The December 2011 sales numbers for Williamson County showed an increase in volume of houses being sold from December 2010. The number of houses closed in January in Williamson County are already more than January 2011 and we still have a few more days to get them registered as closed in the multiple listing software. It has been a busy winter in Williamson County and in the Greater Nashville Area which has also shown an increase in volume over the year before.
Sep 20 2011
Apps that can Help with Home Repairs
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6 Favorite Home Improvement Apps for the iPad, iPhone, iPod
If you’ve jumped on the Apple “i” bandwagon, you’re never far from iPhone, iPod, and iPad apps that help maintain and improve your home — values near and dear to our hearts. Read
Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.
Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Sep 19 2011
Market Statistics for Williamson County TN for August 2011
The statistics for Williamson County are generally looking really good. Now, before you start thinking you can get 2006 prices again, let’s look at the 3 factors that show we are strengthening our market.
Link to Williamson County Association of Realtors Statistics Newsletter for August 2011
July 2011 was a significant jump from last year, which I have to say is a good thing. Although, we have to remember that in 2010 we had the first-time homebuyer credit to skew things down a bit last summer. So we watched August this year with hope that the numbers would stay high. And the numbers are still up 16.5% from 2010. That could still be some backlash from the tax credit in 2010, but they are still way up from 2009 too. I say that we are seeing some good movement. That is the first factor – the volume of homes selling in Williamson County is up.
The second factor is price. Everyone wants to know if the prices are up. The short answer is no. But volume has to increase before prices do anyway, so increased volume is terrific! The median prices are up a small bit from last year. And they are up a lot from 2009. What that really means though, is that the higher priced homes are selling a bit better. Interesting to me is that the Median Price in Spring Hill is about $276,000, Franklin’s is $350,000 and Brentwood is $511,000. Those are more in line with the median prices for the community and not a deflated value because only lower end houses are selling.
The 3rd factor is inventory. Inventory is actually down, thus creating a bit more interest and energy towards what is available. Fieldstone Farms, in Franklin, has only 2-3 months worth of inventory available. Those are seller’s market numbers. Westhaven had a tough summer though and has been offering a 5% incentive to homeowners through a credit, price decrease or upgrades. It looks like that move did get some buyers off the fence and into a contract. It seems to have diminished some now though. Good for them to move some inventory. Good for those buyers who got a better deal. In the end, houses need to sell and sometimes they still need a little boost. Sullivan Farms also 2 months of inventory. Interesting stuff!
There have been some good articles in the Tennessean about Spring Hill – a new Wal Mart and the GM plant looking to reopen:
Wal Mart Article GM Plant Article
More jobs continue to come into this area and people still really like living here. Lots of good news on the local homes front! Call me or email me if you want to know what is happening in your neighborhood.
Are you interested to know the value of your house?
Jun 28 2011
Real Estate Statistics for Williamson County for May 2011
House sales are happening. This is a good thing. The numbers have held fairly strong for the month of May. The number of sales is up a bit from last year and the Median House price is also. Nothing drastic, but a nice continued place of stability for a time and market that is seriously fluctuating in some areas. Certainly there are still some great houses out there that aren’t selling. So, while there is good news in the market, there is still a need to be diligent – watching the market and preparing your house to show well.
The neighborhoods that sold the most in the county in May were Fieldstone Farms and Westhaven – both with 11. Bent Creek in Nolensville surprised me a bit with 7 sales in May. Next was Polk Place, Franklin Green, McKay’s Mill, Sullivan Farms and Ridgeport with 5. There were several with 4, but interesting to me is the Montclair neighborhood, in a luxury division, sold 4. It is such a great location it doesn’t surprise me. I am glad to see some houses selling in that price range.
If you want to see the information for yourself, visit this link at the Williamson County Assn of Realtors.
If you are interested in the Nashville area statistics, visit the Greater Nashville Assn of Realtors.
Jun 28 2011
Franklin on the Fourth!! Where will you be?
Celebrate the Indepence Day at Franklin on the 4th
Franklin has a number of terrific festivals. The Fourth of July celebration ranks among them. There are events for the whole family through the afternoon and evening, culminating with a beautiful Fireworks display you can see from many places. Come to downtown Franklin to enjoy Franklin on the Fourth!
