Well, after the abysmal report from last month, a couple of Oak Hill homes DID actually sell in the month of May 2009!  And in two completely different price ranges!  There are currently 45 properties on the market in Nashville's Oak Hill subdivision, ranging in price from $320,000 to $5,950,000.  Four of these 45 properties have contracts on them.  So things are looking up! If you are a resident of Oak Hill or if are new to Nashville and don't know anything about the Oak Hill area, I welcome you to check it out!  It's where I choose to live myself, although I'm rather biased because I also grew up here!  Here is a link to my other blog posts on Oak Hill and its community website.   Oak Hill Market Report:  May 2009         Address BR BA Yr Blt Sq Ft List Price Sales Price SP/SF Days on... 06/10/2009

The businesses that will emerge from the carnage of this ugly environment will be the "ducks" - The ones who can keep the appearance of being calm and unruffled on the surface all the while paddling vigorously underneath. Don't let your clients see you sweat! Regardless of what's happening behind the scenes in your life, your clients expect you to deliver what you have promised, a smooth and hassle free experience. We have LOTS of opportunities to be pulled off balance these days (Personal AND Professional). Our clients are facing a measure of turmoil in their own lives as they endure the process of selling and/or buying a home during uncertain times . . .Often, their only hope for stability is their confidence in YOUR ability to perform. Our clients watch us more closely than we know. ... 06/09/2009

I enjoy variety in life. Today it was evident as I left my nail guns behind and grabbed some mulch to renovate the landscaping for a client who is about to list his home for sale.This older Inglewood home has some charming qualities to it and had at one time had some decent landscaping. My job was to clean up the beds and make the home look great. This was a low-budget makeover with the only materials expense being a load of mulch. Thankfully, there were already some nice plants there to be uncovered. On the one side of the home was a small decorative brick wall that could not even be seen because of an overgrown shrub that had taken over. I thinned out the shrub and tried to give some margins between the brick wall and the surrounding plants. For the most part, I just pulled weeds and ... 06/09/2009

In the news, everyone has been talking about how the Obama administration is doing.  Have things been changing?  Are we feeling more hopeful?  Are we turning the economic crisis around? If the May 2009 Homes Sales in the Greater Nashville Area are any indication, then the short and not-so-nice answer is NO. In home sales, we are down 28.9% from this time last year (May 2008) and down in overall closings for the year by 31.2%.  To view a copy of this report which was sent out by the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors today, then click here. On a more positive note, I am glad to see that there were 2000 PENDING sales at the end of May 2009.  It seems on a whole that everyone is feeling more positive and hopeful in general, but SO MANY PEOPLE have been hit hard by this recession tha... 06/09/2009

The Law of Two Feet is the ONLY law in Open Space Technology. What is Open Space Technology? Open Space is a way of being. Add "Technology" on the end and it becomes a wonderfully simply way to lead meetings of 5 to Thousands of people around issues and opportunities affecting all of the participants sufficiently that they care enough to show up . . . Through Self-Organization This is particularly useful in times of change or transformation (which is ALWAYS). Open Space teaches individuals and organizations what they already innately know. Fundamentally, Whoever comes are the right people, whenever it starts is the right time, Whatever happens is the only thing that could have, and when it's over, it's over. That Law of Two Feet simply states that if at any time you find yourself in a p... 06/08/2009

Debi of www.Relo-Info-Exchange.com is seeking information on relocating to Nashville, Tennessee. If you live in Nashville and/or our a Realtor kindly assist her. Source: http://www.relo-info-exchange.com/forum/researching-nashville-t1839.html 06/08/2009

I just finished reading a LOOOOONG article in the June 2009 issue of National Geographic. It was entitled "Global Food", and it went to great depths to analyze the state of affairs of the Global food inventory as it relates to its ability to keep up with an ever-expanding Global Human population. It all boiled down to: "No one in their right mind doubts the idea that populations have to live within their resource base. And that the capacity of society to increase resources from that base is ultimately limited." Not having had the benefit of reading the whole article, this quote may seem over-simplistic to you, but it comes after a long explanation of how the countries around the world have consistently pushed the limits to get the highest imaginable crop yields so that they could push e... 06/08/2009

