$319,900.00 est: $1,373.83 prin & int/month Assuming 20% down and 30 year mortgage at 5.000% interest rate (APR: %)

2 BDRMS DOWN, 2 UP. LARGE BONUS RM. IN QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD. ON A CUL-DE-SAC. BEAUTIFUL AND EFFICIENT FLOOR PLAN WITH DESIGN POTENTIAL GALORE! HOBBY RM IS A WIRED LOFT! PRIVACY FENCED YARD & 2″ FAUXWOOD BLINDS THROUGHOUT! View this Murfreesboro Home For Sale

Location Address: <Get Map> 3030 RINCON CT Murfreesboro, TN 37127 Bedrooms:  4 Bathrooms:  3 full Square Feet:  2985 Type:  Contemporary Subdivision:  SAVANNAH RIDGE Area:  23-Rutherford MLS ID:  1121090 Status:  Active Rooms Bedroom 1: 13X24 Bedroom 2: 14X11 Bedroom 3: 12X12 Bedroom 4: 15X12 Living Room: 30X15 Kitchen: 16X13 Dining Room: 12X12 Hobby Room: 11X12 Rec Room: 17X20 Breakfast Room: 11X13 Utility Room: 6X8      School Information High School: Riverdale Middle School: Christiana Elementary School: Barfield Features Garage: 2 car attached Taxes: $1 Formal Dining: Yes Exterior: All Brick with Vinyl Trim Lot Size: 0.33 Acres Lot Dimensions: 14.433 Heating: Dual Fuel Type: GS/EL Cooling: Central Year Built: 2007 Fireplaces: 1 Water: City Water Sewer: Sewer Stories: 2.0 Appliance Description: Disposal, Microwave, Dishwasher Association Fee: 21 Basement Description: Crawl Community Amenities: Pool, Underground Utilities Dining Description: Formal Driveway Description: Concrete Flooring Description: Carpet, Finished Wood, Tile Garage Description: Attached – SIDE Interior Features: Ceiling Fan, Smoke Alarm, Storage, Walk-In Closets Lot Description: Level Main Level Bathrooms: 2(Full) Main Level Bedrooms: 2 Master Bathroom Description: Master Bedroom Miscellaneous Features: Cable TV Oven Description: Single Oven, Electric Patio/Deck Description: Deck Property Sub-Type: Site Built Range Description: Stove Square Footage (Per Level): 1971 (Main), 1014 (Second Floor) Total Rooms: 10

Shown By:
  Agent Name: Jackie Hogencamp
  Agent Phone: 615-507-9349

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Alright…so in a down market everyone in the real estate industry turns into a creative marketing machine. Volume down, guard up, value added service in check, and creative marketing implementation on lock! So…what are incentives and how do they affect buyers, sellers, and home sales? Incentives are the way in which some agents are electing to get their listings noticed, some sellers are offering to entice scarce buyers, and buyers are reaping the benefits due to all of the above…

Point blank, incentives are enticements for 1 property to be chosen over another. The examples are endless: Closing Costs Paid, Furniture Provided, Discount Points Bought, Landscaping Packages, Outside Living Area Upgrades, Appliance Upgrades…the sky is the limit and the offers can get as benign or as outlandish as you can imagine.

The best incentives seem to be those attached to dollar signs for many buyers. They wanna know how much they can save, how much they can have, and what they can do with it… Buying real estate at this point can be as lucrative as a full-time job if you do it right! Obama’s gonna give ya $8k if you’ve never done it before, your closing costs can be paid which could be as much as 4.5% of the purchase price, you can go from LG to Kenmore Professional Series at no cost to you, and hell- How bout a plasma to mount over the fireplace?

The downside to incentives is that sometimes, appropriating that money to be a reduction in list price coulda been much more effective in luring buyers to the property when the listings are plentiful and the buyers are scarce. Aesthetics are key in this theory as well. A lower priced home with proper staging can lure a buyer just as effectively as a home with tons of freebies and enticements…

So, the money for the incentives might keep a listing at the bottom of the price pond, where it can be overlooked by those skimming the surface of the pond.

