Be sure to enjoy all the exciting festive season events:

• Take a tour through our listing of the Best & Most Well-liked Annual Events that take place in and around Nashville every year in the month of December.
• Until the week after Christmas, Gaylord Opryland Hotel is host to many holiday events including the viewing their spectacular holiday lights, Ice, Breakfast with Charlie Brown, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Treasures for the Holidays to taking a General Jackson Holiday Cruise. It is four weeks of non-stop activities.
• Nearly 2 million Christmas Lights and Nativities draw visitors from near and far to see this annual spectacular site of Nashville Christmas Lights. Viewing this magnificent display is an annual tradition among locals and another favorite add on is taking a Horse-drawn Carriage Ride (Magnolia Portico) to enjoy the decorations and lights even more.

Your gift budget is up to you, but you can easily keep your food, decorations and tree costs down to a bare minimum with just a little work and a lot of creativity. The best way to celebrate the holidays is to include the entire family when finding ways to help others. Reach out to at least one person who you know that will spend Christmas alone. What about sending flowers? If you can make it a family goal to help one other person or family this year, consider yourself a winner in the game of life.

Real Estate predictions for 2012:

According to the NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, the housing market is slowly recovering with a predicted 4% increase in sales for 2012. Celia Chen of Moody’s Analytics projected sales to increase over 20% in 2012. The next six months will reflect if the rumors about the possibility of a loss of consumer confidence hold water. Consumer confidence, as measured by the University of Michigan, has seen modest improvement in the last few months after taking a dip over the previous months. A hit in consumer confidence can have an impact on the Real Estate rebound.

Prices are predicted to decrease through the first two quarters of 2012. Decreased prices will force more homeowners into a position of negative equity. Being underwater is one of the reasons that cause people to strategically default on their mortgage payments. If this continues, there will be an increase in the number of foreclosures and cause a setback in consumer confidence.

THE BEST WAY TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

Welcome to the new economy. In the modern world of real estate, words like “foreclosure” and housing crisis are all too common. You hear about them every time you turn on the TV. A lot has changed over the last couple of years. That is exactly why Modern Real Estate Guide created this website — to provide current real estate information for home buyers and sellers.

To understand something about Real Estate when you want to buy or sell a home, can be overwhelming. On this website, you will find modern real estate advice to help you make sense of the current housing market. They tackle the tough questions that consumers are asking these days: What kind of credit score do you need to buy a home these days? Which types of mortgage loans is the safest option these days? How can you avoid becoming another foreclosure statistic down the road? How can you reduce your debt to increase your chances of getting a mortgage loan?

You’ll find answers to these questions and more as you travel throughout this website. Whether you’re buying a home, selling a home, or just trying to improve your financial situation, the real estate tips and financial advice collected here will help you succeed.

Helpful Real Estate Tools: In addition to the real estate information and advice provided through this site, you’ll also find a variety of helpful real estate and financial tools. For example, you can use the convenient web-based tools provided below to order your credit information, get mortgage quotes and more.

A great Realtor is reputable, honest, transparent and reliable and acquires an overall positive friendly attitude. Here we hold these qualities in high regard and encourage you to contact us.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

From late November throughout December, Nashville offers tons of festive opportunities during the Christmas and Holiday Season. There is an unlimited supply of Christmas and holiday events and activities to be found and explored in the Middle Tennessee Area. Have a look at the Calendar and plan your festive season.

If you are among the millions of Americans who are drowning in credit card debt or facing foreclosure, there is one thing you need to know…..there is light at the end of the tunnel. You can rebuild you credit and get back on your feet!

Newspapers, radio, TV and the internet are filled with ads that promise to erase all negative information in your credit report in exchange, of course, for a fee. Companies, marketers, attorney affiliated individuals, attorneys, books, etc., boast about their savvy or legal credit repair services.

However, the truth is the scam artists who run these ads not only don’t deliver, they can’t deliver. Moreover, the law prohibits credit repair companies from charging up-front fees before performing the promised services.

Credit repair companies normally advertise something like:

• “We work with specialized companies that will repair your credit”
• “We can increase your credit score in 30 days – guaranteed!”
• “Credit problems? No problem!”
• “We can erase your bad credit – 100% guaranteed”
• “Create a new credit identity – Legally”
• “We can remove bankruptcies, judgments, liens, and bad loans from your credit file forever!”

Once you contact them, they normally:

• Want you to pay for their credit repair services before any services are rendered (under the “Credit Repair Organization Act”, a credit repair company cannot charge you until they have completed the promised services)
• Don’t tell you your legal rights and what you can do yourself – for free
• Suggest that you try to invent a “new” credit report by applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) instead of your Social Security Number (SSN)
• Advice you to dispute all negative information in your credit report

Regardless of what these individuals tell you, it is a federal crime to make false statements on a loan or credit application, to misrepresent your SSN, and to obtain an EIN from the IRS under false pretenses. If you follow illegal advice and commit fraud, you may be subject to prosecution. You could be charged and prosecuted for mail or wire fraud.

