Photos courtesy of ABC promotion stock, Fridrich & Clark Realty, Worth Properties and French King Fine Properties

As the drama heats up on screen between Juliette Barnes and Rayna James on ABC’s Nashville, the fire has translated to the real world of real estate here in “real” Nashville.

Yesterday, Juliette Barnes’ home hit the market at $2,240,000.  This four bedroom, seven and a half bathroom contemporary showplace has been the backdrop for Juliettes loves, losses and emotions throughout the season.  Los Angeles architect Stephen Kanner designed the home which has amazing views of the downtown Nashville skyline.  The masterpiece sits on 2.8 acres in Nashville’s Oak Hill neighborhood.   It has 5325 square feet and is listed by Richard French at French King Fine Properties 615-604-2323.

662 days ago, Rayna James’ 20,533 square foot mansion in Nashville’s elite Belle Meade hit the market.  At $19,500,000, we can certainly see the phase of career Rayna is in vs. her rookie antagonist, Juliette.  With six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and three half baths, the Mark Harrison of Adkisson/Harrison design sits on 6 private acres.  Steve Fridrich of Fridrich & Clark (615-321-4420) and Dennis Johnson of Worth Properties (615-250-7880) hold the listing.

Check out Rayna house here.  

Don’t miss Juliette’s here.

Nashville’s Music City Center is an amazing work of art in itself, however the art within deserves a special look when take your first tour.

On Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m., Mayor Karl Dean and Nashville Convention Center Authority Chair Marty Dickens invite you to a celebration of the Music City Center Art Collection.

It will be an afternoon of special arts events presented in partnership with Cheekwood Museum of Art, Frist Center for the Visual Arts and Tennessee State University Art Department.  There will be guided art tours, presentations by Commissioned Artists, a reception sponsored by Nashville Arts Magazine and a First Saturday Art Crawl.

Check out the photos below of all the MCC Art.

The most amazing art from MCC is Euphony by Ball-Nogues Studio.  The 5-story stainless steel ball chain, steel tube, baked enamel finish beast is honestly one of the most intricate works I’ve ever seen.

John Folsom’s Shaker Frontier IX Pigment print on borad with oil and wax medium

Aaron T. Stephan’s Composition, painted aluminum and plastic

Whitney Wood Bailey’s Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas Dualities XXV and Intersections XI

 Pam Longobardi’s oil and patinas over copper Wonder Wounded and Worlds Within Worlds

Carrie McGee’s rust, pigments, oil and UV printing on transparent acrylic On The Ground in the foyer of the Music City Center’s Davidson Ballroom 

Hans Schmitt-Matzen’s acrylic enamel on shaped MDF Anthology.

Charles Clary’s hand cut paper on panel Flameobic Opulation in the escalators of Nashville’s Music City Center.

Jane Braddock’s Metallic leaf and acrylic on canvas Apollo Artemis Zeus

Tim Hooper’s acrylic on wood Davy Crockett and William Edmondson

And don’t miss the art exhibit showing the construction of the Music City Center near the Country Music Hall of Fame entrance.

More photos of the interior and exterior of Nashville’s Music City Center.

A view from the top floor overlooking the AT&T building

The street between the Omni Hotel, Country Music Hall of Fame and Music City Center

The enormous Davidson Ballroom.

The Music City Center Boardroom lounge

The trade expo floor is larger than six NFL football fields.

The much anticipated grand opening of Nashville’s brand new convention center is happening Sunday and Monday, May 19th and 20th.

Sheryl Crow, The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, Phil Vassar, and more will perform in a free street party as part of the celebration, which will end in a fireworks finale on Monday. There will also be a walk with Mayor Karl Dean, public preview tours and open house, children’s activities, and light refreshments.

The incredible center is currently one of the largest construction projects being completed in the country. It is 2.1 million square feet over six blocks, has 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, parking for 1,800, an 18,000 square foot ballroom, and a kitchen capable of preparing 20,000 meals a day. Sustainability features include silver level LEED certification, a green roof composed of fourteen different types of vegetation, 245 solar panels, and rain water collections tanks.

