You're in Luck with Two Men and a Truck!

After 15 moves, I needed a reliable moving company to get my things loaded and unloaded quickly and safely. Several clients had used Two Men and a Truck, and with all their rave reviews, I decided to give them a try. Thanks to James and John, with Two Men and a Truck, it was a successful and pleasant experience.

Scheduled to arrive around 8 this morning, my only disappointment was their late arrival after 8:30. Later on I found out that their longer-than-usual staff meeting was the reason for the delay.

John and James didn't waste any time getting started. Idle chit-chat, cigarette breaks, and casual dilly-dallying were never part of the time I paid for. These guys hustled - and I mean HUSTLED!. An hour later, they had loaded everything and were ready to go.

Watching them unload and place everything is still mesmerizing. By noon, they were ready to leave my new home. Everything was in it's place and it had arrived safely.

If you're looking for a great company to move you, look no further than Two Men and a Truck. To book, call Katie at 615-248-6288 x201. She can book your move and give you an estimate of how much time it'll take. Mention the discount coupon and she'll send you one in the mail. Also when you call, ask for James and John to move you. They're the best!
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If you're looking for a real estate agent who knows the entire business of making a move, give me a call. I'd love to help you with all of your real estate needs.

Ice House

In the 1950s, Detroit was a thriving city of 1.8 million. Today, having experienced a mass exodus of jobs, the people went elsewhere and the city, a declining metropolis, is now at half of it's highest population.

Sad, but true, Detroit is also saddled with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. House after house sits empty and a group called Object Orange is painting the vacant houses orange to draw attention to the city's blight and decay.

An artist and an architect plan on turning a house into a piece of art - the subject of photographs - to draw attention to the significant distress the city is in.

This project could have been done in another city, but it would not have had the significance that it does in Detroit. Check out the story by CLICKING HERE. There's a link to the artist's blog at the bottom of the article. You may find that as interesting.
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I can help you find a foreclosure or short sale to buy, or if you're currently in dire straights with your home, give me a shout. I'm here to help.

Has Your Agent Checked Thoroughly?

When a real estate agent represents a client, he does so through the very end of the transaction. Part of that representation is to make sure that ALL of the numbers on the HUD-1 Settlement Statement (the document that shows what is being received and paid out by the seller and buyer) are accurate.

Six weeks ago, I sold a listing where the contract stated, "Seller to pay $3500 toward buyer's closings costs, prepaids and points." The lender only charged $2900 to close the buyer's loan for this transaction, but when I received my copy of the HUD-1 to review, an "additional" $495 was charged to the seller. The charge? A home warranty.

While a home warranty is usually covered by a seller to benefit the buyer, this buyer specifically WAIVED a home warranty. So why was the additional charge on the statement? When I called the seller's title company and protested the charge, it was removed. Apparently the buyer's title company "wanted to try it to see if the seller would pay it." That is an actual quote from their representative.

Just recently one of my sellers asked why it was important for there to be a "split" closing, utilizing two title companies. This is the very reason why. In the real world, title companies are technically and legally supposed to be NEUTRAL parties to the transactions. However, in recent years, title companies have taken on the role of "representative" of either the buyer or seller. In this situation, the buyer's title company SHOULD have actually told the buyer, 'no' to the request to charge the seller for the warranty. After all, the warranty was not agreed to by either party.

Representation took on it's current state several years ago when foreclosing banks started contracting with title companies to handle their sale transactions. By contracting with them, they received a reduced rate in their fees in exchange for giving the title company all of their business. Unfortunately, this 'representation' mentality has seeped into mainstream title companies as well because buyers and sellers would have battles at the closing table. Voila - split closings.

If you are buying and/or selling a home, make sure you ask your real estate agent to review the HUD-1 Settlement Statement very closely. A good agent will pull the contract out while reviewing it to make sure everything is followed precisely.
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Looking for a qualified agent to help you buy or sell your home? Give me a shout. You can reach me by email (jack@jackjernigan.com) or by phone (615-373-3513 - office). I'd love to help you with all of your real estate needs.

Dealing With an Offer

Unless it's a very strong seller's market, sellers should be careful when responding to an offer on their house. Some sellers still think they can dictate what they'll take for their home, using the "take it or leave it" approach.

