Home Improvement Displaying items by tag: Real Estate
Everyone's talking about the importance of eco-friendly living. We found some of the coolest and smartest products - at every price point - to help home owners do their part for the environment.
As chic as it is eco-friendly, the EcoSmart Fire system gives you the pleasure of a fireplace without the pollutants. The self-contained unit is fueled by clean-burning denatured ethanol, a renewable resource. These portable fire boxes can be placed anywhere inside or outside a home since they require neither a utility connection nor a chimney. To make this green product even greener, the company will plant two trees on the buyer’s behalf for every unit purchased. Cost: Models range from $2,100 to $11,500.www.ecosmartfire.com
Vintage Year for Wall Tiles
Old wine bottles and other recycled glass get a new life as exquisite, glossy tiles suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. Glass donated by the public is sorted by color, ground into granules, and turned into tile by high-temperature fusion. Bedrock Industries introduces no colorants or oxides to the production process, which has saved hundreds of tons of material otherwise destined for landfills. Also, 100 percent recyclable material is used for shipping. Cost: Tiles start at $36 per square foot. www.bedrockindustries.com
Composting for the Masses
Instead of tossing food scraps in the garbage, NatureMill’s fully automatic and odor-free composter will recycle up to 120 pounds of kitchen waste, including paper, per month. A built-in computer on the 17-pound unit (20 by 20 by 12 inches) controls the mixing, heating, and aeration process. After two weeks, a red light pops on as a reminder that your composted fertilizer is ready for immediate use on your garden or lawn. Compost can also be piled outdoors until you need it. A NatureMill composter can recycle its weight in waste every 10 days, diverting more than two tons of waste from landfills over its life. Energy use is just 5 kilowatt-hours per month. Cost: Prices start at $299. www.naturemill.com
Your Plants (and Lawn) Have Your Number
You’ll never overwater another houseplant with the Botanicalls system. Digital sensors in the soil let your African violet or potted palm text message you when it needs water or light. The unit will also send a texted "thank you" after the plants’ needs have been met. The do-it-yourself kit offers a connection to your leafy green pal via Twitter. You can view status updates online or have them routed to your mobile phone. Botanicalls comes with all necessary parts to set up a soil moisture sensor communication system, even a leaf-shaped circuit board. While human intervention is necessary for the actual watering, the reminders are a novel means of keeping houseplants healthy so they can help reduce levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Cost: $99. www.botanicalls.com
A bigger water savings may come from Cyber-Rain XC, which lets you hand over the chore of watering your lawn to your Windows PC. Here’s how it works: Your sprinkler system receives information wirelessly from your PC about local weather conditions and uses this information to calculate the right amount of water needed for as many as eight yard zones. Households save 30 percent to 70 percent on their water bills annually, according to the manufacturer. Cost: $349. www.cyber-rain.com
Safe and Responsible Wood
Hardwood cabinetry can be beautiful and eco-friendly if it’s made from formaldehyde-free plywood. Columbia Forest Products’ cabinets are made from wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which guarantees that responsible timber industry practices, including the maintenance of the ecological functions of the forest and respect for indigenous peoples’ rights, were followed. The company also uses an innovative soy-flour resin system to comply with leading green standards programs. Cost: $150 to $450 per linear foot. www.cfpwood.com
Heated from Within
The relatively constant temperature of earth a few feet below ground enables geothermal heat products to heat and cool homes using 40 percent to 70 percent less energy than conventional systems. In the winter, the pumps draw heat into a house through a series of underground pipes and an electrically driven compressor. In the summer, they pull the heat from the home and discharge it into the ground. Cost: The typical home requires a three-ton unit costing roughly $7,500, or nearly twice the installation price of a standard heat pump system. Drilling costs can add upwards of $10,000. www.geoexchange.org
Solar Cooking
