My precious son was recently diagnosed with ADHD and I immediately jumped into research and studies regarding the treatment of ADHD, exactly what it is and best methods of treatment.  Prior to his being diagnosed, I had noticed that he was a bit behind for his age, that he had not progressed academically as my other children had, but I thought it was because as I had more children, I had less time to zero in on helping him learn as I did the first three.  I would try to sit down with him and go through the preschool workbooks, hanging up letters and numbers all over the house, placing educational CD's to play while in the car, etc., etc., etc., but he just wasn't getting "it". 

He began kindergarten and was placed in a room with a teacher that came across to me during the kindergarten introduction meeting as being stern, firm, not very patient and zero sense of humor.  However, I thought Landon needed someone that was firm in their rules.  I noticed during the first few months of school that Landon began hating going to school, telling me that his teacher yelled at him or how much he was in time out.  We had a meeting and they explained that he was not any further along after 5 months of school than when he began.

I knew my son was intelligent (and yes, I am proud of him, but not ignorant to my children's faults) and couldn't understand why he was so slow in learning and retaining information, couldn't sit still in class, was impulsive (now I know all the signs of ADHD), so I agreed to have him tested at my husbands beligerent attitude about it.  He went in the dr's office with his guns loaded, much less receptive than I was.  Naturally, as I suspected and as his teacher inadvertantly suggested, he was ADHD.  NOW WHAT?

My husband wanted him to be "all naturale'" -- I, on the other hand, didn't mind him being "all naturale" at home, but in school wanted him to learn and progress.  He, resentfully accepted putting him on medication (a new form, something fairly mild).  The first day of school after he received a dosage of his medicine, he, for the first time came home with a "White" card -- the best you could get for the day!  He stopped running and hiding his work and began turning it in to be graded.  What went from a preschool knowledge base, by the end of the year he was actually passed on to the 1st grade. 

NOW, this is not to say that the meds were wonderful because they were not.  He was more emotional and much quiter and more focused at night than we were accustomed to and more than my husband comfortably accepted.  We were used to this active, on occassion, loud, fast kid running around the house and in the yard, so that change was not and is still not readily accepted.  During the summers we have cut his dosage in half because as his parents, we have the patience to work with him more on his impulsive, active behavior.

ADHD is REAL, it is a brain deficiency in nuerotransmitters and my philosophy on this is that children, who have much less self control than adults need help getting through this.  My son was hiding his work all over the classroom because he was embarrassed because he didn't know how to finish it.  His self esteem bottomed out because his teacher had ZERO tolerance for his impulsiveness and behavior (something I addressed with the school and some school board members), watching him struggle broke my heart.

The school board and teachers etc., need to realize that this is REAL, ADHD needs to be better  understood by our educators.  They need to learn how to work with these children.  It is my understanding that for Knox County, they are not required to receive any additional education and/or training in how to effectively and efficiently work with ADHD children and that is not healthy for the children that are afflicted with this chemical imbalance, they cannot help it and are children and need to receive the respect that the A+ children in behavior and academics receive.  In fact, ensuring that their self esteem doesn't bottom out would be and is crucial to their success.

The type of teacher he/she has DOES matter.  Many have NO tolerance and NO understanding and NO desire to understand ADHD and its those types of teachers that kill your child's self esteem and "will" to want to learn.  I will NOT have a teacher teaching him again that was like his kindergarten teacher and if your child has ADHD, you should ensure through interviewing your child's assigned teacher prior to the start of school (which is what I am doing) their knowledge, understanding and "want to" help a child with ADHD because if they don't have that, your child will be the one to suffer the short term and long term consequences of having a less than understanding teacher.  I have already addressed this with the principal and I will be like a duck on a June bug on any other teachers that he has ensuring that they are not breaking his spirit nor crushing his self esteem. He does not need to be in a slow class for learners, his IQ has tested above normal, however, he is ADHD and that requires a little more than children without ADHD and I will ensure that my child is understood and receives the education he is entitled to. 

I am working on being an advocate to ADHD, education the general public because I was IGNORANT about it as well and honestly didn't think it really existed until I understood exactly what it was and now it breaks my heart that children who's minds are not developed and are just learning self control and self expression have a deficiency in brain chemistry and cannot control themselves at times.  We need to help them through this until they can learn to control themselves better, until they can learn and understand what this is and how to work with it and still be succesful. 

