Nashville New Homes: Let The Cat Out!

Now that all of the excitement of the 2010 Election is all over, it is time to move on!  Regardless of who won, and what they are going to do, nothing is going to jump-start the economy until people start buying things again.  After all, nothing happens anywhere until someone buys something!

All of the bearded economists say that home sales will be the driving force of our economic recovery.  Everyone already knows that Ole South is the best at building the most affordable new homes in Middle Tennessee.  With this newest introduction, the best is getting even better! 

The cat is now being let out of the bag!  Ole South just purchased the remaining lots in the Spencer Hill neighborhood of Nashville, just minutes from downtown between Interstates 24 and 65.

Construction started today and here is a first look at the inventory homes we are building there:

Priced at $109,790 check out this 3 BR, 2 Bath home with 1133 s/f living area:

Need something larger?  Check out this 3 BR, 2 BA, 1248 s/f living area plan at $116,990: 

Here is another awesome plan with 3 BR, 2 BA and 1316 s/f living area at $116,990

And for those wanting a larger 2 story home, check out this 3 BR, 2.5 BA 1615 s/f living area home..priced at $129,990!

All kitchen appliances are included!  And we will even pay ALL of your closing costs, using Ole South Financial, our SunTrust Mortgage Joint Venture.  ZERO-DOWN financing is even available for first-time buyers!

Forbes Magazine ranks Nashville #5 on the list of most affordable cities to live.  ( I still cannot undertand why it costs more to live in Birmingham!)   If Forbes had only known about this new Ole South neighborhood, Nashville certainly would have been ranked #1!  For more information on Spencer Hill, or any of our Middle Tennessee communities, please contact me!  615.593.6340 or TLewis@olesouth.com.

Another cat got out of the bag last month and you will not believe the unbelieveable new home values we are offering in Williamson County!  Check out this monster-all-brick-home at $254,990 in Benevento East:

The election of 2008 was all about change.  The election of 2010 was all about changing the change.  You can bet on one thing, this is an unprecedented time to purchase a new home! 

Interest rates are historically low.  This will change.  Inflation, although present, is not yet being passed to the consumer.  This too will change.  The foreclosure crisis we keep hearing about is going to make lending procedures criteria more difficult, which always means more costly.  Again, more change.

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of owning a new Ole South home,  take a LOOK NOW, before more change takes effect!

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: And what a week this is going to be!

Forbes Magazine just released a list of the most affordable places to live in America and Nashville ranks #5!  However, the list is somewhat perplexing to the mind because Birmingham is rated #11.  Seriously folks, who would pay MORE to live in Birmingham when they could live in Nashville for less?  I just don’t get it.

We at Ole South continue to do our part in making these great rankings possible. With brand new town homes from $89,990, traditional neighborhood new homes (with garages too!) from 119,990, up to all brick masterpieces with 3-car garages under $300,000 and all points between – you simply will not find a better new home value than with Ole South.

You owe it to yourself to visit our website, http://www.OleSouth.com. Even better, pay a visit to one of our 20+ neighborhoods in the Greater Nashville area, to include Cane Ridge, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill. Eat an Otis Spunkmeyer cookie or two while you are there.

It is just now Monday, and so much is happening that I cannot begin to tell you all about it…so I won’t. Stay tuned though.  A new home in Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County will soon be more affordable than ever.  

Folks, tomorrow is Election Day and I truly hope that everyone will exercise their right to vote.  And regardless of the outcome, each one of us should make an effort to get involved in matters that are vital to our future.  If we don’t voice our opinions and concerns openly, our elected dummies have no choice but to vote for what benefits them the most.   So let’s all vote, become more involved, and earn the right to bitch!  :0)

That said, last week while cruising on the Carnival Triumph, I discovered what just might be my second favorite place to live, right behind living in a brand new Ole South home in Greater Nashville.  That place is Roatan, Honduras.  Carnival Cruise Lines just spent a zillion dollars developing the newest cruise port on the Caribbean, Mahogany Bay.   Check out John Heald’s Blog for the details.  

http://johnhealdsblog.com/2009/12/13/mahogany-bay/

And here are pictures from our visit:

Roatan is almost like Disneyland for adults.  There is a lift-chair thingy that carries you from the ship to the beach areas.  The beachfront rivals anything you have ever seen.  Air-conditioned cabanas are available for rent to those that have more money than good sense.  Food and bar service is everywhere and the place is super-clean too!  I wish I had more pictures to show of this awesome place.  Actually, I do, but you can’t see them.

Remember, it is only Monday.  Check back often for exciting updates that are sure to be revealed this week! 

Happy Monday!

 

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: How will we know?

