?” 

That’s why we were sitting on a runway at Nashville International Airport this morning at 7:15, only to be delayed for de-icing……to get out of the forest for a fresh look at the trees….from a far.  And I mean far.

Just 3.5 knee-bending hours later, we arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah to join with a group of homebuilders in sharing marketing ideas and challenges for the coming year.  I know this meeting will be productive because it is too cold to do anything else!

One challenge I am certain will be on the agenda is the right balance of pricing and incentives.  New home values have never been greater.  But you must realize that home builders have to make a profit, and you really do NOT want to buy from one that isn’t.  

Here is a great cartoon about home buying incentives that I will borrow from Jeff Shore’s great blog, The Shore Thing.

http://www.jeffshore.com/blog/the-shore-thing-december-4th-2010/the-incentive-guy/

One thing I have already seen from a far…. Middle Tennessee has some fantastic new home prices and values!    Have a great week!

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

Nashville New Homes: Up, Up, and Away.

On my way to church this morning it was a blistering cold 26 degrees outside, but the sun was shining just like a summer day.  All of a sudden, I saw this hot air balloon being launched.  Before I could pull over for a picture, it was on its way soaring to new heights!

That reminds me of what we at Ole South are doing in 2011…. soaring to new heights… not in a balloon, but by offering unprecedented value in the homes we build.

For example, you will want to check out the new look of our maintenance-free townhomes at Villas of Rivendell Woods.  Two brand new home plans, unlike anything you have seen before.   Experience the flair of Key West or the sizzle of Bourbon Street from your private upstairs verandah, accessed only from your bedroom suite!

 Also new for 2011 are the most affordable new homes in Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County, in Spencer Hill, just minutes from downtown.  We have homes nearing completion from 109,990 to 129,990!  https://nashvillehomesblog.com/2010/11/03/let-the-cat-out/

And we’re also offering the very best ALL BRICK home value in Williamson County at Benevento East.  You simply will not believe these unprecedented values from the low 200’s.  Three-Car Garages and outdoor living areas are among the host of options.  

Did you eat your black eyed peas this year?  We did!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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

Nashville New Homes: Why Black-Eyed Peas & Greens?

Why not prme rib?  Why not chocolate cake?  Why do the delicacies for the first day of the New Year have to be things that aren’t fit to eat, with a nasty coin dropped in them?  Where all has that coin been anyway?  I hope no one ate it last year.    

Here is the history of the New Year’s grub according to about.com: 

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman’s troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:

  • Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.
  • Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.
  • For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
  • Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
  • In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.
  • Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.

The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman’s troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:

  • Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.
  • Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.
  • For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
  • Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.
  • In some areas, actual values are assigned with the black-eyed peas representing pennies or up to a dollar each and the greens representing anywhere from one to a thousand dollars.
  • Adding a shiny penny or dime to the pot just before serving is another tradition practiced by some. When served, the person whose bowl contains the penny or dime receives the best luck for the New Year, unless of course, the recipient swallows the coin, which would be a rather unlucky way to start off the year.

The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.

And there are even more wives tales to go with the fare of the day as Shirley Drosyk elaborates here:  

  http://www.troymessenger.com/2010/12/30/black-eyed-peas-greens-and-good-luck-in-2011/

Well that explains it!  Last year, we ate grilled chicken and steak.  This year, we’re going to go with hot dogs cooked over a fire, multiple pots of greens and cabbage, complimented by a whole roll of dimes!  Simply put…. we’re not going to take any chances!

And I bet you didn’t know that buying a new home on New Year’s eve will bring good luck also.  It will.  I promise.

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

Nashville New Homes: 2011 is looking up!

The New Year of 2011 is upon us, and I couldn’t be happier!  Even the media is spreading positive news about the housing industry.  Here’s one example:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-28/housing-seen-rising-to-3-year-high-with-boost-for-jobs.html

The time is now to buy a new home.  Not just because fixed interest rates are historically low and rising, Not just because costs are going up and not yet being passed on to the consumer.  Not just because of great incentives and selections of brand new homes at www.OleSouth.com. 