You can bake, boil, or steam your family’s next meal using a the sun’s energy. The outdoor Sun Oven can cook food at temperatures up to 400 degrees and can be used during all seasons. The device is affected more by the brightness of the day than by the outside air temperature, meaning that cooking times can be slowed by the arrival of pesky clouds. But Sun Ovens help keep homes cool in the summer by keeping cooking heat outside. Cost: $279. www.sunoven.com
Whole New Light
It’s stunning, energy-efficient, and unlike any lighting technology you’ve seen before. Planilum is a light-emitting glass panel developed by two French companies, Saazs and Saint-Gobain Innovations. Less than an inch thick, each panel consists of four layers of glass infused with nontoxic gas and phosphorous compounds. Planilum lights can be incorporated into shelves or tables or can stand alone, Each light is expected to last about 20 years if used eight hours a day. Saazs’ One, a four-foot high panel featuring rows of doughnut-shaped light circles. Cost: About $3,400.www.saazs.com
Clean Driving Machine
Belgian-based Ecover began marketing phosphate-free washing powder more than 25 years ago, long before most people even realized that phosphates were an environmental hazard. Today, the company’s extensive indoor cleaning product line, designed to safely sanitize everything from glass to toilet bowls, has been expanded to include a plant- and mineral-based car wash and wax. The product, which includes coconut, citric acid, and carnauba wax, will help your hybrid or hot rod shine naturally. The packaging is 100 percent recyclable as well. Cost: $5.70 for 500 milliliters.www.Ecover.com
Biodegradable Furniture
These plush pieces may look like family heirlooms in the making, but the swanky chairs and couches from Montauk Sofa are, in effect, built for the compost heap. Using lumber harvested from sustainably run forests, uncoated screws and nails, latex foam derived from rubber plants, and organic fabric coverings, Montauk uses manufacturing and distribution principles dedicated to limiting the company’s environmental footprint. When you’re ready to redecorate, Montauk will take back its old pieces, strip them, and recycle the wood frame and spring systems. The lumber will be reused in new sofas. Cost: Chairs start at $2,600, sofas at $3,800.www.montauksofa.com
Compliments of Realtor.org
Shauna Mason, ABR
The Turn Key Team
Benchmark Realty
c: 615-585-3239
o: 615-890-2323
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Follow Us On PinterestInterested in REO property or a foreclosure?
What is an REO?
"REO" or Real Estate Owned are houses which have been foreclosed upon that the bank or mortgage company presently holds. This is not the same as real estate up for foreclosure auction. 
When buying a property during a foreclosure sale, you must pay at least the loan balance plus any interest and other fees accumulated during the foreclosure process. You must also be willing to pay with cash in hand. And on top of all that, you'll accept the property totally as is. That might involve current liens and even current denizens that need to be evicted.
A bank-owned property, by contrast, is a much cleaner and attractive deal. The REO property was unable to find a buyer during foreclosure auction. Now the bank owns it. The bank will see to the elimination of tax liens, evict occupants if needed and generally organize for the issuance of a title insurance policy to the buyer at closing.
You should be aware that REOs may be exempt from normal disclosure requirements. For example, in North Carolina, it is optional for foreclosures to have a Property Disclosure Statement, a document that normally requires sellers to disclose any defects they are aware of. By hiring an agent from Benchmark Realty, you can rest assured knowing all parties are fulfilling Tennessee state disclosure requirements.
Am I assured a low price when investing in a bank owned property in Brentwood?
It is frequently assumed that any REO must be a bargain and a possibility for guaranteed profit. This isn't necessarily true. You have to be very careful about buying a REO if your intent is make a profit. Even though the bank is often eager to sell it promptly, they are also motivated to minimize any losses.
Look carefully at the listing and sales prices of similar homes in the neighborhood when considering the purchase of an REO. And factor in any repairs or upgrades necessary to prepare the house for resale or moving in. There are bargains with potential to make money, and many people do very well buying foreclosures. Still there are also many REOs that are not good buys and may not be money makers.