So, you can do either one of two things: you can throw away your money and be scammed by a credit repair company or you can learn how to repair your own credit. Understand, however, raising your credit score is a bit like losing weight. Only time, a deliberate effort, a plan to repay your bills, and the steps shown here will improve your credit. There are no quick fixes. In fact, quick-fixes offered by credit repair companies can backfire.

CREDIT REPORT vs. CREDIT SCORE:

Although many people often interchange these terms, credit reports and credit scores are not the same thing:

• Credit report: It shows a detailed description of your credit history including your identification, employment information, open and closed accounts, existing debts you need to satisfy, accounts in positive and negative standing, inquiries, public records (e.g.: bankruptcies, foreclosures, tax liens, etc) and more.
• Credit Score: It is the actual number calculated from your credit history. Your credit score is your financial GPA. The details from your credit report are used as data points in a mathematical equation; the resulting score is primarily used to help lenders determine how much interest to charge you.

USING YOUR CREDIT SCORE:

The higher your credit score is; the more financially responsible you appear to lenders; thus, making you eligible for a low interest rate.

Moreover, credit reporting companies also sell the information in your report to insurance companies, employers, and other businesses with a legitimate need for it. For example, employers can use the information to evaluate your application employment or a promotion; a landlord can use it to consider you as a tenant; and insurance companies can use it to determine on what terms they will approve your insurance policy.

As you can see, a good credit score is very important to get ahead in life but be cautious not to let the obsession of always having a high credit score ruin your life.

We care about you. To all our readers and clients who need to drive in bad weather conditions:

• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, and turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.

START PLANNING FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

For many empty nesters, the decision to make a move from the place they have called home for so many years is a difficult one. After years of living in a house full of the noises and chatter of children, suddenly all that you can hear is the quiet hum of the refrigerator. There are pictures all over the house with fond memories associated with them but then there are many empty rooms also. These are rooms where your children used to live until it was time for them to move onto the next stage of your life and now the items in the rooms are only gathering dust.

Maybe it is now time even for you to move on to something better and downsize to a place that is more suitable for your retirement years. However, before you make the move, it is very important that you understand the most common and the most costly mistakes that most empty nesters make. Here are nine tips that can help you avoid these mistakes, make the most profit possible, and keep the home selling process under your own control and stress-free.

• Probably the first thing that you should know is why you are actually selling the house. This will decide the price that you set and also how much time and money you are willing to spend on getting your house ready for a sale. However, although it is important that you are clear about your objectives, don’t make the mistake of telling others about it or they would use it against you on the negotiating table. Instead, just say that your housing needs have changed.
• Make sure to research properly before setting a price for the property. By setting the price, you let the buyers know the maximum amount they will have to pay for the house, but don’t make the mistake of pricing it too low or too high. This is because, most buyers will look at around 20 houses and they know how to compare them. So, if your house does not compare well with others in your price range, you will not be able to turn any prospect into a buyer. This means that your house will be in the market for a long time and new buyers will start to wonder why your house hasn’t sold for so long.
• Your agent should be able to find out what other comparable homes are selling for in your own neighborhood. Get information about homes sold in the last 6 months and the homes that are currently listed. Remember, this is how your prospects will compare your house.
• Your Real Estate agent should be a good one. Good communication, good feedback, good pricing, and good relations with the agent are necessary for the success of any real estate deal.
• Make sure to make your house presentable. How the property looks on the outside and the inside is necessary to get a good offer. Clean up your house, remove the clutter, and fix everything that matters. Don’t go around pointing to prospective buyers how they can make improvements.
• Your prospects should be able to get any information about your house as easily as possible. It may surprise you but things such as traditional open houses are not always that effective.
• Your Real Estate Agent will negotiate on your behalf.
• As a seller, your Real Estate Agent will disclose everything. Any flaws present in the house should be disclosed to the buyer in writing so that later when a problem comes up, you don’t get slapped with a lawsuit. All terms, costs, and responsibilities should be clearly spelled out in the contract. Don’t deviate from what is listed in the contract. So, if the buyer asks for making the move before the closing, just say no. Do not take any risks that can potentially prove to be a deal breaker.