Buying a new home offers many tax advantages for those that can itemize expenses.  Your closing costs are deductible.  Your property taxes are deductible..and the list goes on.  Here is a list of 2011 tax tips.  Pay special attention to #4!

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/10-tasty-tax-tips-for-2011-1.aspx?ec_id=cmct_003

If you weren’t able to purchase a new home in time for Christmas, inking a contract before the New Year could be the next best thing!

Nashville New Homes: Merry Christmas!

I just cannot chance Christmas going by without putting out another plug for buying a new home. 

If Joseph and Mary had been in Middle Tennessee instead of Bethlehem, they wouldn’t have had to look any further than Ole South for a brand new, warm place to stay.  And as first time buyers, with THDA financing through Ole South Financial, they wouldn’t have needed any cash to put down.  The Three Wise Men, which might have been women, could have brought housewarming gifts instead of the herbs and ointments that were on sale that night at the local Walgreens.

 Being a church organist for most of the past 30 years, I’ve had the pleasure of serving Congregations of a variety of denominations –  Presbyterian, Baptist, United Methodist, Episcopal, and Lutheran.   I never have played at a Church of Christ.  They don’t have organs, remember?  Although each have differences, they all have one thing in common… the Christmas hymns.

I used to dislike the release of  new hymnals.  The ministers just could not wait to pick hymns that no one knew – including me.   Some in the congregation would bitch about the new hymns, and then the selections would be back to the more familiar hymns, except for one glitch…in the new hymnals, some of the words had been changed!  As the hymnals get newer, the verbage used  becomes more “inclusive.”   In other words, more liberal.   The Christmas hymns have fortunately escaped these revisions, for the most part.

As a child, I always pictured God as an old man, similar to Santa Claus, with a Charlton Heston voice.  After all, it does say in Genesis that man was made in the image of God.    Now we have that “inclusion” thing that brings that image into question.  The modern translations say man AND woman are made in the image of God.  Does this mean the first woman looked like Santa?

Could God actually be a woman?   Yes, God could be a woman.  Women get great pleasure in saying “I told you so” when you don’t believe them and they are proven right.    But we have to be realistic here.  God is more likely a man.   A woman God simply wouldn’t keep putting up with everything that goes on down here on earth!    So lets not split hairs.  What about God being a Spirit that can only be seen and felt through others?   That works. 

This past year has been difficult for Beth and I, along with many of our friends.  We have lost dear friends, family, and loved ones.  Others have been diagnosed with not-so-good news.   But at the same time, it has been a good year.   New friendships have been created, old friendships have grown stronger, and we are much more thankful for the simple things in life that we had been taking for granted.  

To fully appreciate being happy, you have to experience being sad.  To fully appreciate comfort, you have to experience pain.  To fully appreciate life, you have to experience death.  Sometimes, we simply have to sacrifice for everything to work out in the grand scheme of things.   God proved that, with Jesus. 

In the early 80’s, The Presbyterian Church released a new hymnal that included a simple hymn that has become one of my favorites for Christmas Eve.   Here are the words to this beautiful hymn:

Born in the night, Mary’s Child, a long way from Your home:
Coming in need, Mary’s Child, Born in a borrowed room.

Clear shining light, Mary’s Child, Your face lights up our way:
Light of the world, Mary’s Child, Dawn on our darkened day.

Truth of our life, Mary’s Child, you tell us God is good:
Prove it is true, Mary’s Child, Go to your cross of wood.

Hope of the world, Mary’s Child, You’re coming soon to reign:
King of the earth, Mary’s Child, Walk in our streets again.
 

May this year be your best Christmas ever!

 

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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: “Needs” & “Wants”

In Nashville, new homes come in all shapes and sizes.  Somewhere out there is the perfect home that meets all of your needs, so get out there and find it!  You can start by visiting the new homes offered at www.OleSouth.com.   