An interesting fact according to the Nashville Scene is that architects wanted to create the feeling of visitors being inside an instrument. To accomplish this, they bought and sliced some instruments open and intensely studied what it would actually feel like to be inside that space. This ultimately led to the unique and complex curves of the massive structure.

After watching the construction of it since 2010, we are extremely excited to take a sneak peak this weekend at the complex that is going to help boost our already thriving Nashville economy.

Starting tomorrow, May 11th, and continuing every Saturday through June 15th, East Side Hootenanny will take place at East Park, 700 Woodland Street. The FREE event from 4-10pm includes food, beer, and an outstanding musical lineup. The event will benefit Urban Green Lab, which will be Nashville’s first community center dedicated to sustainable living.

Click here for a full lineup. 

If you bought your residence in 2010 through early 2012, I’d like to applaud you.  When everyone was balking at you building “your ark,” you knew this was the smartest time to buy a home.  You were able to skate in at crazy low rates with little to no buyer competition.  Multiple offers?  Bwa ha ha ha!  Not in your world!  Now, 2013′s market has heated up so much that some old mindsets may keep you (1) living with that horrid roommate who likes patchouli and incense way too much; (2) sneaking your sleepover buddies into your parents’ basement on a weeknight; (3) with your three kids sharing that one bedroom; or, (4) cooking another meal in that ultra-small kitchen.  Here are the top five mindsets that will stand between you and your next place in life.

1.  I need to sleep on it.  So you finished another day of home searching.  You not only have one favorite, but two favorites.  Either one could make you happy, but you’re not ready to pull the trigger just yet.  As a sales trainer and sales professional, I teach myself and my team to work with all personality and learning styles.  The heavy thinker and considerer are to be approached without pressure and consequence.  We are supposed to let you sit, think and come around.

I’m sorry Mrs. Thinker.  All your thinking is going to make you lose home choice 1, 2 and 3.  While you’re thinking, the eleven other doers who saw this home on the same day are entering the offer flow.  But you say, “Agent, come on.  The house I’m looking at has been on the market for three months.  It surely be on the market for one more day.”

Psht!  If you only have that one of interest, you’d be amazed at the homes who get the same interest at the same time.  Once it’s sat on the market for a longer period, you enter the investor competitive realm.  Don’t think there aren’t agents and investors pulling homes that have been on the market for over 90-120 day, specifically targeting them for a deal.  When you’re competing with that investor, they can offer less contingencies, making their offer more attractive to the seller.

Now, some of you may opt to “pray” or “meditate” on it rather than sleep on it.  I’m all about some higher power counseling.  In fact, Phillipians 4:6 (ESV) says, “Don’t not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

If you are a person following Biblical principles, you should have had your prayer and supplication time before you entered this process!  Perhaps you should heed 1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV) which says, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

2.  I want to find the right house before I list mine.  The market has changed.  The house you want now will not be on the market when you’re ready, unless you’re going after new construction, and even those folks are “meh” on sale of home contingencies.  These contingencies are one of the most unattractive contingency for any seller; however, in this market, a seller knows they can get to their next destination without accepting your offer.

Before you list your house, be ready to tell your agent you plan for short-term housing.  Be open to the idea of extended stay hotels or finding a short-term rental on vrbo.com.  Occupancy agreements, where you get to stay in your house after closing, are a bad idea all around.  You’ll want to consult with your REALTOR about the risks associated with this arrangement.

3.  I really can’t do anything until my parents see it.  Period.  No question asked.  If your parents are going to be in the final decision process, you had better make sure you can fly their butts here for every day you’re looking at homes.  For you to see 10-13 homes in one day, narrow it to two or three and then wait on them to come in and “be parents” is going to hurt your relationship with them, their relationship with you and the trust you’ve built with your agent through the process.

I’m a parent.  I want to protect my son at any cost, but there is a time you either have to bring them along for everything or make a doggone decision for yourself.  You know good and well you’re going to do what you’re going to do anyway.  Show them you have some bazonkas and grab the house while you can.  The worst is when your parents are in a market that’s nothing like the one you are buying in.