This is not the time to use that strategy. Unfortunately, many buyers are 'low-balling' the house in their offers and want everything in the world with the house - refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc. And they also want a seller-paid home warranty, seller-paid closing costs and sometimes more.

A house that needs significant repairs and/or updating will never command it's highest potential price. However, a house that is in pristine condition will always command top dollar. You may wait a little longer for an offer, but any house that is priced "right" will sell within a very reasonable period of time.

If the house is in great condition, and is priced within the parameters of area comparables, then the seller should stick to his/her guns on price, terms and conditions. However, to respond back at full list price, paying no closing costs, not furnishing a home warranty - the major things buyers want to negotiate - will mean buyers will probably walk away from the potential deal.

If the house is in poor condition, concessions should be made at the listing time for those items. If not, then an offer will probably not be realized.

When responding to an offer, sellers should be willing to work with whatever has been submitted. Just because an offer is lower does not mean that the buyer expects to walk away paying that price. Sometimes the buyer may submit a lower offer to see what the seller will actually be willing to do.

Real estate transactions have to be "win-win" for everyone. A good real estate agent can help a seller negotiate the contract out to become a winning situation for everyone. Giving a little on end will cause the buyer to give a little. If the buyer is unwilling to give anything at all in the negotiations, then the buyer is not a serious buyer. A seller who has the same mentality is also not a serious seller.

Let's say that house is priced at $210,000. The buyer offers the following: $195,000 sale price, asks the seller to pay up to $6000 toward buyer's closing costs, asks the seller to pay a home warranty, asks the seller to pay for the termite letter but the buyer will pick the termite company, and the closing will be in 45 days. In this example, the seller really needs a higher sale price, thinks the closing costs are too high, doesn't have a problem with paying for the warranty, and really wants to close in 21 days. How should the seller respond?

If a seller wants a higher price, then he/she can pay more buyer's closing costs and/or agree to a longer closing time. If closing quicker is more important to the seller, then the seller can agree to a lower sale price. The seller would not necessarily have to accept the $195,000 as a sale price, but could possibly agree to $202,000. The seller could also counter back with $4000 in closing.

In any offer situation, the seller needs to weigh things very cautiously in the current Middle Tennessee market. With the $8,000 tax credit coming to an end, the seller needs to understand that first time buyers in the $200,000 price range may actually disappear from the radar. If the seller will not negotiate a win-win situation, there may not be another offer for a long time and they may not see a reasonable price for a while, either.

General rule of thumb: The first offer is the best offer.
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If you're looking for a real estate agent who knows and understand the current real estate market in the Nashville area, give me a call. I'd love to help you with all of your real estate needs.

Yard Sale Extravaganza

In the northeast, they're called tag sales. Down here, they're either yard sales or garage sales. In any case, these are sales where the sellers try to sell used and/or new items at substantially discounted prices. Yard sale sellers desperately want to get ride of their unwanted/unneeded items and yard sale buyers are looking for a great deal on new treasures.

Ever done a yard sale? If not, you need to do at least one. A few years back, we did two of them. The year was 1995 and we made about $300. The next year we made about $800. We thought we had struck gold.

At our yard sales, I had the time of my life. I LOVED negotiating prices with the buyers. Sealing the deal was like being in heaven.

Some tips for a successful yard sale:
1 - Write a creative ad for print and online venues. Intrigue people to come. Include start and end times, address, and directions.

2 - Make directional and yard signs bright and prominent. Better to put up too many than not enough. If you can't be found, you can't sell. (Check with your local county or town for sign restrictions.)

3 - Have plenty of people on hand. One person needs to man the cash box; the others need to sell and negotiate with buyers.

4 - Price items to sell. Even in Brentwood, Franklin, West Meade, and Green Hills, people are looking for a bargain. A few sellers price things too high. That's a sure sign they don't really want to part with their items.

5 - Be flexible in negotiations. Win-win is the key for successful sales.

6 - Establish a time and place with a clear start time and end time.

7 - Open early. Have your items ready to go at least an hour before your published start time for the early birds. Early birds are the serious garage/yard salers. Be open early because they will be your best buyers.

8 - Everything should be CLEAN and organized by type of item. For example, all clothing should be sorted by Men's, Women's, Boy's, Girl's, etc. Stack dishes together. Christmas ornaments and decorations should be together. Tools should be in the same location. If it's junky, then throw it away.