Please read this article, it will break your heart:  http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/2039.html

When you are looking for a home and go to the classifieds or the home books or pick up flyers from flyer boxes and try to read the verbiage and decipher what it means, it can be a real challenge.  You really have NO idea what you are going to look at unless you know what these "overly enthusiastic" words really mean and at times, these words can make a snake pit sound like a swimming lagoon.  Below are some common terms that are used in real estate ads and what these terms mean and what the abbreviations mean so you'll know when you see a house that you "think"  you want to view further, you'll know what to expect.   

The most misleading words in real estate (and what they really mean)

1. Cozy - basically means small, very close living space

2. Charming - typically means an older home that has characteristics those newer homes typically do not have

3. Original condition - means NEVER been updated, carpet is old, maybe original appliances, heating and air, definitely has room to investigate!

4. Needs TLC - its probably a dump, just kidding, but definitely needs cosmetic repair, maybe even structural, take a home inspetor

5. Conveniently located - close to all the busyness of life, possibly noisy

6. Desirable neighborhood - has "snob appeal" and priced based on its location rather than the condition, style or any curb appeal, definitely paying for location

7. Efficient kitchen - probably too small to fit two adults comfortably

8. One-car garage - you can probably drive in, but don't count on getting out of your car while its in the garage and absolutely NO extra storage space

9. Peek at the park/river/mountains - if you step out on the deck and lean 4 feet over to the left, hanging off the corner on the right, you could see the park, river or mountains

10. Useable land - means stripped of all nature bearing plants & trees

11. Beachfront steal - current owner can't get insurance due to the hurricanes and has to give this house away

12. Country living - out in the boonies

13. Must see inside - don't judge a book by its cover, must go INSIDE to appreciate, outside is a dump!

14. Unique - has some characteristic that makes it hard to sell

15. Just available - surprisingly came available because the precious owner died on the property, did not plan on selling it anytime soon

This was submitted ALL in fun, I have so many buyers asking what this or that word means and the fact of the matter is that ALL words mean something different to most people, its all in the perception.  For instance, if you work in a cubicle, that cubicle can feel like a box with no air OR it could feel like 5 acres of land -- its all in your perception, negative or positive and in this example, how busy you are!  Charming is a great word and I don't think of it in a negative light because I like charming, but if you're accustomed to a sprawling house with lots of acreage, charming may not be what you are looking for.  Again -- its all in our perception.

When I was growing up in Knox County school system ( a time when God was in school), the most feared things while in school was getting caught chewing gum, running in the halls and being late to class.  These days its bringing a gun to school, drugs and sex in the bathrooms.  America is on a downward spiral of moral corruption and we just continue falling, turning our heads and being "ignorant" about what is going on.  It seems terms that should describe something positive have been taken out of context and twisted to serve those that have other agendas, such as:

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call it Pluralism.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

**Please see full version of text taken from a prayer from Pastor Joe Wright.  When he prayed this prayer, the legislature was expecting a "traditional" prayer and what they heard was something very non traditional, but true and some folks just didn't want to hear it and still don't.

As a mother of 4, I worry a lot about what my children see and hear, wanting to protect them from every evil that is out there.  Since I am a reasonable person, I know I cannot protect them from everything, but I can set an example for their young, impressionable minds to see and watch and help form them as individuals.

The very busy road below my house, outside of the subdivision that I live in, after 9 p.m. the roads seem like they become littered with every imaginable type of driver or person that one could ever hope to not run into.  I was out at this time, by accident (emergency room trip with my daughter/soccer accident) and just getting home in one piece was a chore.  I don't want my 16 year old daughter out on these roads, but I know that as a mother, I can make a difference in their lives and if we all just try to make a difference in our family's life, then in time, we will reap the rewards.

Although there is NO other country I would rather raise my children in than the United States of America, even with all of its imperfections, there are things that we, as a society can do to make the world a better place.  I am a very insignificant bleep on the "map of history", however, what I teach my children and allow my children to witness and learn about NOW will have a generational effect many years down the road, as far down as my great, great grandchildren and it is the growth from these seeds that one would see something positive from one thing I might plant in my child's mind.  Planting THOSE seeds, starting with our family can allow us to talk about building self esteem without having to sacrifice much needed discipline and structure, to say the word "ambition" and know that that means someone works hard for what they have, to hear the word "choice" and know that it doesn't mean freedom to choose death over an innocent life.  We can change this one family at a time.

