Mark's CityLiving Blog

September CityLiving E-Newsletter

2008-09-26T08:51:00.003-05:00

The September edition of our monthly e-newsletter recently came out. If you missed it, click here to check it out. You can also sign-up to receive this here.

Why I Love My Neighborhood...Part 5

2008-09-24T10:52:00.000-05:00

Why I Love...Downtown
By David Dorris, Realtor and Resident of Art Avenue Lofts

I love downtown because I wake up and walk 2 blocks to work. Did I say 2 blocks?

I love walking to the YMCA to work out. It makes so much more sense than getting in a car to go exercise.

I love walking to the grocery store.

I love walking to Walgreens when I need a battery or detergent. This has happened.

I love the Art Crawl the first Saturday of every month where I can walk though all the galleries downtown, especially the Rymer Gallery.

I love having people over on Friday and walking to dinner and out after.

I love walking to Titans games.

I love walking to Riverfront and across the walking street bridge. That’s why it’s there.

I love running downtown in the mornings, then showering and walking to the office.

I love walking to the Predators game or a good show at the Ryman.

I love walking to the bank. I get to go more with all the money I’m saving on gas.

I love walking to get coffee in the morning.

I love not having to drive my Tahoe that gets 5 miles to the gallon.

I am David Dorris, a Realtor on the CityLiving Team, and I have a walking problem.

Ask Mark: Days-On-the-Market

2008-09-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Question: The news recently has been making it sound like homes on the market aren't selling and are sitting for months and months. Is this true? How long does it take you to sell a house?

Answer: There is a statistic in real estate called Days-On-Market (DOM) that refers to how long a home takes to sell. Every home is different and there are many factors that contribute to a low or high DOM for a particular listing.

While some areas of the country are experiencing very tough real estate markets, Nashville's continues to fare much better proportionately. During the first half of the year, the average DOM for Davidson County was 73. That means it took 73 days from the day a home went on the market to the day it closed. Village Real Estate's DOM was 58. What was our team's average? 35 days.

If you are considering selling your home in urban Nashville, let us help.

Bristol West End is Sold Out!

2008-09-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

We are very happy to announce that Bristol West End is sold out! This condo development near Vanderbilt University, just off West End Avenue, first came on the market in the Fall of 2005. Pre-construction sales were phenomenal. Most of the units sold before construction even began, and when the building was completed, units closed at a steady pace. Bristol West End sold in a great market, and it has now closed in a challenging market. What a success!

The CityLiving Team is now focusing our efforts on Icon in the Gulch, another fantastic Bristol Development project. We have closed almost 100 lofts to date and are continuing closings at a steady pace over the coming months. Bristol has delivered another amazing urban development to Nashville and if you haven't had a chance to tour Icon, you truly must. Why not join us for the Grand Opening Party on October 23? RSVP here.

Why I Love My Neighborhood...Part 4

2008-09-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

Why I Love…East Nashville
By Amanda Williams, Client Care Coordinator

If you’re not familiar with my neighborhood, chances are you’ve at least seen our bumper stickers. 37206… “Over the river and through the hood.” “Where everyone knows your dog’s name.” Or, “Way better than Smyrna.” No offense to our Smyrna readers, but I have to agree.

East Nashville is easily one of Nashville’s most eclectic, vibrant, and friendly neighborhoods. Within strolling distance of my circa 1918 bungalow, I can grab an unbelievably tasty breakfast sandwich at Sweet 16th Bakery, take my pup to “Lappy Hour” at Eastland Cafe, or get my caffeine fix at Portland Brew East or Ugly Mugs, the newest addition to the Eastside's coffeehouse roster. A few blocks in the opposite direction takes me to Italia (my fave local pizzeria), Mad Donna’s (I haven’t met Donna and I’m not sure why she’s mad, but her nachos are delish), and I Dream of Weenie, the only place in Tennessee where you may catch a glimpse of Governor Bredesen enjoying a gourmet hot dog in the cab of his truck. Even better, I’m sure to bump into a friend or three at any of the above.

