Your Middle Tennessee Real Estate Team
Join Shannon Orrand with Team George Weeks for an Open House and live-stream at this beautiful 4 bedroom brick home located in north Murfreesboro in the Oakleigh community. Beautiful custom millwork, hardwood, fireplace, in-ground pool and more!
Ask Shannon questions on live video or come on down to the Open House and ask in person. This home is in a wonderful location and at a great price!
RE/MAX Regional of Tennessee hosted it's annual awards show Feb 15, 2017 at the Sheraton Hotel in beautiful downtown Nashville, TN. All of the area brokerages were in attendance to help honor those who exemplify what it means to be a RE/MAX agent, team and brokerage.
Team George Weeks stands with this group of exceptional agents yet again.
2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Team in Closed Transactions #3
2016 RE/MAX’s Tennessee Regional Team Overall in Tennessee #5
Individual Agent Awards
George Weeks - 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Titan’s Club Award for Sales
Erin Kosko - 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional 100% Club Award for Sales
Eddie Mann - 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Executive Club Award for Sales
Mike Patterson - 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Executive Club Award for Sales
Chris Smith - 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Executive Club Award for Sales
We are also very thrilled to announce that our brokerage RE/MAX Elite & owner Carrier Zeier earned the 2016 RE/MAX Tennessee Regional Highest Net Gain Award.
Team George Weeks would like to thank all of our clients, both current and past, for allowing us to serve their real estate needs and helping us to achieve these honors. We look forward to even more success in the future!
With low inventory in many markets throughout the country, many homeowners are afraid to sell their homes because they’re concerned that they may not be able to find a new one. This can be a real problem, but if you are seeking to sell—whether to upgrade or find a new neighborhood—there are a few ways to combat the low inventory.
Look to buy first In most markets it is a real mistake to put your home up for sale before you start looking for your new property. Identify the geographic area where you are interested in buying. Even if you don’t see anything on Zillow, it doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t find the right home.
Think outside the box Be proactive! Keep in mind that there are probably many people like you who want to make a move but are afraid as well. Have your real estate agent send a letter to the neighborhoods in the geographic areas where you want to live. The letter should be heartfelt and personal while announcing that you are ready to buy a home in that neighborhood. You could find a home to buy that may not even be currently listed or for sale.
Protect yourself legally Each state varies in how the purchase process is conducted. Talk to your real estate professional about adding a clause in the purchase contract for the home you are selling that will enable you to not sell the home if you cannot find a suitable home to buy.
May was another strong month for real estate in middle Tennessee. The Great Nashville Association of Realtors released the May 2016 report which compares numbers with 2015.
Source: GNAR
As a seller, you will be most concerned about ‘short term price’ – where home values are headed over the next six months. As either a first-time or repeat buyer, you must not be concerned only about price but also about the ‘long term cost’ of the home.
There are many factors that influence the ‘cost’ of a home. Two of the major ones are the home’s appreciation over time, and the interest rate at which a buyer can borrow the funds necessary to purchase their home. The rate at which these two factors can change is often referred to as “The Cost of Waiting”.
According to CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Index, prices are expected to rise by 4.7% by this time next year.
Additionally, Freddie Mac’s most recent Economic Commentary & Projections Tablepredicts that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate will appreciate to 4.7% in that same time.
Here is a simple demonstration of what impact these projected changes would have on the mortgage payment of a home selling for approximately $250,000 today:
Getting ready to sell your home? It would be awesome to hire a home stager.
Home stagers are paid to furnish a home and help it look its best. What they create isn’t so much the ideal living environment but rather the idealized one—one in which there are no awkward furniture arrangements, toys on the floor, crumbs on the countertops, or surprises in the toilet. It’s not maintainable for most people everyday, but boy, does it work when selling your home!
Stagers typically have furniture and accessories at their disposal—not to mention interior design degrees. But they can cost hundreds—even thousands—of dollars. Fortunately, you can achieve great results by using some of their tricks.