I’ve never had a buyer that bought a house just because they were gonna get a plasma tv thrown in…I have had many buyers buy homes that they thought were gonna build equity quickly and were great deals…and yes, I’ve even had buyers who wrote offers on the great deals and asked for the plasma to be thrown into the mix…lol. I suppose at this point in the game, the thing to bear in mind is that each and every real estate transaction will have an enticement afforded- aesthetic, monetary, geographic…but incentives can sweeten the pot. The question is, what is more effective for agents- Fire sales or incentives? What is more lucrative for buyers- lower prices or incentives? And what makes seller’s feel more enticing- bottom line pricing or built-in incentives that require higher pricing?  I need a creative marketing consensus…

So, today was disheartening. Awesome client, awesome house, awesomely excited…and the dreaded home inspection day came.
Hands down, when I talk to clients before, during, and after transactions the home inspection is the most dreaded, nerve racking, grueling experience of all when making a home purchase… and selling a home!

So here’s my wise phrase that I use: EVERYONE involved feels the same way. The agents, the seller, the buyer, heck, even the mortgage person handling the loan! Every house has something wrong with it. Even brand spankin new construction will have a flaw- human beings build homes and there is room for human error, there are cosmetics that will be affected by a house being marketed/viewed, there are hidden elements that any upstanding and competent home owner can accidentally overlook.

There are certain things that will be deal breakers for different people. Home inspections are all different. There are good inspectors and bad inspectors. There are little things and big things. There are certain things that are found that would be nothing to one buyer, and everything to another. They are SUBJECTIVE in all rights of the word.

That said, there are ways to avoid the dreaded home inspection’s potential devastation…
For sellers of existing homes, have it pre-inspected by someone you know, like, and trust. If you don’t know any inspectors, handy men, or other home professionals, call an agent and get some recommendations.
For buyer’s, don’t get too excited about things that turn up on the inspection until you have done some research, talked to your agent, and/or talked to a professional who can explain things to you.

Half the battle has been fought by the time we get to the home inspection. The rest of the battlefield is the half that leads to HOME!…so put down your bludgeoning tool and take a deep breath! Short of a sink hole, tectonic plate movement, or dead bodies int he basement, almost everything is fixable Even if a deal falls apart due to a home inspection for one buyer, repairs can be made, and the next buyer may have a completely different outlook:)

But…for now…looks like me, the buyer, and the seller all get to go back to the drawing bored. Yippee. LOL!

Well as expected last Friday, in the face of wonderful employment statistics indicating a continued economic improvement, mortgage rates rose. I’m still in shock that some people are up in arms about it! They went from 4.71% on a 30-yr fixed-rate mortgage to 4.81%. On a 15-yr fixed-rate mortgage the rates went from 4.27% to 4.32%. So, yes, they rose, but are still at historic lows and still lower than a year ago in the same month…

If the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage-backed securities next March rates will rise, but it won’t be anything Earth shattering. If and when it occurs, rates will go up, however, reknowned financial observers state that it is most likely they will nominally increase, not rise exponentially. Keith Gumbinger, VP of HSH Associates, predicts that when the FED discontinues it’s intervention, it will bolster rates approximately 3/4 of a point for a 30-year conforming loan. He also predicts that at the end of 2010 rates will be somewhere around 6%.

Several real estate experts as well as financial experts contend that the Fed will more than likely continue it’s intervention as long as the housing market’s recovery is teetering…

That said, this is all conjecture. With rates at a record low, continued rate increases projected, home prices incredibly low, absorption rates improving, the extension and expansion of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, and Builder/Seller incentive offers more creative and lucrative for buyers than ever, it truly is the best time to buy!

The continual correction and improvement of real estate trends will continue to fuel consumer confidence, and along with all of the above mentioned motivators, I think that a huge surge in real estate purchases will soon be upon us, and Middle Tennessee will continue to be an amazingly healthy and corrected market. The vast majority of homes that are continuing to sell with a lower absorption rate in Middle Tennessee are under $200k, with the majority of that price point subset that is selling being actually under $150k. It is going to be very interesting to see in mid-2010 how these lower price point absorption rates compiled with the extension and expansion of the Tax Credit to include those who are not first-timers will affect the broader spectrum and all of the price points.

