Tag Archives: Ole South

What’s up with Ruby?

It is hard to believe that Ruby, our little Blue Doberman, isn’t even a year old yet, and I really cannot imagine how life would be without her…although I am tempted to find out at times.

Her first birthday is coming up New Year’s Eve.  And she is resting up for the occasion every chance she gets!

And when presented with doing something inconvenient, she pretends to be sleep.

I would like to share a tip:

Christmas decorations and young blue dobermans simply do not mix.  More on that later! 

In the meantime, get out there and enjoy the holidays!  While you are out, drop by any Ole South model home location and make a difference for someone else too!  Visit www.OleSouth.com for the location nearest you.

Looking back, it really is hard to believe Ruby ever looked like this, much less just 10 months ago!

Ruby - 6 wks old

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: Happy Thanksgiving

Remember back in nursery school when we all wore funny black  hats, or a headband of feathers?  Yep, the days of the Pilgrims and the Indians celebrating their first Thanksgiving.  They got along beautifully, and we pretended to be them, thankful to find a new home and plenty to eat.

Then, as we get older, and much fatter, we forget about the black hats and feathers and concentrate on a day for families to gather and enjoy each other’s company, and get fatter too.

Regardless of the real origin of Thanksgiving Day, we all really do need to take the time to give thanks to God for our families, our friends, and the life we enjoy.  That is the whole point and lets take time to do just that.

But before we start, lets all make plans to help those that are less fortunate.  Local support networks, such as Second Harvest Food Bank, church and local food pantries, the Nashville Union Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army, and others have serviced growing numbers of individuals and families as a result of our economic times. 

This holiday season, all of us at Ole South are collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Toys For Tots program along with new and used shoes for the Soles 4 Souls organization.  We need your help too! 

Our model homes will be open daily to receive your donations.  Please visit www.OleSouth.com for the location nearest you, or visit www.toysfortots.org or www.soles4souls.org for other drop-off locations.  Together, we can, and will make a difference.

We all have problems, but there are always others with larger problems.  We do have a lot to be thankful for.  So, give thanks, be a glutten, and watch the parades!  In the meantime, here is discussion about Thanksgiving, according to history.com.  All those years of silly hats were wasted.  But the turkey won’t be!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving Controversies

For some scholars, the jury is still out on whether the feast at Plymouth really constituted the first Thanksgiving in the United States. Indeed, historians have recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America that predate the Pilgrims’ celebration. In 1565, for instance, the Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilé invited members of the local Timucua tribe to a dinner in St. Augustine, Florida, after holding a mass to thank God for his crew’s safe arrival. On December 4, 1619, when 38 British settlers reached a site known as Berkeley Hundred on the banks of Virginia’s James River, they read a proclamation designating the date as “a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Some Native Americans and others take issue with how the Thanksgiving story is presented to the American public, and especially to schoolchildren. In their view, the traditional narrative paints a deceptively sunny portrait of relations between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, masking the long and bloody history of conflict between Native Americans and European settlers that resulted in the deaths of millions. Since 1970, protesters have gathered on the day designated as Thanksgiving at the top of Cole’s Hill, which overlooks Plymouth Rock, to commemorate a “National Day of Mourning.” Similar events are held in other parts of the country.

Thanksgiving’s Ancient Origins

le the American concept of Thanksgiving developed in the colonies of New England, its roots can be traced back to the other side of the Atlantic. Both the Separatists who came over on the Mayflower and the Puritans who arrived soon after brought with them a tradition of providential holidays—days of fasting during difficult or pivotal moments and days of feasting and celebration to thank God in times of plenty.

As an annual celebration of the harvest and its bounty, moreover, Thanksgiving falls under a category of festivals that spans cultures, continents and millennia. In ancient times, the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans feasted and paid tribute to their gods after the fall harvest. Thanksgiving also bears a resemblance to the ancient Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot. Finally, historians have noted that Native Americans had a rich tradition of commemorating the fall harvest with feasting and merrymaking long before Europeans set foot.

 

Nashville New Homes: Just why are new home starts so critical to our economy?

Wasn’t it great to hear some positive news over the nation’s airwaves this week?

Although high unemployment is still a grave concern, there are signs that we could very well be in our next “recovery.”  Slow, it may be, but that beats what we’ve been hearing for a LONG time!

Like it or not, we are in a World Economy, and many European countries have far greater financial issues than the US. to deal with.  This past week brought optimism that those issues are being addressed.  News released last week was positive enough for many to “call-off” a predicted “Double-Dip-Recession” in the US.

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2011/10/27/no_double_dip_recession_u_s_gdp_growth_2_5_in_third_quarter.html

And there was positive news for new home starts too!

http://www.census.gov/const/newressales.pdf

That brings us to today’s question…. “Why are new home starts so critical to our economy and it’s recovery?”

Could it be that new homes are one of the few remaining items that are built here in the US?  New homes aren’t built in a factory overseas and shipped in….well, not yet anyway.  New home construction provides immediate jobs to the very area where they are being constructed.  It is said that each new home start creates 3 full-time jobs for one year!