Clear it out and clean it up
The first step in preparing any home for sale is to clear it out and clean it up, getting rid of clutter and personal items and scrubbing it down.
“De-cluttering — and having a pristine home from top to bottom — are the no-brainers that can make your real estate look better than the house down the block,” said Better Homes and Gardens. “Your home must be cleaner and less cluttered than it’s ever been. You need to banish not just the day-to-day buildup (the mail, the shoes, last season’s clothes, the dog hair), but also several years’ accumulation.”
Removing kids’ toys, outdated furnishings, and excessive knickknacks can help. Whatever you can’t sell or donate, box up and store at a friend or relative’s house, or rent a storage unit for a couple of months. Or, if you can do so neatly and without compromising your garage space, stack them along a wall.
Depersonalize
A house that reflects your personal style from floor to ceiling and all over the walls (and every other surface) will have a hard time appealing to buyers.
“Prospective buyers won’t be able to picture themselves in the house if they’re surrounded by dozens of photos of your children and grandparents,” said Bankrate.
Update the bathroom
Not everyone has the funds for a big bathroom renovation prior to selling. Smart changes can make a big difference.
“Avoid dated tile by painting. Bathrooms sell houses, but dated tile in a bathroom doesn’t. A low-cost alternative to replacing the tile is to use paint,” said HGTV. “First coat the tiles with a high-adhesion primer.
Next, brush on a special ceramic epoxy covering. For a fraction of the cost of new tile, you will have an up-to-date bathroom that brings in big bucks.”
Pay attention to design details
After you’ve cleared away the clutter, you want to focus on creating simple, elegant designs. It’s easier than it seems.
“For a visual impact on a table without a lot of fuss, remember a design basic: Groupings of odd numbers always do the trick! Three of a kind, like…hurricane jars, filled with something as simple as pinecones, makes a ridiculously easy and dynamic table scape,” said Katie Jane Interiors.
Up your curb appeal
Make sure you make a great first impression, or you might not have an opportunity to make a second impression.
“You may have spent hours making sure the kitchen is clean, and doing so is worth the effort,” sad Bob Vila. “But remember, the facade is the first part of your house a potential buyer will see. A little landscaping can go a long way. Strapped for time? Potted plants placed around the front door will add welcome charm to your entryway.”
Pay attention to odors
We get used to our environment, so we might notice that musty smell or cat box aroma. Have your realtor or a trusted friend do a walk through and give you an honest assessment—not just of the way the house looks, but how it smells. Then take action to improve it. Start by steam cleaning the carpets and any upholstered pieces that need it.
Don’t ignore the windows
Windows that are cloaked by outdated or heavy window coverings can negatively impact the image your home projects. Open the blinds and replace drapes with inexpensive versions that will let the light in and frame the views.
“Need to dress up a window but don’t want to shell out big bucks for window treatments? Here’s a trick: Use place mats,” said HGTV. “First, apply a hook-and-loop fastener to the place mats and attach them in a row to a basic curtain rod. Now that the place mats are attached to the curtain rods, pin them together at the bottom, and you’ll have a stylish valance that costs about $12.”
Upgrade the Furniture
Giving your home a fresh, clean look with new furniture can make it feel more modern and appeal to more buyers. Don’t have money for new stuff? “Try giving worn-out pieces a pick-me-up with new pillows or a slipcover,” said Bob Vila.
While you’re at it, take a look at your furniture layout too. “Your preferred setup may not be the most appealing one to would-be buyers. Where logical, opt for a social layout that makes it easy to envision the space being enjoyed among family and friends.”
Give rooms a single purpose
That home office that doubles as a guest room is useful, but when it comes time to sell your home, pick one and run with it. “Potential buyers are confused by extra rooms that have a mishmash of uses,” said HGTV.
Shared from Realty Times
After months, maybe even years, of looking at homes online, going to open houses and stalking listing data, the time has come. You’ve fallen for a home, and you’re ready to make your first offer. It can be scary, but it’s exciting at the same time.
Here are some pointers to keep in mind as you throw your home-buying hat in the ring for the first time.