Ready to make an offer?
Most lenders have staff dedicated to REO that you'll work with in buying REO property from them. To get their properties advertised on the local MLS, the lender will typically use a listing agent.
Prior to making your offer, you'll want to contact either the listing agent or REO department at the bank and find out as much as you can about their knowledge about the condition of the property and what their process is for accepting offers. Since banks almost always sell REO properties "as is", you may want to include an inspection contingency in your offer that gives you time to check for unknown damage and withdraw the offer if you find it. As with making any offer on real estate, your offer may be more attractive if you can include documentation of your ability to pay, such as a pre-approval letter from a lender.
After you've submitted your offer, it's customary for the bank to respond with a counter offer. Then it will be your choice whether to accept their counter, or submit another counter offer. Your transaction might be final in one day, but that's rare. Since offers and counter offers usually give the other party a day or longer to respond (and employees at a bank don't work nights or weekends) you could be looking at a week or longer.
Compliments of Benchmark Realty
Shauna Mason, ABR
The Turn Key Team
Benchmark Realty
c: 615-585-3239
o: 615-890-2323
f: 615-534-3932
The old adage “There’s no time like the present” might not first come to mind when looking at today’s national housing market. These homespun words of wisdom are quite appropriate when a closer look is given to individual local markets across the country. We would like to point out these favorable factors that can contribute to making this, for many consumers, a most opportune time to buy a home:
- Inventory is up. When the market is hot, new listings can’t replenish the supply of homes fast enough, and that works in the sellers’ favor. In today’s market, the opposite is true, providing more choices for buyers.
- Sellers are motivated. Homes that in a hot market would have been snapped up in days are now lingering unsold for weeks, even months. Factor in bank-owned properties due to the recent and unfortunate spike in foreclosures and buyers find themselves in an advantageous negotiating position they haven’t enjoyed for years.
- Interest rates are down. Recent cuts in the prime rate by the Federal Reserve have sparked drops in interest rates, which at the end of January were below 6 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. While banks have tightened lending requirements in the wake of increased loan defaults, homebuyers with few credit problems qualifying to purchase a home they can afford should still have little trouble securing favorable financing terms.
What’s more, a market climate like this especially favors buyers who don’t need to sell an existing property before their purchase, buyers like first-timers and those looking for a second home. This tilts the scale even more towards many buyers.
But regardless of the situation, for every buyer, the key is to work with a real estate professional that knows the local market and specializes in buyer representation – like an agent who has earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation.
We are one of more than 40,000 members of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, who have attained the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR®) designation. As the world's largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer, REBAC is "The Voice for Buyer Representation," with more than 40,000 active real estate professional members of the organization throughout the world.
To find an ABR-designated agent near you, and to receive a free copy of the REBAC-published “Homebuyer’s Toolkit,” visit www.REBAC.net or call 800-648-6224.
Shauna Mason, ABR
The Turn Key Team
Benchmark Realty
c: 615-585-3239
o: 615-890-2323
Do You Know a Homeowner Facing Foreclosure? Here’s A Way Out.
Headlines today are filled with stories about homeowners in financial distress—people who face a lender’s foreclosure on their home.
Millions of American home owners are wondering what to do.
Like most crises, this one has produced its share of rumors and misinformation. One of the biggest ones is “just let it happen." Why fight back, this line of thinking goes. It’s too emotionally draining, and the government’s loan modifications aren’t helping many people. Well, that’s only partly true.
While government loan modification programs have fallen short of the mark so far, there is another solid, sensible option for homeowners. It’s called a short sale—a sale to a buyer where the seller’s lender agrees to accept less than the full amount owned.
Why not be foreclosed? Why sell short? Agents who have closed hundreds of these transactions provide this list of reasons:
- Avoid the foreclosure stigma – Homeowners will always have to disclose that they had a foreclosure on any mortgage application and (many job applications) that they submit in the future. This can have an adverse affect on their future mortgage rates. Foreclosure is asked about specifically in credit inquiries. There is no seven-year time limit on this item.
