Tag Archives: Trey Lewis

The Summer of 2013 – (Part 2)

We returned to Nashville to find my mother had fallen the night before and was in St. Thomas Hospital.  Back in March, she experienced a serious fall, breaking her jaw and nose, which kept her hospitalized at Vanderbilt for 2 weeks, followed by 2 months at rehab, where she healed remarkably.  She had only been back at Park Manor less than a month when she fell again.  At least this time, nothing was broken.

If anyone has aging parents, there is not a better place for them to live than Park Manor on Woodmont Blvd.  It compares to being on a cruise ship, with gourmet meals and daily activities.  The staff there is simply marvelous.  They even stayed with her at St. Thomas until our return.  After a few days, she was back home at Park Manor, with arrangements made for 24-hour care when necessary.

We also found The Blue Moon Waterfront Grill at Rock Harbor Marina was in full swing upon our return.  The new slip where we were to keep our boat was nearing completion too!

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When we moved into the new slip, I installed some neat color changing lights on the top deck.

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It was great to see Rock Harbor Marina come to life after the new additions.  It seemed like a Hatteras Convention one weekend!  The new sport of Stand-Up Paddle Boarding was also in full swing at Rock Harbor.  PaddleUpTn has been a great addition to the marina.  www.paddleuptn.com

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Although summer was in full swing according to the calendar, the weather seemed not to get the message!  Rain was constant and almost ruined the July 4th Fireworks celebration at Riverfront Park.  The rain stopped just in time, but the sky was not clear at all.  Ruby, our Blue Doberman, slept through it all.

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We had a kicking summer at our own Rock Harbor Yacht Club.  We were glad to find the Brit Stokes Band available for our Jimmy Buffet theme party, and also the end-of-summer celebration Labor Day weekend.

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Since Nashville’s Cane Ridge High School opened its doors, I have had the pleasure to represent Ole South Properties by serving on the Advisory Board of the Academy of Architecture and Construction, along with many other business leaders.  It is really rewarding to see just how much a difference can be made when everyone works together.

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One of the Corporate Partners at Cane Ridge is The Rogers Group, who arranged for board members to visit their Louisville operations and become more familiar with their company and its operation.  Board members arrived at Nashville International Airport to join Darin Matson, of Rogers Group, on the company’s jet for the short flight to Louisville.

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We arrived in Louisville, just as rock stars do, to be escorted to the underground quarry operations.  One thousand feet below the ground is this mine, where approximately 10,000 tons of rock products are mined daily.  One thing for sure, we all take rock for granted!  Nashville is very fortunate to have The Rogers Group as a Corporate Citizen.

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Everyone on the Cane Ridge Academy of Architecture and Construction Board is excited that the academy just received National Accreditation!  The first of its kind in the country!  The 2013-2014 school year will be even better.

Meanwhile, the Summer of 2013 continues in Nashville, Tennessee, the greatest place to live in the world!

downtown nashville

Part 3 of the Summer of 2013 coming soon!

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019 & direct 615.593.6340; and VP Sales for Tennessee’s largest home builder, OleSouth.com, specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Gallatin, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

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Just like it was yesterday…..

A lot has happened over the past twelve years.  I have met survivors of the September 11 attacks, and I have met those that lost family and friends that day.  Everyone I meet has a story about September 11, 2001.

I remember it just like it was yesterday and still cannot believe that  twelve years ago today, Osama Bin Laden & company perpetrated the single largest attack ever on American soil.  They targeted the heart of our financial centers, and the heart of our military command.   Their plan was to bankrupt America and watch us tear ourselves apart from within.  (Note: Their plan is still in place)

Everyone remembers what they were doing that morning.  I was having a cup of coffee when the news broke out on the TV.  Then my phone rang.  It was by Broker/Sales Manager/Mentor, Sandi Sharpe.

Over the years, Sandi acquired many friends through working with international college students.  She was their family away from home.  She was “Mom” to many.   One family, from Uzbekistan, bought a new Ole South home and became extended family to all of us.

The grandmother of this family had spent the summer in Nashville to help her grandchildren get properly settled in their new home.  She knew no English whatsoever, but was very easy to communicate with.  After all, a smile means the same thing in every language.  All of us loved her, and her family, dearly.

