Tag Archives: Ole South

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: 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

Nashville New Homes: Do the math.

Back in my school days, I had a teacher who’s favorite response when asked advice was to “do the math.” Whether it was about which girl to ask out, or which college to attend, “do the math” was always the answer. Pretty sound advice too!

If you don’t own a home right now,  and you are paying rent,  its time to do the math.  Home ownership isn’t for everybody, but it is an important component of your future financial health.

Here is a helpful calculator to help you “do the math,” courtesy of Ginnie Mae, aka Uncle Sam:   (Use these numbers … 4.75% interest rate, 30 Year term, and 3.5% minimum down=payment.  First time buyers may qualify for ZERO down, using a 4.85% interest rate.  Visit www.thda.org for details) 

http://www.ginniemae.gov/rent_vs_buy/rent_vs_buy_calc.asp?section=YPTH

Even if you already own your home, the low fixed interest rates of today probably have you thinking about that next home, whether larger or smaller.  Go ahead and admit it.  After all, now really is a great time to buy that new home you have always wanted.  It may not be there for you down the road.   Let’s “do the math.”

Recently, I heard another creative reason for now being the time to buy.  If you wait much longer, interest rates will be substanitally higher and no one will be wanting to sell and give up their historically low interest rate for a higher one.  

Okay, so your existing home may not command the sale price it would have a few years back.  Neither is the new home you are wanting to buy.   Lose and save?  Gain and pay?  “Do the math.”   When doing that math, keep in mind that your house is your home first, and investment second.

Have Questions?  We have answers.  Visit any of our www.OleSouth.com Greater Nashville New Home neighborhoods and explore all of your many options.  We take the stress out of buying a home!  And we’ll give you a stress ball 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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Nashville New Homes: What about “Festive Friday?”

For years, we’ve all known that the Friday after Thanksgiving is the “kick-off” shopping day for Christmas.  When I was a kid, it was real simple…the “after Thanksgiving sale.”    In recent years, the mood has shifted into calling the Friday after Thanksgiving, “Black Friday,” with a meaning that for many can only be be explained by CPA’s and economists with beards.

One thing I love about selling new homes is being able to meet so many different people, and many that have moved here from other parts of the world.  One particular resident stopped in the other day asking about “Black Friday” and what its significance was.  He already knew all about the traditions of Memorial Day, Indepence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and had even studied “Black Monday” in economics, when during the 80’s the stock market crashed on a Monday in October.   This “Black Friday” was a complete mystery to him.

OK, so I explained that retailers in the United States typically do not show profitability for the year until the Christmas shopping season starts, and all these sales are simply to get them in the “black,” or out of the “red” for the year, with the rest of the season being total profit.

Although the concept now made total sense to him, “the marketing makes no sense to me” was his response.  You know, it really doesn’t to me either!   The marketing guru’s have spent entirely too much time around the calculator on this one.

So, why not “Festive Friday?”  Many workers have the day off, which is reason to be festive.  Many families have relatives in town (that might buy you a nice gift while shopping) which is another reason to be festive.  We’ve just finished a holiday dinner and given thanks for everything in our lives…again, another reason.

“Festive Friday” is a great day to search for a new home, too!  You have all the family together, and all Ole South model homes are open today for your viewing.  And if you simply drop by anytime this weekend, you will get a certificate for a free flat screen HDTV for your Ole South home, if you purchase before June 11, 2011. 

Take a minute to look at the very best values in new homes in Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill.  Brand New Homes from $89,990 to $299,990 is another reason to be festive!  Here, take a look: 

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By the way, do you have a lot of left-overs from yesterday?   If the answer is yes, then you have another reason to be festive.  All new Ole South homes come with a complete kitchen appliance package, and that includes a built-in microwave and refrigerator!

Happy “Festive Friday!”

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: Please pass the turkey.

Remember back in nursery school when we all all either 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 what is a national holiday without a bit of controversy?   Rather than embrace the emotion, many want to argue facts.  Personally, I would rather eat turkey and also give thanks for my family and life.

We all have problems, but can always find someone 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: Pass the mustard!