So many Americans forgot and many do not even know the reason for Memorial Day other than its a day off from work.  Today let us remember why we have this "day off from work" and pay due respect to the reason why we have it and to those that we observe it for. 

It was over one hundred years ago that Memorial Day was established to commemorate those who died in defending our national ideals. America's ideas of freedom, justice, and equal rights for all.  These rights have been challenged many times since this was established and thousands of Americans have given their lives in many parts of the world to protect these rights and insure these rights for our children and our grandchildren to have a lasting peace.  These men and women who sacrificed their lives in an effort that we live and have freedom demands that we continue to promote the cause of peace and the ideas for which many courageously fought for and many gave their lives for.  

In recognizing these Americans that we are to honor today, Congress, on May 11, 1950 (the official date that this began was May 5th, 1868 when General John Logan began placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers that were buried in Arlington cemetery) requested that our President issue a proclamation requesting that the people of the United States recognize and honor those that fought and are fighting for our freedom, be observed on Memorial Day.  A day that we are to PRAY (yes, I said the word "pray") for permanent peace, a day to unite with the people across our great Nation, in prayer.  President Ronald Reagan designated the exact hour to pray in unity as 11 o'clock a.m.

This brings up another thought, which I hope that no one here would disagree with, but the topic of flag burning.  I know that for some this does not mean, in their eyes, "ANTI AMERICAN", but can our soldiers, who fought for us, so that we might live, continue to have the freedoms that we have, can we show respect and never, ever burn an American flag out of protesting something? There are men and women who die for you and for me, so that we can have our freedom.  Let's hold our flag with the pride that we should have for it, for what it stands for and for those that died and are dying for it on this very day. 

Today is a day of observance, of thankfulness, of paying respect to those that fought diligently for you, me and our country and to those that are still fighting to this day.  Those men and women deserve the respect that is owed to them for fighting for our country and our great Lord deserves a prayer of gratitude and thankfulness for the many blessings that have been ours over the many years. 

Let us pray at 11 o'clock for those men and women past, present and future that will represent our country on our behalf, defending our rights to freedom and let us be thankful all day long for those men and women and to God for giving us this day to show respect to them, our country and to him.

Have a blessed day.

The housing market in Knoxville is a question that I am often asked about and "just how" the  market is affecting me.  Last year at this time, there were nearly 600 more closings during the first 5 months of 2007 as compared to the market thus far in 2008.  That's a lot of closings that we're missing!!!  I am feeling the crunch, yet I can't figure out one thing.  The buyers that are looking, the ones that are already approved and ready to roll, WHY are so many sitting on the fence??  From what I've read, the housing market, at least for Knoxville, TN won't take much more of a nose dive, I think we're at our "worst" and reports indicate that housing is going to start going back up. There are deals out there to be had, that is no secret, but keep in mind that sellers are not willing to give their homes away, they are just deciding to stay put rather than take a loss. So, if you want it, go for it before the market changes and there is less "play" in prices.

My parents wanted to downsize and I helped them find a condo that was "in their price range" and honestly, it was a step down rather than at the least, a side step, it was a step down.  I couldn't not only picture them in that condo, but they were going to be paying more for something smaller, much smaller.  My mother is a praying woman (not to say that I'm not, but you could not compare my faith to hers, not yet) and she just turned it over to God and "didn't worry about it."  Time went on and on and on, showings came and went -- they had those insulting offers and then finally realized that they were stepping down, that they were going to pay more for less and why??  They not only would be "losing" on space and financially losing, but they would lose their peace.  A peace that they created in their home now.   They have a haven on their property now, so peaceful and green and beautiful, 2 acres of land v/s having a neighbor literally 4 feet from you (through walls) at any given time and they decided to stay put.  My point in this story is that they nor any other seller is willing to lose on what they've built for their entire lives.  They fit into that group of "sellers' in which they don't really "have to" sell, they just want to and the value that the house gave them was much more than buyers, who saw it as a commodity and an investment, rather than a house at that point, just didn't bring to the table what they wanted. 

However, if you have to sell, if you have to move on, your home is going to have to be priced appropriately or it will just take a LONG time sell.  Average time on the market now is 90-180 days and even at that, as we all know, the longer your home is on the market, the more value it loses in a buyers eyes. 