She was returning home to Uzbekistan on September 11th on the first flight to New York from Nashville.  She was armed with basic signs that Sandi made to hold up when she arrived in NYC.  With her smile, and those signs, she would never be lost…. well, as long as the plane landed in NYC.

But it didn’t.  The flight was routed to Raleigh, NC.  She did not understand any of the announcements, and only had her signs, which were useless in Raleigh.  The airline personnel at the gate calmed her and checked her in a nearby hotel, but none of us knew that yet.  Sandi was on the phone many hours before we knew the situation and that she was safe.  In the meantime, she is in a strange location, in a hotel room, knowing only what pictures were shown on TV.

The grandson was loading up for a drive to Raleigh, which probably was not the safest thing for an olive-skin immigrant, with a name too long to pronounce, to be doing that day.  Rumors of fuel shortages and curfews abound.  There was nothing else to do but go with him to Raleigh.

Long story short, I will never forget the look on the grandmother’s face when she opened the hotel door and saw us standing there.  She was in tears pointing at the TV.  She had been terrified not knowing where she was, or why she was there.  That fear turned to joy and relief as we loaded her things into the car and headed back to Nashville!

That day, America pulled together.  Democrats and Republicans joined together without unnecessary drama and rallied around our President.  America would prevail.

At least for a while.  Then we would eventually forget.

Remember, the intention of Osama Bin Bastard and Company was to bankrupt our country and watch us destroy ourselves from within.  They did not have a specific time frame in mind.   Even with Osama dead, his movement and ambitions seem to be alive and well.

Fast-Forward to today and look around.  What do you see?  Democrats and Republicans constantly battling each other.  America debating involvement in yet another foreign conflict.  We are slowly emerging from a recession that did not discriminate.  Everyone has been affected, financially and otherwise.

The United States has always served in the role of “world police” for humanity?  We have always ended up being the “protector” of human rights in world conflicts.  If not us, who will be?  Russia is hardly qualified to sincerely step up to the role.  Maybe it is their turn now?  That’s a question I cannot answer but I do know that world peace is a very complicated objective with many moving parts.

Where would the world be if Saddam Hussein had been allowed to remain in power?  Where would the world be if Osama Bin Laden was still alive?  Great questions to ponder.   I can say that if Adolph Hitler had been taken out when he invaded Poland, World War II would have been averted.

Regardless of your political preference, now is the time to encourage elected officials to put politics aside and pull this country together.   This country has the resolve to fix our problems and its not supposed to be about ”who will get the credit or blame.”   We don’t elect people to find blame, we elect people to find solutions… or at least that is supposed to be the plan.

It is our obligation not to forget what happened to our country on September 11th.  It is also our obligation to remember the sacrifices of countless people, that day, and every day since.  If we choose not to remember, Osama Bin Bastard & Company wins.  We will be bankrupt and will have destroyed our country from within.

You know, we are still having tough times in this country but until you see people wading off of Miami Beach preparing to swim to Cuba, there’s still time to get it right.

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340 and VP Sales for Tennessee’s largest home builder, OleSouth.com, specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Gallatin, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Honduras 2013 (Part 2) – Everything changes.

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Every year, Rotarians from District 6760 and friends visit the southern region of Honduras with plans to make a difference in the lives of as many Hondurans as possible.

For 2013, seven represented The Rotary Club of Spring Hill & Thompson Station TN for this year’s projects.  Attending were Les Bosarge, Huntly Gordon, Keith Clodfelter, Trey Lewis, Ann Bassett, Sharon Fuller, and Sara Johnson, a member of Brentwood Rotary.

During the seven day visit, one part of our group continually wired homes in remote villages while others participated in activities at local schools, as well as a dental clinic in coordination with the Choluteca Rotary Club.

Every year, there are big changes to the landscape of southern Honduras.  The largest shopping mall in Central America is located just across the street from the Tegucigalpa airport.

 

 

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But the greatest difference and change is the lives of the people.  Upon arriving, we learned some great news from a past project.  Back in 2011, Huntly Gordon presented a workbelt and tools worth over $500 to Douglas, an unemployed local villager of Jayacayan.  We learned that Douglas showed up at a construction jobsite with his tools and was hired to be an electrician, and now has his own home and family.

After getting our assignment, we rolled onward to San Marcos De Colon to check into the Hotel Barcelona which would be our home for the next five nights.  We have stayed there many times, so it was almost like going home!