So, if you’re looking for a space of your own in a place where the neighbors are still neighborly and being normal is not the norm, come on over. There’s always room for another friendly face on the east side.

Check out this article about East Nashville.

Riverfront Redevelopment

2008-09-15T08:34:00.002-05:00

From last week's City Paper: Dean Hands MDHA Reins to Riverfront Redevelopment

Kudos to Mayor Dean for invigorating our city with his support for the Riverfront Redevelopment. Our downtown riverfront is one of most underutilized and important resources that we, the city of Nashville, have available and at our fingertips. After generations of turning our back as a city on our river, we are finally beginning to give it the proper attention. We should review again the proposal that Hargreaves and Associates, with help from a plethora of people and organizations, presented to us over the past two years. Lets look again at what we are trying to achieve and try now to look at the possibilities and what it means for our businesses, our tourism industry, and for our burgeoning downtown residential neighborhoods.

By infusing the Capital Budget with the funds appropriate for initiating the first of multiple phases, putting some meat into the project by giving it to MDHA, and appointing Ed Owens to spearhead the project, Mayor Dean has made a bold statement and let us know that his priority is to create a great city which spans both banks of our Cumberland.

Telling It Like It Is

2008-09-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

The real estate reporter at the Tennessean painted a very inaccurate picture of the current condo market in Nashville in a recent article. Tom Turner, President and CEO of the Nashville Downtown Partnership, wrote a rebuttal which was recently published in the Tennessean. Click here to read the article on the Tennessean's site, or read the article below.

Condos shore up the core Here's truth about downtown housing
By Tom Turner
Tennessee Voices

An article in The Tennessean on Aug. 20 incorrectly suggested our city's downtown condominium market is experiencing a major slump. It alluded to a lack of buyers and indicated closings are behind schedule at Icon and Encore.

This limited portrayal of the urban marketplace is based on a narrow perspective, one skewed to create a bleak picture. It did not consider trends that bode well for urban living or the recent growth of Nashville's urban environment. Just three years ago, Nashville had fewer than 10 condominiums downtown, and now 4,500 people live in the vibrant neighborhood.

The reality is that more condos will close in 2008 than in the previous five years combined. And the demand for downtown living is expected to continue — both here and across the country — as people seek authentic urban living, to downsize or want to mitigate the cost of gasoline.
Examine the facts. An in-depth review of Nashville's urban projects provides an accurate — and promising — picture.

Several Icon units closed in May. Since the closing schedule began in July, 63 units have closed — an average of almost one unit per day. There are 326 contracts remaining to close and 29 units for sale. Of the 333 Encore units, 179 (54 percent) have closed since Feb. 25 — also an average of almost one unit per day. There are 67 contracts remaining to close, with 87 units for sale.

A graph in the story was erroneously labeled as the percentage of units sold at urban projects, although the percentage actually was for units closed. Icon has sales contracts for 93 percent of units, and 15 percent have closed. Encore has sales contracts for 74 percent of units and 54 percent have closed. These contracts are legally binding. To state that only 10.3 percent and 41.4 percent of units are sold is inaccurate.

Prices stable in urban Nashville
Nashville has not escaped the impact of relaxed lending guidelines, market speculation and predatory lending. Combined with increased energy costs, a perfect storm has pushed down prices and sales in suburban housing markets. As national housing prices peaked in summer 2006, the Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Portland, Ore., and Tampa markets began showing price declines of about 8 percent in the suburbs and 2 percent in close-in neighborhoods. Escalating fuel prices impact suburban buyers who are now less willing to buy in outlying markets.

Such disparities appear when comparing Nashville to surrounding markets. Data show 2008 housing prices are up for Nashville, while those in surrounding markets have fallen more than 10 percent. Nashville's urban environment, the only submarket in the region with stabilized prices, is a steadying influence for residential markets throughout Middle Tennessee.

