11/19/2007

I was driving today from my hotel in Vegas to the airport. The cabby asked me about where I lived which of course lead to my official Chamber of Commerce Nashville schpill. After I shut up, I started thinking about what I don’t like about Nashville. It made me think about starting a list of shops that I wish we had. These ARE in priority order. 1. Crate And Barrel: While we have West Elm, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, I still miss the budget meets class of this housewares station. Closest option: Atlanta. 2. H and M: The most annoying thing about if we actually did get an H and M, it would be very limited stock. The company has proven over and over again that only Chicago, New York and Los Angeles will get the mega-full line store goods. The Cleveland, OH, Atlanta, GA and Las V... 11/19/2007

One of the things I am most interested in when visiting a new city is knowing where the "real" places to eat are.  Here's my inside scoop to Nashville.  Now, keep in mind, these are the best Nashville-only places. Best Meat and Three:  Arnolds ($) (downtown), Sweats (Farmer's Market and TSU) ($$)Best Italian:  Mamma Mia (off Harding on Trousdale in an old Waffle House) ($$)Best BBQ:  Arnolds (Trinity Lane) ($$)Best Froo Froo Quick Café:  Chef's Market (Goodlettsville on Conference Drive) ($$)Best Coffee Shop:  Bongo Java (East Nashville at Five Points) ($)Best Urban Dining:  Margot (East Nashville at Five Points) ($$$)Best Unique Classy Lunch:  Marche' (East Nashville at Five Points ) ($$)Best Upscale Seafood:  Chappy's (West End area on Church Street) ($$$)Best Casual Seafood:  Batter'... 11/19/2007

Today, Jeremy and I had lunch at Batter’d and Fried in the Five Points area of East Nashville. I’ve, embarrassingly, been eating there three or four times a week, hiding from my trainer and the South Beach Diet. The Five Points District is the hub of East Nashville activity, located less than one mile east of downtown. I just noticed a new ice cream place that just opened up too. We’ll have to eat there soon too! Watch the Video Webblog here! 11/19/2007

Spring Hill Place is a premium all brick community located in Spring Hill Tennessee. Most homes are new construction, with the oldest home being built in 2003. The average price of home for sale in Spring Hill Place is $441,000. The average size is 3222 square feet. Currently 7 homes are between $350,000 and $400,000 9 homes are between $400,000 and $450,000 12 homes are $450,00 and higher 2 homes are pending at an average cost of $435,000 4 homes sold in October at an average cost of $417,000 Average days on market for listed homes is 61 days. Search for Spring Hill Place homes here This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Benchmark realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring... 11/14/2007

 Dickens of a Christmas in Franklin                    The Heritage foundation will be organizing the annual Dickens of a Christmas event in Historic downtown Franklin, Saturday Dec 8th from 10 a.m. until 05:00 p.m., and Sunday Dec 9th from noon until 5 p.m. Volunteers participate in the event as characters from Dickens' stories.  Franklin's Main Street is a perfect setting for a Victorian Christmas celebration. Most of the buildings were built between 1890 and the early 1900s and are beautifully restored. The sight of the whole town in Victorian attire make it easy to imagine Franklin as a 19th century English village.   The entire 15-block area of Downtown Franklin is on the National Register of Historic Places and the town is the recipient of a Great American Main Street Award by the... 11/14/2007

This awesome 3 bedroom 2.5 Bath Home has 2786 square feet of well designed living space! From the dramatic 2 Stry Foyer to the elegant formal Living & Dining Rooms the traditioanl design flows into a more contemporary living space. The large open kitchen and breakfast area offers hardwood floors, tons of counter and cabinet space and a Bill Pay Center. Te larges open den has a fireplace and triple window that opens to a gorgeous tree lined view. Upstairs you will find a master suite that offers all of the best features from a vaulted ceiling with ceiling fan, to his and hers closets and a luxury bathe with a garden tub and seperate shower.The huge recreation room offers a built in surround sound system and vaulted ceiling with a ceiling fan. Outside you will find a huge screen porch jus... 11/12/2007