- Protect credit score – Credit scores will be lowered by 300-plus points (per loan) by foreclosure. The impact of a short sale—about half that much.
- Improve eligibility for a government insured loan – The homeowner will be ineligible for a government insured loan for 5-7 years (only two years in a short sale). A foreclosure is the one credit report item that is almost impossible to have repaired.
- Avoid a deficiency judgment – Lenders can seek a deficiency judgment against the homeowner and collect any amount they do not recover at sale.
- Protect employment prospects – Many employers run credit checks on prospective employees. Foreclosure is one of the top items that will put a potential new hire, or even current employment, in jeopardy.
These are the top reasons, but there are more. An expert short sale specialist agent can give a full picture of the options.
One more tip. Don’t believe everything you read about how long short sales take and how few get finalized. Short sale timelines, while still longer than normal, are shrinking as lenders get their paperwork act together. Find out who the top short sale agents are in your market. These pros are closing 70 to 90 percent of the short sales they represent—more than three times the national average. They know where to find buyers, and how to negotiate the buyer’s offer effectively with lenders and get the deal closed—so the homeowner can move on with life and recover.
Shauna Mason, ABR
The Turn Key Team
Keller Williams Realty
c: 615-585-3239
o: 615-895-8000
turnkeyteam.com
Interest Rates have fallen the lowest in years. It's still a great time to buy a home. Interest rates and home prices are low. Middle Tennessee is still growing and prospering. I am glad to be in Tennessee!
Shauna Mason, ABR
Keller Williams Realty
c: 615-585-3239
o: 615-895-8000
Every renter knows how important property management is. If there is a problem with the property you are renting, you shouldn’t have to wait a month for it to be fixed. One of the benefits of renting a property is the luxury of having someone there to help you. Being there to help is what Properties Today is all about.
Properties Today is a property management company that works with both property owners and property renters. Run by Lisa and Michael Nolan, Properties Today has over 15 years of experience in property management, and Nolan’s are experts when it comes to all things renting and maintenance.
If you own a spare property or living space, wouldn’t you like that property to pay for itself, and more? Then you need to call Lisa today. Lisa Nolan is an expert when it comes to getting properties rented by reliable clients in middle Tennessee as soon as possible.
Properties Today provides free market analysis for both sales and rentals. Deciding how much a property can rent for is one of the most difficult tasks an owner can take on, and Properties Today offers this service to you for free.
Lisa can also tell you if the investment property that you are thinking about buying could actually turn a profit.
However, the biggest benefit from partnering with Properties Today comes after a renter has moved in. Once you partner with Properties Today, Lisa and Michael Nolan will handle everything from maintenance calls, rent payments, and finding a new renter if a lease runs out.
Managing a property by your self can become more than a second job. Properties Today takes all of the stress out of owning an investment property. Every month you will get your rent check, while Lisa and Michael do all the work.
Renters expect to be treated with respect and good service, and that is exactly what Properties Today provides. Properties Today has built a reputation with Murfreesboro renters, and this relationship allows them to easily fill your investment property.
If you have an empty property, there is no reason that it can’t be making money for you. Let Lisa Nolan turn your spare property into a second income.
For more information on Properties Today visit: https://propertiestodayinc.com/
Or Call Lisa Nolan at: (615) 474-1154
Your home should be the place you can come and relax. Your home should be able to protect you and your family from the elements. Your home should be an extension of your personality, not an extension of your stress. If your home isn’t living up to your dream, or if it just needs a quick pick me up, Joe Orange and Advantage Home Improvement will make sure your house is living up to its full potential.