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My room at the Hotel Barcelona.  Very nice, at $15 per night USDm breakfast included.

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There was even hot water!  Check out this apparatus that is not UL approved!

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And our view from the Hotel Barcelona

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The next day, we hit the ground running to bring electricity to families in remote villages near San Marcos de Colon such as this family.

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Change.  It is everywhere you look.  At home, at work, in southern Honduras.  Over the next week, you’ll see just how much change can be made – one life at a time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honduras Visit 2013 – The great news first!

Adobe Stove Pila Adobe Casa AdobeStoveCooking Casa and Clothesline Casa Plastic Sheet Roof Chicken Coop Lord's Prayer Espanol Hillside Village Village Road Village Cemetery Wood CasaJust one blog post cannot do justice in summing up everything that happens over a week’s time in a foreign country.   There is so much to tell about this year’s visit, but there is some really great news you need to read about first.

Over a year-and-a-half ago, young Marlon Sanchez fell from a tree and pulled his leg from his hip.  Surgeries at the local hospital were unsuccessful.  Last year, Jim Johnston and others from the Lawrenceburg Rotary Club met young Marlon and his family and decided to do whatever they could to help.  When returning home, Jim Johnston made contact with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and their surgical staff about helping this child.  Just recently, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and their surgical staff volunteered to perform the much needed surgery on Marlon.

Marlon is now six years old.  Yesterday, he and his mother Maria, boarded a plane in Tegucigalpa, Honduras headed to Nashville, accompanied by Jim Johnston and other members of the Lawrenceburg Rotary Club!  The surgery will take one day, followed by a week in the hospital, and then six weeks of rehab before they are able to return to their native Honduras.  There will be many expenses incurred during this procedure and visit, so if you would like to help, please contact the Lawrenceburg Rotary Club at 931.762.7917 or 931.762.4678.

Can you remember the first time you ever saw an airplane?  What about flush toilets and hot/cold running water?  Electric stoves?  Elevators?  The list goes on.  Marlon and his mother, Maria, will be seeing many things for the first time in their lives.  They will have no choice but to be overwhelmed, if not somewhat frightened with the experience that awaits them.  Please keep them in your prayers, and while you’re at it, say a prayer of thanks for Jim Johnston and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for making this life-changing surgery a reality for Marlon and his family.

Take a look at the above scenes from southern Honduras.  These scenes are not of the actual village where Marlon lives, but scenes we encountered during the 2013 electrical project performed by the Rotary Club of Spring Hill & Thompson Station.

Good Times, and Bad Times that will get better!

Have you ever had one of those days when you don’t know whether to laugh or cry?

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Well I had two of those days this week!   And they both seemed to go something like this…..

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Well maybe not quite THAT bad!

The week had been extremely busy, but quite pleasant up until Thursday evening, when I arrived home to learn that our dear Ruby, the Blue Doberman, had destroyed a couch looking for her damn ball.

Ruby Blue Doberman with Santa Hat

Now lets go to the kitchen to learn that a clogged sink had evolved into a loose drain fitting flange and a heck of a mess – with a house full of company.

cloggedkitchensink

But no big deal, I’ll just run to Home Depot and have it all fixed in no time!  Then the phone rings – my aging mother’s legs are seriously swelling for no reason, so off I go to help.  After getting the swelling to go down, we scheduled an early Doctor’s appointment for her the next morning.  She would have rather died than visit the emergency room anyway.

Okay, making it short…..back home, back to Home Depot, got parts I needed, forgot wallet, back home, back to Home Depot, back home, fixed sink and then realized the grill needed propane.  We finally finished dinner around 10:30 pm.

Friday was going to be much better, I just knew it.  Mom’s appointment was early and would go smoothly, and the rest of the day would fall into place perfectly.  That was the plan.  I open my car door only to see the interior in shambles.  My Ipad was gone, along with my laptop, and briefcase..and who knows what else!  Yes, I left it unlocked.

bad things happen

So true.

 

After spiraling out of control, life pulled back together and all is now well again.

But it isn’t for everyone.  There really are people out here having a tough time, with problems that cannot just go away over night.  Although our economy is on the rebound, there are many still on the cliff.