What $175K buys in Yummyville, Kansas ain’t the same in Nashville, Austin or Charlotte.  If they want to be in the process and can’t make it in person, then you better get your Skype going on your iPhone! <end rant>

4.  I read an article that says I should offer 10-20% under asking.  Real estate is local.  Cliché, I know, but it’s true.  You need to lean on your professional.  They work for you as an agent and under our code of ethics and agency law must give you true pricing advice.  If their numbers support the seller’s price, then you need to be extra careful.  Going in with a lowball may just piss them off where they don’t want to work with you at all.

We recently received an offer PRE-MARKET from a buyer who offered 10% under our tested, evaluated and analyzed (TEA) list price.  My seller was insulted so much that he responded and washed his hands of the offer.  Within two days, we had two additional offers at a much higher price and better terms.  If your agent is connected enough to get you a pre-market deal, please be a good steward of that.

Remember, if you saw offering advice on HGTV and you choose to believe it, then you must stick with your source and only look at three houses and buy one of those in 30 minutes.  *cough*

5.  I really don’t like this paint color.  I know you’re probably rolling your eyes now, but we hear this ALL the time.  Thousands of dollars are made yearly by sellers simply changing their wall colors to something more palatable.  Don’t be that buyer who can’t look past carpet color, paint color or furniture arrangement.

Those tiny details may only cost you a few hundred dollars and stand between you and a great decision.  In the end, it’s the price, condition and location that matter.  If a fuchsia room is repelling you from an offer, you may need to rethink this whole homeownership proposition.

Photo by John VanderHaagen

I am super excited about this one. The Southern Ground Music & Food Festival is returning to Nashville this fall, and tickets go on sale Saturday, April 27th. So far, the lineup includes include Zac Brown Band with special guests John Fogerty and Jason Mraz, Willie Nelson, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (one of my faves), Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Kacey Musgraves, The Head and the Heart, Eli Young Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, and more to be announced.

Ticket options start at $99 and vary from general admission one or two day passes, VIP Lounge which includes catered food, drinks, lounge area, and stage box tickets with food prepared by Zac Brown’s own executive chef.

The event will take place September 27-28, 2013, at Riverfront Park. Get the latest info on their website or Facebook.

I have good news and bad news for residents of Cleveland Park, McFerrin Park, Maxwell Neighbors, Greenwood Neighbors, Inglewood, Lockeland Springs, East End, Eastwood Neighbors, Eastland Park, East Hill, Burchwood Gardens, Shelby Village, Boscobel Heights, Rosebank, Fortland Park, Rolling Acres and Moss Ross.

The map below shows the tax assessment “hot” and “cold” zones.  Hot is obviously in red and represents neighborhoods that have seen the highest appreciations.  The good news is 37206, 37216 and 37207 (parts) are in the hot red zone.  The bad news is, you’re likely to see higher property taxes due to this increase.

Zones 5, 6 and 7 are all East Nashville hot zip codes. (Click to enlarge)

If you want to appeal your tax assessment, the Nashville And Beyond team has been official appeals hearing officers for taxes in previous appeals processes for Davidson County and can help you navigate the process and give you price analysis for your home if you feel your assessment is way off base.  If you want us to help out, shoot us an email at brian@nashvilleandbeyond.com.  We’ll provide you with some tips as you go into your appeal, too.

Here’s a letter that goes with this map from the Property Assessor’s office:

April 10, 2013

Dear Friends:

As you are probably aware, Davidson County is going through a property reappraisal. I appreciate the many questions that you may have about this process. I am very interested in answering your questions thoroughly and listening to your concerns carefully.

Notice mailing dates, online property information, general information about appeals: Our office will mail property reappraisal notices to all Nashville property owners from April 12-26. Online property data information will update in April as well. We encourage all owners to go to our website and check your property data information sheet once you receive your reappraisal notice by mail. We also encourage you to use our new online technical tools to learn more about the information we use to determine the value of your property. The informal appeals process will be held April 15 thru May 17, followed by formal appeals to the Metropolitan Board of Equalization from May 20 thru June 21. To see your property data information sheet or for more information on the reappraisal and appeals processes and schedules – please see www.padctn.com or call anytime for assistance – 862-6080.