Keep in mind that when it comes to making an offer, there is no single right answer and no “exact” price or terms for a home you covet. As a savvy buyer, you’ve got the market knowledge and experience it takes to analyze the deal. Believe in yourself.
Take what you’ve learned, partner with a great agent, and trust your judgment. Think about the homes you’ve toured and open houses you’ve attended, and you will naturally start to see where your home of choice fits in the context of the market.
If you are ready to pull the trigger, first find out what the story is with the listing. In order to come up with the best offer, you’ll need to know how long the home has been on the market, if there are other offers on the table currently, and if there’s a specific day the sellers will review the offers.
You can uncover a lot by learning about the seller. Find out why they’re selling and what their motivations are. Pull all that information together and then mesh it with comparable homes’ sales data.
Your agent should send you the last six months of recent sales data to review and compare. These “comps” tell about the most recent market and what current buyers/sellers have agreed on for a sale price.
Look at the pending sales first and see if your agent can uncover some information about those transactions. You want to ask about the number of offers they received or a ballpark selling price. The pending sales represent the most up-to-date market statistics. Ask your agent what his opinion of the home’s value is and start to mull over this information.
Your lender should be on speed dial at this point. Let her know you plan to make an offer on the home. Not only will you need a pre-approval letter with your offer, but you will want an update on mortgage rates and products, since these change daily.
From the time you applied for pre-approval until now, there could have been a massive shift in rates or a new product that could benefit you. For all you know, you can afford more, or that bonus you received last month could mean a higher down payment and qualifying for a better product.
In addition to price, you will need to decide on terms. How long will you take for your inspections? Do you want to close quickly or take a longer time? Will you need an appraisal and loan contingency? How long should that be?
The terms of your offer can make or break your deal. If the seller wants a quick close, and you can do it, give it to them. If you are competing with a cash offer, make your loan terms foolproof. Marry all of the data from above and take your best shot.
Rarely does a buyer score the first house they offer on. And it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. There will be other homes for sale.
People change jobs, get divorced, move closer to family, have children or pass away. All of these things can result in a home sale or purchase.
Have faith that another home will come along in the future. There’s no rush, and you should never buy real estate overnight. Have fun, and learn from each offer you make.
Shared from Zillow Blog
For many of us, leaving friends and neighbors behind can be the toughest part of moving to a new home. These five tips will help you make connections and settle into your new community in no time.
For an extrovert, walking over to a neighbor’s home to say hello may feel like a no-brainer. But for more reserved personalities, this tried-and-true method usually requires a bit of warmup. Start with a friendly wave as you drive by, then work your way up to a face-to-face introduction. Remember, timing is everything. You don’t want to disturb your neighbors in the middle of dinner or while they’re struggling to get a fussy toddler down for the night. Try to catch them when they’re already outside, or aim for a weekend afternoon when everyone is much more likely to be relaxed and open to a brief, friendly chat.
Can’t work up the nerve to knock on doors? In this age of electronic communication, a nice handwritten note can be a welcome surprise. Write a few lines for your closest neighbors introducing yourself and inviting them over for a cup of coffee or cocktail at their convenience. Be sure to personalize each note by including a small conversation starter — the roses in front of your home are absolutely stunning; we’re poodle-lovers, too! — then drop your letters at your neighbors’ front doors or in their mailboxes.
If you’ve got school-age children, accompany them to the bus stop for the first few days of class. You’re likely to run into at least one other parent who can fill you in on both neighborhood and school happenings — and people love to talk about their kids, so you won’t have to worry about awkward silences and finding common ground. Exchange contact info and invite the family over for some weekend fun.
Our pets often are the friendliest members of the family! Let your four-legged companion break the ice for you. Dog parks are a natural spot for meeting new friends, both canine and human. You can also meet fellow pet lovers while walking your dog through your neighborhood — cleaning up any messes, of course. You can get recommendations for trails, vets and parks, as well as ask about any pet-themed meetups in the area.