The likely future scenario is that supply of downtown condominiums will be absorbed in the coming months. Then, when additional construction begins, prices will be based on what construction costs are at that time. Given the two- and three-year development period, new projects are not likely to come online before 2011. Construction data show a 20 percent increase in costs from 2006 to present. With demand growing, neither the prices nor the number of potential buyers for downtown condominiums should decline.

This broader perspective and more complete analysis should be explored when evaluating Nashville's burgeoning urban housing market, which is just beginning to demonstrate its promise.

Why I Love My Neighborhood...Part 3

2008-09-10T09:19:00.001-05:00

Why I Love...East Nashville
By Katherine McKenna, Loft Information Specialist

I LOVE East Nashville. I love being so close to downtown and the interstate, but still having a yard for my dogs - not to mention the Shelby Dog Park. I love jogging the neighborhood streets and into Shelby Bottoms. I love the old fire station on 16th and renovations of all the old homes built close to the street with small front yards and picket fences. I love all the street fairs and markets, too. There is an Artists' Market at 14th and Woodland once a month I believe, and the East Nashville Farmer’s Market is held at the Turnip Truck every Wednesday.

I just recently purchased a bike which allows me to travel sans auto not only to Bongo Java but now further to Portland Brew for my favorite cup-a-joe - or, depending on the time of day, to Rosepepper Cantina for the BEST margaritas in Nashville. I love striding into Sweet 16th Bakery at 16th and Ordway and having Ellen, Dan and Al call me by name. All these are locally owned places that make East Nashville unique. Heaven.

Don't forget to Vote for Mark!

2008-09-08T13:10:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to vote for Mark! Only two days left!

Every year the Nashville Scene has a "Best of Nashville Reader's Poll." Please vote for Mark Deutschmann as the Best Real Estate Agent (#153)! Click here for the poll. We appreciate your support!

Why I Love My Neighborhood...Part 2

2008-09-04T09:01:00.003-05:00

Why I Love...Richland-West End
By Zach Goodyear, Project Manager & Realtor

Hello! Zach Goodyear, typing. I wanted to write about one of my favorite historic neighborhoods in Nashville, Richland-West End (which just happens to be where I live). One of Nashville’s early suburban neighborhoods, Richland-West End was created in the early 20th century from land that was once part of John Brown Craighead’s 200-acre estate. In 1905, the Richland Realty Company purchased the land, which was then 2 miles outside of the city limits, and began subdividing it and developing the lots. Over time, this early suburban neighborhood became much more urban and is now arguably one of the most convenient locations in the city.

The neighborhood is comprised mostly of single-family homes built in the 1920s and 1930s, but also has some newer multi-family (condominium) properties along West End. The neighborhood is bordered by West End Ave., Murphy Rd., and N. Wilson Blvd. In 1996, the Metro Historical Commission added a Neighborhood Conservation Zoning Overlay to Richland-West End, allowing the neighborhood to retain its original feel and charm.

With only about 400 properties in the neighborhood, it’s a fairly tight-nit group of residents. A Homeowners Association was formed in 1975 and continues to thrive and survives financially from the proceeds of the annual Home Tour. Mature trees tower over sidewalks that line both sides of most streets. Neighbors often see each other while walking their dogs (which there are plenty of!) or passing by the many front porches that grace the facades of homes here. Houses range from the (occasional) $200s up to $2 million. The average price for a single-family homes sold over the last 18 months was $547,000. In that time, only 37 single-family homes were exchanged, so neighborhood turnover is low, and many of the sales are between neighbors, a sure sign of a popular location where residents want to stay.

So, if you’re looking for charming old homes in a beautiful neighborhood with mature trees and sidewalks, you should definitely put Richland-West End at the top of your list! Contact one of our CityLiving Team members to find out what’s available in the neighborhood now!

