Living with the Rescues: Life Lessons and Inspirations

Some of you may or may not know the long history of the Green Hills branch of Parks Properties. Before undergoing a revitalization last fall, including a face lift to the name and logo of the office, the Green Hills office was known as Bob Parks Realty and before that, it was Sharon Langford and Associates.

While Sharon is no longer selling real estate, she has devoted her time and attention to the dogs that she rescues and has now written a book about their affect on her life and is committed to using the proceeds from the book to aid in causes relevant to animal rescue!

Here is a review of the book Living with the Rescues: Life Lessons and Inspirations from the website Good Reads: 

Sharon Langford shares heartfelt stories about the fourteen rescue dogs who woofed their way into her life, changing it irreversibly. It appeals to the enormous market of dog owners and animal rescuers focused on the growing No Kill movement. Americans own 73 million dogs, and more than ever, animal lovers are turning away from breeders and puppy mills and turning to shelter and rescue dogs, like those Langford has shared her life with; An author deeply connected to the animal-rescue community. Langford has years of experience taking in strays, and all proceeds from sales of the book will go to Daisy's Legacy, a nation-wide non-profit founded by the author that helps homeless pets find forever homes; Portraits and prose that will touch the heart of every reader. With four-colour photographs and memorable character studies of her best canine friends, Langford shares lessons learned from a life-time of living with the rescues.

Anyone interested in getting their hands on a copy of this book can let me know and I'll get one straight from the source, or you can buy one online here!

Lakefront Living

Growing up on the lake, I feel like I've become somewhat of a "professional" in judging lakefront houses. (Stick with me here). You see, a lot can go into one's home-buying decision, but when you're purchasing on the lake, I think it really comes down to one thing: What does the house look like from the back? This is important because you want to know what the house looks like from the lake! After all, your new home is probably going to be seen by more people from the water than from the street. "Curb appeal" now is about what the home looks like from the back and, in my opinion, is even more important than what the property looks like from the front.

Currently, in Sumner County, there are 82 properties listed as "lakefront" (72 of which either have docks currently or have dock permits!). That's the highest number of lakefront homes on the market that I believe I've ever seen at one time. Possibly this is because the springtime always yields more housing inventory as people are ready to sell their homes and move in time for the new school year. At any rate, you can snag a lakefront home for as low as $139,900 ($255,000 if you want a dock) or, if your budget allows, you can spend a cool $4.999M. The options range from mid-century ranches on half-acre lots to palatial new construction homes with infinity pools that overlook Old Hickory herself. 

With so many options on the market, I digress to my initial thought: when choosing a lakefront home, take a second look at the home's "curb appeal" from the back! I remember as a kid passing by all the beautiful homes on the lake and picking out my favorite by which one had the most decks or the most inviting greenery. I still do this today! As I was flipping through the pictures of current inventory, I couldn't help but be attracted to this beauty: 272 Hidden Lake Road. 

With 4,098 sq. ft., this large house features THREE decks plus a patio and a dock and is situated nicely on the main channel. Certainly this is the kind of home one I would have pointed out to my parents as a kid as the object of my affection, not even having seen the front of the home or the inside. For sellers, the real lesson here is this: When selling your lakefront home, keep in mind that the importance of curb appeal is just as important from the lake as it is from the street. What is seen by passers-by as they house-hunt from the wake of Old Hickory is crucial in selling your home!

For buyers interested in lakefront property, you're in luck! Whatever your taste, there's currently plenty of inventory to suite any homebuyer's need, so get out on the lake and let your home search begin!

Be a Nashville Foodie

One of the best things about Nashville is the all of the amazing restaurants we have around town. Specifically, Nashville has some really great locally-owned restaurants that offer fresh, local ingredients and are really delicious! Some of my favorites are The Mad Platter, Mambu, Tin Angel and Allium!

The one go-to site for these local restaurants is www.nashvilleoriginals.com, a single source for many of the city's best dining options!

Tomorrow is the day for discounted gift cards. They go on sale "after dusk but before you go to work" (as Nashville Originals states) and usually sell out within an hour of going on sale, so check it out HERE tomorrow if you're interested!

I recommend stocking up and supporting your local businesses!

Assumable Mortgages

I was recently at the closing table when the attorney pointed out to my client that the mortgage she was closing on was assumable. I had learned my fair share about assumable mortgages in a Mortgages class I took in law school and didn't really think too much about it at the closing table, however, the lower interest rates continue to dip, the more salient I think the issue of assumable mortgages becomes. 