For now though, let’s all take a deep breath and sigh…mortgage rates rose a whole tenth of a percent, but are still under 5%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing. Ok, call me and buy a house now lol.

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The expansion of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and the Expansion of the Tax Credit to include people who have lived in their primary residence for 5 consecutive years of the last 8 is a blessing that we all will benefit from.

Real estate agents all over were cringing as the November 30, 2009 deadline for the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit loomed. Sure, we all got a nice surge of activity as people scurried to get in under the umbrella, but what was to happen after the fervor died down? Agents go back to throwing darts at a wall in hopes that something sticks? Sellers go back to frantically keeping their homes clean and show-ready in hopes that a buyer would come from the sky? Buyers go back to kicking tires and climbing fences?

Obama said nope Not only did he say “Nope” but he made the impact of the tax credit on America’s real estate market more pronounced by adding/expanding the original incentive to include people who have been homeowner’s in the past.

Now, first timers, second timers, third timers whatever have until April 30, 2010 to be in a binding contract and until June 30, 2010 to close to be able to benefit from the tax credit. I love the 60 day window to close! For agents it will mean not just a last minute surge, but a steady stream for a few months of closings, improved absorption rates, and active clients And for buyers and sellers it means less time-constraint stress and smoother transactions…

The beauty of the expansion is also that where the first time home buyer tax credit heavily benefited the lower price points and mid-range pricepoints (as first timers by starter homes, those sellers move up to mid-range pricepoint homes), the expansion will have the capability to trickle up to the upper echelon pricepoints as well as movement across the board is affected. Everyone wants free money, and movement in any pricepoint at this point in slow absorption will benefit the big picture.

What I’m curious to see is how this will the correction of the market time wise. Will it make the upswing of the U-Curve more noticably pronounced? Or will it make only a slight swing? Will the confidence instilled in the players in the real estate market be contagious, and if so, how will the confidence level rising in agents, builders, professionals, and buyers and sellers affect the bigger picture?

So many questions, so many benefits, and so much excitement attached to this extension and expansion…

I suppose only time will tell the answers, but for now let’s just all ride the wave

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$312,900.00 est: $1,343.77 prin & int/month Assuming 20% down and 30 year mortgage at 5.000% interest rate (APR: %)

BEAUTIFUL OPEN CUSTOM HOME W/2 BONUS RMS & MASTER W/SITTING RM. OPEN FLOOR PLAN, CUSTOM CABINETS, AND UPGRADES GALORE! LARGE CORNER LOT. BUILDER TO PAY UP TO 3% IN CLOSING COSTS W.FULL PRICE OFFER. View this Murfreesboro Home

Location Address: <Get Map> 444 SAVANNAH RIDGE DR Murfreesboro, TN 37128 Bedrooms:  4 Bathrooms:  2 full 1 partial Square Feet:  3120 Type:  Contemporary Subdivision:  SAVANNAH RIDGE Area:  23-Rutherford MLS ID:  1121094 Status:  Active Rooms Bedroom 1: 14X24 Bedroom 2: 12X11 Bedroom 3: 12X11 Bedroom 4: 16X13 Living Room: 19X18 Kitchen: 11X11 Dining Room: 15X11 Den: 18X19 Rec Room: 19X22 Breakfast Room: 12X11 Utility Room: 6X8    School Information High School: Riverdale Middle School: Christiana Elementary School: Barfield Features Garage: 2 car attached Taxes: $3615 Formal Dining: Yes Exterior: All Brick with Vinyl Trim Lot Size: 0.00 Acres Lot Dimensions: 84.32 X 134.81 IRR Heating: Dual Fuel Type: GS/EL Cooling: Central Year Built: 2007 Fireplaces: 1 Water: City Water Sewer: Sewer Stories: 2.0 Appliance Description: Disposal, Microwave, Dishwasher Association Fee: 18 Basement Description: Crawl Community Amenities: Pool, Underground Utilities Dining Description: Formal Driveway Description: Concrete Flooring Description: Carpet, Finished Wood, Tile Garage Description: Attached – SIDE Interior Features: Ceiling Fan, Smoke Alarm Lot Description: Level Main Level Bathrooms: 1(Full), 1(Half) Main Level Bedrooms: 1 Master Bathroom Description: Double Vanities Oven Description: Single Oven, Electric Patio/Deck Description: Patio Property Sub-Type: Site Built Range Description: Stove Square Footage (Per Level): 1740 (Main), 1380 (Second Floor) Total Rooms: 9

