From the Front Porch Swing

Sipping my cup a tea, a luminous sunrise greets me
Song birds flock overhead with ease singing their lovely melodies
A squirrel, a chipmunk and a lizard or two, stop by for a quick hello and how do you do

From the Front Porch Swing

Life can be so grand… sitting next to my love, holding his hand
A cuddle, a kiss, a wink… all go hand in hand with a nice cold drink
Conversations about the day … listening closely to everything he has to say

From the Front Porch Swing

The view is absolutely amazing … the sun above with brilliant rays of light blazing
Listening to the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through the Summer trees
With a heavy sigh and a soft smile .. I could sit here for a very long while

From the Front Porch Swing

The days light slowly turns to night
The June bugs slow their hummm and lightening bugs come out for a bit of fun
The moon’s light and twinkle from the stars above fill me with a warm, gentle kind of love

From the Front Porch Swing

Problems and stress all fade away, now this is the way to spend your day!
Swinging to and fro… letting it all go.
Come have a seat next to me… You’ll too see how great life can be.

From the Front Porch Swing

By Raventalker

LET US HELP YOU FIND THAT PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUR FRONT PORCH SWING!
Visit one of our offices today!

Now you can now compare properties side by side with the new and improved Coldwell Banker Barnes, Snow & Wall, Real Estate Now websites.

Compare prices, acreage, number of bed and bathrooms, lot size, price per sq ft, and much more.

Below is a QUICK TUTORIAL ON HOW TO SEARCH AND COMPARE:

(click on each image to enlarge)

Step 1: visit www.coldwellbankerbarnes.com (Nashville office), www.snowandwall.com (Murfreesboro Office) or www.realestatenow.com (Jackson Office) – enter your search criteria then click GO

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Step 2: Check the box next to the properties that you would like to compare. TIP: you may want to narrow your search by checking the menu listed on the left.

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Step 3: Click Compare Selected at the bottom of the search page

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Step 4: DONE! You can now view your selected properties on a side by side comparison screen. When done comparing – click the “X” in the top right corner of the comparison view window to go back to your search.

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From a House to a Home

Once upon a time in a land not so far away .. there was a house who always dreamed of becoming a home.

It sat there centered perfectly on its lot, landscaping strategically placed so it wouldn’t look so bare…
It had hopes that someone would notice, that someone would care.

There was a driveway, paved all in stone
A walk lined with a floral flare that led to a mat at the door with a greeting… “Welcome Home”

The entry wasn’t too small nor too grand
It simply left a statement that whispered softly, “Welcome home my friend”

Granite counter tops and appliances all done in steel
Gave the kitchen a really nice look and feel

A fireplace each, warmed the living room, den and master suite
Freshly laid carpet made the floors soft and comfy beneath your feet

Walk-in closets and storage galore
This house had everything you could think of and a little bit more

There was but one thing missing to make this dream a reality
So it got itself listed by by a top notch realty

A family was in need to make this place a home… not just a house
Come take a look, its easy you see..  by a simple click of the mouse!


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Ready to find a place to call home?   Visit one of our offices today!

We have 7 offices located in the Jackson, Nashville and the Middle Tennessee areas, fully staffed with the most knowledgeable and caring agents the industry can provide.

Stop by, give us a call, friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter..
When it comes to your real estates needs… We’re here for YOU!

10 Easy Tips to Winterize Your Home

So you’ve pulled your sweaters out of mothballs and found your mittens at the bottom of the coat closet. But what about your house — is it prepared for the cold months ahead?

You’ll be a lot less comfortable in the coming months if you haven’t girded Home Sweet Home for Old Man Winter.

With the help of several experts, we’ve boiled down your autumn to-do list to 10 easy tips:

1. Clean those gutters  
Once the leaves fall, remove them and other debris from your home’s gutters — by hand, by scraper or spatula, and finally by a good hose rinse — so that winter’s rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams, in which water backs up, freezes and causes water to seep into the house, the Insurance Information Institute says. 
As you’re hosing out your gutters, look for leaks and misaligned pipes. Also, make sure the downspouts are carrying water away from the house’s foundation, where it could cause flooding or other water damage.