9 - Be organized. When negotiating, carry a pen and a pad of paper with you. Write the TOTAL number of items and the TOTAL SALE PRICE on a sheet of paper and sign it so the cashier knows that this is the price you're willing to sell the items for.

10 - Gauge the sale. When you're down to the last 60 to 90 minutes, check the traffic out. You may slash prices at that point to get the last items sold. Consider selling everything in a "lot" or discount prices to 50%. The less you have to keep, the better.

11 - Arrange for Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or some other charity lined up to pick up your left overs within two hours after the sale ends.

12 - Have fun!

Isn't it time for you to go clean out that garage, your closets, your house?! There's no better time for a yard sale than right now.
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To work with an agent who understands how to get your home ready to sell, give me a call. I'm more than happy to help you get the price, terms and conditions that are acceptable to you in the sale of your home. And I can also give you a hand in getting that yard sale going.

Oh, and I'm having a yard sale this Saturday (10/24). Look for my ad on Craigslist and on Facebook this coming Friday.

Sweet Tomato Barbecue Burgers

I mentioned on my Facebook page that I enjoyed Sweet Tomato Barbecue Burgers last night for dinner. Several friends asked for the recipe. So .... here it is ...

Ingredients
4 (8-ounce) fresh ready-to-cook stuffed burger patties
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained)
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
4 hamburger buns
4 slices American cheese

Steps

1. Preheat grill. Place burgers on grill (wash hands); close lid (or cover loosely with foil). Grill 3–5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. (Grills vary widely; adjust time as needed.)
Note: Burgers may be cooked in grill pan preheated on medium-high. Lightly coat pan with canola oil. Cook time will be about the same.

2. While burgers cook, place tomatoes, ranch dressing, and barbecue sauce in food processor (or blender). Process 1 minute or until smooth. Spread tomato mixture on top halves of buns.

3. Top each burger with 1 slice of cheese; then place burgers on buns. Serve.

My notes:

(1) This recipe calls for a pre-made burger from Publix Supermarkets. If you do not have a Publix in your area, you can make the burgers yourself. You'll need ground chuck, well-done cooked bacon, and mild cheddar cheese. Mix the bacon and cheese in with the ground beef. Since there is no specific proportions for these burgers, you'll have to just experiment with what satisfies your taste. A word of warning: don't add too much bacon and cheese to the burgers. Adding too much will cause them to fall apart while grilling.

(2) I use store brand Lite ranch dressing and store brand original barbecue sauce.

(3) I prefer sliced cheddar cheese on my burgers, an alternative to American cheese that this recipe calls for.

For the full menu including dessert, utensils you need, and a full shopping list, CLICK HERE.

To work with a real estate agent who enjoys life and people, give me a call. I'm here to give you a hand with all of your real estate needs.

Home Sales and Mortgage Rates

Well, the numbers are in and it's good news and bad news. The good news is that home sales were up in August of this year from July of this year. The bad news is that sale were down in August of this year compared to August of last year. Other good news: that decline from 2008 to 2009 is only 9.2%, unlike the 22-30% drops we've seen in past months.

My listings have received a lot of showings over the last two weeks, good news for sellers. There are also lots of houses out there on the market that need to be sold. Those houses selling are the ones that are the best value - great condition and location for the best price.

And for people who want to refinance or buy a home, the good news is that rates remain around 5%. A loan officer friend of mine and I had lunch last week and he mentioned that he strongly believes that rates will be around the 6% mark in about four to six months from now. While there's no absolute guarantee, you may want to consider talking with your mortgage loan officer so you can make a move to either buy or refinance.

The Nashville Business Journal has both of these articles online. For information about home sales in the area, just CLICK HERE. And for more information about mortage rates, CLICK THIS LINK.

If you're looking for an agent who has a handle on the current market conditions in the Middle Tennessee area, look no further. I'd love to give you a hand with your real estate needs.

Want to Live in a LEGO House?

Almost unbelievable, I ran across this article today about a toy fanatic, James May, who built an entire house out of LEGOs. It took 3.3 million LEGO bricks, or a total of over 816 million LEGO pieces. It also has a working bathroom. Sound interesting? Take a quick peek at the pics and articles about it online.

