The statistic, today, is that 90 people a DAY are relocating to Nashville TN. That is an astounding number. I am sure for those of you who already live in the Nashville area, this statistic does not surprise you, based on the increased traffic over the past two years. Most of us relocate at one time or another in our life. We move away to go to school, to chase a dream…or a love (bad idea), or your employer may be transferring you. Depending on your circumstances, what stage of life you are in and who may be coming with you, your priorities will vary.  Are schools important? Do you want to be able to walk to restaurants? You may want to be near public transportation. How do you know the answer to these things if you don’t live here? You can spend hours on the internet, researching what’s important to you You can contact the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Visitors Bureau You can ask friends that may already live here You can make a trip to Nashville and figure it out when you get here You can contact a Realtor who specializes in relocation   I like the last option best 🙂 A Realtor that specializes in relocation should have a relocation package they can send you. This doesn’t have to be a 500-page bound book that has all restaurants, pediatricians, and carwashes listed. It needs to be a concise gathering of information that is helpful for you before you get here. You are going to have your favorite restaurants once you are living here. You are going to know which grocery store is closest to you once you find where you will live. A great Realtor can help you figure out which areas of town will best fit your needs, without you spending hours researching on your own. I would also suggest that you find a Realtor who is willing to use FaceTime, Skype or something similar to show you houses that may fit your criteria, prior to you traveling. I have driven in neighborhoods while my client was on my phone video app and I was able to show them the neighboring homes and the surrounding area after I had taken them on a tour of the house – probably not the safest technique, but effective! You can see a lot on the photos and video that is online of homes (if it is provided), but, how much better would it be to have someone walking through and be able to ask specific questions of what you are seeing? That is helpful. That is service. Don’t be afraid to ask for those services...

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  We’ve all had those times when we feel like life has handed us lemons. Sometimes it feels like good ole Murphy’s Law. The alarm doesn’t go off, the dog gets sick on the rug, there is an accident on the way to the office, we get a flat tire, our boss needs us to stay late to finish a last minute project on the night we have tickets to a hockey game. UGH! I have recently gone through some “lemon days”. At the time, I was thinking, “why is this happening?” When those days come, I try really hard to stay positive and laugh through it (I said “try”). I have learned that being upset and negative, only produces more negativity and can lead to anger or frustration. I live by the Law of Attraction that I have learned through reading books by Napoleon Hill. By staying positive, I can get through those tough times a lot easier, and mentally, a lot faster.   There are many nay-sayers when it comes to making things happen through being positive and the Law of Attraction. So, I guess they just have a lot of lemons in their life. In my experience, people want to be around positive people. It’s attractive. It is scientifically, magnetically attractive. Being positive doesn’t mean you are going to be rich and be able to do anything you want. It does mean that more people want to help you get what you want if you are positive and pleasant to be around. Who wants to be around someone who is always negative and doesn’t smile? There is so much to be thankful for. Even on our worst days, there is someone who is dealing with much bigger issues than we may ever know. If we are honest with ourselves, we can look back and see something good that came of what we have gone through and as Kelly Clarkson sings, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”   This is a detour from the topics I typically write about but I felt like penning something I find helpful and inspirational. Days can get hectic, it can seem as if we are in the tunnel and the light is nowhere in sight. If we allow ourselves to get lemons and let them spoil, we can miss out on some great things. When life hands you lemons, I know everyone says you should make lemonade, but I prefer these: Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf, The Best Lemon Bars, and if life has handed you a whole basket full of lemons, try Limoncello!   Photo courtesy of Suat Eman via freedigitalphotos.net...

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  How do Realtors get paid? That is a great question and one I get asked a lot. There are different models of real estate agencies so there are many different ways a real estate agent or a Realtor can get paid. I will describe the most common.   The first thing you need to understand is that Realtors do not get paid a salary. Unless they are on a team or in a company that has that type of agreement, they do not get paid on a regular basis, like an employee does. Most Realtors are independent contractors, not employees. That also means that they do not get the benefit of health insurance, life insurance, retirement, or taxes being paid by their company.   When you hire a Realtor, whether you hire them to help you sell your house, help you buy a house, or both, you do not pay them anything up front. In most cases, they do not get paid until the closing. If you are a Buyer, you typically don’t pay for the services of a Realtor, the commissions come from the Seller at closing. If you are a Seller, you don’t pay for services until your house sells. So, let’s look at these two scenarios: You want to buy a house. You meet with a Realtor and decide to hire them to help you find your dream home. They spend their time and money searching the MLS, internet, calling For Sale by Owner sellers, driving to show you properties. They give feedback to other agents based on showings, research comparables, advise you when they write up an offer, negotiate on your behalf, all the while making sure you are protected and are following the contract. They attend home inspections and appraisals, make/answer phone calls and emails from you as well as other agents, vendors, appraisers, title companies, lenders, etc. Once you own the house, they get paid.   You want to sell your house. You meet with a Realtor and decide to hire them to sell your home. They may pay for a lot of services to sell your house. Some of those services are: professional photography and video, professional measurement, a company to schedule showings at your property, professionally designed marketing material and mass marketing programs. They buy professional signs and lockboxes. If they hold an open house, they have marketing material and possibly balloons and snacks. They spend their time getting feedback from agents and customers who see your house. They advise you when an offer is received, negotiate on your behalf, all the while making sure you are protected and are following the contract. They attend appraisals, make/answer phone calls and...

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  If you have read my blogs or bought or sold real estate recently, you may recall hearing about title insurance. You may also be thinking, “what the heck is it?” and “do I need it?” Well, the short answer is, it protects you against claims to your property and, yes, you need it. Thanks to Chad Pearman, P.C., my personal real estate/closing attorney, I will break it down in terms we can all understand. There are two types of title insurance; Lender’s (Mortgagor) and Owner’s or Mortgagee’s. Lender’s title insurance protects the lender against the priority of their mortgage. It insures that they are in first position to get their lien paid. As a general rule, if you get a loan to buy property, the lender will require a title policy. Owner’s title policy insures that you own the property, that no one else has a claim to it, and that ANY prior owner has conveyed all ownership to the property. When you purchase title insurance (or another party to the real estate transaction purchases it for you), you can choose to purchase an Enhanced Policy. An enhanced property will go beyond the general title insurance policy and will cover things like encroachments on the property (such as a fence or driveway). Do I need it? Here are some reasons why you may think twice about not getting title insurance: A property was purchased at a foreclosure sale. The Buyer purchased title insurance though there was no lender involved to mandate that it be purchased. The previous owner had taken out several mortgages and filed fake releases. The title insurance company paid approximately $40,000 to defend the new owner’s title to the property without having to pay the lien holders since the previous owner had defrauded the other mortgage companies. (I wonder if that person is in jail…) A property was fraudulently deeded to an LLC from a deceased person which sold to a new owner. The wrong Trustee signed the deed and, therefore, didn’t have the right to sell the property that was already “owned” by someone else. An heir still had an interest to a property because the probate proceedings were done incorrectly. The person has not been found. If the current owner to the property does not have title insurance, that lost heir can come back and claim that they own it.   So hopefully now you know a little more about title insurance and why, yes, you need it. Please consult with your local agent or real estate attorney to get more information.   Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles via...

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