Everyone that has purchased a new home recently can be proud they have contributed greatly to our economy.  (Those that have purchased their new home from us at Ole South have contributed even greater!)

Jobs in this country are still hard to come by, but there are a lot of things that each one of us can do to make a difference.  Buy products made in the US whenever possible.   Not only will you be saving existing jobs, but creating new ones as well.  From the tube of toothpaste, to a kitchen table..it still is possible to find!

A friend forwarded an email to me this morning that opened my eyes even more.  It is about a behemoth container ship used to transport goods from China to the US.  Please read below:

The Emma Maersk, part of a Danish shipping line, is shown in the photos below.

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What a ship….no wonder ‘Made in China ‘ is displacing North American made goods big time.

This monster transports goods across the Pacific in just 5 days!! This is one of three ships presently in service, with another two ships commissioned to be completed in 2012.

 These ships were commissioned by Wal-Mart to get all their goods and stuff from China . They hold an incredible 15,000 containers and have a 207 foot deck beam!! The full crew is just 13 people on a ship longer than a US Aircraft Carrier (which has a crew of 5,000. With its 207′ beam it is too big to fit through the Panama or Suez Canals ….

 It is strictly Transpacific. Cruise speed: 31 knots.

The goods arrive 4 days before the typical container ship (18-20 knots) on a China-to–California run. 91% of Wal-Mart products are made in China. So this behemoth is hugely competitive even when carrying perishable goods.

The ship was built in five sections. The sections floated together and then welded.

 The command bridge is higher than a 10-story building and has 11 cargo crane rigs that can operate simultaneously unloading the entire ship in less than two hours.

 Editorial Comment!

A recent documentary in late March, 2010 on the History Channel noted that all of these containers are shipped back to China, EMPTY. Yep, that’s right. We send nothing back on these ships. What does that tell you about the current financial state of this country? Just keep buying those imported goods (mostly gadgets) until you run outof money.

Then you may wonder what the cause of unemployment (maybe even your job) in the U.S. and Canada might be????

‘Nuff said ??

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WOW.  And that is just ONE of thousands of container ships.  Something to think about for sure.

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: Fall is going to be fun!

Fall in Middle Tennessee is already off to a great start!

Leaves are beginning to turn, the Tennessee Titans first season under Head Coach Mike Munchak is underway, the Nashville Predators host their first home game of the season tonight, and Ole South rolls out its very first “Facebook Friends Friday” tomorrow.

You can find out more about Facebook Friends Friday on “The Ole South Blog,” where you will also learn just how easy and fun buying a new home can be!

Another reason Fall is off to a great start is the Real Estate market in Middle Tennessee.  Interest Rates are “stupid-low.”  Incentives are terrific, and there are still a lot of new homes to select from.   With the US Economy in the doldrums, and our local economy growing again, don’t miss exploring this great opportunity to purchase a new Ole South home!

 

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Whether you choose your new Ole South home in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Spring Hill, or Clarksville, you can be assured you are receiving the very best new home value…period.  Visit our website OleSouth.com for the location nearest you.  Find out first hand why thousands of Middle Tennesseans are proud to say

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: The “Short Sale” can of worms.

I was showing one of our brand new Ole South homes this week to a first-time home buyer.  They loved the home and all of its many features, especially the fact that everything was NEW and under warranty too.

They had learned through others that new homes offered the best value for the money, and that in most cases, a new home could be purchased for the same price, or even less, than an older resale home comparable in size and features.  They had looked at other resales, and told me everything that was important to them, even the price range.  Well guess what?  We have the perfect home nearing completion!

This particular home was $169,990, complete with all appliances and closing costs paid.  Using THDA’s Great Start program for first-time homebuyers, their monthly payment, yes PITI, would be approximately $1153 with zero cash out of pocket at closing.  If they chose to place their own down-payment of approximately $5950, their monthly payment would drop to approximately $1076. 

They really liked the -0- down option, but developed a perplexing look on their faces.  They really wanted a NEW home, but there was another home, similar in size, just 2 miles away they had seen online.  It was listed for $84,900.  It was a “short sale.”

They asked, “Just what does that mean?”   I explained the basic process where the bank would hopefully agree to allow the current owner to sell the home for less than the bank was owed on the property.  “You mean to say the bank is going to let them sell that home for 84,900?”  No, not necessarily.  “Then why is it listed for that price?”

Great question.  And we Realtors know the answer.  It is just like fishing.  We know the list price is just to attract a prospect, who will then be encouraged to make an offer, which the bank, at some unknown point in time, will accept or counter.  We all know that in most cases, the bank will not approve a listing price on a pre-foreclosure home until an offer of some kind is on the table.  The general public does NOT know that.

So, in the meantime, those shopping for homes receive a unrealistic picture of home values.  Neighborhoods suffer.  Those trying to sell their homes without financial difficulty suffer.  Zillow’s “z-estimates” seem to pick up on the suffering too, lowering those home values that are automatically calculated.  People believe those values because they saw it on “the internet.”

Okay, let’s go ahead and open the can of worms.

