Williamson County, Tennessee, Has It All

Looking to put down roots? There are many excellent places to establish your home and family, but which area of the country is best for you? If you had a choice, which of the following attributes are the most important to you?

Most Business-Friendly
Top Schools in the U.S.
Most Beautiful
Healthiest
Best in Personal and Family Well-Being

What if you didn’t have to choose just one? Williamson County in Middle Tennessee is the recipient of all of these awards and more from respected sources such as Money Magazine, Forbes, and Rand McNally. 

These attributes are no secret to those of us who have called Williamson County home for many years, but sometimes you just need a reminder that you’re where you’re meant to be. This video says it all! 

After July reports showed that home sales in the Nashville area are up for a 24^th consecutive month, Price Lechleiter, President of the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors^®, said, “The continuation of excellent visibility and positive economic news for Greater Nashville is attracting more people here, and seems to be building confidence in those already here, so there is more willingness to commit to the purchase of a home.”

Ready to put down your roots? Call me and I will show you why Williamson County has been voted one of America’s “Best Places to Live.”

I will help you find your perfect place here.

Give your home the edge in the Brentwood, Tenn., real estate market with professional photography services.

This blog title’s adage originates from the early 1900’s, when people started recognizing the impact of including pictures of their products in newspaper advertisements. Today, it’s rare to find homes in this area that are for sale without a representation of pictures.

An article in the Wall Street Journal states, “According to research from the National Association of Realtors, 98% of home buyers who searched for a home online said photos were among the most useful features of real-estate websites.” And, “Listings of homes with photos taken by professionals have about 61% more views than listings without—and that's across all price tiers, according to research from Redfin, a real-estate brokerage firm.”

Dan and Sandy Raper realized the potential for a new business almost seven years ago when they merged Sandy’s experience in real estate and photography with Dan’s business skills to form Showcase Photography. Based in Franklin, Tenn., the Rapers have built a booming business with more than 20 architectural photographers in the Nashville area who complete between 60-100 photo shoots per day with 1,800 regional real estate agents.

Greg Wilson, who heads up marketing for Showcase Photography, explained that photography services actually go beyond a set of beautiful photographs. They also help provide easy ways to help agents use technology to sell homes by providing virtual tour links and podcasts that allow them to “walk” a person through listed homes.

Wilson says, “The first impression is the best impression, and houses shot professionally command more of an offer, and that has been proven in every price range in this area. Most people won’t even tour a home if they’re not impressed up front.”

If you want to put your home up front in the real estate world, a small investment in professional pictures could reap big rewards.

For a sample of Showcase’s work in Nashville and Dallas, visit:

http://www.showcasephotographers.com/

OR

https://www.facebook.com/ShowcasePhotographers

    Learn how to get the house you want in the Brentwood, Tenn., real estate market!

What happens when there is a high demand for homes and a low supply to choose from? Bidding wars. The Wall Street Journal reports that in June, 69% of homes faced multiple offers. As the Brentwood, Tenn., real estate market continues to rebound, the bidding wars in this area are also on the increase. There are several things to consider if you find yourself bidding on a home that has more than one offer.

1. Know what homes are going for in the area. You don’t want to be so anxious to win the bid that you significantly overpay for a home, even if it is your dream home. You’ll have to know when to walk away so you’re not stuck with a home that goes down in value if and when the market changes again.

2. Make sure you and your agent know where you stand. If you absolutely cannot go over your initial budget, then you do not need to push those boundaries. If the sellers think for one second that your financing might fall through, they will choose another offer, even if it is lower.

3. Use your agent’s bidding skills to fight for you in this type of war, but make sure he is kind and courteous since he or she is representing you and your family. You don’t want to lose your bid simply because the sellers don’t want to deal with a bully during the negotiations.

4. Be quick and clear when you write an offer. If the sellers have several offers to consider, then you don’t have the luxury of waiting several days to decide what you want to do.

5. Have your paperwork in order beforehand. Make sure your loan has been approved. Be ready to have a quick inspection. Anything that delays the process could make the sellers back out. Bankrate.com says, “While offering the most money might seem like the best way to win a bidding war, sellers don't always choose the highest offer. Instead, sellers often prefer offers that are most likely to go through and that meet their conditions.”

6. Offer as few contingencies as possible. You might be up against buyers who are offering cash or who are buying without a contingency on the sale of their home. BUT, be smart. If you can’t handle two mortgages for any length of time or if you wouldn’t dare buy a home without an inspection, then opt to protect yourself more fully.

7. Make your offer more personal. "Don't be afraid to include why the house would the best fit your families needs. You don't want to have any regrets by not putting your best foot forward. Knowing that you made your best offer, should give you comfort. If it's meant to be, it will be".

Don’t be afraid to go after the house you love, just be wise in the process and allow your agent to fight with you!