New technologies, streamlined appeals: This year our office has developed and launched new technologies to better serve the public and to increase our efficiency. We first launched a website with a property database system allowing anyone to search and study Nashville property data back in 2001. Then, in 2005, we launched our first online appeals system – the initial step in appealing your appraisal, available directly via the internet or by calling this office to receive service from a staff member. And now, in 2013, we have upgraded our technology further and we now offer a streamlined online property data research tool known as – Comper Sales Search.

Additionally, we have an improved Online Resolution Center – the first step in appealing your reappraisal. Lastly, we’ve also added a state-of-the-art online analytics tool – which allows both the staff and the public to study and compare public data of all kinds from many government sources plotted on a map to be studied in geographic terms – by council district, zip code, neighborhood, or even by your own “drawn” parameters. These tools, working in tandem, will help everyone understand property values more accurately. As always – our doors are open to anyone who wishes to call or visit this office for staff assistance. These technologies are options in addition to our traditional level of service.

Here are important broad facts about the countywide reappraisal process:

• Why does the Property Assessor’s office reappraise properties? To restore fairness. Reappraisal is necessary to restore equity because the values of property change over time, but not uniformly across a county.

• Why do we have a property tax? The property tax funds about half of the city’s annual budget, which pays for services – fire and police protection, public schools, parks, corrections, libraries, public works, public health services, trash collection, and so on.

• What government office handles what responsibilities in this process? The Property Assessor’s office evaluates and estimates property values periodically based on sales data. We then use cost, market, and income approaches in compliance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, policies of the International Association of Assessing Officers, and the rules of the State Board of Equalization to estimate the value of property. The Davidson County Trustee calculates property tax bills and collects taxes annually. The Mayor’s office determines the city’s annual budget and proposes a tax rate. The Metro Council analyzes and adopts the annual budget and tax rate.

How do you determine my property’s value? Much like when you bought your property, we conduct an appraisal – which means we visit every property in the county to determine if and how the property has changed (or not). Then we compare each property in the area to similar properties in the same area that sold near January 1, 2013 and we build value models using sales data. I know my property value has fallen/ risen… The reappraisal process happens every four years. The last reappraisal was done in 2009. Data show us that values have increased for some properties, remained stable for others, and others have lost value since 2009. At the end of the day, commercial property values overall have increased –some significantly, while residential values vary widely – producing a slight net gain for the county as a whole since 2009.

The county may not make a “profit” from the reappraisal process. If the appraisals for the entire county show an increase in overall property values, the property tax rate (the multiplier) is reduced to neutralize the gain and is known as the certified tax rate – as required by state law The discussion about the property tax rate continues from there.

The Property Assessor’s office does not determine the final tax rate. My reappraisal seems wrong… We want to set your property value correctly and fairly.

We encourage you to check our work and inform us of any errors about your property’s characteristics (square footage, for example). Please see your property data sheet on our website – www.padctn.com – to view specific information about your property, and to see information about the process for informal review and appeals.

Sincerely,

George Rooker

Davidson County Assessor of Property

615-862-6080

www.padctn.com

Mailing address: P.O. Box 196305

Nashville, TN 37219-6305

Physical Address: 700 2nd Ave S, Suite 210, Nashville, TN 37210

8am – 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday

On Saturday, April 20th, we celebrate the annual Earth Day celebration here in Nashville at Centennial Park. The main goal of the celebration is to educate locals on how to help protect the environment, eventually hoping to make Nashville the greenest city in the region. In addition to numerous workshops, there will be live music on both the Youth and Main Stages including performances by Billy Swayze, Elizabeth Cook, and Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue. Locally brewed beer will be offered in Yazoo’s Beer Garden. There will also be activities for the kids. Hand-held electronics can be recycled and there will be free bike valet parking.