 The “short sale” can be a great alternative to foreclosure and I know many Realtors that are very successful negotiating the sale of homes in this situation.  It can be a win-win situation for all involved, but only if extraordinary levels of patience can be applied.

Let’s be serious.  Wouldn’t our whole real estate economy be better off if a property could not be listed at an arbitrary price that is basically pulled out of the sky?  

Many will disagree, but ANY home listed for sale on our MLS should be able to be purchased at the price listed.  Period. 

Why can’t our MLS require all short sales to be classified a separate way without a list price, followed by the instructions?   Or, if a price has to be present, enter $1.00.  At least that way, the playing field is more level.  I know there are data fields already for short sale notations, but that still leaves the “pie-in-the-sky” listing price.  Simply put, it is “bait and switch.”  

Again, there are many great Realtors that specialize in “short sales.”  If you would like a recommendation, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Bad things happen to good people all the time.  If you know anyone that has suffered a 30% drop in income or more, that may need assistance in avoiding a foreclosure or short sale, don’t forget about THDA’s newest program, www.keepmytnhome.org.

And always remember, better times are ahead.

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: Just what is Labor Day?

The first Monday in September has always been designated Labor Day.  Well not always, but officially since 1894 when President Grover Cleveland declared the holiday.  Read more details of what brought this holiday about:  

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/207792/20110902/labor-day-2011-history-origins-holiday-labor-union-workers-strike-railroad-protest-military-canada-n.htm

And if you don’t like to read, here is a video on the origins of this holiday.

Now you know the history.  Now it is time to celebrate! 

What are your plans for this last holiday weekend of summer?

Why not use Saturday and Sunday to explore purchasing a new Ole South home?  We’ve got a new home to meet your needs in Nashville, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill, and Clarksville.  You can see all of our Middle Tennessee new home neighborhoods online at www.OleSouth.com.

 

After you’ve found the perfect new home for your needs, why not venture out to Old Hickory Lake for a relaxing meal at Nashville’s only floating restaurant and bar, The Black Pearl at Blackjack Cove Marina.  www.blackjackcove.com

Labor Day is the last official holiday between now and Thanksgiving.  Get out there and enjoy it!  Enjoy it even more in your new Ole South home!

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: Even lower mortgage interest rates? Coming soon.

That’s right.  Even lower interest rates are on the horizon for first-time home buyers, thanks to the folks at Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA).  Visit their website, www.THDA.org for more information.

Here are the new program rates that go into effect September 1, 2011 for all files submitted ON OR AFTER that date:

Great Rate – 3.95%       For the first-time buyer that has their own down-payment funds and closing costs, if not paid by a seller.  Perfect for those with front and/or back ratios below 45%.  

Great Advantage – 4.25%     Buyer receives a 2% grant that may be used toward down-payment, or closing costs if not being paid by seller    

Great Start – 4.55%     Buyer receives a 4% grant that may be used toward downpayment, admin fees, and closing costs if not paid by seller.

Remember!  When you purchase a new home from Ole South in Nashville, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, or Spring Hill, and use Ole South Financial (our SunTrustMortgage Joint Venture), ALL CLOSING COSTS are paid!  (note:  certain conventional loans limit seller contributions to 3%)

YES!       A first time buyer can purchase a brand new Ole South home with ZERO CASH DOWN AT CLOSING and receive a 4.55% fixed interest rate 30-year FHA loan.   Find yours at www.OleSouth.com

NOW – an unprecedented time to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities.

 

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: Changing the rules…another great reason to buy now.

Perhaps the best reason to buy a new home in Nashville now is “the rules” and furthermore, knowing that the rules are going to change.

For example, on October 1, 2011, if passed by Congress, FHA loan limits will decrease in 669 counties across the nation.  These 13 Tennessee counties will be affected by the new limits:

Cannon, Cheathan, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson.

Currently, a home buyer can acquire an FHA loan up to $432,500.  After October 1, 2011, the proposed limit will be $393,300.  Those wishing to use FHA financing on loans up to $432,500 need to act now!

http://government-mortgages.com/fha/fha-loan-limit-decreases.html

For those looking to purchase a new Ole South home in the immediate future, these changes will have no effect.  Other than with our custom built homes, our most elegant offerings are far below these proposed limits, even though they compare very favorably to homes in the 400’s.   You’ll have to see it for yourself to believe it!  www.OleSouth.com

So, if this change will not affect Ole South directly, why my great concern?

The moral of the story?  All rules and lending criteria are subject to change at any time.   

Purchase a new Ole South home using an FHA loan through Ole South Financial, and Ole South pays all of your closing costs.  There are proposals out there to restrict the amount of closing costs a seller can pay, meaning YOU will pay the difference out of pocket.  Things can change.  Act now.

Currently FHA loans require a 3.5% down payment, which can also be funded by THDA for eligible first-time buyers using the “Great Start” program.   There have been numerous proposals floating around to raise the down payment requirement.   Things can change.  Act now.

According to many experts nationwide, home affordability is at a peak.  Especially in Nashville.  Now truly is the time to buy a new home, before the rules that we know change again.

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

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:

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: The “Occupancy After Closing Agreement”

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.

 

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