As the long rays of the late afternoon sun start giving way to the cooler part of the evening, nothing is better than a nice quiet stroll by a peaceful lake. One of my favorite places to go is one of the hidden gems in the Davidson County park system - Radnor Lake wilderness area. Tonight I found these turtles coping the last warm rays of the day... Have a great Saturday evening, Y'all... 8-) © 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com Helping YOU Help Others Live THEIR American Dream... 06/06/2009

Go to our website, www.Seller999.com and click on the button to see these mistakes sellers make everyday. Pricing, Condition, Convenience to show, all play a part. 06/05/2009

So does my title question appear to be "off-topic"? Most of the "audience" here on Active Rain are Independent contractors who don't necessarily "work for the man". You work for yourself and have no intentions of firing yourself any time soon, so why go to the trouble to up-date your resume? Maybe you DO have a job - a GREAT job - With no inkling of a hint that you'll need to find a different job. Take some time periodically to up-date your resume! Here's why: - Your resume chronicles your accomplishments in life and therefore contains VALIDATION for you. - Make it PUBLIC (Linkedin) for "Bragging rights" - It tells the story of where you've been and in large part defines how you got to be who you are now. - Your "job" may not be as secure as you think it is - Just ask anyone working @ G... 06/04/2009

I hope your business is moving along well this Spring. With the seemingly ever-increasing flow of new “Issues and Opportunities” facing all of us each hour and each day on the national and local scale, we are finding great benefit in our daily mastermind sessions in our training room at Keller Williams Realty Nashville - Green Hills. We begin every day the same way. Promptly at 8:30, we gather for a 30 minute session to discuss, problem solve, mastermind, and MOTIVATE each other . . . We end at 9:00 and LAUNCH into our day with fresh energy EVERY day. You, too, can listen in from wherever you are simply by surfing to http://www.stickam.com/barryowen. This will be an anonymous visit and you will not be able to participate unless you choose to do the following . . . all you’ve gotta do is... 06/04/2009

Opportunity is sometimes difficult to recognize. If you're not VERY careful, you might just step in a big pile of it unknowingly. Opportunity often lurks in the shadows and rarely shows up when expected. Opportunity hides in the brush and slithers up and BITES YA! There's not really much of anything you can do to protect yourself from Opportunity because it is EVERYWHERE! If you are an Opportunity-phobic, you might consider becoming a hermit, because opportunity will find even the most fearful among us. With this level of DANGER ever present,what can you DO to protect yourself. I've even heard of a small group of people who actually SEEK OPPORTUNITY. It's crazy, but it's true . . . These folks are constantly sticking their necks out there trying to get in Opportunity's way. This group o... 06/03/2009

My Signature Block was growing growing growing . . . As time passes, I seem to collect websites . . . and social networks . . . and blog-sites . . . and of course, I am interested in being connected to LOTS of different people in lots of different ways. For months, I have copied and pasted this incredibly long string of web addresses at the tail end of every blog post and email so as to alert all readers/recipients of the variety of web presences I have . . . and to invite additional connections. Yesterday, I had momentous thought . . . I know this will be a flash of the obvious for most of the techies out there . . . and I am certain there are other ways to do this . . . but . . . I asked myself: "Self! How could I create a "Portal" in which any visitor could have access to ALL of my w... 06/03/2009

Change is the only certainty in life. I've never seen change that didn't ultimately germinate into something good. Like it or not, most all of us are creatures of habit. We like our daily rituals. Change wreaks havoc on daily rituals. @ 5 weeks ago, our office caught wind of yet another change acomin' Even as we were scrambling to work our associates through the economic shift (which was certainly a significant change in and of itself), our beloved Team Leader Alice Charron decided she was ready for a change in her life. She decided that her work was done with respect to the Team Leader role and that it was time to move on (back to her family) and exercise her talents elsewhere. We were saddened by the news of her upcoming departure . . . and somewhat fearful of what would be next. Than... 06/03/2009