One of the first questions I ask our visitors is “what in their new home is most important ?”   The answer tells if your prospect has given serious thought and preparation in purchasing a new home.   Think about it.  We are in the business of satisfying NEEDS first, and WANTS second.

Before you begin your quest for a new home, make two lists….one list of things that you need and another list of things you want.  Then, beside each item, write down how that item will make your life more enjoyable, or just how necessary that item will be.  

Many put a formal dining room at the top of the list, because their family comes for Thanksgiving every other year.  Let’s do the math!   The average home with a separate, formal dining room costs at least $10,000 more to purchase than a similar home with a breakfast room.  That’s approximately $70/month.  You will spend $1,680 in your higher payment just to have Thanksgiving at your house every other year.  That doesn’t even include the cost of the dining furniture either.   Will a few card tables and chairs in the Great Room suffice?  What about going to Cracker Barrel?

Others want a 4th bedroom because family comes to visit a week in the summer.  That extra 4th bedroom will cost at least $15,000, or approximately $100/month, not including the furniture.  Feel like you really need to pay $1200/year to give Mom and Dad their own room for a week?   A motel would be cheaper, and the visit more enjoyable too.  

Lets dig on.  Will that smooth-surface range really make food taste better?  Does an “undermount sink” actually accomplish anything?  If you have a double-vanity, will you really use both sinks at the same time?   Are you going to pay extra for a room full of hardwood, and then cover it with a rug?

Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a lot of extra features in your new home.   Ole South offers a great selection of home plans and options to satisfy your wants, while our included features will satisfy most all needs.   Knowing the difference between wants and needs will lead to more happiness..not just with your new home, but everything life has to offer. 

I once had a couple that had just gotten engaged tell me they HAD to have an upper AND lower Owner’s Suite.   I was expecting to hear that they were taking care of an aging parent when I was informed that “we fight a lot and need space from each other.” 

So….  Lets get married and buy a home.  Might as well go ahead and have a baby too!

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, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: Surprised, Appreciative, and Humbled.

It is now officially Christmas Week.   There have been times that I thought 2010 would never end, and now I look back and wonder where it went!

Thursday night, I was honored to receive the “2010 Sales Manager of the Year” award from the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee’s Sales & Marketing Council.   It truly is an honor to be recognized by your peers.  It is a greater honor to work with the team we have at Ole South.  This year, ten of our thirteen full-time on-site agents received Circle of Excellence awards! 

The evening would not have happened had it not been for those that got off the fence and purchased a new home.  Thank you for believing in us, and the new home industry!  

We gathered at Nashville’s fashionable Hutton Hotel and enjoyed the company of other builders, industry professionals, and on-site agents that also made it through 2010.   Connie Nicley and the staff of HBAMT are to be commended for making this year’s event spectacular as always!

At this event, it became apparent that 2011 is going to be a year of recovery!  Why, you ask?

At the 2008 HBAMT banquet, only one agent received a Platinum Award for over $10 million in closed sales – our own Lynn Harrison.  At the 2009 banquet, there were no Platinum Award recipients.  This year, there were two!  Tommy Jarrett from Southeastern Builders and Joni Wilson of Norfolk Homes.   The market is turning!

This hasn’t necessarily been a banner year for the home building industry, but it has been an exceptional year for those wanting to purchase a home, especially first-time home buyers.   Those opportunities still remain, at least right now.  Those sitting on that fence are going to have blisters of regret if they keep waiting on the planets to align more favorably than they are now.   Keep waiting and pay more… in price, interest rate, or both.

Our HBAMT Sales & Marketing Council brings cutting-edge program topics and speakers to our meetings.  In September, we had the honor of spending the morning with Jeff Shore, a well-known “guru” of new home sales.   If you are in Real Estate, especially new home sales, his blog is a “must-follow.”    His Christmas Message will make you reflect, and make you proud to be a Realtor. 

http://www.jeffshore.com/blog/the-shore-thing-december-18th-2010/merry-christmas-2010/

Merry Christmas!