NashvilleCityLiving.com

2008-09-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

We've been working hard over the last few months to make our web site as useful for you as possible! Many of the sections of our site have expanded, and now include fresh content to guide you in your search for the perfect home in Nashville. Here is a brief breakdown of what you can do at NashvilleCityLiving.com.

Search Developments - This is where you'll find all the fine details about each of our loft and condo development listings. We currently have over 17 development listings in and around Downtown Nashville. View photos, renderings, floor plans, pricing, and more - all in one place.

Search Homes - In addition to loft and condo developments, we also sell new and resale single-family homes and resale lofts and condos. This is where you can look through these listings by viewing photos, bedroom/bathroom count, square footage, and price.

CityLiving Team - If you haven't seen our glamour shots on this blog, don't resist the urge to check them out here. Of course this is also where you can read our bios to find out just what makes us the urban experts.

Buying & Selling Resources - This section won the Most Improved Award, given by...us. So many useful resources have been added and we hope you'll turn to them when you need info about Nashville's urban neighborhoods (descriptions of each, links to local hotspots, Google maps of the area), helpful numbers and links (Metro Schools, Zip Codes Statistics, Utilities, DMV, Tennessee Dept. of Revenue, etc.), mortages (and a mortgage calculator!), Nashville facts (quick, what 10 counties make up the Nashville Economic Market?), and more! Plus, you can review our team's sales in previous years including a breakdown of our sales by zipcode. If we are missing something in this section, let us know and we'll see if we can add it!

Village Fund - The Village Fund is our philanthropic arm. Through this non-profit, donations are made by staff, agent (often a dollar amount per transaction), and other friends, clients, and partners. In this section of the site you can learn more about the Fund and link to some of the non-profit recipients.

News & Events - This is another favorite section of ours. With so many development listings, there are always events and parties being thrown. Not to mention we host our own tours and mixers throughout the year. Be sure to check this section regularly to find out what is coming up! We also regularly post relevant news articles you may find interesting.

Urban Area Still Under-Built

2008-08-29T07:35:00.005-05:00

From Monday's Tennessean...

As hammers hit nails, urban area 'still under-built'
Demand for homes in trendy neighborhoods keep construction humming despite economy
By Nancy Deville

Congested roadways, detour signs, orange construction barrels and red cranes are becoming a mainstay in West End/Vandy neighborhoods as multimillion-dollar projects are in the works. With more buyers seeking to live in urban trendy neighborhoods such as Hillsboro Village, 12South and The Gulch, developers are eager to offer more options. From rehabbing historic buildings in downtown and SoBro, to construction of single-family homes in Sylvan Park and mixed-use projects in The Gulch, investors are hoping to create more walkable and livable neighborhoods.

Although more rooftops are on the way, Mark Deutshmann, chief executive of Village Real Estate, believes it's not enough. Currently there are 4,141 people who call downtown home, and 48% of those residents work downtown, per the Nashville Downtown Partnership. By the end of the year, the number will increase to 4,896 people.

We are far behind, Deutshmann says, especially if Nashville wants to be comparable with cities such as Charlotte, Indianapolis and Atlanta. "We are still under-built," he said. "It was 2003 before we starting building housing downtown and we are far behind. The revival is just getting started."

The demand continues to remain, he said, despite the current state of the economy. Women are becoming the biggest demographic of downtown buyers, along with an increasing number of empty nesters.

Rolling Mill Hill: Key to SoBro growth
The redevelopment of Rolling Mill Hill, formerly home to Metro's General Hospital and several city-owned facilities, will bring more than 1,000 homes to SoBro, the area south of Broadway Avenue.

After nearly a decade of planning, construction on the first phase began earlier this year and will include renovations of the art deco and Victorian buildings, retail amenities as well as walking paths and courtyards.

Some homes should be ready for occupancy this November, said Joe Cain, director of development with the Metro Development Housing Agency. MDHA is the master developer of the 34-acre site development. The project's second phase will include the rehab of the set of 1930s-era trolley barns that will bring retail to the site. The entire project is expected to take about 10 years to complete.