If you have to sell, price it right from the begining.  Don't build in a "cushion" to bargain with, have your curb appeal in place (make them WANT to come into your house) and have the inside in shape.  The market is "soft" but not desperate and I can only see it going up.  Buyers:  You have so many options, so much to choose from, stop riding the fence, "deals" are awaiting you and honestly, now is the time to buy.

I couldn't resist writing about something that has consumed me to some degree over the last 3 weeks.  My very curious 6 year old found a nest of newly hatched mockingbirds and of course, I had to see them. We never touched them or the nest or anything like that, but just peered in at them DAILY.  Well, the momma didn't like that much and although she never bothered my son, she would swoop down and brush against me everytime I stepped outside, she was "charge" at me as if to warn me to stay away from her babies.  The day came to teach them to fly, a mere two weeks later, she was kicking them out of the nest and teaching them to fly on their own.  She would guard them and watch them from afar, flying down to share some wisdom every now and then and then fly away and watch them.  I was wondering why they taught theirs so quickly and got them out of the "house" so fast when it take 20-30 years to get our human children out of the "nest" and even then, some never learn to fly and some refuse to leave the nest.   My daughter told me yesterday that she was moving out when she turned 18, but that she would come back home to "let me do her laundry"  (gee thanks) and rob my cupboards (the locks will be changed).

I just loved looking at them when they were in the nest though, those little black eyes looking back at me, they are so cute and tiny.  My husband doesn't think they are "cute" but they are cute and that is why they survive.  I am not so sure that my children would have survived if they had not been so cute, especially when the wagons and tricylces went across my flowers beds so many times, or my son decides he'll do rock climbing on our rock/stone covered fireplace only to fall down on the fireplace stone beneath to crack his head open requiring stitches.  Being "cute" at that point was a survival tactic that he used against me, otherwise, I might have had to take him out myself!  :-)

These tiny little creatures are precious and to watch them during these two weeks reminds me of the evolution of life, of the growth of things.  I was trimming another bush only to find a nest INSIDE, I felt so bad because at that point, I had taken away the parts of the bush that sheltered those tiny little fellas from elements and predators, so I check on them even more.  The other day it was raining and the little fellas were getting all wet, so I took my HUGE soccer umbrella (yes, I am a "soccer mom") and put it over the bush so that they wouldn't get wet.  My husband drove up and of course noticed that one of our front lawn bushes had this huge umbrella over it and laughed after he heard my reasoning, but it truly broke my heart that I had done that to their home.  LESSON LEARNED:  Do not just charge towards a bush in the early spring cutting and wacking trees, shrubs and bushes down until you see if someone or something is living in there.

These little fellas -- they are truly precious, so tiny and vunerable at this stage in life waiting on momma to bring them their food.  Watching her nuture them and take care of them and protect them, it is just a natural instinct that animals (this includes most humans) are born with and its such a beautiful thing to watch.  I have truly enjoyed watching this part of nature.  It does amaze me that they kick them out of the nest so early and then they are gone.  It would be a miracle if all parents alike, including humans, would teach their young survival tactics with such intent and determination as these mothers do in teaching their youngins' to fend for themselves, to find food, to fly, to make their home.  Children today aren't taught these basic things of life and that is where America is failing our children and that is one reason society is today the way it is.  Watching the nurturing of these momma birds to their babies, yet encouraging and teaching independence was a lesson to me with my own children.  The world is not getting better, it is not getting easier.  We could all learn this parenting lesson from something as simple as a bird.  Nuture them, love them, teach them, give them their education, teach them survival skills and then let them fly. 

Sellers:  You have to know that buyers do open your bedroom closets, your linen closets, your pantry doors and your coat closets and it helps them to see that they are not being used as a landfill and that they are not an overlooked diagnosis of ADD.  Embrace this disorder and get it some help because it does matter what they see when they open those doors!

Step One:  Admit your closet has ADD and is going to require some intervention and it can't do it alone because having ADD without help is like trying to build a house in a sand storm or driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers, everything is blurry.  It will require intervention from someone else.  Admittance is the first step towards an anti clutter campaign.

Step Two:  PURGE:  Yes, that's right, I said "PURGE".  And you may need reinforcement, bring a friend in that will help you "let go" of that ratty old shirt that is 17 years old.  Do this by taking EVERYTHING out of that closet and putting it in one BIG heap. While the closet is empty, ensure nothing is "growing" in there, if so, clean it out too and ensure no siblings or children are lurking in there.  Vacuum it and wipe the shelving off etc.,  Get 3 containers, one for too old or stained, one for going to donate and the other for keeping.  GROUND RULES:  if its too small - get rid of it, if it has a stain - get rid of it, if you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it, if its torn or broken, get rid of it.