The evening’s entertainment is the Retro Specs – a band that was formed by Disney and that plays music from varied decades. The description reminds me of some of the terrific shows they had at Opryland before, well, before it became a mall. They have 12 band members and sing fun cover tunes. Sounds like a band I would like. Bring your own chairs. They are not providing chairs.
Other events include a patriotic parade for kids of all ages. Registration from 3-3:50 with the parade starting shortly after that. They will have bungee jumping, food, craft vendors, antique cars – something for everyone to enjoy. I would imagine that many of your favorite restaurants downtown will be open too.
The fireworks are set off near the corner of Mack Hatcher and Hillsboro Rd. Harlinsdale Park, off Franklin Rd near the Factory, is a great place for viewing the fireworks. There are many areas around there to watch from – possibly the Rec Center, and the street in front of BGA. We sometimes just park along the road, but it is probably not the ideal location for me or my car. And, by the way, these are the only fireworks legally allowed in Franklin. The city does not allow fireworks in the city limits. So, come on by and see the biggies!
To see more information, check out the City of Franklin Page and the Williamson County Visitor’s Page.
May 31 2011
What to do with your “stuff” in Franklin TN
Graceworks Ministries in Franklin TN
We are going through changes in my family on many fronts. As a result, we are moving around “stuff”. My mom passed away last year and my dad is making changes. So I am helping him deal with his stuff, some of which becomes my stuff. And in my house, I have a child going to college who needs clothes, but has drawers full of clothes. What?? Out with the old before in with the new. What goes? I also have a daughter who is receiving some furniture from my dad’s house and is updating her room to a more grown up look. Out with the crayons and small little girl collectibles. This is most painful for her. She likes her stuff.
What are we doing with all the stuff??? That is the question.
I love the Goodwill tag, something like, “Give to Goodwill, and Give Me a Job.” They like our stuff. And they will take most anything. Furniture, books, all clothing and home furnishings. Have you bought online from Goodwill yet? www.ShopGoodwill.com. I ordered a book from Goodwill through Amazon once. So, that is your one stop dropoff. We have a couple other local thrift stores that you can donate to and where you can shop. Graceworks Ministries, and Our Thrift Store on Columbia Pike. Bring in your stuff and go in and buy some different stuff. We have found some neat things at Goodwill lately.
If you want to be a bit more specific, there are some other places where you can sell or donate your stuff. I always like to donate my books to the library where they will sell them in their quarterly book sale where the benefits go to the Library. They have a cart near the front door of the Franklin library where you can leave your donated books. Or you can take them to the Book Den in Williamson Square beside/behind Kroger. They are down that outdoor corridor to the right of Kroger. They buy some used books and sell used and new books at a discounted price. You can “sell” them there for credit.
For Furniture, call consigners to come to your house and give you a price. Finders Keepers and Mallory Station Consignment - this store is part of a self storage company, great concept . I might suggest selling it before you store it for 3 years first.
If you have the hottest wardrobe in town and want to recoup some of that financial investment, you can consign clothes too. I suggest Plato’s Closet in Cool Springs, and Designer Renessaince, in the Berry Hill area in South Nashville. These places are well known and well loved so you have a good chance of selling your merchandise. In Franklin is The Consigment Shop on Murfreesboro Road. I have shopped there and the owners were a terrific help. There is a place in the Factory as well, near the front door. If you want to sell Children’s clothes, there are lots of consignment sales, but year round there is Once Upon A Child near the Aldi’s off Royal Oaks Blvd.
Inevitably there will be some things that are not pretty and often dangerous. These are the Hazardous Waste items that we don’t use up or their best days are past. For cleaners and many of the liquids, check here for disposal. For batteries and computer parts, check here for disposal.
And, of course, you can have a garage sale or an estate sale. We started mobilizing our stuff the day of the neighborhood sale. I missed that window. But that is okay with me. Sometimes I am up for the garage sale, and sometimes I am not. Right now, I am about moving stuff to a better destination than its house of origin, so the donation options appeal most to me. I do love a good garage sale though. I picked up a nearly new 3 piece luggage set for $15. I only need two of the pieces though, so I am trying to decide where to donate the 3rd piece. And the cycle continues…..