"This project folds into the development of downtown," he said. "It's become a key component in how SoBro will be developed."

The Gulch: Continues full-steam ahead
The Gulch continues to unfold into the vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community investors predicted. While construction is wrapping up at the Icon urban condos, nearby Velocity and Terrazzo towers are still being built.

Along with rooftops, retail is following. Urban Flats Flatbread Co., Cantina Laredo gourmet Mexican restaurant and Casablanca Coffee are all headed to Icon. By May 2009, Velocity will sit north of Icon, bringing 17,000 more square feet of retail space and 264 condos to the area. Despite a deeply competitive market, developers don't predict there will be difficulty selling the units, many of which are considered affordable. Seventy percent of the condos are below $250,000, while 40 percent are under $200,000.

"Timing will be right for those units going on the market," said Jay Turner with Marketstreet Enterprises. "Given the state of the economy, Icon sales are going great; we are selling units as we complete them."

Terrazzo, a $65 million, 14-story mixed-use development is rising on the southeast corner of 12th and Division. The project combines four floors of retail and office space topped by 10 stories of residential. It will be early 2009 before the entire project is complete.

Bill Barkley, president of Tennessee Crosland the developer of Terrazzo, said the sluggish economy hasn't slowed down construction or affected pre-sales. "We're actually ahead of schedule," he said. "We should be totally complete by spring '09 and over 50% of the units are been pre-sold."

Let's Make Nashville a More Walkable City

2008-08-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote this op-ed piece for The Tennessean, published on Wednesday, August 13.

Revitalization and Involvement Will Make Nashville a More Walkable City

By Mark Deutschmann

Walkable and bikable neighborhoods are becoming more important to Nashvillians. While we’ve made progress – recently ranking 39th in the nation for walkability – we need to reduce our dependence on cars and enjoy this city as pedestrians.

Here are my suggestions for helping Nashville become a smart, walkable city:

Reuse and revitalize existing infrastructure. We don’t have endless resources so we need to connect our walkable neighborhoods with transportation systems, access to food sources and aging sewer, water and electric systems, roadways and bridges.

Activate the Downtown Riverfront redevelopment plan. It’s time to acknowledge and redevelop one of this city’s greatest assets, the Cumberland Riverfront. This will create neighborhood access to our river and attract tourism, conventioneers and additional corporations to the urban core.

Redevelop the East Bank with its wonderful views of our downtown. Contiguous to the stadium and to downtown via Shelby Street pedestrian bridge, this mixed-use and retail community will benefit all who partake in our city, as does Harbor Place in Baltimore.

Support Greenways for Nashville. We now have more than 40 miles of trails connecting a linear park system through our natural watersheds to our neighborhoods, including a pedestrian bridge that crosses from Shelby Bottoms to Opryland. More than 160 miles of additional greenways are planned. Greenways serve to promote connectivity, access to natural beauty and healthy living for our communities.

Join the Civic Design Center and support its Plan of Nashville. Visit http://www.civicdesigncenter.org/, study the Plan of Nashville and note the 10 guiding principles, the framework through which the continued development of our city should be evaluated.

Support Mayor Karl Dean’s initiative to make Nashville the “greenest city in the Southeast.” Green is synonymous with walkability.

Continue redevelopment of neighborhood commercial districts. Neighborhoods are defined by their walkable commercial districts. Existing examples are 12South, Hillsboro Village and Five Points. Commercial districts in the Gulch, Germantown and Rolling Mill Hill will soon define these emerging neighborhoods.

Join the newly formed Urban Land Institute Nashville Chapter and learn about smart growth! This is a must for any business leader or one who aspires to understand urban design, workforce housing and transportation issues in the context of walkable and livable neighborhoods.

Move downtown and support the growth of our 24-hour city. Great cities are built from the core, and a great city requires participation and engagement. Come live, work and play in downtown Music City.