PLACE CALLED HOME is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

Each year a new wave of first time home buyers hits the trail in search of their humble abode. Eager buyers must understand the true value of home ownership. There are advantages to buying a home and there is the matter of timing, which can have a lot to do with the housing market and related financing programs.
What to consider when deciding on buying a home vs. renting according to an article by Dr Sharon L Bender

• Buying a home means garnering equity, if the owner keeps the house long enough to overcome the initial cost of its purchase, that is. That can be one of the most surprising matters associated with home ownership.
• Buying a home brings a sense of pride and accomplishment. Buying a home is also an opportunity to express more freely your personal taste, as long as the neighbours don’t have to view your idea of a decent-looking sculpture in your front yard every time they pull out of their driveway. Not only is there more freedom with home ownership, but there is likely more space than one would find in a rented apartment.
• Buying a home brings a realization that you are part of a more permanent community in which you might be a contributor to the well being of others around you. In a rented home or apartment one might feel less involved and temporary when we humans tend to be territorial, inherently needing to claim a piece of ground as our own with its sense of permanence. We think about raising children and providing them with “roots” that grow in a yard rather than on a crowded balcony.
• When owning a home, each monthly payment is like putting money into a savings account rather than giving it to the landlord when renting. Each time the mortgage is paid a percentage goes toward your “equity.” This is indeed like having money in the bank as it is something you can draw upon later if needed. Whereas rental rates increase yearly, the principle on your mortgage is going down with each payment. Plus as the housing market grows, so do the valuations of homes.

Buying a home brings a sense of accomplishment, but “nothing happens unless first a dream!”

Nothing happens unless first a dream… is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

Located among the picturesque rolling hills of Bellevue just west of Nashville, this charming 1.5 story brick home offers all three bedrooms on the main level, a great open plan with easy flow to covered front and back porches, big backyard and huge bonus room.

7133 Riverfront is located in the neighborly community of Riverwalk in Bellevue Tennessee.  Riverwalk’s tree-lined streets, sidewalks, and access to the trails and parklands all combine to create a warm, inviting, family oriented environment. Over 150 acres have been preserved as open space for the enjoyment of our residents. Starting with a park alongside Riverwalk Parkway, the community includes four neighborhood parks plus an extensive network of trails, wooded areas, community pool, and a paved greenway on the peaceful Harpeth River. For more information about  resident amenities, please Click Here.

Click here for additional information on and photographs of this Bellevue TN home for sale.

Search for other homes listed for sale on the TN MLS

This Bellevue TN home for sale is listed by JoAnne Staler, Bellevue TN REALTOR with RE/MAX Elite.  JoAnne is providing a unique level of service to home buyers and home sellers in Nashville, Bellevue, and Brentwood Tennessee.  Whether Buying or Selling Real Estate locally or Relocating to Middle Tennessee, let a Top Selling Nashville Real Estate Agent help.  To find out more about JoAnne Staler or search for real estate via the Middle Tennessee MLS visit www.JoAnneStaler.com.

Click here for information on specific Nashville communities; Brentwood, Bellevue, Franklin, Green Hills, Belle Meade, and many more!

Move-in Ready Brick Home for Sale in Neighborly Riverwalk Community is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

Nashville REALTOR JoAnne Staler Awarded Green Designation is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

RE/MAX VOTED NUMBER 1 BY TENNESSEE READERS – Readers of the Greater Nashville House & Home & Garden magazine have voted RE/MAX of Tennessee as their favorite Realty Company for 2010.

Nashville, Tennessee

The prize is awarded following a ballot of readers.

Bob C. Sutton, Regional Director and Vice President of RE/MAX of Kentucky/Tennessee Inc said: “We could not be more proud of our RE/MAX Offices. RE/MAX Broker/Owners and Sales are the most experienced and educated professionals in the industry.” 

“Their dedication to providing exceptional service and expertise allows them to continue to produce outstanding results.  We congratulate them on this award and are extremely happy that consumers recognize the value of dealing with an experienced RE/MAX Professional” he added.

RE/MAX has a thriving network of 69 offices all across Tennessee and continues to look for new ways to serve Tennessee Home Buyers.

RE/MAX of Tennessee voted Number 1 is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

This charming Nashville Tennessee home for sale is located in the sought after community of Green Hills and convenient to Vanderbilt University, Music Row and I-440.

This adorable and impeccably maintained Green Hills home has beautiful hardwood floors on the main level include Living Room, formal Dining Room, Master Bedroom, seperate Den/Office and hall.

Snuggle up to the woodburning fireplace and enjoy the cool Tennessee winter evenings.

The sunshine filled kitchen features a slate tile backsplash accented with copper, track lighting, pantry,storage closet and back door for added convenience when bringing in groceries.

A walk-in Attic is just waiting to be finished and you can enjoy the changing seasons on the patio/deck overlooking the spacious, fenced backyard.

For additional information and photographs on this Nashville TN home sale located at 2823 Woodlawn Drive click here!

Adorable Green Hills TN Cottage for Sale is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate

According to the National Assoc. of Home Builders, 59% of Builders are downsizing. They are building smaller, ‘greener’ homes. Watch the following video for more details…

Builders Downsize the Dream Home JoAnne Staler Nashville REALTOR is a post from: Nashville, Brentwood and Franklin, Tennessee Real Estate