GOOD NEWS!  The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) has extended its KEEP MY TN HOME program where it can help many more people keep their home.  If you are unemployed, or underemployed with a 30% decrease in income since 2008, with household income less than $92,680, you may be eligible for up to 18 months of mortgage payment relief – as long as you don’t owe over $275,000 on your home.

If you know someone that is struggling, please let them know of this program.  For more information, visit www.keepmytnhome.org or www.THDA.org.   When someone loses a home, everyone loses.

There are still a few days before Christmas.  Please make the most of it with your friends and family!

have_a_happy_holidayTrey 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, Gallatin, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween Sunday.

Hopefully, everyone got through Halloween night without incident and now its time to move on to Halloween Sunday, accurately known as “All Saints Sunday.”

All Saints Sunday is always the first Sunday of November.   When I was growing up, I always referred to it as “Halloween Sunday.”   All Saints Day always falls on the first day of November, which was Thursday.  But who wants to go to church on Thursday?

Who really knows exactly how Halloween evolved to be the debacle that it is, but the evening before All Saints Day,  ”All Hallows Eve” was definitely its origin.  Who knows, or really cares, just how that evening became one where we are encouraged to scare the doo-doo out of people and dress up like fools.  It is what it is.  And it also can be fun.  You can’t beat fun, right?

Now back to the topic…   ”All Saints Day” is always falls on November 1st and this Sunday, churches all over the world will be celebrating “All Saints Sunday” to honor those that have lived and died in faith.

We are fortunate to have had all those departed souls that came before us.  They made a difference in our lives.  Without their presence here on planet earth, we would not be who we are today.   Whether a parent, a sibling, family member, friend, or acquaintance, or a total stranger, many people have played a part in shaping our lives.

So, let’s pause a few moments today.  Let’s remember everyone we miss, their presence and the difference they made while they were here.  

And don’t forget, we’re still here on planet earth, which gives us all time and the opportunity to influence the lives of others.  

Another way to do that is to VOTE next Tuesday!

Peace.

P.S.  After you have paused and reflected, this is a perfect afternoon to search for a new home!  Start now at www.OleSouth.com or by calling me at 615.593.6340.

 

Nashville Homes Blog: The 2012 Parade of Homes

Once again it’s that time of year!

The Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee (HBAMT) announces the 2012 Parade of Homes,  open to the public from October 6 – 21, 2012.  The event is sponsored by LP Building Products, Franklin Synergy Bank, and Kings Chapel Realty.

This year’s Parade is at the unbelievable Kings Chapel Community, in Arrington, Tennessee, located on Highway 96, just west of Highway 31-A Nolensville Road.

CLICK HERE for more details about this great event.

A well attended “awards celebration” was held Thursday night to recognize the best builder of each design category.  Here are the winners for 2012:

Best Front Elevation           Tradition Homes

Best Landscaping                  Tradition Homes

Best Foyer                                Aspen Construction

Best Kitchen                            Woodridge

Best Master Suite                   Aspen Construction

Best Floorplan                        Aspen Construction

Best Child’s Room                 Tradition Homes

Best Outdoor Living Area  Norfolk Homes

Best Home Mural                   Southern Heritage

Best Interior Decorating    Woodridge

Most Livable                            Aspen Construction

Best Home Theater               Woodridge

Best Draperies                         Tradition Homes

Best Craftmanship                 Aspen Homes

Best Faux Finishes                Southern Heritage

BEST OF SHOW                 Aspen Construction

A special thank you to all of the builders and suppliers that are participating in this year’s parade.  One visit to this location is all the evidence you will need to agree that the Middle Tennessee housing market is in full recovery!

Now, some scenes from the “preview party” at the Kings Chapel Pool & Club House.

There is something for everyone to see at this year’s Parade of Homes!  If you are thinking about purchasing a new home, remodeling an older home, redecorating, or just curious about the technology in new homes, you owe it to yourself to visit!

For more information on the Kings Chapel Community, visit online http://www.KingsChapelLife.com.

After the Parade is fully underway, pictures of the homes on the tour will also be posted.  It was simply too dark last night for my substandard photography skills. You need to see it in person anyway!

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, Gallatin, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Just what is a BLUE MOON?

Folks, tonight is the night of BLUE MOON!

But just what is a BLUE MOON anyway?

Is it a former famous floating restaurant at Rock Harbor Marina that is scheduled to reopen in March 2013?

 

Is it a brand of beer?