Is there a dream you have for your home? It’s time you turn that dream into a reality. Joe Orange is one of the most experienced and trusted contractors in Murfreesboro. Since 1957 Advantage Home Improvement has built a reputation as Middle Tennessee’s most reliable roofing, flooring, siding, gutters, windows, and remodeling contractors.
Whether your project is fixing a piece of roofing, building a deck, or remodeling a kitchen, Advantage Home Improvement does it all. The folks at Advantage believe that every project no matter how big or small should be treated with the upmost professionalism and quality.
The key to Advantage Home Improvement’s Success is experience, hard work, and great materials. If you are getting work done on your house, that work should be done at a quality that doesn’t have to be touched up or replaced every year.
The absolute thing you can do to your home is ruin it with bad workmanship. A poorly done home renovation can easily go from home improvement to home nightmare.
Advantage Home Improvement will come to your house and evaluate any work you need for absolutely no charge. While they give you a hassle free estimate, you can learn firsthand how experienced and knowledgeable the folks at Advantage really are.
Your home should be your own personal paradise, and it is finally time for you to take the first step to living a better life in your house. Call Joe Orange and Advantage Home Improvement today, and let the experts know exactly what you need.
For more information on Advantage Home Improvement visit: AdvantageHI.com
Or contact them directly at 615-890-8463
Or
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Nashville has been listed on Forbes.com for one of the best places to retire once again. Due to low housing prices, low home tax and great amusement; Nashville and the Middle Tennessee area is a great place to hang your hat.
Shauna Mason, ABR
Keller Williams Realty
The Turn Key Team
c: 615-585-3269
o: 615-895-8000
www.shaunamason.com
Murfreesboro, TN - Thomas Duff of Keller Williams in Murfreesboro has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance, with a particular emphasis on short sales. At a time when millions of homeowners are struggling with the possibility of foreclosure, the skills and education amassed by Duff will help benefit Middle Tennessee-area residents and communities.
Short sales allow the distressed homeowner to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even if it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this can save many people from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly than foreclosures.
Today, more than 13 percent of homeowners are delinquent on their mortgage or in the foreclosure process. This is occurring across all price ranges, and the fastest-growing category of homes in foreclosure is the luxury home market.
“The CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with homeowners and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Duff. “It is so rewarding to be able to help families save their homes from foreclosure.”
Alex Charfen, co-founder and CEO of the Distressed Property Institute in Austin, Texas, said that agents such as Thomas Duff with the CDPE Designation have valuable perspective on the market, and training in short sales that can offer homeowners real alternatives to foreclosure, which can be devastating to credit ratings.
“These experts better understand market conditions than the average agent, and can help sellers through the complications of foreclosure avoidance,” he said.
The Distressed Property Institute provides live and online courses to train real estate professionals how to help homeowners in distress, with a strong focus on handling short sales.
“Our goal is to help as many homeowners as possible, by educating as many real estate professionals as possible,” Charfen said. “Thomas Duff has demonstrated a commitment to struggling homeowners, a commitment that can provide much-needed stabilization to the community.”
For more information about CDPE Designation, visit www.cdpe.com.
The Middle TN Association of REALTORS® held their 2011 Board of Directors Installation Ceremony on Friday at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, at which time Lynne Davis and Justin Simpson were named 2010 REALTOR® of the Year and Rookie of the Year, respectively.
The ceremony, which was attended by almost 150 MTAR members as well as important guests from other organizations, also served as the official beginning of the 50th Anniversary year for Tennessee’s 4th largest REALTOR® association and featured the swearing in of the 2011 MTAR Board of Directors.
Charles MacMillan, 2009 president of the National Association of REALTORS®, swore in the MTAR 2011 Board of Directors.
