Hey, want to be the first to know about Nashville's Hotest Properties? Sign up to have the newest foreclosure, preforeclosure, and short sale properties to your email.  Whether an investor or looking for a larger home, be the first to know when the deal hits the market. Nashville Tennessee is rich in growth and opportunities.       View Larger Map 03/24/2009

There's only one of you inside that body of yours. That means - One brain . . . That brain of yours has an incredible capacity to perform, and odds are good you are only using a very fractional percentage of the potential power there . . . so say the scientists. The real key to optimal performance truly has to do with learning how to get more efficient use of this largely unbridled power. The challenge for most folks (and this one may resonate with you) is the issue of sheer perceived over-load. How could you POSSIBLY be capable of doing more than you are already doing? After all, you wake up each day and hit the ground RUNNING. The emails pile up in your in-box and your "walls" in the 4 Social networks you frequent are chock full of unread messages. Sellers are calling at all hours of ... 03/23/2009

A home I previewed this week at 890 Rodney Dr, Nashville TN, 37205, is a lovely contemporary, built in 1987.  The home has over 3,000 sq ft, and is priced at $509,900.   This home is listed by Chris Lambos of The Realty Association.    Chris and I first met a few years ago when he was the agent for his sister who bought a condo I had listed in Bellevue.  It was a pleasure to work with him then, and I wanted to see his new listing last weekend.   This home has an open floor plan, on 3 levels. There is a gorgeous view of the ‘West Meade Lake,' especially from the upstairs windows.  This lake was formed, the neighbors say, before the subdivision was built when there was a rock quarry there.  The workers hit a spring while digging one day, and the hole filled up quickly with water.  Luckily... 03/23/2009

Yesterday, I wrote a post about the notion of finding a "Web Techno Geek" who could learn our web interfaces and become an invaluable OUTSOURCED asset for our businesses. With unemployment on the rise nationally, it figures that there are probably LOTS of folks out of work . . . not because of lack of talent or skill or desire to work, but because they were lulled into a state of complacency by their long term predictable jobs where they could put in their 40 (hours) and enjoy a regular pay check. As companies downsize to deal with the shifted economy, these people are tossed out on their own with little (if any) guidance as to how to survive. All most of them know to do is to go out and join the others in the collective and massive search for another job just like the one they lost. Me... 03/22/2009

Tennessee is now ranked fifth best in the United states for Jobs and Business growth by Chief Executive Magazine. Tennessee follows Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia as the top five states, while California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts round out the bottom five. The list is based on a survey completed by 543 chief executive officers, who looked at issues like proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure.  Tennessee has consistently moved up on the list, after being ranked 11th in 2006. The No. 5 ranking is the highest the state has ranked. California and New York have been ranked at the bottom of the list for the past four years. What does is cost to work with the best? Your real question should be what d... 03/21/2009

Do you have a grip on your technology? No really . . . How do you do it all? Of course, you have a facebook page, and all of your friends and family and clients and lots and lots of people you don't know but they claim you as their "friend" . . . and there's lots of "Wall writing" and poking and inviting to discussions and groups etc . . . If you're not careful, Facebook can become a full time job. Perhaps you've also discovered Plaxo . . . and Linkedin . . . and Naymze . . . and Twitter . . . and they're ALL SOOOOO COOL! WOW! If you just plug into each and every one of those and make sure that you continue to spread the word that you are the quintessential REALTOR in your area and expertise . . . Then Buyers and Sellers will begin to materialize out of all of that mystical bandwidth . ... 03/21/2009

abound in the Brentwood, Franklin, and Nashville, TN area like every other city across the Nation. Some banks are offering lower prices in order to get these "toxic" assets off their books, while some are asking full list price for these "as is" properties. Some of these properties can be a great buy, others can be huge money pits. So if you are thinking of purchasing one of these properties, do your homework. Fully understand what the definition of the word 'is' is. What you see is not always what you get. To the untrained eye, prospective homeowners and their agents focus on the obvious cosmetic damages that require a huge investments in elbow grease, paint, TLC, and other cosmetic diddies that are needed to turn a house into a Home Sweet Home. But what about the 800 pound gorillas i... 03/20/2009

