On the corner of Blair Boulevard and 21st, slightly hidden by the Mapco gas station sits Browns Diner.  Nestled right in Hillsboro Village.   Nashvillians have frequented this authentic watering hole long before anyone ever thought of golden arches or drive trough taco stands. No frills here: what you smell is what you get. Brown’s features an array of beer, both domestic and imported. And an unapologeticly  concise menu: mainly hamburgers. Yup and you can have them most any way you want…as long as you like them off the griddle. Did I mention the french fries? Hot, crispy, and right out of the deep fry. Your cholesterol’s jaw will drop just walking in the door.  And when you do decide to take the plunge, make sure you use the original front entrance. Like an old train car, the original building is long and narrow. You practically have to take a seat at the bar (if you can find one) just to get inside. The employees seem to be woven into the fabric of this venerable establishment. Service is simple and sincere, and a sense of humor on the customers part is a given. Think you might want to bring the whole family? No worries! Adjacent to the bar is a dinning hall area that has larger tables and chairs and booths so even the hungry younger ones will have a place to enjoy Brown’s old school fare.

Brown’s features local singers, songwriters and musicians that appear almost nightly on their smaller than a postage stamp band stand. On any given night you might hear anyone from the next Taylor Swift hoping to be discovered, to a grizzled old guitar playing veteran just singin’ for his supper.

If you’re looking for food that Grandma used to make, in a casual, throw back environment, then Brown’s Diner is your next stop.

Brown‘sDinerTavern * 2102 BlairBoulevard, Nashville, TN 37212-4902

(615) 269-5509 ‎

So many home sellers ask their realtor, and quite appropriately, “so…when are we having an open house?”

There are probably as many opinions regarding the success rate of open houses as there are real estate agents. I’ve heard everything from; “it’s a total waste of time” to “if you don’t hold your listings open, you’re crazy”. So, what’s a seller to do?

The National Association of Realtors reports that surveys’ conclude that a mere 3% of open houses result in a sale. It’s not a hard science, but realtors nationwide report that it’s very rare that a buyer arrives during the 2-3 hours that a home is held open on a Saturday or a Sunday, and proclaims “Oh my goodness, where has this home been all my life!”  Very few sales originate from a buyer seeing a home for the first time at an open house. Nashville Real Estate Search Online can supply you with first hand experience regarding open house success rates.   Email me, mark@home2nashville.com and I’ll be happy to share my experiences on open houses with you.

“For Sale Buy Owner” properties don’t fare much better.  Buyers often feel that “For Sale By Owner” (commonly referred to as FSBO’s) properties are a “deal” rather than home.  They  will view realtor held open houses, passing on a FSBO  believing “we can always see that”.

So, why even consider putting all the time, energy, and money into an open house if it’s not going to lead to a sale?  The answer is: word of mouth. Aren’t we all curious when a home is for sale in our neighborhood? If it was as easy as walking down the street, who wouldn’t want to see what the people down the street have that we don’t. The open house often leads to that one person telling either someone who’s in the market, or who’s thinking of entering the market, in great detail, all about the house. Thank heaven for nosy neighbors – they can be your best form of advertisement!

Here are my  tips for holding an “OPEN HOUSE” in the Nashville real estate market:

1. Sweeten your pallet. Add fresh flowers to bring life and color into the main rooms. A bright throw pillow might just be the difference between a dull room, and an inviting room.

2. Bathrooms: linger or leave. Clean, clean, clean, I mean sparkle!   Gotta have candles or a scenting device to make the room seem  like a place that, when you stop to look in the mirror, you at least like the way you feel.

3. Aroma therapy. Set out potpourri or flowers.  Baked goods add a homey  smell, and you can give away your tasty delights.  Remediate all cooking, cigarettes or pet smells.

4. Welcome home. The entry is a promise of things to come. Green plants, flower pots, a fresh welcome mat can make a big statement.

5. Grow your rooms. Remove all unnecessary clutter and furniture.   Less is a million times more.

6. Counter space must be space. Put away kitchen appliances and personal bathroom items.

7. Fireplace…but it’s summer. It’s best to have all active fireplaces in use.   Off season: a basket of flowers, or pine cones placed there if it’s not in use.

8. Room for everyone. Depersonalize the home so the prospective  buyer  can visualize their things in your home. Minimize all family photos, mementos, and distinctive artwork.

9. Lawn: remember green is the color of money. Cut and manicured.  No leaves, sticks, tricycles, old newspapers laying around.   Run sprinklers for 10 minutes before the open house. That way your lawn will sparkle!

Mark Haining, A Realtor with Village Real Estate Services, a Nashville, TN real estate agency.

Nashville Real Estate Search Online and the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Part 1 of a 2 Part Posting

There is a an enormous amount of interest in the new Tax Credit that is available for “First Time Buyers”.  The purpose of this posting is to give BUYERS insight as to how they might benefit from these new Federal guidelines.

