Chris Elrod Properties-Connecting Buyers & Sellers Of Real Estate

1004 Brixworth Drive, Spring Hill, TN - $279,900

This warm and inviting home features decorator wall colors, custom finished cabinetry and golden hardwoods thorough out the main.  The kitchen is spacious and has granite countertops and under cabinet lighting.   The kitchen and the great room connect creating a spacious open social and entertaining area.

 

The owners suite is downstairs.  Upstairs are three additional bedrooms, each having their own walk-in closets.  The LARGE oversized bonus room has  a HUGE storage closet.   With the storage space in this home, you will have room for Everything!

 

*****NEW FLAT  SCREEN TV REMAINS!!!****

 

How to spot a bargain in "as-is" homes

The neighbors wanted to have the house condemned. But Jackie Braitman knew the home in Takoma Park, Md., had potential. When it came on the market, listed for sale "as-is," she pounced, picking it up for about $550,000. Three years — and a complete renovation — later she is selling the house for more than twice that.Is that "as-is" home listing you spotted hiding a bargain or a disaster?
To figure out what you're looking at, you have to figure out what "as-is" means. "If you ask 10 different people —including a judge — you'll get 10 different answers," said Irene Lindner, a real estate lawyer in the District of Columbia.
But generally when a property is sold as-is, that means the seller makes no warranties or representations about its condition and will not pay for repairs of even obvious defects, such as a wet basement or termite-gnawed floor joists. In Braitman's house, one whole side looked as if it were about to fall off, the kitchen was a wreck and plaster was crumbling everywhere.
For more click here!

Mary Ellen Slayter
The Washington Post

A Better Way to Retire Rich?

By Jeanne Lee
Fortune Small Business

Under IRS Rules, you can invest  your IRA in real estate or in the fortunes of other small0business owners and defer taxes on your gains. Here are some examples.

You Can Invest In:

• Vacation Houses
• Cattle
• Cemeteries
• High-Tech Startups
• Indie Film Companies
• Railroad Cars
• Restaurants

You Can't Invest In:

• Artwork
• Vacation Houses (if used for family pleasure)
• Jewelry
• Life Insurance
• Stock of S-Corporation
• Your Own Business (unless you own less than 50% of it.)

Top 100 Places to Live

In the top 100 - Brentwood, TN & Nashville, TN!!!!
Welcome to Relocate America's 100 Top Places To Live! 2007 marks our tenth year compiling our list of the best places to live in the United States. This is the only list that is determined by statistics and feedback of the people who live, work & play in these communities. We're proud of our list of best places to live in 2007, and we're showing that by honoring each and every community listed here.

Throughout the calendar year, we accept nominations for cities & towns throughout the country to be considered as a "great place to live". The nominating parties must include their own reasons why they feel their city should make the list. The nominations, along with key data regarding education, employment, economy, crime, parks, recreation and housing are reviewed, rated & judged by our editorial team. Special consideration is taken on the Top 10 Cities as they are listed in a ranked order of America's Top 10 Places to Live.

What's Hot, Whats Not!

Test your hipness quotient with these up-to-the minute trends.

What's Hot                                                                 What's Not

In HOMES
Cozy, small homes on a big lot                                                          McMansions
____________________________________________________________________________
Earth colors-brown, green-                                                              The cold look of modern
as well as handmade accessories
____________________________________________________________________________
Informal living spaces like an oversize                                             Formal dining rooms
family room and an open kitchen                                           
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Exotic hardwood floors like bamboo                                                 Carpeting
and Brazilian cherry
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Mudrooms with cubbies, chests,                                                     Leaving all your junk
and benches for kids and dogs                                                         in the foyer or the coat closet
____________________________________________________________________________
Marble, limestone, and concrete                                                       Granite Countertops
kitchen countertops
____________________________________________________________________________

In MARKETING
____________________________________________________________________________
Videos or video podcasts of                                                               E-newsletters on trends
you offering market updates
____________________________________________________________________________
Listing property at all                                                                       Just putting your listings
available sites, including                                                                   on MLS and hoping
REALTOR.com,Craigslist, and Zillow   
_____________________________________________________________________________
Handwritten thank-you cards                                                           Thank yous sent by e-mail
and invitations
______________________________________________________________________________
Multiple property photos                                                                  Thank yous sent by e-mail
and virtual tours                   
______________________________________________________________________________
Word-of-Mouth referrals built on buzz                                              Anonymous lead-generation                                                                                                                sites
______________________________________________________________________________

IN TECHNOLOGY
_______________________________________________________________________________
HTML e-mail brochures                                                                      Expensive paper flyers
________________________________________________________________________________
Ms. Dewey, Microsoft's virtual                                                           Staring at a plain white search
librarian with attitude, personalizes                                                  screen
your search
________________________________________________________________________________
Automating showing feedbac, requests by e-mail                               Leaving showing salespeople
                                                                                                          multiple feedback-request
                                                                                                          messages that are never
                                                                                                          returned
_______________________________________________________________________________
Voice-ver internet protocol services like Skype                                  Paying for long distance on a
                                                                                                          phone
_______________________________________________________________________________
Learning how to use every feature and                                              Buying the latest tech gadgets
maximizing the use of the technology                                                 and never reading the manual
you have.

More Online: For NAR Research publications covering trends, visit REALTOR.org and click research.

Real Estate Investments in the SUNSHINE State!!

1690 N DiMaggio Path
Hernando, FL 34442
$549,000
4 Bed, 3 Bath
2,837 Sq. Ft
TERRA VISTA, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE, offering a lifestyle in a GATED community.. . . Just picture your furnishings in this very elegant 4BR/3BA/3 car garage pool home. PLUS office/den. It is just like new and ready to move in.
For more listings please click here!