I continue to Read John Maxwell's book "Talent is NEVER enough!" and he "talked" to me today about COURAGE. John's way of writing is very anecdotal - Lots of real world stories of famous people modeling "best practices" for the rest of us. and so I gotta pass on a few thoughts of my own. For years, my fundamental guiding principle comes from the principles of Open Space Technology - which is fueled by PASSION and RESPONSIBILITY. What's interesting to me is that having great Passion is very important for progression towards goals, but it doesn't go very far without taking ACTION! I can care a LOT about something, but nothing's going to change until I actually DO something. Why don't more people take action? Procrastination? Laziness? Lack of Talent? Lack of Confidence? Fear of Failure? D... 03/19/2009

A home I previewed this week at 890 Rodney Dr, Nashville TN, 37205, is a lovely contemporary, built in 1987.  The home has over 3,000 sq ft, and is priced at $509,900.   This home is listed by Chris Lambos of The Realty Association.    Chris and I first met a few years ago when he was the agent for his sister who bought a condo I had listed in Bellevue.  It was a pleasure to work with him then, and I wanted to see his new listing last weekend.   This home has an open floor plan, on 3 levels. There is a gorgeous view of the ‘West Meade Lake,' especially from the upstairs windows.  This lake was formed, the neighbors say, before the subdivision was built when there was a rock quarry there.  The workers hit a spring while digging one day, and the hole filled up quickly with water.  Luckily... 03/18/2009

One of the things that I find great about Active Rain is that it can be a great sounding board as there is so much experience and varied opinions on so many items. As home inspectors, we are often lambasted for either being too picky or not picky enough. This came to mind yesterday while inspecting a 17 year old property in Nashville. About a year or so ago, an agent hired us to do an inspection for their client because they were miffed at the inspector they were using because they missed rusted racks in the dishwasher. To make a short story long, the buyers complained, and the agent wound up replacing the washer out of his pocket because it was cheaper to replace the washer than to replace the racks. Nothing lasts forever, and certainly durable appliances like dishwashers are approach... 03/17/2009

One of the things that I find great about Active Rain is that it can be a great sounding board as there is so much experience and varied opinions on so many items. As home inspectors, we are often lambasted for either being too picky or not picky enough. This came to mind yesterday while inspecting a 17 year old property in Nashville. About a year or so ago, an agent hired us to do an inspection for their client because they were miffed at the inspector they were using because they missed rusted racks in the dishwasher. To make a short story long, the buyers complained, and the agent wound up replacing the washer out of his pocket because it was cheaper to replace the washer than to replace the racks. Nothing lasts forever, and certainly durable appliances like dishwashers are approach... 03/17/2009

Okay! So we have heard the drill before. Oh, this is a new house which has been inspected by the codes department. They have issued a CO (and as we listen to the crickets chirp, birds sing and hallelujahs spring forth from the cherub sitting on the eaves) all is in a state of bliss and peace fills every nook and cranny of the property. That is until the #@%&!!! home inspector arrives. Such as with the case of a new property that I inspected just recently in the Nashville, TN area. In this picture alone are several problems. Some like the cracked window, unpainted wood on the inside and mud spatter are quite obvious. However, the more subtile issues such as the missing sleeve on the gas line penetration at the masonry surface is not. Although you can't see it in this picture, the retain... 03/16/2009

On a private discussion board, a REALTOR tossed out the question: "things are 30% down in my market, how are things going in yours?" Of course, I couldn't restrain myself . . . Anxious anticipation here in Nashville.I'm doing my best to keep folks motivated and out there selling houses - check out my recent blog posts here. My message aligns with Gary Keller's - We've still got some rough roads ahead, but those not afraid to take action will do well.Here's a thought:Each time I see a story about unemployment and people losing jobs looking for someone (government) to help them, I think about the truth that I really have not had a "job" for nearly 20 years . . . We REALTORS are fortunate in the sense that there isn't anyone who can decide one day to fire us and take away our perceived abi... 03/16/2009

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 5th Annual Ringside:  A Fight for Kids on Friday night, March 13.  This was the first time I had attended one of these events.  It was a huge amount of fun - the first time I had ever been to a black tie and boxing event!  A fundraiser for the Charley Foundation, the night was kicked off with Anna Wilson performing - I hate to say that I missed this - I was late :( - I am sure it was wonderful.  But I did arrive in time to hear Jaxon Ford perform the National Anthem.   Then our attention was turned to see the first boxing match, which featured Yolexcys Leiva of Nashville and Dwartney Wortham of Georgia.  Ok, I have to admit that I know nothing about boxing and still really don't.  But somebody broke or injured their wrist in one of the first ... 03/16/2009