Shown By:
  Agent Name: Jackie Hogencamp
  Agent Phone: 615-507-9349

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$252,900.00 est: $1,086.10 prin & int/month Assuming 20% down and 30 year mortgage at 5.000% interest rate (APR: %)

GORGEOUS PATIO-ENTRY HOME OFFERS 1 LEVEL LIVING, OR 500 SQ FT EXPANDABLE SPACE OVER GARAGE CAN BE FURNISHED TO BETTER SIUT YOUR NEEDS AND FOOTAGE! GRANITE, HARDWOOD, TILE! HURRY TO MAKE SOME SELECTIONS NOW! View this Murfreesboro House For Sale

Location Address: <Get Map> 433 SAVANNAH RIDGE DRIVE Murfreesboro, TN 37127 Bedrooms:  3 Bathrooms:  2 full 1 partial Square Feet:  2300 Type:  Contemporary Subdivision:  Savannah Ridge Sec 10 Area:  23-Rutherford MLS ID:  1130418 Status:  Active Rooms Bedroom 1: 17X15 Bedroom 2: 13X12 Bedroom 3: 13X12 Living Room: 15X21 Kitchen: 17X12 Dining Room: 13X12 Den: 20X17 Rec Room: 22X23    School Information High School: Riverdale Middle School: Christiana Elementary School: Barfield Features Garage: 2 car attached Taxes: $1 Formal Dining: Yes Roof Type: Composition Shingle Exterior: All Brick with Aluminum Trim Lot Size: 0.28 Acres Lot Dimensions: 100.47 X 138.76 IRR Heating: Central Fuel Type: GS/EL Cooling: Central Year Built: 2010 Fireplaces: 2 Water: City Water Sewer: Sewer Stories: 1.0 Appliance Description: Disposal, Microwave, Dishwasher Association Fee: 21 Basement Description: Crawl Community Amenities: Pool, Underground Utilities Dining Description: Formal Driveway Description: Concrete Flooring Description: Carpet, Finished Wood, Tile Garage Description: Attached Interior Features: Ceiling Fan, Smoke Alarm, Storage, Utility Connection Lot Description: Level Main Level Bathrooms: 2(Full), 1(Half) Main Level Bedrooms: 3 Master Bathroom Description: Suite Miscellaneous Features: Cable TV Oven Description: Single Oven, Electric Patio/Deck Description: Deck, Covered Porch Property Sub-Type: Site Built Range Description: Stove Square Footage (Per Level): 2300 (Main) Total Rooms: 8

Shown By:
  Agent Name: Jackie Hogencamp
  Agent Phone: 615-507-9349

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$219,900.00 est: $944.38 prin & int/month Assuming 20% down and 30 year mortgage at 5.000% interest rate (APR: %)

STUNNING LOG HOME ON ACREAGE WITH INGROUND POOL W/CABANA. BALCONY OFF MASTER, FINISHED BASEMENT WITH BONUS/DEN, POSSIBLE 4TH BEDROOM, AND STORM/SAFE ROOM. STAINLESS APPLIANCES, TILED WET AREAS! PERFECT 10!! View this McMinnville, TN Home