FOR PANTRIES:  Get a pantry orgranizer, its that simple. 

Look at your closets and your pantries as you would look if you were a buyer. If you saw messy closets and messy pantries and could not see the "pantry" or the "closet" -- what would you think?  I would be like, "Ugghh and think that if they couldn't take care of this, what else is amiss in the house?"  Yes, it is a time consuming effort to be organized, but you cannot sell a house in the manner that you live in it.  Your buyer HAS TO be able to picture THEIR stuff there and if they are neat and organized and your closets and pantries look like they suffer from ADD, they cannot possibly visualize their stuff among your mess. 

Clean it up, be anti clutter -- anything you are not going to use for the next 6 months, pack and take it to storage, trust me on this one, it will help SO much!  The hardest part of my job is telling a seller this, but I want a house I can sell and when things look like this, it doesn't sell or takes longer to sell.  I have to be honest, open and upfront about what it is going to take to sell this house.  It is going to have to be decluttered, only the essentials left so the buyer can see their "stuff" sitting there and if they can't even see the floor or the shelves, they can't see past the mess.  Look at your house through buyers eyes, this is a commodity to a buyer, it isn't their "home", its just a "house" at this point.  Being allowed to put their stuff there and surrounding themselves with their stuff will make it a home. Its nothing personal towards sellers, but buyers have to see it as theirs, not yours. 

If you would like help or assistance in diagnosis and treatment of your ADD Closets and Pantries, just let me know.  I will help you de clutter, depersonalize and stage your home to sell quickly and for top dollar!

Call me at:  865-454-3307 or visit www.sondrasheckler.com

I am not so sure that the general public is aware of just what it takes to be an efficient Realtor.  It disturbs me that so many folks judge the profession, pretty much as a "joke" in that Realtors collect big fat checks for virtually doing what they feel is "nothing."  I read recently that Realtors ranked one level below another profession that I know the general public loathes and on a respect level, receive no respect either.  I know how this disturbs me as I am sure most Realtors.  I feel as though I am very professional, ethical, hardworking, educated and loyal and I take my job very seriously, as others do.  We spend a very large amount of money just to stay in this profession, keeping our license active, our insurance in place, additional educational courses that cost money and that are required and we do not get paid on anything we do until closing.  We don't have a salary, we don't have a gas allowance, and if you're lucky, you have someone else carrying you for health insurance, otherwise, you have to add that cost in too.  We don't get paid for any of the time it takes to find, research and schedule showings, not for our computer, our internet access, board access, nothing for mileage on our vehicles (which is another topic and issue that I have because we are judged by what we drive too) nothing, until we go to a closing.  And even after closing, many fees come out of our commission checks and generally speaking, a Realtor pays brokerage fees or franchise fees (or both as I do) as much as 30% of our commission check to our Brokers.  So, that "big" nice check buyers and sellers see at closing don't get to see the aftermath of what is left once our fees come out of it and then calculate gas, mileage and time and you'll be lucky if you're making minimum wage on many deals!  

So, I kept a journal of one buyer that I am still currently working with that is relocating to Cleveland, TN from Las Vegas and our journey through the home buying process just to give a small glimpse into my life during the course of this home search.  Realtors do not just load folks up, find a house, make an offer and kick back and wait on that big fat check to come in -- finding the house (which is a chore since there are so many to choose from) is JUST the beginning, the real work begins when the offer is made.   However, a lot of time and energy goes into just getting to that point.  For instance, in Knoxville, we do not have one central number to call and schedule showings, we have to call as many offices are listed on each House.  For example, for 13 showings, on average, you would make at least 9 different phone calls and EACH phone requires the same info.  agent name, company name, agent email, agent fax number, time of showing etc., etc., etc., and then many times you can not get an immediate confirmation, so they have to call back to confirm.  You make the same call at least 9 times for ONE buyer or one day of showings.   Also, when you are scheduling these showings, it would beehove you to put them in order of proximity to one another, otherwise you will be backtracking.  Of course, what really makes scheduling these showings "fun" is when one sellers has to have a 2 hour notice, that really throws a monkey wrench into the showings schedule.