As one gets older, (ok, me…), you sometimes think back to your younger years and the stupidest things are usually the first to come to mind.  Funny thing, if you read into those stupid things analytically like old people do, you can usually find a hidden meaning.

Back in the college days, did you ever incoherently go to the Krystal late at night with the munchies?  Go ahead, admit that you did.   Then the competition began for who could get the most pickles to stick against the windows? 

We found that the more mustard you put on the pickle, the greater the odds of the pickle sticking to the window….and holding too.   So, what’s the hidden meaning in all this?

It doesn’t take an economist with a nice beard to know that we are in a sluggish economy.  Mortgage interest rates are the lowest in 59 years and inflation in construction, although present, has yet to be passed on to the consumer.  But, there are still a lot of people capable of buying their “first-time” new home that haven’t gotten into the market yet.   Don’t they realize the importance of home-ownership to their future financial security?

Home-ownership is the pickle and we simply have to put more mustard on it to get it to stick.  And that is what we are doing at Ole South.  We are constantly improving the new homes we offer, and including even more reasons to act now. 

For example, visit any of our model homes over “Black Friday” weekend and get a certificate for a flat-screen HDTV to use with your new home purchase before June 11, 2011.  And on select inventory homes, you’ll even get a Stainless Steel appliance package at no extra charge.  Closing costs?  What closing costs? 

You can also visit our website, www.OleSouth.com, and register to win (2) tickets to see Garth Brooks live at Bridgestone Arena December 16th.  After we get your email address, you can bet you will become aware of all the reasons to buy a new home…now!

  We are expanding into even more communities where we can offer the very best new home value in Middle Tennessee.  You simply have to pay us a visit…and tell your “new-home-less” friends too!  We look forward to seeing you!

And until then, pass the mustard!  And the ketchup 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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Nashville New Homes: Realtors will go to heaven.

Well, most of them anyway!

One of the great things about getting old is forming new habits.  Habits like going to bed early only to find that you are not tired enough to sleep.  And there you find yourself scrolling through the TV guide thingy looking for a good movie that you’ve already seen a hundred times.

That was the case with me the other night and the movie I chose to watch again was “The Bucket List” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.  If you haven’t seen it yet, watch your TV guide thingy and it will be shown again soon I am certain.

There is one scene when both of them were sitting on top of the Great Pyramids and Morgan Freeman shared this with Jack Nicholson:

“You know, the ancient Egyptians had a beautiful belief about death. When their souls got to the entrance to heaven, the guards asked two questions. Their answers determined whether they were able to enter or not. ‘Have you found joy in your life?’ ‘Has your life brought joy to others?’”

WOW…This great comedy had just turned into a thought-provoking drama of self-reflection.   But don’t get out the violins just yet.. Jack Nicholson’s smart-ass reply brought the movie back into the “comedy zone.”

If those really are the two questions we will one day be asked, then most all Realtors can count on going to heaven.  After all, it is our vocation to bring joy into the life of others.  We witness the joy and excitement of people buying their homes!  That joy and excitement is taken to a whole different level when they purchase a brand new home, and an even higher level if that new home was built by Ole South in one of our Middle Tennessee neighborhoods!

We have the opportunity to bring joy into the lives of others every single day and everyone has the opportunity to participate.  Even the guy cooking McRibs at McDonalds can take comfort and joy that the McRib promotion will soon be over so he can go back to making kids happy with “happy meals.”    The only people that experience joy from a McRib are the makers of Tums. 

(McD’s needs to read the definition of madness – the one that says “madness is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.”  And they keep trying to resurrect the McRib…I don’t get it.  McPizza would be better!)

We are now entering a time of year that can be difficult for many people.  It is important to remember that we don’t have to give someone the newest “Wii” or “Xbox,” or jewelry big enough to choke a dog to bring joy into someone’s life.   A can of King Leo candy sticks might do the trick.  Or, a kind word and a simple gesture of happiness may be just the right thing.  Especially for strangers too!   In the “Bucket List,”  the two men were complete strangers from two totally diffrerent walks of life, and their paths crossed to bring joy into each other’s lives, just when that joy was needed the most.