Encourage Metro, the Mayor’s Office, MDHA and the Planning Department to work together to leverage our unique urban opportunities and make every attempt to create development possibilities in the city core. We shouldn’t take the easy way out and allow large, suburban/rural developments to supplant downtown Nashville as our economic and corporate core.

Much remains to be done to reuse and revitalize the downtown core and existing neighborhoods to make this a smart, walkable city. It will take focus and involvement from all Nashvillians.

Going Green-er

2008-08-26T09:14:00.002-05:00

Erica Tober here, Marketing Director on the CityLiving Team. My job on the team is to coordinate marketing and advertising efforts for many of our development listings, resale listings, and our team!

Village as a company makes many efforts to be green, and I personally started out this year with a small goal to begin my path to a greener lifestyle...NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS! Did you know that a plastic bag (like the kind you get at the grocery store or Target) can take up to 1000 years to decompose in a landfill? It's the longest lasting piece of trash! I purchased reusable canvas totes from EcoBags.com and keep them in the trunk of my car. It took me a few visits to Kroger to remember to bring them in with me, and a few dashes back out to the car to retrieve them once I was in the check out line, but now it is just a habit to bring them in. I started keeping one in the backseat to bring in other places like the drugstore.

The other way I was consuming plastic bags regularly was by picking up after my dog. I did a lot of research to figure out the best way to avoid using plastic bags in this way, since I was basically fossilizing waste that would on its own decompose naturally. I found this awesome web site that sells biodegradable plastic bags made especially for pet waste. The url is great...wait for it...PoopBags.com.

I will admit that I'm still bundling my trash in plastic bags, which makes me grimace each time I take the trash out. You can buy compostable trash bags, such as ones from BioBagUSA.com, but they are pretty expensive ($6.50 for 12 kitchen bags). As soon as this trend catches on more, I'm sure the price will come down, and I'll make that switch as well.

Check out this neat presentation MSNBC did on the debate over paper vs. plastic. Of course, I'm a proponent of canvas bags, but there are some neat points in this.

So the moral of the story...make the switch to canvas bags! Please?

12th & Paris

2008-08-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

There was recently a slew of press about a new Core Development project coming to the hip and trendy 12South neighborhood. 12th & Paris is mixed-use development with a mix of apartments, condos to own, and commercial space. So far word on the street is that a restaurant will grace the ground floor retail space plus an art gallery and some cool office space. This development truly has one of the best locations - right across the street from beautiful Sevier Park, next door to the best Mexican popsicle place in town (Las Palatas, of course), and walking distance down the street to a wine bar, neighborhood pizza place, multiple salons and boutiques. As of today there is only one residential condo left - a two story 2BR town home. If you are interested, let us know!

Click here to read an article recently published in the Nashville Business Journal.

12South Concert Series

2008-08-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Village Real Estate and 12th & Paris are sponsors of the 12South Concert series starting THIS Saturday at Sevier Park. Come out for a fun neighborhood event and live music! Click here for the 12South Concerts MySpace page.

Why I Love My Neighborhood...Part 1

2008-08-21T13:05:00.001-05:00

This is the launch of a new series on the CityLiving Blog called "Why I Love My Neighborhood." Over the next month or two, different members of the CityLiving Team will be featured explaining why they love living in their little niche of urban Nashville.

Why I Love...12South
By Erica Tober, Marketing Director

I moved to 12South in January of 2007 and could not be happier. 12South is the perfect neighborhood for me for many reasons. Number one, I have a golden retriever who relishes daily walks and trips to the park. 12South is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Nashville, and is bordered on all sides by other walkable neighborhoods. Most streets have sidewalks, and those that don't aren't highly traveled. We often walk down 12th by all the shops and restaurants, over to Belmont Boulevard, into Green Hills or Oak Hill and most often to Sevier Park. I love that I can walk, with or without the pup, to Frothy Monkey for breakfast and Las Paletas for a popsicle. Not having to get in my car all the time is awesome.