I met this buyer through my website (which I paid for and am still paying for monthly for "perks" I have on it)-- nearly a year ago.  We established communication over the course of the year because she was not going to make a move of moving until this time this year.  So, without ever meeting her, we communicated via email and phone for nearly 9 months.  I would send her mounds of information about the areas she was interested in and this in itself was a chore because she could be within 50 minutes of her work (WATTS BAR DAM).  So, for you who have a hard time grasping that, make  dot on a map and go out 50 miles from that dot and make a complete circle around the dot and those are the areas we could look in.  It was virtually 9-11 different counties (Tennessee has MANY counties) .  It was my job to hopefully scale that down before we ever got on the road, otherwise, I would be gone for months.

You also have to know that when you get "out" in the some of these counties, the houses that match their criteria might be 30-90 minutes apart. 

We finally met, face to face in March 2008.  I drove to Cleveland (90 minute drive) to sit down with her face to face, get a "sense" about her, brought homes that we could look at and critique so I could get a good "feel" about her and what she was looking for and that lasted about 2 hours.  Then I drove home (another 90 minutes). 

The following two weekends, we met and went out and "looked" and "previewed" and I got to know her taste's much better.  The third weekend of buyer agent togetherness, her husband comes to town and we have homes scheduled to see that she/he has picked out and they in 4 different counties.  I drive to Cleveland and set out for an all day long adventure.  We have 9 homes scheduled to look at and the longest distance between them is about 70 minutes drive time.  We set out on our journey, looking for and at the houses that they handpicked to see.  Long story short:  They didn't like ANY of them, but we did discover which counties that they did NOT want to be in!  :-) 

So, the next weekend, another drive to Cleveland -- we zero in on a few counties that are side by side and schedule 11 homes to see that day.  ZILCH!   

The next 3 weekends, we didn't go out because of her work obligations, Easter, she had to go home for a while to get that house on the market etc.,

During this time, I continue handpicking homes for her to look at, our price range was $350k-$500k -- a big difference in what you can get at 350k and what you can get with a 500k house.  Very specific things had to be in each house, no vinyl, no carpet, a fireplace, room for an above ground pool or room to put one in, atleast an acre of land between homes, more if possible, within 50 minutes of her employment, there had to be a "flow" that she wanted with the house, ceilings had to be "high" for the Christmas Tree"s" and there had to be "yard" for the pool and the grandbabies to play in.  If you know anything about Tennessee at all, to have at least an acre of land between neighbors, you are typically going to have to be off the beaten path of civilization.  The bedrooms had to be large, especially the master and there had to be a "workshop" for the hubby.  Good, quality cabinets, plenty of closet space, lots of windows, room for family to come and visit and stay............many, many fine details that had to be present.  So, I spent a lot of time hand searching through these listings and sending them to her to hand search through and tweaking each time we went out to be certain that these are the ones to see. 

Naturally, there were some that were totally different than the pictures depicted, so they just got marked off the list.  We went out like this probably 6 times (me driving to Cleveland each time and back to Knoxville and while in Cleveland, literally all over the county) until we found "the one" and we did:

This house was the 3rd to the last one, we had a hard time finding it and finally began a mile long drive down a gravel driveway that was bumpy and very questionable.  She said, "Sondra, I think we should turn back because folks get shot for doing things like this in Tennessee."  I said, "no, we're not going back, we will see what is at the end of this road."  I expected Billy Bob to be sitting on the back of his dilapidated red Ford truck with a big wad of tobacco in his mouth and a shotgun across his leg and saying "where do you think you're going little missy?"  Instead, we rounded our last gravel pothole and there she sat, a very large brick house with 13.5 acres of land, 2 car attached and 2 car detached garage, absolutely beautiful.  That is what makes days and weeks like I've had rewarding, this was "it."   

I traveled back to Knoxville and planned the next Friday with her and hubby, who had to look at it too, but we saw a few others along the way and then we went to look at that "one" and hubby agreed with his wife that this was "the one" and we go back and draw up an offer -- and submit it.

Now, the work really begins.  Negotiations went on for a few days and my buyers became frustrated and told me to tell them to "forget it" (..........me  hyperventilating)

and that I was wasting my time trying to negotiate.  The only thing is that I have already invested a significant amount of time in this transaction and wasn't going to let it go over something silly that just needed to be worked out.  So, I and the other agent kept plugging away for three days, back and forth, back and forth trying desperately to get these folks to reach a reasonable agreement.  