How will we know when our business is picking up?  That may seem like a dumb question, but seriously, how will we know?  

There are those that think the best sign of recovery is when the telephone starts to ring.  Our prospects will call and let us know when things are better.  Some will answer an ad.  Some will register online for more information.   They will let us know, but until they do, let’s just complain some more. 

Fixed interest rates are already at a 59-year low and inflation remains in check, but for how much longer?  Folks, the time really is right to purchase a new home.  We have to do a better job getting that message to the buying public.  Here is an interesting commentary:    http://www.realtor.org/research/reinsights/economistcommentary

So, now what.  I wish the answer was as simple as posting comments and articles to a blog thingy.   According to National Association of Realtors (NAR), almost 90% of homeowners would do business with their real estate agent again.   That says a lot!   However, the NAR goes further to say that only 11% of those surveyed can remember who their real estate agent was!  I will bet the statistics would be similar in other business fields too.

The simple truth…our past clients want to do business with us again.  They want to recommend us to their friends.  They already know us and trust us.   They just can’t think of our names! 

The housing economy will not recover on its own.   Rather than waiting on the phone to ring, why not pick it up and place a call to a past client?  At least we will make ourselves easier to remember.  (And while you are on the phone with them, be sure to tell them about the great new home values at www.OleSouth.com.)

Statistics are just numbers waiting to be changed.  Let’s change them!

Happy buying and selling!

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: Fond, Floating Farewells

Today is a perfect day to take a blogging-break from all the many reasons to purchase a new home and talk about something else for just a bit.  

This is a bittersweet day.  Today, we bid farewell to our dear friends Charlotte and Bill Langford, who are beginning a 6,000 mile journey aboard their boat, Precious Time, a 39 foot Mainship Trawler.  Say hi, or bye rather, to Charlotte and Bill.

The next-best thing to living in a brand new Ole South home is living on a boat.  The greatest advantage is when your neighbors get on your nerves, you can easily move.  I hope that is not the case with Charlotte and Bill!    OK, back to the story…..

They are starting a voyage that is called “The Great Loop.”   From Nashville, they will follow the Cumberland River, go through the Barkley Canal, and proceed upstream on the Tennessee River, until reaching Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama.  There, they will join many other boaters for the annual Great Looper’s reunion, or whatever they call it.  Then,  they will join others and float down the Tombigbee Waterway to the Gulf Of Mexico, where their travels will  become totally at the mercy of the weather.  (That is when they will certainly miss my wife Beth, the weather-witch!)   Take a look at where this journey will take them.

There is one glitch that makes this journey difficult to schedule.  Charlotte still has not retired!  As Executive Director of Park Manor, she has truly made huge differences in the lives of others…  such a difference that they cannot replace her! 

She will continue to manage that operation online, with a long occasional commute (weekly,I bet) from wherever Precious Time is docked.  Park Manor is an independent living facility for seniors, much like a cruise ship on land!  If someone in your family wants to get the most out of their senior years, this is the place.  I know first-hand.  My mother lives there.

Last Friday night, a few of us “boat-people” gathered at the home of Angela and Bart Bagsby.  It was a great “send-off” evening.  This morning, we were able to join Charlotte, Bill and friends for breakfast at the marina.  Then we untied their lines, and pushed them away.

We are blessed to know Charlotte and Bill, and look forward to following their journey online, and maybe parts of it in person!   Until then, may God be with them until we meet again.   Bon Voyage!

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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: A neat Christmas Gift!

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Very few cities around the country have such great architectural examples as Nashville, Tennessee.  One particular architectural firm is celebrating 100 years of design and has published a wonderful book detailing the many contributions they have made to our city’s landscape.  Here is the link for more information on this great Christmas gift:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101014/DAVIDSON/101014071/New-picture-book-portrays-Nashville-s-unique-buildings-?GID=CUwLbLWjEcza8zrl41A2b3u4mHej0xs83K0D1SSsp4I%3D

There is nothing like the contrast between the old and the new.  You will enjoy the link below, which will take you back in time for views of what Nashville’s landscape was like long ago.  Click it and see for yourself!

http://nashville.about.com/cs/nashvillephotos/l/bloldpics1.htm

Isn’t it cool to reminisce?   Now that you have done that, why not take a look at what the future has in store for you by visiting the new homes and communities offered by Ole South Properties?  We have a home for every lifestyle.  See for yourself at 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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Nashville New Homes: But its not Christmas Yet!

Greetings!

I must apologize for jumping the gun and venturing into Christmas themes earlier this week, even if Santa Claus really does work at Ole South and truly is building new homes for the holidays all over Middle Tennessee.  That just simply was not being fair to Summer!