Check out their website for additional info.

Each edition, we will be featuring a different Nashville area neighborhood from the perspective of an actual resident.

It’s my turn! My new husband and I wanted to get in on the fun and talk about the neighborhood we love and call home.

East Nashville’s Moss Rose neighborhood is small, not well known, and definitely one to keep an eye on. With its short proximity to popular Riverside Village, Greenways access, river views in some cases, and affordability, it may be one of East Nashville/Inglewood’s best kept secrets.

Birthplace
Adam: Belleville, Michigan
Me: Culver City, California. But after almost 13 years in Nashville, it’s definitely home.

Occupation
Adam: IT administrator for a law firm downtown
Me: REALTOR and Team Leader at Nashville and Beyond

Favorite Nearby Hot Spots: The Greenways of Nashville is in our backyard. It’s amazing. We can literally walk about twenty feet and be in miles and miles of nature, right in the city. People bike, run, walk, rollerblade, and hike. We both bought bikes after moving here, and are definitely in better shape having our “backyard gym”. The Cumberland is also within feet, and we can watch the General Jackson float by. On nice nights when we’re outside, we can hear the music playing from the General Jackson cruises in the distance. Riverside Village is close by with its restaurants, shops, pub, and even a pharmacy. We like Japanese restaurant Watanabe so much, we had our rehearsal dinner there. I love going over to Sip Cafe for a coffee, then next door to Mitchell Deli for one of Nashville’s best sandwiches (featured on TLC’s America’s Best Sandwich). Check out their daily specials and fresh salad bar. Castrillos is perfect for pizza delivery on those lazy nights in. Village Pub is hockey central and they are big on serving local brews. Their pretzel sandwiches are really tasty.

How the Neighborhood Has Changed Since Moving Here: We have only lived here a year, but already are noticing the area becoming busier and busier with the growing popularity of Riverside Village and the growth in general of the Inglewood area. There is also some new construction happening on Moss Rose, which is nice to see.

Why I Love Living Here: When we started our search for our next home, we knew we would have a tough time. I was coming from a condo in the city, and Adam had a house in a more suburban neighborhood. He loves wide open spaces, while I’m a total urban girl. We had no idea how we would ever find something we both loved. But the moment we saw our future home, we knew it was perfect for us. It’s close enough to downtown and all things East Nashville that I didn’t feel stranded out in the middle of nowhere, yet it’s a quiet neighborhood with miles and miles of wide open spaces right in our backyard with The Greenways.. so perfect for Adam’s love of nature. I have surprised myself becoming more and more of a nature girl. Adam has actually enjoyed being closer to our favorite hangout spots and to his work. We love date night at East Nashville’s amazing restaurants. Our favorites are Eastland Cafe and Margot, but we really have been enjoying newcomers Pomodoro East and Cafe Fundamental (the adorable French cafe on Porter). Our neighbors are very kind and not intrusive.

Why We’re Not Worried About Flood Plains: We bought a flood home, and it really wasn’t a concern at all to us. We pay for flood insurance which is rolled into our mortgage payment, and it’s not near as much as we assumed it would be. The May 2010 floods were a 500 year event (hopefully), so really we’re not going to stay awake at nights thinking about that happening again. One of the things I admire about our neighborhood is that the people around us survived, rebuilt, and most of them stayed in their homes instead of moving. That really says something about this community.

In honor of this green-filled holiday, we’re featuring Urban Green Lab, The Village Fund’s non profit of the week!

Its future location in Inglewood by Riverside Village, Urban Green Lab will be Nashville’s very first sustainable living community center. Visitors will get to learn about energy efficiency and urban gardening through workshops and classes. Urban Green Lab is expected to be Tennessee’s first platinum certified LEED-NC building and will embody the highest possible principals of sustainable practices, according to its website. Their mission is to help make sustainable living a bigger part of our everyday lives in homes, neighborhoods, and businesses. It is scheduled to open in 2013.

Like them on Facebook for great energy saving tips, and check out their detailed website for more information and upcoming events.