We finally came to terms on a price.  Now, next step and still a step that could break the deal:  Home inspection, termite inspection, septic tank inspection, etc etc., etc.,  So, I got busy getting these things scheduled and arranged and completed.  Termite inspection came back good, (1 down), septic (good, 2 down), home inspection, the real tough one -- I chewed on my nails while waiting on this one.  It comes in a few minor things, but one of the minor ones could have been a deal breaker for my folks if the sellers didn't agree to take care of it.  So, we submitted a Home Inspection Contingency Removal Form with certain conditions that had to be met.  They counter -- here we go again, NEGOTIATIONS-- this went on for 2 more days and I am still biting my nails.  Once again, my buyer ready to walk if they just didn't agree to one certain item that was very important and would be to any family.  So, I relay this and sit and wait........wait.......wait......for the phone call that we reached an agreement and wait.....until I finally get the sigs because without signatures, it isn't done until you get those. 

And as most folks know, "It ain't done until the fat lady sings" and for me that is after closing and all signatures are done and the transfer of ownership takes place.

WAIT:  Monkey wrench thrown in:  I received a disclosure that says that the sellers do not know if the land perks or not and has no knowledge of it ever being tested.  Well, panic surrounded me for a few seconds then I jumped into production mode making the phone calls to the city of Cleveland, the inspectors, the environmentalists etc., and finally located the paperwork that was done and filed prior to these sellers obtaining the land indicating that, yes........the land perked and I could provide official documentation to my buyers. 

So, now -- there are happy buyers (getting the house they wanted and it is a gem and the sellers getting what they wanted and they get to move on to another city) and two agents that worked hard together to make this happen without hurt feelings.  My buyers are really wonderful folks, kind, determined and driven because they know what they wanted, this is their "retirement home", the place their children will come and grandchildren and plenty of room for them all.  I wish all my buyers were like these folks are, loyal and kind -- two qualities that I wish all my buyers had.   

So, for now -- I have taken a breather and my buyers have too and I am sure that the sellers are more at ease as well, but the point is that finding the house is only 1/3rd of the battle, the rest is getting it to closing without kinks, without hurt feelings, with the buyers and sellers being able to be in the same room and smiling at one another and the agents shaking hands at the end and everyone going home happy - another new homeowner, another successful closing and now my heart can take a small hiatus.  At least until tomorrow!  Most of all, I hope my buyers respect me more than what the general public thinks of real estate agents.  It takes a lot more than just getting your license if you are going to build your clientele, build your reputation and grow in this business!

 Ah, the life of a real estate agent!

Knoxville, TN -- One HOT City!! 

Expansion magazine, a business magazine fro executives of companies that are actively looking placed to expand and/or relocate their business ranked our great city, Knoxville, TN as one of "America's 50 Hottest Cities" in its January 2005 issue. 

Knoxville ranked no. 14 on the list which was complied through site location consultants that were asked to list their top choice cities not even taking into consideration such factors as the business climate, work force quality, operating expenses, incentive programs and the potential of ease in working with local political and economical development officials.

Knoxville seemed to be one of the top cities that offered logistical advantages, a high quality of life, a favorable tax and political climate, available work force and sites to build manufacturing or distribution facilities and/or headquarters.

Knoxville is not only a great place to live and raise a family, it is also a great place to do business in.  Visit http://www.sondrasheckler.com/ for more information and/or call 865-454-3307.

How do you determine the cities that are best suited to relocate your family?  Sperling's teamed up with Money magazine, Worldwide ERC and Primacy to study and rate cities based on those factors -- short term & long term that determine the success of a relocation.

Traditional factors such as tax rates, average home costs and home appreciation are combined with families' relocation concerns such as ability to qualify for in state tuition, service levels of local utilities, volunteerism and auto taxes.  With all of these factors taken into consideration, Knoxville, TN ranked #3 in Large Markets (populations over 500,000), 3rd only to Middlesex/Somerset/Hunterdon, NJ (#2) and Austin/San Marcos,TX (#1).  Other TN cities that ranked in the overall study was Memphis, TN, Chattanooga, TN & Jackson, TN. 

While I am partial to Knoxville, it really is a great place to live.  Visit my website at:  www.sondrasheckler.com and click on the various tabs and links within those tabbed communities and see what a great place Knoxville is and all that we have to offer those folks wishing and needing to relocate.