Don’t let the name fool you: Book clubs are as much about socializing as they are about reading. Check out your library or local bookstore for groups near you, or you can find one online. If possible, contact the host ahead of time to ask whether you should bring any refreshments (wine!) and come armed with a few key insights about the book and recommendations for the following go-round. Who knows? You could pick the next talk of the town.
Once you’ve made a few connections, team up to host a neighborhood block party. Volunteer to handle snacks and other logistics, and ask your more-established neighbors to spread the word. Pick a seasonal theme — hot dogs and lemonade for summer, cookies and warm cider for fall — and spend an afternoon meeting new friends and getting the inside scoop on the best places to eat and play near your new home. Before you call it a day, pass the torch to another neighbor and make the block party a new tradition.
Shared from Zillow Blog
In a strong market, if a home is priced right and shows well, it should sell within the first six weeks. If it doesn’t, many sellers become frustrated, especially if their agent begins pushing for a price reduction.
It’s a common rub: the seller thinks the agent just wants a quick sale, but the agent sincerely wants to help the seller get action. Agents understand that a listing loses momentum and excitement soon after being listed. Buyers will think of a home as stale, tired, or flawed if it sits on the market too long. Here are some ways to get more traction if your home is not generating offers.
You can’t change your home’s location, but you do have some control over the other two important buyer considerations. If the home is still sitting on the market after a few months, and especially if it has had no showings or offers, you need to look at the price and the condition.
You have two big choices to make if you are ready to sell. The first is to take the home off the market and make some changes, such as staging, de-cluttering, and altering the look of the kitchens and bathrooms.
If you are getting specific feedback about one part of the home, change it. A few months off the market will ensure that, when it comes back on, there will be a new set of buyers taking a look at your fresh listing.
If you are unwilling to make the needed changes to the home, the other option is to reduce the price. I recently visited with sellers who built a brand new beautiful home with excellent finishes and fixtures. But after four months, they only had two showings, and in a market where homes were selling with multiple offers within weeks.
The issue was the location. It was the absolute best home on a very tough block, and the setting was not private. In this case, the sellers had no choice. There was no moving or improving the house. The only option was to drop the price.
The sellers opted to take the home off the market and rent it because they were not ready to sell at the recommended price.
If you and your agent don’t see eye-to-eye on the pricing or sales strategy prior to listing, it might be time to find another agent.
You want an agent who has your back and who is on the same page as you. Without that synergy, you could be in for unnecessary conflict six weeks in.
Discuss your intentions with your agent upfront, and listen to her feedback. A price reduction or low offer shouldn’t come as a surprise. But if the home isn’t selling, and the seller wants to see action, a good listing agent will ask for offers, follow up with interested parties, and let them know that the seller wants to sell. Reducing the listed price may not be necessary if there’s a buyer who understands that the seller will entertain an offer below the asking price.
You may have to see firsthand how the market works. If you list your home at a lower price than you’re comfortable with, you may be sorry if you get offers right away. But if you price it higher and don’t get any response after some time, then you will see the market speak for itself. I’d much rather have seller clients in the latter situation than the former.
Every scenario is different, and it’s so important to work with an agent who is in synch with your strategy and can help you adapt to your market.
Shared from Zillow Blog
As the summer drags along, home buying activity remains brisk. And U.S. mortgage rates are providing a helping hand, according to Freddie Mac.
Mortgage rates have now dropped for the second consecutive week.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 3.98 percent for the week ending July 30, down from 4.04 percent the previous week.
A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.12 percent.
Several events helped push rates lower. A drop in Chinese stock market caused U.S. Treasury yields to drop, which subsequently helped lower mortgage rates, said Sean Becketti, chief economist for Freddie Mac.
”The mortgage rate has bounced between 3.98 and 4.09 percent since the first full week of June, falling a bit when events overseas take a turn for the worse and rising when the clouds appear ready to part,” Becketti said. “With no clear direction coming from the Fed this afternoon, we expect more of the same in coming weeks.”
The historic low for 30-year rates was 3.31 percent in November 2012.
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Shared from Nashville Business Journal