The graph graph shows a median price analysis compared to the average inventory held for the Nashville condo market since the first quarter of 2007 through the second quarter of 2009. This is market information that I have collected using the official condo sales numbers from GNAR and are deemed to be accurate.This quarterly condo median price and inventory analysis clearly shows what we had been thinking, condo prices have been slipping while inventory has been rising. However, the median price drop has not been as drastic as most had assumed. The trend line shows a net effective price drop of only 3.7 percent over this time period. The more eye opening statistic is that the trend line shows a net effective inventory gain of 29.7 percent.What does this condo price analysis predict? It ... 06/02/2009

The veritable SHIFT is hitting the fan here in Middle Tennessee as GM has announced what they've announced . . . We've all been on pins and needles throughout this whole GM thing because we have a LARGE plant (Saturn) just down the road a bit  . . . 30 miles South in Spring Hill. The buzz was that GM just recently completed an extreme makeover of that plant . . . and there are over 4000 jobs in the mix . . . New schools just being completed to accommodate the influx of population. and a few cities - Spring Hill, Thompsons Station that largely became what they have become SOLELY due to presence of that Auto Manufacturing plant . . . Sooooo - They couldn't POSSIBLY shut the Spring Hill Plant down, RIGHT? The growth was unfathomable through these 10+ years. Neighborhoods literally jumped i... 06/01/2009

This does appear to be real . . . Although, there may some lag time as the lenders work the kinks out. I would be interested in hearing from any FHA lenders out there who can (in plain English) let us all know exactly HOW this happens?? Here's the link to The National Association of REALTORS press release. http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2009/05/tax_credit?lid=ronav0019 Assuming it's true . . . The great news is that the $8,000 tax credit from the Federal Reserve can now be funded at the closing table (NOT for down-payment - YES for closing costs) for first time Buyers using FHA financing . . . The tool for this scenario is bridge financing meaning that the lender can loan the $8,000 which would then be paid off when the tax credit comes. Good news! If you haven't owned ... 05/29/2009

When there are too many choices/options, most of us freeze into inaction. Have you ever been to a new restaurant where as you were seated, the host handed you a 6 page menu with SO many options you just can't decide? In such restaurants, my first thought is: "How can they do ALL of these things WELL?" I like restaurants that specialize . . . The Thai place a block from the house - Cinco De Mayo down the street - Golden Dragon - Longhorn for steaks - Mo's for greasy and gluttonous burgers . . . Zaxby's for fried chicken,  Jason's deli for sandwiches . . . Jersey Mike's for subs . . .  I'm a repeat customer at places where I KNOW what I can expect in terms of choice and quality. Not everyone likes the places I like. Thank goodness for that . . . else, they'd all be too busy and crowded. H... 05/28/2009

Drives my kids crazy . . . This circular thinking that sometimes rolls off my tongue spontaneously usually stops them in their tracks as they think it through . . . but they're onto me now and don't miss a beat. I think that's part of my job as "Father". When we are traveling, and they ask the question: "ARE WE THERE YET?" In any pursuit, where exactly IS "There"? For our children on a long car ride, "There" is wherever it is that they get to get out of a moving car. For the home Buyer and Seller, "There" is successful completion of the transaction - and the move. The journey is the uncomfortable part for most people. Conditions of comfort are compromised being crammed into a tight space without the freedom to move about and stretch and grab a bite to eat or run out to play . . . and un... 05/28/2009

In our day to day lives, we have a never ending parade of moments of truth . . . or should I say "Opportunities for moments of truth"? Dealing in real truth can be risky. What if the other people present don't want to HEAR the truth? What if the truth is going to be painful (Truth hurts sometimes). Truth telling requires sticking your neck out there. I say: "Be a daring turtle and stick your neck out often." Truth is very efficient. When you speak truth, you are boiling all of the BS out of it (Whatever "it" is), and the real art of truth telling requires a measure of tact and a good, solid dose of candor. This is a delicate balance because most people are not prepared to deal with the REAL truth. After all, denial is easier and less energy consumptive until the inevitable happens . . .... 05/26/2009