I’ve made this a 2 part posting as there is a lot to digest, and because there are quite a few resources within that I recommend reviewing before making a decision.

IT”S A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!

Mark Haininig, and Village Real Estate Services can help you and represent your interests. Mark Haining, REALTOR® is a buyer’s agent with the skills and experience to help promote your interests and guide you through what can be a very complex transaction.

Motivated Sellers and Inventory

Now is an ideal time to buy, in most markets prices won’t go any lower and there is an abundance of inventory. Inventory of homes for sale in Nashville is at a 15-year high. There are many options out there for many buyers and many sellers who are willing to negotiate and work towards a win-win situation that works for both parties. Go to www.home2nashville.com to see hundreds of active listings.

Nashville  Home Sales are Getting Stronger and Every Market is Different

Remember that all real estate is local and that all markets are different. There are opportunities out there for a buyer if you’re willing  to look. The Home Buyer Tax Credit contained in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was updated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. For 2009 purchasers the credit is $8000 and does not need to be repaid. The credit is available through December 1, 2009, meaning qualified buyers only have a short window of opportunity to take advantage of this special program. A modest recovery for existing-recent home sales in Nashville is expected in 2009. Pent-up demand, coupled with an abundance of safer mortgage products, will lead to near-term market improvements. The Emergency Economic Stability Act enacted on October 3, 2008 will help to improve credit markets and allow housing to lead the economic recovery.

FHA Loans Set to Increase

There are many choices for buyers looking for mortgages in this market. One option, FHA home loans, are a viable alternative for many first time buyers. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA)— which is part of HUD — insures the loan, so your lender can offer you a better deal, offering low down payments, low closing costs, and easy credit qualifying. FHA market share for home purchases is expected to rise significantly over the next 3 years, from an estimated 4% in 2007 to an estimated 35% in 2009. Find out about FHA and other loans, go to www.Hud.gov/buying/loans and www.REALTOR.org and do a search for Consumer Literacy.

Part II to follow.

Thanks for visiting  Nashville Real Estate Search Online

Village Sales Up 85% in May
We are happy to report that Village Real Estate Services sold a total of 111 units in May, up 85% from April. We are consistently seeing more contracts come through our offices and our agents are busier than ever!

In May, Village received 94.8% of our original listing prices. We are dominating in 37206 (East Nashville) and 37212 (Hillsboro-West End/Belmont-Hillsboro). Village sold a total of 14 units in 37206 in May – more than any other company. Check out the details here. We also sold a total of 11 units in 37212 – again, more than any other company. A graph and specifics are here.

June Stats
Village sold a total of 127 units. Listing units remained steady with 63 units sold.   Selling units increased 33% with 64 units sold.  Village received 94.6% of our original listing prices for home sales in Nashville TN.

37206
Village sold a total of 17 units (up 20% from May) – more than any other company. Market share for that zip code is 23%.  Click for graph and more details.

37212
Village sold a total of 11 units (remained steady)- more than any other company. Market share for that zip code is 26%.  Click for graph and more details.

Showing Stats
There were a total of 1,312 Village showings through Centralized Showings.

Nashville Stats
June home sales show some signs of improvement. There were 2,091 homes sold in Greater Nashville during June. That is down 19.2% from the 2,591 closings in June of 2008 and the first time there has been more than 2,000 closings in a month since last September.

2nd quarter and year-to-date information is available by clicking here for a full copy of the news release which includes that data. The median price of a single-family home in June according to recent home sales in Nashville was $177,700, down just 3percent from the $183,615 median price at this time last year. The condominium median price was $ 152,870 in June of this year, compared with $185,500 in June of last year. Inventory was down in every category except farm, land, and lots.

The total inventory in June of this year was 24,552, compared with 24,935 in June of 2008. Click here for more details and access to historical home sales data. And click here for a break-down of year-to-date information for each of the nine counties included in the data reported by GNAR.

Williamson County
There were 285 residential and condominium closings reported for the month, according to figures provided by RealTracs Solutions, the multiple listing service used by REALTORS® in the Middle-Tennessee area.

Compared to June of 2008, the residential home closings decreased 11 percent and the median price for residential homes increased by .27 percent. Days on the market (DOM) for residential homes increased by 12 as compared to June 2008. Condominium closings decreased by 30 percent. The median prices for condominiums decreased by 16 percent and days on the market also increased by 75 days compared to June 2008.

Nashville Real Estate Search  Online regularly posts current Residential Real Estate data. Data is from Multiple Listing Service records. Data does not include home sales that are by owner, or trans action that are not listed on the MLS.

I welcome your comments and questions about residential real estate here in “Music City”.

Please contact me if you have any questions regarding buying or selling homes in and around the Nashville area. I am a Nashville TN home sales expert.  You can reach me at www.home2nashville.com.

If you haven’t checked out my new “Market Snapshot”, CLICK HERE.

Mark