“The rule of thumb is that water should be at least 10 feet away from the house,” says Michael Broili, the director of the Well Home Program for the Phinney Neighborhood Association, a nationally recognized neighborhood group in Seattle.

2. Block those leaks
One of the best ways to winterize your home is to simply block obvious leaks around your house, both inside and out, experts say. The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall, according to EarthWorks Group.

Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots, says Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated TV show “Today’s Homeowner.” Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets that share a home’s outer walls, where cold air often enters.

Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing. “Even if it’s a small crack, it’s worth sealing up,” Lipford says. “It also discourages any insects from entering your home.”

3. Insulate yourself
“Another thing that does cost a little money — but boy, you do get the money back quick — is adding insulation to the existing insulation in the attic,” says Lipford. “Regardless of the climate conditions you live in, in the (U.S.) you need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic.”

Don’t clutter your brain with R-values or measuring tape, though. Here’s Lipford’s rule of thumb on whether you need to add insulation: “If you go into the attic and you can see the ceiling joists you know you don’t have enough, because a ceiling joist is at most 10 or 11 inches.”

A related tip: If you’re layering insulation atop other insulation, don’t use the kind that has “kraft face” finish (i.e., a paper backing). It acts as a vapor barrier, Lipford explains, and therefore can cause moisture problems in the insulation.

4. Check the furnace
First, turn your furnace on now, to make sure it’s even working, before the coldest weather descends. A strong, odd, short-lasting smell is natural when firing up the furnace in the autumn; simply open windows to dissipate it. But if the smell lasts a long time, shut down the furnace and call a professional.

It’s a good idea to have furnaces cleaned and tuned annually. Costs will often run about $100-$125. An inspector should do the following, among other things: 

Throughout the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly (check them monthly). A dirty filter impedes air flow, reduces efficiency and could even cause a fire in an extreme case. Toss out the dirty fiberglass filters; reusable electrostatic or electronic filters can be washed.

5. Get your ducts in a row
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lose up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. That’s a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house. (Check out this audit tool for other ideas on how to save on your energy bills this winter.)

Ducts aren’t always easy to see, but you can often find them exposed in the attic, the basement and crawlspaces. Repair places where pipes are pinched, which impedes flow of heated air to the house, and fix gaps with a metal-backed tape (duct tape actually doesn’t stand up to the job over time).

Ducts also should be vacuumed once every few years, to clean out the abundant dust, animal hair and other gunk that can gather in them and cause respiratory problems.

6. Face your windows
Now, of course, is the time to take down the window screens and put up storm windows, which provide an extra layer of protection and warmth for the home. Storm windows are particularly helpful if you have old, single-pane glass windows. But if you don’t have storm windows, and your windows are leaky or drafty, “They need to be updated to a more efficient window,” says Lipford.

Of course, windows are pricey. Budget to replace them a few at a time, and in the meantime, buy a window insulator kit, Lipford and Broili recommend. Basically, the kit is plastic sheeting that’s affixed to a window’s interior with double-stick tape. A hair dryer is then used to shrink-wrap the sheeting onto the window. (It can be removed in the spring.) “It’s temporary and it’s not pretty, but it’s inexpensive (about $4 a window) and it’s extremely effective,” says Lipford.

7. Don’t forget the chimney
Ideally, spring is the time to think about your chimney, because “chimney sweeps are going crazy right now, as you might have guessed,” says Ashley Eldridge, director of education for the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

That said, don’t put off your chimney needs before using your fireplace, Eldridge advises. “A common myth is that a chimney needs to be swept every year,” says Eldridge. Not true. But a chimney should at least be inspected before use each year, he adds. “I’ve seen tennis balls and ducks in chimneys,” he says.

Ask for a Level 1 inspection, in which the professional examines the readily accessible portions of the chimney, Eldridge says. “Most certified chimney sweeps include a Level 1 service with a sweep,” he adds.

Woodstoves are a different beast, however, cautions Eldridge. They should be swept more than once a year. A general rule of thumb is that a cleaning should be performed for every ¼ inch of creosote, “anywhere that it’s found.” Why? “If it’s ash, then it’s primarily lye — the same stuff that was once used to make soap, and it’s very acidic.” It can cause mortar and the metal damper to rot, Eldridge says.

