I was in Las Vegas last month. I saw the most amazing magician. He gave me one red spongey thing (looked like a Beauty Blender for all you cosmetic fanatics). I squeezed my hand tight as he tapped my hand with his. Of course, you know what happened. When I opened my hand, I had TWO red spongey things. HOW DO THEY DO IT???   You will ask yourself the same thing when you work with a great Realtor. They make it look easy. They get things done. My job is to work behind the scenes to fix all the things that go wrong when selling or buying a home. What, you don’t think anything went wrong when you bought or sold your house? That’s probably because you had a great Realtor on your side. Things always go wrong. They are not always big things that can cause deals to be delayed or to fall through but, trust me, there is always something. Lenders get the wrong document signed, they somehow have the wrong close date or purchase price. Title companies find undisclosed tax liens on the property that is supposed to close in 5 days. A Seller takes a refrigerator that they were supposed to leave. An appraisal comes back low. A Buyer forgets to mention a bankruptcy. The list goes on and on.   Some things can’t be fixed, but most can. Don’t give up. I have been able to get a major home builder to pay closing costs, and replace items they initially said they would not. Lenders have jumped through hoops. Title companies have gone to bat for clients and other agents have worked with their clients to come to amicable solutions. In the end, everyone wants the same thing. We all want the house to sell. Sellers want to sell it, Buyers want to buy it, and all the vendors want to be paid. Most Realtors don’t get paid until closing, therefore, they should do everything they can to find solutions for issues that arise.   I have been asked if I can move a house to a different location. I actually do know people that can do that! Bottom line is, make sure you have realistic expectations of the miracles that can be performed. Also, though, be satisfied that your real estate agent is working hard for you. And remember, if you ask them to turn water into wine, they will probably just drink it.   (Wine glass image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at...

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If you’ve lived in Nashville for more than a few years, you know you DO NOT get near downtown during CMA Fest (formerly known as Fan Fair). I tried to meet a business partner for lunch at The Palm yesterday. Big mistake. A lot of the roads were blocked, tents and stages were going up, food trucks were staking out spaces, and tourists were walking the streets. Needless to say, we opted for a lunch spot a little bit outside of town, Pinewood Social. Anyway, you may wonder how we Nashvillians can spot a tourist. It’s the cowboy boots and cowboy hats. Don’t get me wrong, some Nashville residents wear cowboy boots on a regular basis. What we typically don’t do, however, is wear them with a cowboy hat to go shopping downtown. Our town thrives on tourism and I love it, we just know how to spot them a mile away and that is precisely as close as we want to get during this week.   This is the most exciting week of the year for fans of country music. There will be more country music on stages throughout our fine city than there is rhinestones on a Manuel jacket. You can meet and greet your favorite artist and maybe even run into a few at a local hot spot. I mean, this is Nashville. From Tootsie’s to The Bluebird, you never know who you may see, even some of the stars of ABC’s hit show, Nashville.   Now, I promised you some entertainment in this blog and I will not disappoint. I received a phone call from DR Horton’s Nashville manager last week, telling me that I was the winner of CMA Fest tickets for the big finale shows on Sunday. Admittedly, I am not much of a country music fan (don’t shoot me) but with artists like Keith Urban (yummy), Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley, it will certainly be enjoyable and will make for some great people watching. So much for staying away from downtown, I am going to get smack dab in the middle of the action. I will be sure to post photos on our social media, just don’t expect one of me in cowboy boots. Don’t miss next time: Turning Water into Wine! (Photos via http://manuelcouture.com/ and ddpavumba at...

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