Mortgage rates won't stay this low forever, after all, so when they rise, more and more people will be interested in assuming mortgages that people take out now.

So what is an assumable mortgage and what are the benefits? 

An "assumption" occurs when a home buyer assumes the responsibility for a seller's existing mortgage on the property. Why would a buyer do this instead of just getting their own mortgage? Simple: A low interest rate on the existing mortgage! The true value of the assumption depends on several factors: 

1. The terms of the original mortgage, 
2. Current interest rates, 
3. The necessity (or not) of the buyer to take out a second mortgage to supplement the existing loan balance,
4. The asking price of the property.

While it may be worthwhile to assume the existing mortgage, this might not be wise if the money you would be saving as a buyer is padded into the asking price of the home, for instance, or if you would have to take out a large second mortgage on the property due to the first mortgage being largely paid down. 

As a seller, you MUST work with your mortgage lender ahead of time to ensure that you are released from liability IN WRITING! If not released from liability, you are on the hook if the buyer of your assumed mortgage stops paying! A good Realtor (and good mortgage lender) can help you steer through the muddy waters of assumable mortgages!

Flood Mapping & Picking Up the Pieces

With the recent Nashville flooding, many people want to know whether or not their home is in a floodplain. Although most homeowners know this information since mortgage companies require flood insurance if in a 100-year floodplain, there are many homeowners who just have no idea.

It isn't altogether surprising that someone wouldn't know if their home was in a floodplain. Flood maps are redrawn over the years and if you paid cash for your home, or if you have paid off your mortgage, there would be no imposed flood insurance requirement. In fact, did you know that FEMA has been working with Nashville officials since October to redraw current flood maps?

If you want to know if your home is in a floodplain or floodway, this handy website lets you enter your address and find out!

Move it along people, nothing to see here...

For families hit hard with the recent flooding, Nashville officials are trying to make it a bit easier by eliminating in-person requirements to apply for permits and waiving permit fees for flood damage up to $100,000. The caveat to this is, of course, whether or not the city will allow you to start rebuilding. Those located within the floodway, or those homes that have sustained damage more than 50% of their appraised value, may not yet be approved for rebuilding. According to the city's permit flyer, however, this only affects 198 homes.

Much more information concerning applying for building permits can be found here.

Blogging Day 1: Feeling Ambitious!

Yes, folks, this is indeed my inaugural blog entry. 

Although I've made an executive decision (yes, I realize I'm the only executive of this blog), that I'll post mainly on goings-on in the Nashville real estate market, I've decided to keep this blog particularly light - it being my first and all.

You know, the whole blogging experience is, to me, not completely unlike eating my first oyster. Growing up, my grandfather would ensure that each Thanksgiving the oysters were as plentiful as the giblet gravy. I remember looking at the slimy little thing, thinking to myself, "I don't know if this is such a good idea." There was something about the oyster that required convincing before I finally came around to trying it. 

Similar to blogging, oysters required a fair amount of preparation: My cousins would babysit them as they sat on the grill while carefully preparing concoctions from whatever condiments could be scrounged from the refrigerator. Blogging requires quite a bit of forethought, research and time! What topics should I blog about? What are people really interested in? What are the pertinent issues facing Nashvillians when making real estate decisions? Where can I find the most accurate, up-to-date research and what can I say here that people haven't heard elsewhere?

So just as I mulled about before finally taking the plunge and trying my first oyster, I have decided that NOW is the proper time to take the plunge into blogging: right as I transition from part-time Realtor to full-time Realtor. I hope you find the information I choose to write about both informational and interesting and I always welcome comments and suggestions for future blogs. Please follow my blog and check back often for current updates! Like I said, I'm feeling ambitious!

And speaking of oysters, there are some oyster-related activities around Nashville, too!

* Oyster Easter is the largest annual fundraiser for the Community Resource Center, held each year the day before Easter.

* The 3rd Annual Merrell Oyster Racing Series: The Ultimate Urban Adventure Race is being held in Nashville on October 23, 2010. Similar to The Amazing Race, teams are kept in the dark about the course and obstacles until they come upon them, knowing only they will have to run and bike at some point during the race!

* Looking for the perfect oyster? You better get out there! Due to the recent BP oil spill, some estimate prices of oysters could double in the next two to three weeks!