Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Only the Second Fattest?!


Boy, are we Tennesseans in trouble. According to the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we are fat, fat, fat, fat, fat! Not pleasant news for those of us who live here. Apparently, almost 1/3 of all Tennessee adults are carrying around a lot of extra baggage.

Disconcerting? Absolutely! Obesity is preceded by problems with low income, poor education and lack of access to nearby grocery stores and safe neighborhoods, and other issues.

Discipline is really the bottom line. How many of us are really disciplined enough to control our diets and to head to the gym or even outside for a brisk walk?! Are we willing to pack up the extra portions at our favorite restaurant and bring them home to eat for another meal?

I'm not sure about you, but I prefer to live a little longer. And the more pounds I put on, and the fatter I get, the less likely I am to live longer. My goal for the remainder of 2010? Drop a few pounds and get lean. Come on, it's not that hard

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.
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Need a real estate agent who understands Middle Tennessee area and the real estate market? Give me a call and let me lend you a hand.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The Best Father's Day Gift


I've often wondered what the first Father's Day gift was back in 1910. Maybe it was a tie. Throughout the years, I've received my share of Father's Day gifts. Everything from ties to shirts to gift cards made the list, but this year, I received the best gift ever.

When I opened my gift, I discovered something so precious that I will treasure it forever. No, not a brick of gold, or a nice new watch, or anything material. It was a book. That's right - a plain, simple book. Once inside I saw photos of my children on every page accompanied by descriptive words about each of them. You see, Annie and Hunter are the most precious gifts that any dad could have. Since they were born I've told them over and over again, "If I had to go to the ______ year old grocery story, I'd pick you out every single time!" I said it then and I say it now. There is NO GREATER gift in this life than children.

When Annie was born in February of 1994, she was a little early. Prior to her birth, she was an active baby. Her mother and I thought sure she would be a boy because she continually kicked and rolled over. She was born after over 24 hours of labor and weighed in at 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Hunter, on the other hand, was a little quieter baby. He was big, though, at 9 pounds 3 ounces, and he was a late arrival - about a week late.

I'm proud of my children and and love them with all of my heart. I'm sure you think your kids are the best, but I have to disagree -- mine are! And everyone says so! If you could get to know them, you'd see that they argue and fight sometimes. Annie tries to "steamroll" over Hunter, but he doesn't let her do that too often. He stands up for himself. But he has a much more tender heart. Hunter is more compassionate while Annie is a confident leader.

When I became a dad back in 1994, it was one of the greatest events in my life. And it happened again for a second time in November of 1995. Two great kids and the wonderful blessings that they bring. I'm so grateful ............

Friday, June 18, 2010

Washington STILL Hasn't Passed Flood Insurance Coverage!

Usually I don't rant and rave about anything much on this blog, but today is different. Right now, real estate transactions where houses sit in any of the AE flood plains in Tennessee ARE NOT able to close. Why? Because the US Senate has NOT voted to pass the bill that extends flood coverage for millions of homeowners nationwide. Without flood insurance, lenders will not allow homes in flood plains to close because there is no coverage for those homes.

Phone calls to Senator Lamar Alexander's office this week revealed that this is a political maneuver by self-serving politicians. Right now, the Senate is considering bill H.R. 4213, a jobs and tax loophole bill that includes language renewing the extension of the coverage. CLICK HERE for more info about the bill.



The Senate has had the bill since last week and it came to the floor earlier this week. Unfortunately, there have been 180 proposed amendments to the bill, some of which have passed, some of which haven't. Even if the Senate votes for the bill, it then has to go back to the House for that body to approve it.

When asked why the flood insurance extension could not be isolated, I was told by Ashley (one of Senator Alexander's assistants) that the Democrats stopped this move originally initiated by Republicans. Unfortunately, the Republicans will not vote for the bill because the bill INCREASES OUR DEFICIT. Republicans want the Stimulus Money to pay for the expenses of the bill, but the Democrats refuse to agree to that.

It doesn't really matter where any of us stand politically. The problem we face is that our representatives are doing nothing more than playing ego-centric games, using bills (such as this one) to foster their own careers instead of taking care of the people who elected them.

If you want to contact your senator's office to register your dissatisfaction about this issue, then CLICK HERE to find the contact phone number for your senator. Even if you don't live in Middle Tennessee, PLEASE call your senator and express your concern for your fellow Americans.
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To work with an agent who knows the Middle Tennessee real estate market, and who is abreast of what's going on the world of real estate, give me a call. I can be reached at 615.373.3513 or via email: jack@jackjernigan.com.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Delayed Closing?

The media is pushing for Congress to extend the deadline to close on homes contracted by April 30 of this year. Due to unforeseen circumstances, some buyer are not able to close by the end of the month deadline. Most of those homes constitute short sales that have taken the seller's lenders longer-than-necessary to approve.

Are you one of those buyers? If you are, or know someone who is, read THIS.

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To work with a real estate agent who will look out for your interests, give me a shout. I'm ready and able to help. You can contact me at 615.373.3513 or via email at jack@jackjernigan.com.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Not Quite the Top 20, but Close!


Nashville just barely missed the Top 20 US Cities that have the best quality of life, a result of evaluating the top 67 US major market cities. Ranked by Portfolio.com, there were 20 different criteria, including: well-rounded healthy economies; light traffic; moderate cost of living; household income; home ownership; and strong educational systems.

Raleigh, North Carolina hailed as number 1. An obvious choice for all the high-tech jobs that Raleigh boasts. Another North Carolina city similar in size to Nashville, Charlotte ranks number 16. With the fifth fastest population growth since 2000, it's a shoe-in for a little higher ranking. My old hometown, Richmond, Virginia, ranked 20, just barely making it into the top 20. With scores fairly even in every category, Richmond does boast a high quality of life.

Check out the top 25 slide show and read the synopsis on each one. You may be surprised at some of those that made the top 20 list.
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Real estate isn't rocket science, but it does take skill, professionalism and knowledge to make your way through each local market. For help with your real estate needs in and around Nashville, please give me a shout. You can reach me at: 615-373-3513, or through email: jack@jackjernigan.com

Record Home Sale for Nashville


Well, it sold ... Alan and Denise Jackson's home in Franklin ... for a cool $28 million. This sale is Middle Tennessee's highest home sale in history and it makes Tayna Tucker's 2007 sale of just over $11 million look like chump change.

The Jacksons paid $1.2 million for the 135 acre tract of land in 1993, then built their three-story colonial home on that estate.

You can check out the 50 photos of the estate, CLICK HERE. And to read the entire article in The Tennessean, then choose THIS LINK.

Enjoy the slide show. The house is quite amazing.
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To work with a real estate agent who knows the Middle Tennessee market, give me a shout. I'm here to help you with all of your real estate needs.