 In case you have not had the pleasure of visiting the Nashville International Airport lately, let me fill you in on the $99 million dollar renovation that is taking place. I have always been a fan of the Nashville Airport. The concourses are wide and clean and even at its busiest during the holidays, you can get in and out of the airport with little hassle. The metal detectors are always working so your wait in the security line is much less than at other airports of the same size and traffic. One of the most exciting improvements at the Nashville Airport is the addition of new restaurants. Beginning in 2008, the infamous north Nashville soul food restaurant Swett's will be located inside the airport as well as Tootsies Orchid Lounge from Broadway downtown. Joining Swett's and Tootsie'... 11/12/2007

It's November in the Music City.  We are coming up on Thanksgiving and I wanted to put out a grateful post.I am truly grateful for the wonderful year it has been here in Nashville.  I am rather new to the Real Estate Business, although I watched my father for years be a successful realtor here in my hometown, and it has been challenging and a HUGE learning experience for me!  I am so grateful for any listings I even potentially could get and any buyers that I get to work with.  They are all part of my education and I appreciate that.I am meeting so many people - some great, some, well... - it's all worthwhile as I learn my way into being successful in this biz.  I am listing a house of a man who passed away this year who was an avid gardener.  As I walked through the house and out to th... 11/09/2007

 In my previous post I mentioned that some people (mostly men) my age tend to accumulate expensive toys that we cherish. Leaving them out in the cold damp weather where anything can happen could keep you awake at night. That's where a good custom built home with a basement comes in.   I suggest that you build a home that make the basement part of the living space. A full bath, game room,heating and cooling, and either painted concrete, or tile. Security systems are a must in this environment. Remember that you want this to be an attractive alternative to a bonus room, as well as a place to show off your toys. This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, ... 11/09/2007

 RISMEDIA, Nov. 5, 2007-Despite grim news in the New York Times noting the pending home sale index has hit a record low, and it "hasn't hit rock bottom yet", savvy home sellers have discovered the secret to selling their homes. (New York Times, October 2, 2007).Here are a few ways strategic thinkers prepare to sell their homes:- Prelist Home Inspections. These inspections allow sellers to identify and repair problems rather than lose money during the sale. Statistics show that for every $1 of identified repairs, the buyer would ask for double that in a price reduction. Paying $5,000 to repair a roof is far more enticing than losing $10,000 in the sale.- Neighborhood Environmental Reports. These reports provide important information on known and potential contamination that may exist on ... 11/08/2007

Nashville real estate - What about a basement  I've noticed that a lot of people my age need additional garage space. As we get older, we accumulate grown up toys, and most are too valuable to leave outside for anyone with a pickup truck to take away. The Nashville real estate market doesn't have enough homes with basements and or expanded garages to take care of the demand. That's just my opinion from what I've sen in the past. i know that cost is a big factor, but somewhere the demand has to generate activity on the supply side.  If you have a boat, motorcycle, classic car, antique furniture that needs to be restored, of just more stuff than you want to put in your living area, a basement is more useful than an oversized garage.. Your best bet is to have a home built to your specifica... 11/08/2007

Williamson County Homes market report for October 2007 - This is to update the buyers and sellers who are waiting for the market to change in Williamson county. I have sellers who are waiting for the market to turn up, and buyers who are waiting for those great deals that the media keeps saying they should be getting. I have bad news for both of them. Prices in Williamson county are flat compared to last year The averaging closing price for the month of October IN 2006 was $456,904 in 2007 it is $452,180. a 1 percent decrease on average. the days on market went from 50 days to 56 days, pretty close. We currently have 2410 homes on the market, a 6.7 months supply, once again fairly balanced. If you have been looking to buy a home in Williamson county, don't  hesitate, you may be missing ... 11/06/2007

I guess this is just a "get to know me" blog, more or less.  I do lots of talking about the Nashville Real Estate Market, since I am a Realtor, but a lot of you don't know that I have a degree in classical piano performance.  That's right.  I am a classical music junkie!  My mother gave me musical instruments to play with since I was an infant (she is quite musical herself!) and she claims that I would never take a nap, but just hum or sing in my crib during the required nap hour.  Formal piano lessons started at age 6 and I have never looked back!  During the summers in high school I would go to various piano camps and spend time with renowned pianists - it was great fun and I met a lot of great people and learned how to practice hard!  I went to college on a full music scholarship and... 11/06/2007