Another thing I love about 12South is the people. I'm constantly meeting other people who live near me and who love the neighborhood as much as I do. The annual 12South Neighborhood Home Tour was held this past Spring, and it was so much fun to not only tour homes but meet so many ecelctic and cool neighbors. Starting this Saturday, the fine people of 12South are coming together for "The First Annual Concert Series in Sevier Park". I'm thrilled and can't wait to go.

12South is also close to everything. By car, I can be at the Village Downtown office in about 12 minutes, to the Vandy area in less than 10, and to Green Hills or the interstate in about 5. I really can't imagine myself living anywhere else!

Lunch Tour to Rolling Mill Hill

2008-08-21T08:15:00.001-05:00

We have a lunch tour scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) to Rolling Mill Hill. Please join us! We'll meet at the Rolling Mill Hill Sales Center at 50 Hermitage Ave in SoBro. These tours typically last about an hour and we provide a free lunch afterwards! It doesn't get much better. RSVP so we can be sure to have a meal for you.

Summer Energy Saving Tips

2008-08-20T11:01:00.004-05:00

We're always trying to figure out ways to be greener over at the CityLiving Team. Here are some tips you might find useful like we did!

Turn Up Your Thermostat! - When you are home, set your thermostat to 78 degrees. When you are away, turn it off entirely or set it to 85 degrees. Ceiling and room fans circulate the air, allowing you to give your AC a break. You'll see 1-3% savings per degree your thermostat is set about 72 degrees!

Replace Air Conditioner Filters - Airflow is restricted when your filters are dirty. This means your AC will run longer than it needs to in order to cool down your home. Replace filters at least every three months, or possibly even less! You can now buy inexpensive, handy attachments that will make a whistle sound when your filter needs to be replaced!

Seal Leaks - Use weather stripping, sealant, and caulk where necessary to plug leaky doors and windows. You can also install foam gaskets behind outlet covers to reduce drafts. You could see savings up to 2%!

Window Shading - Curtains and blinds aren't just for decorative purposes! Use them to shield your home from direct light. Shading your home from the sun could result in 5% energy savings.

Downtown Neighbors & Local Flavors

2008-08-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

Do you live downtown or aspire to live downtown? There is a cool event at TPAC this Thursday from 5:30-7:30pm that you may want to check out. It's called Downtown Neighbors & Local Flavors and there will be all sorts of urban vendors including restaurants (yum, yes there will be samples!). If you come down, be sure to look for our Village Downtown/CityLiving Team booth and say hello!

More info on the event.

International Real Estate Report

2008-08-18T09:32:00.003-05:00

While the word on the street in the U.S. is that home prices are over inflated, those in other countries look at us and see deals. Check out this recently released survey on international buyers in the U.S.

International Real Estate Report

- Zach Goodyear, Realtor & Project Manager on the CityLiving Team

Vote for Mark!

2008-08-15T15:18:00.004-05:00

Every year the Nashville Scene has a "Best of Nashville Reader's Poll." Please take a moment to vote for Mark Deutschmann as the Best Real Estate Agent (#153)! Click here to go to the poll. We appreciate your support!

The Best Time to Buy Real Estate is Now

2008-08-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

Jim Gillespie from CNBC.com recently had this encouraging news about the real estate market. You can find the article on CNBC.com here.

The Best Time to Buy Real Estate is Now

The real estate market is the best I have seen in my 33+ years in real estate for buyers, whether they are buying for lifestyle to move in with their families or for buying for investment. There are four main reasons why I say this:

First - The interest rates are still near 40 year historic lows. Rates continue to be well under 7%.

Second - There are more homes for sale than we have had for decades – therefore there is much more to choose from as a buyer.

Third - Prices are stable in the heartland of the USA and in several states, California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona as well as the rust belt of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio the prices have dropped enough that the smart buyers are beginning to jump back in the market to take advantage of the lower prices.