Location Address: <Get Map> 761 CRAIN RD Mc Minnville, TN 37110 Bedrooms:  3 Bathrooms:  2 full Square Feet:  2400 Type:  Log Area:  91-Warren MLS ID:  1115668 Status:  Active Rooms Bedroom 1: 15X23 Bedroom 2: 12X15 Bedroom 3: 10X12 Living Room: 19X19 Kitchen: 12X10 Dining Room: 12X14 Hobby Room: 14X15 Rec Room: 17X14 Utility: 6X8 Office: 12X15    School Information High School: Warren County Middle School: Eastside Elementary School: Eastside Features Garage: 1 Taxes: $955 Basement: Yes Wooded: Yes Swimming Pool: Yes Roof Type: Composition Shingle Exterior: Log with Wood Trim Lot Size: 4.36 Acres Lot Dimensions: 4.36 Heating: Central Fuel Type: Electric Cooling: Central Year Built: 1999 Fireplaces: 2 Security: yes Water: Utility District Sewer: Septic Tank Stories: 3.0 Appliance Description: Disposal, Refrigerator, Dishwasher Basement Description: Full, Finished Driveway Description: Gravel Flooring Description: Carpet, Concrete, Finished Wood, Tile Garage Description: Basement Interior Features: Ceiling Fan, Extra Closets, Smoke Alarm, Wood Burning FP Lot Description: Wooded Main Level Bathrooms: 1(Full) Main Level Bedrooms: 2 Master Bathroom Description: Suite Miscellaneous Features: Balcony, Satellite Dish, Burglar Alarm Oven Description: Single Oven, Electric Patio/Deck Description: Deck, Covered Porch Pool Description: In-Ground Pool Property Sub-Type: Site Built Range Description: Stove Square Footage (Per Level): 446 (Basement), 1429 (Main), 525 (Second Floor) Total Rooms: 10

Shown By:
  Agent Name: Jackie Hogencamp
  Agent Phone: 615-507-9349

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HUGE LOT, COUNTY TAXES, 100% FINANCING ELIGIBLE, $8K TAX CREDIT – BUY FOR LESS NOW THAN EVER! MATURE NEIGHBORHOOD, FENCED YARD, HUGE 2 TIERED DECK, STORAGE BARN, ALL APPLIANCES, FRESH PAINT, NEW FIXTURES! TO SEE IS TO BUY! View this Murfreesboro House For Sale

Location Address: <Get Map> 106 INGLEWOOD CT Murfreesboro, TN 37127 Bedrooms:  3 Bathrooms:  2 full Square Feet:  1510 Type:  Contemporary Subdivision:  REDWOOD ESTATES Area:  26-Rutherford MLS ID:  1095698 Status:  Active Rooms Bedroom 1: 13X12 Bedroom 2: 11X11 Bedroom 3: 11X11 Living Room: 17X16 Kitchen: 20X10 Rec Room: 21X11 School Information High School: Riverdale Middle School: Buchanan Elementary School: Buchanan Features Garage: 2 Taxes: $735 Roof Type: Composition Shingle Exterior: Siding with Vinyl Trim Lot Size: 0.50 Acres Lot Dimensions: 100 X 200 Heating: Central Fuel Type: Electric Cooling: Central Year Built: 1994 Security: yes Water: Utility District Sewer: Septic Tank Stories: 1.0 Appliance Description: Refrigerator, Microwave, Dishwasher Basement Description: Crawl Driveway Description: Concrete Exterior Features: Storage Building Fenced Description: Back Flooring Description: Carpet, Laminate, Tile, Vinyl Garage Description: Carport Interior Features: Ceiling Fan, Smoke Alarm, Storage, Utility Connection Lot Description: Level Main Level Bathrooms: 2(Full) Main Level Bedrooms: 3 Master Bathroom Description: Ceramic Miscellaneous Features: Satellite Dish, Burglar Alarm, Cable TV Oven Description: Single Oven, Electric Patio/Deck Description: Deck, Covered Porch Property Sub-Type: Site Built Range Description: Stove Square Footage (Per Level): 1510 (Main) Total Rooms: 6

Shown By:
  Agent Name: Jackie Hogencamp
  Agent Phone: 615-507-9349

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