Saturday was my 50th birthday. Thankfully, I don't feel 50 most of the time, but my wife reminds me of my age from time to time by giving me the AARP advertisements that come in the mail every week.  I decided to take some time off from real estate and spend the weekend with my family, and it seemed like time just flew. Friday evening, one of my friends had a going away party for his son, who is headed to Iraq. We made the best of the opportunity to see old friends, and hopefully he will return soon, but I couldn't believe how old my friends were (just kidding).  On Saturday morning Elizabeth and I went shopping for an electronic piano. We did find a nice used one, and she is now the proud owner of a very impressive piece of electronic equipment. I was amazed at the sounds this thing ca... 11/05/2007

Middle Tennessee, Davidson County, Nashville, Green Hills - the scope is being narrowed to bring you some of the best homes you can get for $650,000!  The Green Hills Neighborhood is centrally located between downtown Nashville and Brentwood, providing easy access to both areas.  Always improving, Green Hills is a neighborhood which draws designer stores and great food, not to mention some of the best music at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe!  Because of the Green Hills Appeal, it can be tough to find a home in the area. If you have $650,000 and are looking to live in the Green Hills area, here are a few of the best homes currently available! 3600 Bowlingate Lane - $625,000 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms, 2800 Square Feet - GORGEOUS!           And here is 210 Woodmont Circle - $639,900 3 Bedr... 11/05/2007

Wades Grove is an all brick community in Spring Hill, just south of Franklin ranging in price from $190,000 to over $300,000 and in size from 1400 square ft to over 3500 square ft.  Wades Grove is a very appealing community for those who are concerned about quality and value. John Maher builders has a well deserved reputation as the best builder in the area, and the homes in Wades Grove always compare very favorably with everything in the same price range.      Search for Wades Grove homes here This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Benchmark Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and the middle Tennessee area. 11/03/2007

I want to give my customers a test before we start looking for Nashville real estate . Not a financial test, or a personality test. I want to make them play golf.  If they keep score honestly, I will feel like they will be honest with me, and at least consider my advice. Golf is the only game where you call a penalty on yourself. Hit it in the water, it's a stroke to get it out. Hit it out of bounds, take your medicine and hit again after adding 2 strokes. If sellers would do that when they list a house, it would sell in no time. Have a bad window, fix it, and don't wait for the inspector to find it. Need a new HVAC unit, disclose it, replace it, or give the buyer credit for it in a price reduction. Yard challenged, discount the price. Why can't we just be honest? Nashville real estate ... 11/02/2007

 Franklin is a small town inthe Middle of Williamson county, just 20 miles south of downtown Nashville. Sales of Franklin Tn homes for the month of October were considerably less than last year. Even though sales were slow, prices remained stable. The days on market for sold homes is 54 days compared to last year at 52 days. Prices of sold homes avereaged $484,534 compared to last year at $477,058. Based on the statistics, it's easy to see that Franklin is not following the national trends. Prices are slightly up and days on market remains low. It's just another example of the strength of the Nashville real estate market. total number square ft list price sold price active 987 3538 $662,116.00 pending 192 3547 $612,557.00 closed in october 118 3118 $484,356.00 $484,534.00 54 closed octo... 11/01/2007

Some COOL houses are listed in the East Nashville Real Estate Market for $220,000!  If you are looking to buy a new home or sell your old home and you want to know what you can get for the money in East Nashville, here are some options for you!   4611 Medora Avenue - $214,900 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms - 2488 Square Feet!  Remodeled Kitchen and Finished Basement!             Or how about 801 Shelby Street for $219,000? 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom - 1509 Square Feet - 10' Ceilings - Remodeled Kitchen!             And last, but not least, 300 South 15th Street for $219,900! 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 1960 Square Feet - Completely Remodeled!               WOW!!!  There is SO MUCH to choose from in the Nashville Real Estate Market - Buyers, Sellers and Investors - What are you waiting for???  10/31/2007