Check out these links:
- UPI.com
- ArchDaily.com
- i-am-bored.com
- DailyMail.co.uk

I'm not sure about you, but as much as I loved to play with LEGOs as a kid, I'm not sure I'd want to live in a LEGO house, as interesting as it is.

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If you're looking for a real estate professional who knows his business well and works hard to represent buyers and sellers, then give me a shout. You can reach me by phone or by email. I'm happy to help you with your real estate needs.

All Around Tough Day

Ever had one of those tough days? You know what I'm talking about. It's days like today when nothing seems to goes right.

Oversleeping this morning, driving 90 minutes out of my way to pick up paperwork, arriving to work late, missing my 9 a.m. appointment, putting out fires that sprang up in the last few days, people being more sensitive than usual, goals not being met, conflict in relationships, rainy weather, a headache that won't stop ..... and the list goes on.

I wish I could tell you that I have it all together, but I can't - and don't! A few years ago, I admitted to a friend at work that I wasn't a superman. And while I felt free after sharing it, it devastated her. Sometimes we want people to be superhuman. But I can't be - ever! I'm just not a perfect man.

Chances are, most people have felt this way at some time or another. The frustration and hopelessness and defeat can get to all of us. I'm sure I can come up with some motivational quote about how defeat only makes us stronger and enables us to succeed down the road. And that quote may last a while, but it won't change our lives forever.

The truth is, while I don't feel very well today, I know that tomorrow will be a better day. My hope rests not in myself or my abilities, but within the person of Jesus Christ. Thank goodness for my relationship with Him. His unconquerable grace, mercy and love for me as His son gives me the hope that I cannot find within myself today. It's only through the power of God in my life that I know there's a better tomorrow, and that today's circumstances are just that - circumstances.

In Psalm 46, Israel was being pounced on. It seemed like everything was failing. Circumstances were difficult. Morale was low. Nothing seemed to be going well. But the promises of God crashed through all of those feelings of discouragement: (vv. 1-2) "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea..."; (v. 5) "God is within her; she will not fall; God will help her at break of day."; (vv. 10-11) "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

It's times like this when I have to change perspective. Circumstances don't determine my life and how I live it. God is the rock that holds me up; the glue that holds things together. Focusing on the challenges of the day only makes life more uncomfortable. By changing perspective to a view of God, His grace and mercy and His love make life worth pursuing.

How about it?! Would a change of perspective make your life better today? Give it a shot. I think it will.

Those Wicked Preds

What a weekend! From ice hockey to the theater - it couldn't have been any better!

There's something about a hockey game that excites me. Only my second game, I went with my buddy, Chris, and saw my friend and client, Jenn, there. Jenn, the walking encyclopedia of sports knowledge and trivia, gave me a quick rundown on how hockey is played, the highlights, and an overall synopsis of the players. It could not have been more fun.

The longer I sat there, the more I enjoyed the cool icy air, the screaming fans, the typical arena food, the HugCam, silly games, and the fights that broke out. If you're looking for sports excitement, this is the game to see!

I never thought the Preds would ever defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets. It wasn't until the third period that the Preds scored the winning goal. No one scored until the second period when the Blue Jackets actually scored first. Followed by the Preds. Then the Jackets. Finally the Preds tied it up and it was in the last few minutes of the game when they scored that winning goal. Honestly, I never thought they'd ever shut out the Jackets. I guess when they're really up against the clock, they pull it all out to get ahead. For information about the Preds or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

Sunday, as a birthday gift, I got to see the new musical, "Wicked", at TPAC. I'd already heard it was good, and I guess the fact that it was a sell-out proved that fact. "Wicked" is the pre-quel to "The Wizard of Oz" (well, sort of), and tells the story of the two witches of Oz - Glinda the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West.

The story opens when Glinda confirms to the Ozians that the Wicked Witch is dead. Immediately we flashback to the day the Elphaba was born. The story chronicles how the two girls met at college, became friends, and then went their separate ways. The story is told from Elphaba's point of view. Now, if you haven't seen the show, I won't spoil it for you by telling you the plot. Just know that there are plenty of twists and turns throughout the play and that there's a little surprise at the end. The play is no more in Nashville, but there are other locations where you can see it. CLICK HERE for more info on locations, dates, times and tickets.

What a great weekend. An exciting hockey game and a superb theater performance.