Remember when you were young and in school, the excitement that surrounded the coming of Spring Break? We're in the midst of that now with our 3 young ones. It all really started with Ash Sunday - the beginning of Lent. This is the first year that all of our children are knowingly participating having given up CANDY for Lent. Our only rule for giving things up for Lent are that "it's gotta be significant" . . . Giving up CANDY for a 7 year old is darn significant. and here we are finding ourselves in relatively deep conversations each time there's an opportunity to eat candy. Of course, there's a target date: "On Easter, we get to eat as much candy as we want!" And Allison has a bag in which she tosses EVERY piece of candy that comes her way during this period of prohibition. Spring Bre... 03/16/2009

It's a "Seattle Saturday" here in Nashville - Cold. clammy, drizzly . . . And when it's like this outside . . . Cleaning happens inside our house, so we've been in the attic all day - YUCK! During the breaks, I have been blogging on another site (Seth Godin's Triiibes) which has led to a fascinating conversation with some folks . . . thought I would share a few snips here. This is my first post: I just decided to let it ALL hang out . . . Because I am Principal Broker of @ 125 associate Real Estate Firm (All associates are independent contractors so it's humorous to imply that I actually "manage" these folks) . . . I spend a fair amount of time thinking about "span of control" issues. In Clint Swindall's book "Engaged Leadership" Clint tosses out some interesting statistics. 26% of the ... 03/14/2009

Prudential Woodmont Realty Group has joined the Earth Hour Movement by signing up to be a part of Earth Hour Saturday March 28, 2009   For years now I have been trying to get the owners of my company, Prudential Woodmont Realty Group, to start being more Eco-Conscious! They agreed to recycle the hundreds of tin cans used weekly by the agents, staff and guests to our office. As part of our Charity Group, we also kept the Ronald McDonald House on top of the recycling bin so that those inclined could remove the tabs and put them in the house. The Ronald McDonald Houses collect them and recycle them. The money they make goes to help pay for the houses. But that's another blog. For the past few years I have been working with the clerical staff to get them to recycle the pounds of paper that ... 03/14/2009

Doughnut Girls honored by  the Salvation Army!During world war I and II, the Doughnut Girls were known to serve hot doughnuts to the service men on the front lines. The girls had been brought over by the Salvation Army in 1917 to cheer up the demoralized troops in France.  It had rained for 36 days and the ladies wanted to fix the men a hot meal. Unfortunately, the only supplies available to them were flour, sugar, lard, baking powder, canned milk and cinnamon. So they made doughnuts on a wood fired potbellied stove.Often in mud,  the Doughnut Girls would go to the front lines to bring Hot Doughnuts. While there, they would also treat their wounds and aid in burials when necessary. This Memorial Day, May 25th, these ladies will be honored at the  Nashville Memorial Cemetery in Madison, ... 03/14/2009

  The optimist (standing on my right shoulder screaming in my ear) says that things are improving and that we are through the worst of things. The realist is standing on my left shoulder chanting a steady message that we are likely to have much more of the same for a while longer . . . and that things could actually get worse  . . . The next 6 months will be exciting times for all of us. All I know to do is the best that I can do . . . and to stay true to my commitment to help others through these uncertain times . . . Coach and consult with agents and clients to find the best solutions. The latest initiative in our office is one of “Tribe Building” . . . Form 8-12 person Tribes of associates to work together for accountability, support, and camaraderie . . . My advice to EVERYONE is: D... 03/13/2009

I had the lovely experience of eating at Giovanni's before the Keith Urban show last week.  I found it to be remarkably delicious!  I hate to say that, sadly, i don't have any pictures of the places (which is a beautiful sit down restaurant).  But I do have the memory of my taste buds and they are giving this place two thumbs up! I was attending a wine tasting upstairs, so small hors d'oeuvres were first.  Giovanni's served us bruschetta, ham and brie sandwich bites, bite-sized crab cakes, fried risotto-and-mushroom bites and prime rib on small pieces of bread. Then, while downstairs for dinner, we started with appetizers of risotto with braised beef tips and a penne pasta with bolognese sauce.  These were both delicious and by that time I was already fairly full.  But more was on the w... 03/13/2009