This year’s directors consist of Scott Abernathy of Reliant Realty in Murfreesboro, Lynne Davis of Exit Realty Bob Lamb & Associates in Murfreesboro, Chris Garrett of Century 21 United Realty in Murfreesboro, Joyce Johnson of Vance Clay Realty & Auction in Shelbyville, Treasurer Richard Lewis of Exit Realty Bob Lamb and Associates in Murfreesboro, Willie Mangrum of Crye-Leike REALTORS® in Murfreesboro, Mack Meeks of Century 21 Mid-State Realty in Monteagle, Mark Messick of Weichert REALTORS® Joe Orr & Associates in Tullahoma, President-Elect Charlie Montgomery of Comas Montgomery Realty & Auction in Murfreesboro, President Janet Nettles of Coffee County Realty & Auction in Manchester, Virginia Pappafotis of Bob Parks Realty in Smyrna, Secretary Bill Parsley of Parsley & Todd Realty & Auction in Woodbury, Dale Patterson of Keller Williams Realty in Murfreesboro, Past-President & MLS Director Dave Patton of Reliant Realty in Murfreesboro, and Kay Petty of Bob Parks Realty/Land/Auction in Murfreesboro.
REALTOR® of the Year nominees were announced by MTAR Government Affairs Director Bob Roberts, who noted that nominees are “quality REALTORS® who have not yet received appropriate recognition for their professionalism, dedication, hard work, leadership, and hours of service”. The nominees are evaluated and voted upon by MTAR affiliate (or non-REALTOR®) members based on the agent’s involvement with the association, examples of excellence in their profession, and level of community involvement. This year’s nominees included Lynne Davis of Exit Realty Bob Lamb & Associates, Steven Jernigan of Coffee County Realty & Auction, Debbie Mann of Keller Williams Realty, and Scott Zeller of Coldwell Banker Snow & Wall.
2011 MTAR President Janet Nettles noted that REALTOR® of the Year Lynne Davis “gives freely of her time and leads by example. Not only is she a leader in her company, she leads in our membership and our community. Lynne continually seeks opportunities to enhance the tools of our industry for her clients and other professionals. She supports the arts, technology, and maintains a keen eye on the economics of our industry. Lynne is politically active, an advocate for service, and an example of commitment.” Davis, a new addition to MTAR’s Board of Directors in 2011, is involved with several local organizations, working as an active volunteer for the local Pregnancy Support Center group, Make A Wish Foundation, Domestic Violence council, and the annual Reagan Day Dinner Fundraiser. She served as the 2010 Chairman for MTAR’s Government Affairs Committee while also serving as the 2nd Vice President of the Republican Women of Rutherford County and an active member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Rookie of the Year nominees are evaluated and selected based on the same criteria as REALTOR® of the year, but also must have been practicing real estate for no more than three years. 2009 Rookie nominees were Teresa Fischer of Clark Maples Realty & Auction, Tia Green of Exit Realty Bob Lamb & Associates, and Justin Simpson of Keller Williams Realty.
“Justin gives tirelessly of his time, talent, training, and heart to everyone” remarked Nettles. “He quietly works along side other leaders, and carries his share of the load while learning. Justin is kind, effective, and deserving of this recognition.” Simpson, during his first 18 months as a REALTOR®, has assisted in several charitable projects with MTAR’s Public Relations committee (of which he is a member) including the Bill Carey Charity Golf Scramble, the Toys for Tots drive, and several charity auctions at schools and in the Wartrace Community. Simpson is a graduate of the 2010 Leadership MTAR program, and is completing Auctioneers School and his apprenticeship with Auction Professionals, LLC, where he is a partner.
The Middle Tennessee Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit trade association serving over 1,500 real estate professionals across the Middle Tennessee region. The mission of MTAR is to provide its members with state of the art tools, training and support to ensure that all members have the ability to become ethical, professional and successful REALTORS®. MTAR engages in several community service and charity projects each year, including the 4th Grade Foresters project, National Make-A-Difference Day, Toys for Tots, and multiple charity golf tournaments to raise money for college scholarships, diabetes research, and the Coffee County Readers of Tomorrow program. For more information, visit www.mtar.org or call toll-free 877-893-2242.