May 24 2011
Real Estate Statistics for Williamson County TN for April 2011
I am attaching the link to the Williamson County Association of Realtors where they publish the statistics for the county every month. Fewer houses sold in Williamson County in April 2011, than in April 2010, but a comparable number to what we have grown accustomed to. There are still folks buying and selling, just fewer.
One of my sellers and I did sell a listing in 1 day this month though. The best prepared houses that are at the right price, are desirable in any market. The seller had well prepared their house.
May 11 2011
Franklin Rodeo Time in Franklin TN
It is Rodeo Time! And that means horses, cowboys, and parades! The Parade is May 14th , at 12 noon on Main Street, and the Rodeo dates are May 19-21.
I grew up in Franklin, TN. I cannot recall how many parades I participated in – mostly with the marching band, but also with the baton twirling squad, the girl scouts, and dance teams. The two annual parades were both huge events and everyone came out for them, all the time. These parades were the Christmas Parade and the Rodeo Parade. For those of you who don’t live here, you might say, “Rodeo Parade”? Yes, the Rodeo Parade. And the timing makes it terrific – the weather is warm and school is almost out. The Rodeo was huge! It is still a big deal, but in the 1980s, it was a huge deal. Let’s go there….
The Rodeo was held at the Jim Warren Park, outside, in whatever weather we had. The band parents for the Franklin High School band sold the concessions. It was very much a carnival atmosphere. People would come and go from their seats, watching the events, getting food, and well, sometimes watching the cowboys or other bystanders at the event. We were greeting friends, walking in the mud and admiring each other’s cowboy hats. We would march in the parade on Saturday morning and then head over to the Rodeo Grounds for the Saturday afternoon and evening Rodeo. It was the greatest day – every year. If you didn’t have a cowboy hat, you could go down to the local, and I mean local, department store. It was called Frank’s Family Fashions on Main Street. Ben Franklin didn’t have the best hats as I recall. Frank’s did. The whole town went “cowboy” for the weekend. It is one of my best memories from those years.
The Rodeo is still a big event. Have you seen the red flags on the light posts downtown? They are Rodeo flags. It happens around the middle of the month of May. This year it will be May 19 – 21. We now have the comfort of the recently air conditioned Agricultural Center in which to watch the Rodeo. More people are able to enjoy the show and the Rodeo experience. The bucking bulls, broncos, barrel racing, and community favorite – mutton busting. Mutton Busting? Well, we start ‘em young around here. The small kids get to ride a sheep. This is the cutest thing you have ever seen! And of course, there are rodeo clowns and opening ceremony pomp and circumstance. Thanks to the Franklin Noon Rotary who puts it on.
For more information or to buy tickets, go to www.FranklinRodeo.com. Start making your own Franklin Rodeo memories!
The 2011 Poster for the Franklin Rodeo!
May 10 2011
Whole Foods in Franklin TN Sponsors Beer Tastings
I am with Sean, the Cheese Buyer, at the Whole Foods Beer Tasting
I had visited the Whole Foods in Green Hills and thought, “Wow, what a cool store!” Why I didn’t have expectations that our new Franklin TN Whole Foods would also be a cool store, I have no idea. But it is very cool! It is a fun and interesting shopping experience. My husband, Mark, and I went over on Friday evening for a beer tasting event they had. The store was hopping and compelling us to come in and shop. We didn’t spend much time shopping that evening though. We will save that for a grocery night out, combination date and investigative shopping. These are the kinds of dates you have after you have been married a few years. Though I must confess, we enjoyed grocery date nights early on in our marriage too. 
I digress…..
The beer tasting was brought to us by New Belgium Beer. They make Fat Tire and 1554, among other beers, as we learned. The cheese buyer, Sean, in the photo with me, paired the beers up with cheeses and chocolates. I am used to pairing foods for a wine tasting, but this was new for me, pairing foods with beer tastings. We had some wonderful cheeses and chocolate. The chocolate went with the 1554, in case you were wondering. And they were delightful together. I was surprised. Enjoying cheese and olives with beer is as natural as wine with cheese – delicious. My favorite cheese was the Gruyere.
They will have another beer tasting the 3rd Friday in June. We won’t be able to be there, but I hope you can be. The cost was $5 and well worth it. I don’t know what beers they will be sampling. They do have a large selection though. They even have 5 beers on tap. I am telling you – the Whole Foods is a terrific eating/dining experience. You should check it out. Make shopping enjoyable.
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