YES.  It is.  But it is really more  than that.  CLICK HERE to find out everything about tonight’s BLUE MOON.

What are your plans to celebrate?  Here is a neat idea to consider – PaddleBoarding on the river:

Check out the details of this cool event:  http://www.paddleuptn.com/blue-moon-paddle-boarding-on-the-river/

Yes..you can sip on a BLUE MOON while you are at the BLUE MOON looking at the BLUE MOON from the Cumberland River.  It just doesn’t get any better than that!

But if you can’t get there in person, just look up to the east!

 

 

Nashville: A Rising Global City

Well, just what is a “global city?”

According to Wikipedia:

A global city (also called world city or sometimes alpha city or world center) is a city generally considered to be an important node in the global economic system. The concept comes from geography and urban studies and rests on the idea that globalization can be understood as largely created, facilitated, and enacted in strategic geographic locales according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of finance and trade.

It would be a lot simpler to call it “a place where the world wants to be!”

Nashville definitely falls into that category.

Global Trade Magazine just named Nashville among the top 50 cities in the US for Global Trade.  CLICK HERE

International Business is being conducted all around us and has become a significant factor in our area economy.  You will find a lot of information on the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce website HERE.

In my 13 years of selling new homes, I have been involved in many sales to international buyers, with each bringing new cultures to our region.  Many arrive because of political unrest in their home countries while others are here to pursue new opportunities.

Regardless of reason, Nashville is a true destination.  Nashville is where the world wants to be.

And when you get here, we have a brand new home waiting at one of our Ole South neighborhoods.

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, Gallatin, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Busier Times! (Part 2)

Picking up where we left off in Part 1, with the boat moving decision made, we enjoyed our remaining time at Blackjack Cove.

Years ago, we met a very special family in Honduras, one that has been instrumental in our involvement with the Rotary Club of Choluteca Honduras service projects.  We were very fortunate to have Sergio and Karla Salinas, and their two sons Sergio Jr. and Mario join us for several days

They arrived on the evening of July 2nd, after visiting other Rotary Clubs in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee.   AFter their time with us, they would visit more Rotary Clubs in Martin, TN and Lawrenceburg to show appreciation of our district’s involvement in Honduras. 

On the morning of July 3rd, we gathered at the Blackjack Cove Ship Store for a farewell breakfast with Harry.  For those of you that haven’t experienced Harry’s home cooking in the Ship Store, you have missed out.  Catch him Tuesday – Saturdays for breakfast and lunch!

Quite a few friends joined us for the ride down river too.  Everyone is fascinated by the locks, which is basically like a toilet tank we would pull into and be flushed to the river below!

Today’s drop would be over 60 feet due to the lower Cumberland River levels.

We made great time down river, passed the General Jackson, and decided we would stop downtown and fix lunch and wait on it to get there and turn around, a great site to see.

Mario did a great job as Captain and we arrived at Rock Harbor Marina around 3:00 pm.

Rock Harbor Marina lost its famed restaurant, The Blue Moon, in the May 2010 Flood.  We were pleased to see construction nearly complete on the new restaurant facility, to be opening soon…more on that later.

The evening of February 3rd, the Rock Harbor Yacht Club hosted The Rotary Club of Spring Hill, The Salinas Family, and others for a great evening meal – prepared by Sid Neuhoff and Keith Clodfelter.  Those two guys are always doing something good for others and we raised over $1400 for our future Honduras project that evening!

The evening of July 4th, we headed back upstream to downtown Nashville for “Let Freedom Sing” and its awesome fireworks display.

We were fortunate to have radio personalities Doogie Vance and Dagwood Buzz join us with tunes for the evening.  They made the evening rock!

And then……

Boom, Boom, Pow.

The next morning, we said goodbye to Karla, Sergio, Sergio Jr. and Mario.  Ruby, our Blue Doberman, was there this time and enjoyed meeting them!

July was a busy month, with Ole South ending the month with 42 sales and 35 closings!  Our great sales force, construction team, and administrative staff all pulled together in this period of extreme temperatures to make everything flow smoothly!  For every new home that sells, we’re starting more and we remain very optimistic about new home sales in Middle Tennessee!

As you can see from the many postings of this blog, Nashville is a great place to call home.  We at Ole South are ready to build that home when the time is right for you!

Until then, Good Evening!

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, Gallatin, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.