Chattanooga Real Estate Blog

Unfortunately all we hear about is how bad the market is.  Everything isn’t terrible, in fact it’s a great time to be a buyer.
A few reasons:

1.  Plenty to choose from

There are more homes on the market now than there has been in ages so you have a huge selection to choose from.

2.  Rates are still good

While rates have inched up a little they are still pretty good if you have decent credit. 

3.  Favorable negotiations can be had

Sellers are offering incentives to buyers, reducing prices, and leaving appliances.  I know of one seller in Chattanooga who is offering a 2008 automobile to the person who buys their home!

I guess they finally figured out people were getting smart about their old 419 scams so they are getting a little more creative. 

Renters and buyers often post phone numbers, instant messenger nicknames and e-mail addresses on forums along with specific descriptions of the kind of property they’re looking for.

This makes it easy for scammers to write proposals that will elicit further information, said Chris Boyd, security research manager for FaceTime Communications Inc., a security vendor.

Read the whole article here including links to some of the emails involved.  Amazing…

National Night Out is a a wonderful campaign that has been going on for 24 years to unite the public and the police against crime and drugs.  The NNO 2007 is tonight. 

The only community I am aware of locally who is participating is St. Elmo.   Pack a picnic dinner and take the family to the park in St. Elmo from 7 to 9.  In addition to meeting your neighbors and local law enforcement officers there will be balloons and activities for the kids.

If you live in one of those climates who has to endure heavy rains and damage to your home, we can help you water proof your home so that you don’t have to worry when it rains. One of the first things that you should do is caulk any cracks or leaks around windows or doors that would otherwise let the rain in. This is something that should be done every year. Hot sun in the summer can cause caulking to crack so before the rainy season hits then you should make your rounds.

Make a check of the trees that are on your property and pick up all of the dead branches and if you see any dead branches hanging, remove them before a storm hits with wind and these branches fall off. Another source of water build up is in the roof gutters, every three or four months you should clean out the gutters, leaves and branches could clog up the gutters and the water build up could actually rot out the roof making it susceptible for collapse.

If you have a swimming pool, try to lower the water level so when it rains the rainwater won’t overflow the pool area and cause some flooding. You should also check your sewer traps and make sure they plugged with check valves. These check valves will lead the water in only one direction so the water flows away from your home rather than inside of it. When you know you are expected a very heavy rain, if you have an automatic sprinkler, try to remember to turn off them off so you don’t flood out your lawn.

If you have a sump pump you should make sure it is working and you should have on hand sandbags and sand just in case you need them. Depending on where you live, fire departments will provide sandbags and you can go to the local masonry and buy some sand.

Any little bit helps when you are trying to protect your home even if it is from rain. Rain may not seem like a big deal but it can certainly do a lot of damage if you are not prepared. 

Barry Schwartz at Cartoon Barry Blog is in the process of buying a home.  He just had his home inspection done and has made a post on how invaluable it was and that a home inspection is a must. 

His inspector was with House Master.  Most people who know me know that House Master is also one of the companies I recommend.  Just thought his post was a great testimonial and that I would share it with you.

I was surfing the TVA site and found a really good site they have for kids, TVAKids.com.  I don’t know if you have ever been to the main TVA site but it’s your typical government website. 

They did a great job with the kids site though.  It has a simple and easy to understand explanation of how TVA handles flood control, the making of electricity, TVA history and much more.  There are puzzles, games and quizes.  I just can’t tell you how impressed I am with it.  I never thought TVA would have put something like this together:)

The summer brings warm weather and plenty of sunshine but it also brings high energy bills. There are ways to lower your bills during these hot months. You should first and foremost have energy efficient appliances, these will save you money in the long run as well. If you are in the market for an air conditioner make sure that the energy star label is on the unit. Most people end up buying air conditioners that are the incorrect size. If you get a unit that has too many BTU’s then you are wasting energy and if you get a unit where the BTU’s are too low then you are wasting energy because the air conditioner is not doing the job.

Most people work all day and they are out of the home, but there are some people in the heat of the summer that will put the air conditioning on so when they get home they will have a cool house. But instead of wasting energy during the day , try getting a timer. By placing the unit on a timer you can set the unit to go on a half an hour before you get home. The house will be cool and you did not have to have the air on for hours while no one is home.

To keep the house cool as well you should install ceiling fans , they actually lower the temperatures about 10 degrees. The circulating air definitely cools down the room . Plant trees and bushes that will create shade from eth outside. Grass is actually a heat absorber, if the sun hits the lawn the right way the grass will help diffuse the heat. You should keep all window shades and blinds closed during the day, by keeping them closed you can help keep out the heat. The cooler you keep your house without using the air conditioning you can save money.

Check the attic insulation, by insulating the attic it will keep the upstairs rooms cool. Install a house fan or attic fan, these fans are created to remove the hot air from the house by creating an opposite of circulating air, they actually suck the hot air out keeping the air cool. Make sure all of your windows and doors are weatherproof as well.

I’ve been busy for the last couple of weeks working on a new project!  I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag yet but I’m sooo excited!  Unveiling will be in a couple more weeks.

Happy Home Realty has named its Top Real Estate Agents for the second quarter of 2007. These real estate professionals had the highest real estate sales volume for the months of April thru June. Happy Home Realty’s top agents are: Karen Rhodes, Michael Fraley, Diane Rizzo, Karen Hethcoat, Pam Dietsch, Jennelle Jumper, Judy Wanamaker, Joel Huddleston, Jim Oric, and Sharon Furrow.

Thank you to all the Happy Home Realty agents.  Due to their dedication and hard work the second quarter and the month of June were recording breaking periods for the company said Happy Huddleston, owner and principal broker of Happy Home Realty.

Happy Home Realty, with locations in Chattanooga and East Ridge, is locally owned by Howard “Happy” Huddleston and has over 40 agents serving the Chattanooga metro area. Happy Home Realty is licensed in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

My KarenRhodes.com site has a "Your Home’s Value" button.  This is a request for a market analysis on your home to give you an idea of what your home might bring on the open market. 

I have been getting a rash of people requesting this information who already have their home listed with another REALTOR®.   Unfortunately I have not been able to provide a market analysis to any of these people.  I have responded by explaining since they are represented I am unable to assist them at this point.  Article 16 of the Code of Ethics addresses interaction with represented parties.  Basically, I can’t do it. 

I take that back, there is a loop hole in article 16.  It’s Standard of Practice 16-6 which says if you contact me I "may discuss the terms upon which they might enter into a future agreement or, alternatively, may enter into an agreement which becomes effective upon expiration of any existing exclusive agreement." 

If you are nearing the end of your listing agreement and wish to speak to me about your home please, wait till your current contract expires.  I’m sorry but my reputation is very important to me and I hope you understand.