Just look around.  An opportunity arises every day.  Take it.  You will then find more joy in your life.

And Realtors, with interest rates at historic lows for who knows how much longer, we have an even greater opportunity to bring joy into the lives of others…the joy of home ownership. 

So, lets all go show some some homes this week!  And make a note, all of our model homes will be open on “Black Friday” and anyone visiting before 5:00 pm on Sunday, November 28th will get a flat screen HDTV certificate, good with any new Ole South home purchased before June 11, 2011. 

The “Bucket List” plays even better on a flat screen HDTV 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 home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Nashville New Homes: Just add water.

Need to put some relaxation in your life?    Need to put some fun back in your life?  Just add water.  

Ever since the beginning of time, mankind (and womankind too) have had an attraction to living near water.  And living on the water was a lifestyle reserved only for the rich and famous.  Not any more!

Ole South has always built the most affordable maintenance-free town homes known to mankind, and we always will.  How do you transform an affordable maintenance-free town home into a vacation retreat and investment all at once?  Just add water. 

Along the shoreline of Tims Ford Lake in Winchester, Tennessee, you will find the perfect gated lakefront community, Twin Creeks Village.  Ole South has built a collection of colorful, elegant town homes in Phase 1 of the community.  Phase 2 is slated to offer traditional homes in a lakeside setting.  Take a closer look at what we have READY RIGHT NOW!

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A city park, complete with boat launching ramp adjoins the neighborhood.  A marina has also been approved by TVA and the City of Winchester for construction in the future.

In different economic times, these brand new town homes would sell for $250,000 +.  Right now, you can purchase any of the remaining homes we have at a fraction of that.  Put a waverunner or boat in the garage and you have the perfect new home, for full-time or vacation living. 

We have 2 homes available at 169,990, 2 at 174,990, and 2 at 179,990.  The slideshow thingy above shows the actual homes we have available!   Buyer agents will receive a FIVE PERCENT COMMISSION at closing.   All kitchen appliances are included too! 

Don’t miss this great lakefront living opportunity. Life is a whole lot more enjoyable when water is added to it!   Call me today for all the details and for viewing information. 

To make your good life even better…Just add water!

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: Go and tell.

Yesterday’s blog topic was about students from Cane Ridge High School’s Construction Career Academy visiting the new home construction site of Rivendell Woods of Cane Ridge.   Yesterday, the students got to see first-hand examples of the trades they have been studying.   ( Photos are posted on yesterday’s blog thing.   Home Center Network will be airing excerpts on Comcast Channel 49 at 9:00 am and 9:00 pm daily.)

Ole South has had involvement with Cane Ridge since its opening and have watched the Career Academy concept evolve into a successful program format.  And it is getting better each and every day.  With guidance from educators such as Harold Cunningham and Lance Lott, even better things are on the horizon for Cane Ridge.

Which leads me to another subject … involvement in our local schools.  There are many wonderful things happening in schools all across Middle Tennessee.   We need to constantly find out what these things are and spread the good news to all that will listen!   There may be one disfunctional student that carries a knife to school, but there are thousands more carrying books, notebooks, and pencils. 

Everyone can help in some way, even if it is just talking positive.  Our quality of life is directly impacted by the quality of our schools, so we each really do have skin in the game!  The better our local schools perform, the better our local economy performs. 

Parents want to raise their families where there is a great quality of life.  Employers want to locate their businesses where they can attract great employees.  The benefits of quality education go on and on and can never be underestimated.   

 About the quality of education in Metropoltan Nashville,  did you know that US News & World Reports publishes a list of the “Best 100 High Schools in America?”   Guess what?  There are only TWO Tennessee High Schools on this list.  BOTH of them are Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools!   Tell people about that!

 http://education.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/sections/education/high-schools/index.html

 There are great things going on with education in Nashville.  Let’s all get more involved whenever we can and see if we can add even more area schools to that list next year.

Then watch the value of your new Ole South home in Nashville, Smyrna, Murfreesboro and Spring Hill climb even more.

Have a great day!

 

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.