If you are interested in purchasing a home in the Citrus County area please contact Charlene Anderson. Charlene has been working in Real Estate for almost ten years, Charlene will make your Real Estate experience just right. Moving to Florida to retire she and her husband found exactly what they were looking for in t he Crystal River area. Not long after they settled into their new home Charlene began selling Real Estate. A million dollar agent her first year, she continues to grow and has been consistent multi-million dollar agent ever since.

Contact Info:
352.422.0211-Mobile
352.344.1113-Office

Charlene Anderson
A Professional Realtor with a Personal Touch

Homebuyers Tips to Remember

Contributed by Diane J Beamer

 

Although homebuying involves individual tastes and personal decision, there are some common rules to keep in mind. These rules are designed to help you avoid mistakes that could hinder your ability to make the best possible buying decision from a financial point of view. Here are some ideas to consider.

1. Don't purchase a home that is the most expensive home in the immediate neighborhood. If the difference in price is only a few thousand dollars, you may not have a serious problem getting your money out of it. If, however the price spread is quite substantial, surrounding homes will limit the profit potential of your purchase.

2. Take time to analyze the specific features you really want in a home. You may have to compromise on some things, so be sure you buy a home that satisfies your most important priorities.

3. Check out the local school system. The quality of the local school system usually has a big impact on home values. Even if you do not have children of school age, don't underestimate the important of local schools.

4. Is the floor plan suitable to this location and price range? Is the traffic pattern one that appeals to many or only a few? Does the house have the bedrooms and bathrooms that can support the asking price?

5. Are you being too impressed with decor and ignoring the basic features of the house? Is it important that you feel good about the house from an emotional standpoint, don't let your emotions prevent you from analyzing the house for its investment potential as well.

6. Be sure to investigate the ongoing costs of owning this home. Find out about the taxes, utilities, and maintenance expenses. You may be able to buy it, but unable to afford to keep it up over he long run.

HT: Diane-Realty Blogging

Price Reduced!!

2661 Churchill Drive
$349,900
Welcome home to a beautiful like new custom built home featuring extra trim and moldings, rounded corners, slate fireplace, central vacuum system, irrigation system and many more amenities.

This home is located in the Campbell's Station Development convenient to groceries, pharmacies and restaurants. The local schools are only a few miles away.
The oversized master suite is on the main level with a view of the community lake.
Another bedroom and full bath is also on the main level.
The great room opens up to a screened in back porch.
In the kitchen you'll find  all stainless appliances including a side by side refrigerator and a gas cooktop with downdraft.
Upstairs is a huge bonus room that could easily accommodate furniture as well as game tables & pool tables.
A loft provides an area for reading or computers and overlooks the great room below.
Two more bedrooms and a full bath are also on this level.
The sellers are offering $3000 toward the buyer's closing cost.

For more information, please visit www.realtracs.com  MLS # 832718

NEW PRICE!!!

2005 Cedarmont Drive

What a find! This one level ranch has 4 large bedrooms a formal dining room, parlor/study, great room, Jack and Jill baths.
Enjoy breakfast in the newly redone eat-in kitchen looking over the fenced in backyard complete with an English garden.
Many light and plumbing fixtures have been updated in this home and all the hardwood floors have been refinished.
The great room has a Tuscan theme with a fireplace.
The oversized master is just off the great room and the other 3 bedrooms are zoned on the other side of the home.
The laundry room is conveniently located near the three bedrooms on this side of the home.
The best part of this home is the basement, it is 90% finished with a gas fireplace, carpeting and lighting.
Most importantly this home has a new roof that was put on in the summer of 2006. This home comes with a one year AHS warranty.

For more info, please visit: www.realtracs.com and enter MLS#: 822277

Are You Ready to Buy Your First Home?

For most young people, buying their first home can be a scary proposition. It not only represents the biggest purchase most people make, it is a decision they literally have to live with every day.

This is why experts advise taking the time to make the most informed decision possible — it can reduce costs, aggravation and regret. These days, it is advice more easily followed given the recent slowdown in home sales.

“Think about your plan for the next year, five years, even 10 years.  Look at what you hope to accomplish professionally, personally, as a couple and as a family and what kind of home and neighborhood will best serve those plans,” advises Tom Stevens, who recently stepped down as president of the National Association of Realtors.
He also advises buying real estate only for "real" reasons: “Don’t get caught up trying to pursue ‘hot’ markets. That is a good way to get burned.”  Similarly, avoiding "cold" markets can freeze one out of a well-priced purchase.

Know your score
“Usually first-time buyers are not thinking about how their credit histories impact their home buying options,” says James Raysbrook, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Bain Associates in Seattle, who works with many young home buyers. Recent applications for multiple credit cards, a spotty record of late payments or even a lack of credit history can all hurt a  mortgage application by lowering credit scores. “We also have them check their credit reports to see if any corrections are required.” 
“Make sure your budget can handle a mortgage payment,” advises Curt Weil, a certified financial planner with Lasecke Weil Wealth Advisory Group in Palo Alto, Calif.  “In California, a mortgage payment can easily be two to three times as much as monthly rent was.” That can seriously strain cash flow even after factoring in the tax benefits.

“Realtors and mortgage lenders often assume buyers want the most house possible. It is up to the buyer to decide how much they actually want to afford,” adds Weil.

He suggests sitting down with a financial planner, buying budgeting software, or going online to sites like Fannie Mae’s, the government-sponsored corporation that supplies a secondary market for mortgages, or Choose to Save, the financial literacy Web site to access calculators that answer the question: How much can I afford without choking? 

By Gayle B. Ronan

MSNBC contributor
For more info click HERE