Another tip: Buy a protective cap for your chimney, with a screen, advises Eldridge. “It’s probably the single easiest protection” because it keeps out foreign objects (birds, tennis balls) as well as rain that can mix with the ash and eat away at the fireplace’s walls. He advises buying based on durability, not appearance.

One other reminder: To keep out cold air, fireplace owners should keep their chimney’s damper closed when the fireplace isn’t in use. And for the same reason, woodstove owners should have glass doors on their stoves, and keep them closed when the stove isn’t in use.

Check out CSIA’S Web site for a list of certified chimney sweeps in your area.

8. Reverse that fan
“Reversing your ceiling fan is a small tip that people don’t often think of,” says Lipford. By reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable. (Here’s how you know the fan is ready for winter: As you look up, the blades should be turning clockwise, says Lipford.)

9. Wrap those pipes
A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Prevent it before Jack Frost sets his grip: Before freezing nights hit, make certain that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are drained, says Broili. In climes such as Portland, Ore., or Seattle, where freezing nights aren’t commonplace, you can install Styrofoam cups with a screw attachment to help insulate spigots, says Broili. 

Next, go looking for other pipes that aren’t insulated, or that pass through unheated spaces — pipes that run through crawlspaces, basements or garages. Wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation, available at hardware stores. If you’re really worried about a pipe freezing, you can first wrap it with heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that emits heat.

10. Finally, check those alarms
This is a great time to check the operation — and change the batteries — on your home’s smoke detectors. Detectors should be replaced every 10 years, fire officials say. Test them — older ones in particular — with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the “test” button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works.

Also, invest in a carbon-monoxide detector; every home should have at least one.

Real-Estate Myths

Don’t fall for real-estate myths in this market

It’s easy to think that because we’re in a buyers market, buyers can call all the shots: Wait weeks before deciding whether to make an offer on a particular house, find grateful acceptance of lowball offers or scoop up homes for 50% of the asking price.

Your worst real-estate enemy? You

Good luck with that. Clinging to those and other popular myths may keep you from getting the house you want.

I’m always amused to see how unrealistic some of the would-be buyers are on the TV house-hunting shows. But when I was 25, I knew everything, too — even if I didn’t realize my life would never be complete without granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances.

Syndicated columnist Lew Sichelman had a column in last weekend’s Los Angeles Times about some of the real-estate myths that can keep buyers from getting the homes they want.

“… many people believe they can make any bid they want, no matter how ridiculous, because it’s a buyers market. False,” he wrote. “Even foreclosures and short sales are never priced at half their value ‘or anything even close to that type of fire-sale discount,’ says Christina Rordam of Exit Real Estate Results in Longwood, Fla.”

Is the buyers market a mirage?

No one can predict how a particular seller will respond to an offer, whether the seller is an individual or a bank. If the seller doesn’t like you, you run the risk that he will refuse to deal with you.

Here are some other myths that could doom your purchase:

• If the house has been on the market a long time, the seller will take a low offer. Wrong. The house could be on the market a long time because the seller not only won’t take a low offer but also won’t take a reasonable offer.
• A distressed property is always cheaper. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t. Lenders aren’t always logical in their negotiations, so you may get as good a deal or better from a realistic homeowner.
• If you look long enough, you’ll find your perfect house. Afraid not. The perfect house doesn’t exist, at least not in your price range. And that’s true no matter what your price range.
• Your family and friends will give you good advice about real estate. They’ll give you advice, all right. But it is unlikely to be as good as the advice you’ll get from a professional.

We’ll offer one more piece of advice: All real estate is local. Very local.

Don’t fall victim to a lying seller

That means that while it may be a buyers market nationwide, or even in your city, it could easily be a sellers market in your first-choice neighborhood. Do your homework.

Look at houses for sale in your desired neighborhood

• If you’re thinking of buying a home, we suggest you dig into the articles in in the homebuyer’s section of MSN Real Estate. That should save you from a few misconceptions and a lot of wasted time.

25 Things NOT to do in Real Estate