What better way to pay tribute to summer than to show a few scenes from Ole South’s “2010 Yes Days of Summer?”

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Special thanks to our many loyal home owners, area Realtors, The Tennessee Titans, LP Building Products, our dedicated staff, and 95.5 FM “The Wolf” for making the 2010 “Yes Days of Summer” a summer to remember!

I am sad (but happy for the soon-to-be-winners) to see our “Win in 2010” contest coming to a close.  The “scion-tific” drawing for the winners will soon take place and suspense is building to know who the six winners will be.  Each winner, and a guest, will be joining us on the LP Party Deck at LP Field on October 24th to witness the Titans victory over the Eagles!

 

Game day promises to be very exciting for the six winners, who will be announced on Friday, October 15th on Ole South’s website, www.olesouth.com, and Ole South’s Facebook Fan Page, www.facebook.com/olesouthproperties.   (Why not become a fan now if you aren’t already?)

At the game, one of those six winners will become the proud owner of the 2010 Ole South Scion.  Cheerleaders not included.

 Ole South proudly uses LP Building Products in our new homes.  We appreciate the support of LP Building Products and The Tennessee Titans in making our “Win in 2010” promotion possible.

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: Affordable Housing…Provide it, or it will create itself.

I have been tossing this blog topic around in my head for some time now, just waiting for the inspiration to address it.  Just minutes ago, today became the day.

Bank of America just announced they are suspending foreclosure actions in all 50 states.  Don’t just take my word for it, click here for the full story.  http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/08/real_estate/bank_america_50/

Okay, now that you read the story, lets take a real indepth look at the situation… and we’re going to have to look way back!

I was fortunate to enter my Real Estate career in 2000.  Business was good.  Along came 9/11 and America pulled together as a nation.  Values and home ownership were prevailing themes.  With demand for new homes increasing and no end in sight, inflation and greed took over.  Land prices skyrocketed.  Development projects went to the higest bidder willing to pay the premium for quick response.   The cost of building materials soared.  Many predicted there was no end to the good times in sight.  I believed them too, and had a lot of fun in the meantime!

Then one day, we look around and see that affordable housing had all but disappeared.   Home prices had escalated over the capabilities of the typical first-time buyer.  Rather than allowing market forces to adjust pricing THEN, along comes the mortgage industry to further facilitate the ever-growing “bubble.”  Interest-only loans, Adjustable Rate Mortgages, and Stated Income Loans allowed buyers to continue paying even higher sale prices.  If you could breathe and move toward light, you could be approved for a home loan with certain unscupulous lenders, even with them knowing you could not afford it. 

Consciencious and Professional Mortgage Originators and Underwriters continued to use the established and acceptable lending criteria that were in place.  Unscrupulous Mortgage Originators and Underwriters did not.  Rules are rules only when they are being enforced and these guys knew no one was watching.  Greedy investors lined up with money to lend.  Increased rates for increased risk.  Everybody wins!  After all, the properties were increasing in value exponentially each year.

YEP!  They sure were…until the first-time buyer segment of our economy put their foot down and said “NO MORE.”  The first-time buyer’s inability to participate in the housing market was about to topple the very market that they had helped create.  There were no more logs to place on the fire.

Fast-forward to “the wake-up-call.”  Housing values dropped, and will continue to fall until the housing market is once again within the grasp of the first-time buyer.  In my opinion Government has over-reacted with numerous new lending criteria initiatives.  These initiatives are sound fundamentally, but a wiser path would have been to simply enforce the criteria that was already there.  The fire was already burning down as a result of market forces, and government poured mass-buckets of cold water on it – and that continues to this day.  Lots and lots of affordable housing options have now been created, mostly at the expense of the taxpayer.

Thankfully, the Greater Nashville housing market was not hit as hard as other areas of the country.  I truly believe that is because of our accessibility to affordable housing. 

At Ole South, our mission has always been to provide the very best selection of  homes that address the needs of the first-time buyer.  That mission is alive and well today!  With brand new maintenance-free town homes starting at $89,990 and brand new traditional neighborhood homes starting at $119,990, we remain committed to keeping the Greater Nashville area an affordable place to live.

But that’s not all… We have become very good at building new homes for the “move-up” buyer, as well as the buyer that wishes to down-size and simplify their life.  Learn more at www.OleSouth.com.

We’ve always worked with responsible lenders too!  Ole South Financial, our SunTrust Mortgage Joint Venture, has made new-home ownership a reality for thousands of buyers and they are ready to assist you too!  Give them a ring at 615.907.2296.

Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime we can be of assistance in any way.  You can rest assured that our neighborhoods in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill will be your best new home value…guaranteed!

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.