The fourth and final reason that now is the best time to buy is - affordability. According to the National Association of Realtors, the trade organization for Realtors, we are at near a 5 year low in affordability. In addition, Wachovia published a paper on real estate on July 14 of this year comparing the median price of homes in the USA with the disposable income our citizens have, according to the US Department of Commerce. They found that the worst affordability was three years ago and the best was August, 1980. Today they report that we are near that 28 year low. Now is the best time to buy real estate!!!!!

One other factor to consider is that according to the National Association of Realtors the average median increase in home values in our country since 1972 is 6.2%. What a great annual return on your investment.

Buying for investment is a little different than buying to live in. If you are investing, make sure you work with a professional Realtor who not only knows the local market, but invests in real estate themselves. Then take the emotion out of the purchase. Worry about the age of the roof, appliances, furnace, air conditioning units, water heater, etc as well as the type of construction to determine what kind of building maintenance would need to be done. Do not worry about things like what the backyard looks like from the window over the kitchen sink. Don’t worry about what it would be like if the back yard would not be ideal for your children.

You should also have your sales person provide you with comparable sales that have recently been sold so you are aware of values and do not bid or purchase an overpriced home.

Did you know...

2008-08-14T08:53:00.005-05:00

One-quarter of first-time buyers are single females who purchased their first home on a median income of $44,500*. In a recent report released by the Nashville Downtown Partnership, females make up 50% of our downtown residents. That’s up 5% over the previous year and the numbers continue to grow.

I am fortunate to call many of these women my clients. They are bright, intellectual, focused and decisive individuals eager to invest in themselves and excited to find a place to call home (what more could a Realtor ask for?). As a result, there is a very diverse group of urban pioneer women living Downtown in Nashville. Together, they are building a strong community in the heart of our city. It’s about time, right?

Do you have lofty dreams of a cool city dwelling? Would you like to get to know some of these women who have already taken the plunge to see what it’s really like? I’m planning a mixer soon just for city girls. If you would like to join us, send me an email – I would love for you to meet your future neighbors.

Despite all the media hub-bub about rates and foreclosures, this is a great time to buy! There is a lot of inventory on the market: YES! But with all the competition for sellers, buyers have the upper hand! Just the other morning CNBC'S Jim Cramer, the eternal pessimist about housing, said, "BUY NOW!" Cramer went on to say, "I was the first guy that said torch your house for the insurance money (8 months ago). I am now telling you that between now and the next six months you have to buy a house." Did you know there are at least 100 condos for sale in and around Downtown right now for under $200,000?! If you act now, you can get a great deal. With the right Realtor on your side, this process can be seamless! At Village Downtown you have a CityLiving Team of knowledgeable Realtors to lean on. Let us know how we can help.

- Marti Klecka, Realtor on the CityLiving Team

Source: 2007 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

A Tip to Be a Bit Greener

2008-07-28T15:02:00.004-05:00

Hello blog readers! Zach Goodyear here. I wanted to talk to you about those relatively new swirly light bulbs called Compact Florescent Lights or CFLs. Now that that these bulbs are becoming more popular as a way to save energy, I have been wondering what to do with them when they eventually expire. Because they contain small amounts of mercury, just like any other fluorescent bulbs, it’s not environmentally appropriate to simply throw them in your household trash.

After doing some research, I’ve found that there is a company in the Nashville area called Southeast Recycling Technologies that offers boxes for you to pack your used bulbs in and ship back to them. While the process is not completely free, it is relatively inexpensive, equating to about $1 per bulb.

By clicking here, you can order a pre-labeled box for $15.75 that will hold between 12 and 15 used bulbs. You simply send them back to Southeast Recycling Technologies and they handle the recycling for you. It’s that easy! And these folks take old computers and other electronics too!

I’d love to hear some feedback from people who have tried this. If you have other ideas of how to recycle old CFLs, send them along! Meanwhile, I need to go gather up some old computer equipment out of my basement and see what’s involved in recycling that!