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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: Ten more days…

Isn’t it hard to believe that in just 10 days it will be Christmas morning?   The Christmas programs that everyone has been rehearsing for will be over, another Christmas Eve will have passed, you’ll have a new supply of King Leo candy sticks, and if you need anything at the grocery store, you’ll be out of luck and have to wait, or go visit Habib at the Kwik Sak.  Get a lottery ticket too while you are there.

Its also hard to believe just how bitter cold it is right now.  Very few things beat coming into a warm home when it is cold and I had the pleasure of welcoming a first time buyer into their brand new, warm Ole South home today.  That’s always a special time, but it was especially meaningful to me today… I had left my coat in the car!

If you haven’t bought the perfect Christmas gift for the family yet, consider a new home if you don’t own one already.  Can you think of a good reason not to?    You can own a brand new home in Nashville for less than $800 per month, including taxes and insurance.  And you can also pay more if you would like!

No matter how energy efficient your new home is, cold weather like we are experiencing right now will spin your meters like a roulette wheel.   Everyone knows that new homes have proper insulation, energy efficient windows, high efficiency heating systems,  efficient appliances, etc.   But here are a few helpful hints to save a few extra heating dollars with any home this holiday season:

1)  Try setting your heat at 65.   That sounds crazy, but we started that at our house several winters ago and it really has saved a fortune.  (If you think that is cold, go outside for a few minutes and then come back in) 

2)  If you have a central heating unit, switch the fan from automatic to MANUAL mode.   Warm air rises and cold air falls – leaving the fan on manual keeps the air evenly blended and actually reduces the time the heating elements are on. 

3)  If you have a heat pump, whenever you need to set the temperature higher, do it in small increments of 2 degrees.  This will keep the electric coils from kicking in, and slowly raise your temperature. 

4)  Build a Fire?????   I know people say not to use a fireplace because all the heat goes up the chimney and I think that is a bunch of crap.   If that is true, why do people build fires in the fireplace to keep warm when the power goes out?  Just a thought….

Also, no matter what type of home you live in, keep a pair of gloves, a flashlight, and a blanket in your car and keep the gas tank full.  This time of year, anything can happen on your way home from work.

Bottom line….Stay warm and take time to enjoy the season before its gone!

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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: We told you so… But its still not too late!

Remember all the talk over the recent months about NOW being THE time to purchase a new home?   Realtors and Mortgage bankers have been preaching it.  Every financial planner has been agreeing.  I’ve written numerous blog posts about it too.  Many people listened and bought a new home.  Many people did not.  They are still renting.

Well, it still is a great time to buy a home….BUT…. you really should have bought when you were asked to several weeks ago!   No one wants to hear “we told you so” so I won’t say it.  

If you haven’t heard, interest rates have inched upward in recent weeks.  Here’s the story:  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mortgage-rates-20101210,0,1978719.story

But rates are still incredibly low, and there are many incentives to buy a new home right now.  The fact that a first time buyer can buy a home with little to no cash out of pocket, and have a 4.55% fixed interest rate is still incredible!  If you would like to know more about buying a home, call me…or your favorite Realtor.

A good credit score is a necessity for obtaining a mortgage loan, car loan, or most any loan for that matter.  Here is an interesting article about credit scoring, or as it says, credit ranking:  And we thought we had it all figured out!

http://www.zillow.com/blog/new-twist-your-credit-score-is-a-ranking-not-a-rating/2010/12/10/

Something else to think about… You will stay WARM in the winter and COOL in the summer, all while saving energy, in a brand new Ole South home.   Think about it, why shouldn’t you own a new home?

OK, lets say it again:  “If you have any desire at all to own a home, act now.”   You will be glad you did!

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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee