New Hair Salon Opening In Spring HIll, TN

As always, I try to give you up to date information as well as breaking community news. Well, here you go! A good friend of mine, Mark Brimeyer, a highly skilled and experienced hair dresser, is opening a new salon in Spring Hill, TN called Textured Salon. Mark co-owned and ran a salon of the same name in Milwaukee, WI. It will be located just south of Utopia Coffee on Main Street. Mark is holding a grand opening for the salon on May 24th from 6:30-8:30pm. Please drop by to meet Mark and to schedule your firs appointment with him! The address is 5306-B Main Street, Spring Hill, TN 37174. You can call to make an appointment at 615-594-5093. You can click here to connect with them on Facebook, however their page is still under construction.

Steve Blair

Affiliate Broker / REALTOR / SFR

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Cross Roads Blvd. Suite 102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Office: 615-377-6330

Cell: 615-479-1639

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Web: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twiter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Why Move To Nashville?

I was born in Ohio, raised in Charlotte, NC and moved to Nashville in March or 2004. My son was born in Charlotte, my daughter, right here in Nashville and our new baby will be born here in Nashville in a few weeks. This is a great place to raise a family. The city is also rich in History. In the War of 1812, General Andrew Jackson, was credited with winning the final battle in New Orleans which reported ended the war. When he came back to Nashville, they gave him a heros welcome. The church where this took place still stands today! You can also visit his home in Hermitage, TN. You can also visit many civil war sites and battlefields in and around the Nashville area. Aside from the rich historical benefits Nashville offers, you can spend many evenings downtown on Broadway going in and out of all the classic "honky-tonks" and listen to some of the worlds greatest musicians playing nightly in over a dozen different bars and clubs.

Nashville also has several museums and art gallery's, legendary music stores and record shops as well as plenty of shopping at Opry Mills Mall and Cool Springs Galleria.

Did you know that TN does not have a state income tax? Now that's reason enough to move here! Granted, we have a higher sales tax than some, but even at 9.25% sales tax, you still come out better than paying an income tax.

If you would like more information on our great city or the surrounding areas, please let me know!

Steve Blair, SFR, Affiliate Broker, REALTOR

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd. Ste 200

Brentwood, TN 37027

Cell: 615-479-1639

Office: 615-377-6330

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Web: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BlairTweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Don't Miss the Boat!

If you have followed the stock market the last year and were not regularly investing in it, you have missed the boat and I know you have got to be kicking yourself for it. Let's just look at Ford Motor Company. Imagine you bought $10,000 worth of stock in Ford last April when stock was about $2.00 per share. $10,000 would have bought you 5,000 shares of stock. Today, on March 24th, 2010, only 11 months later, that investment of $10,000 would be valued at $69,300! You see, the best time to invest in anything, is when you can get it cheap. If you can get a quality product for a low price, you do stand to make money in time. This is exactly where we are in the housing market right now. No one really knows if we are totally at the bottom, but we have got to be pretty close. In many markets, housing prices are down 30% to 50% and even more. No one could promise you that the stock market was going to recover. No one can promise you the housing market will recover. All we have to look at is the past. Everything we see and know point to increased home values. In a free market, values do go up and down based on demand and other market drivers. If you are upset about missing the boat on the first major increase in the stock market, maybe you want to try to ride the potential wave of the real estate market by buying a new home or even try your hand at investment property?

Steve Blair

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd. Ste. #102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Office: 615-377-6330

Cell: 615-479-1639

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Web: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

NEW Listing in Spring Hill, TN only $155,000!

Man, I'M BUSY!!! If anyone has ever told you the real estate business in sinking down the drain, then they are just not paying attention. I'm picking up new clients all the time! Here is a new one I just listed in Spring Hill, TN which is a suburb of Nashville. This is a very nice, quiet community. If you are looking for an area close to a major US city like Nashville, but still has that down home small town feel, then this house in Spring Hill might be a great choice for you. This house is right at 1,400 sqare feet, has a 2 car garage, deck, rocking chair front porch, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living, dining and breakfast rooms as well as a nice kitchen, all on a one acre lot! This home has been very well maintained and is very clean. If you are ready to move, this home is in move in condition. For more information, please click the link below for more photos, descriptions, etc.http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/303-Lauren-Ct_Spring-Hill_TN_37174_1117017801

Thanks for looking!

Steve Blair - SFR, Affiliate Broker, Realtor

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd Ste# 102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Cell: 615-479-1639

Office: 615-377-6330

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Website: http://www.steveblair.net/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

NEW Listing in HERMITAGE, TN $130,000 MOVE IN READY!

Hello everyone, I recently listed a house located at 1408 Market Square, Hermitage, TN which is just outside of Nashville. Just a few miles from the Nashville International Airport, Opry Mills Mall as well as downtown Nashville, among other area hot spots. This is a 3BR, 2BA, 1,300 square foot home. This home qualifies for the $8,000 home buyer tax credit as well as the $6,500 tax credit. Please click here for more information and 16 photos of the inside and outside of the home. This house is on a quiet, neighborhood street with a cul-de-sac. Please let me know if you need any additional information or if you know of anyone who might be interested in this house!

Thanks!

Steve Blair

Affiliate Broker, Realtor, SFR

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd. Ste. 102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Office: 615-377-6330

Cell: 615-479-1639

Email: Steve@steveblair.net

Website: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

NEW LISTING IN FRANKLIN, TN for $297,000!

Hello everyone. I just listed a new house for sale in Franklin, TN, just outside of downtown Franklin. This is a great house! Built in 2007, very well taken care of, 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, Granite counters in the kitchen, Hardwood floors in all common areas, high quality carpet in all bedrooms. Master bedroom has a large bathroom with his/hers closets, double vanity, whirlpool tub with separate shower and ceramic tile floors! This house also has a full, finished basement with 2 living areas and a full bathroom. Could easily be used as an in-law suite. Click here for more information and more photos. The house is 2,129 square feet and has a very large 2 car garage with room for not only 2 cars, but also plenty of storage and a work area! To schedule a showing, contact me at the information below.

Steve Blair, SFR, Affiliate Broker, REALTOR

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd. #102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Office: 615-377-6330

Cell: 615-479-1639

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Web: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Setting Expectations As A First Time Home Buyer

Many first-time home buyers really do not have a grasp on the housing market. This is okay! I was the same way when I bought my first home. I had no idea what I was doing or how much things cost or were supposed to cost. Now that I'm a little older, and have bought and sold a couple more times, and not to mention the fact that I'm a real estate agent now and was not then... I know much more about the market. I'm supposed to. It's my job to know! One of the things that will help you if you are a first time home buyer, is to set you expectations correctly. Here's one of the best ways to do that. Contact a couple of lenders or mortgage bankers, and ask them to get you pre-approved or pre-qualified. They will need to know some personal and financial information, but you will need to do this anyway to get a loan for a home. Once you know what you qualify for, you will know how much house you can afford. With that information, you can get a good Realtor or real estate agent to send you a list of properties that are in that price range of what the bank has qualified you for. It's very important that you know what you can afford prior to looking for houses. It's real tough to think that you can afford a $225,000 home and go look at a few of those only to find out that you only qualify for $175,000. Not that a $175,000 house is a bag thing, but when you compare it to a house that costs $50,000 more, you are not going to be happy with what you can get. So, save yourself some heartache and emotional scaring, get pre-approved before you start the house hunt! If you are a first time home buyer right now, don't forget about the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. Ask me or a local Realtor or real estate agent if you qualify. This credit will expire very soon! As always, I hope this post was informative to you!

Steve Blair, SFR, Affiliate Broker, REALTOR

SilverPointe Properties

7105 Crossroads Blvd. #102

Brentwood, TN 37027

Office: 615-377-6330

Cell: 615-479-1639

Email: steve@steveblair.net

Web: www.steveblair.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/blairtweets

Find me on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Great Story From the Tennessean on my Listing!

If you are looking for a great home with a recording studio in Franklin, TN then this is the home for you!

This is really great! Click Here to read the story.

R-410A EPA Mandate And How It Affects You as a Home Buyer or Seller

Twenty years ago the federal government passed legislation that would become effective on Jan. 1, 2010 which would ban the manufacturing of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) equipment that primarily uses Freon, also known as R-22 and HCFC-22. Those companies must now begin manufacturing parts that are compatible with products such as Puron, also known as R-410A which is the new standard refrigerant for air conditioners. This change will affect you as a buyer or a seller of a home.

This change will cost you more money. Since R-22 parts are now banned from being manufactured, parts are expected to be out of stock by the second quarter of 2010. If for example, your evaporator coil goes out and a suitable part is no longer available, you may have to replace the entire HVAC unit. R-410A parts are not always interchangeable with R-22 parts. Physical changes may be needed to your system in order for it to accommodate the larger equipment required in air conditioners using R-410A refrigerant. The supply of R-22 will be limited and will likely cause the price to increase. As a result of the new changes, new HVAC equipment may be more expensive to purchase and install.

Another way that this might cost you more money is that most manufacturers warranties only cover parts for one year, in most cases. Labor is a significant part of any repair. Most system and appliance home service contracts and/or warranties contain language that effectively excludes the additional costs resulting from this government-mandated change.

How can you protect yourself as a buyer or seller of a home? Your best option is to have a home warranty as part of the transaction. Not all home warranty companies are the same, however, 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty does cover the cost of a replacement unit if a suitable part is not available. Certain qualifications apply, but in most cases they will be able to replace your unit with no extra cost to you. For more information on this change and how it will affect you, feel free to contact me or go to www.R410ASolutions.com.

If you are located in Nashville, Franklin, Spring Hill, Columbia or Nashville, TN outlying cities and would like to speak to an agent directly about your situation, you can contact me at steve@steveblair.net.

Shameless Plug

I ran into an interesting situation on Twitter the other day and I thought I'd share it with you. I saw a persons Tweet that said to the effect, "My friend is moving to Nashville, TN does anyone know of any good churches?" So I responded, "www.fellowshipnashville.org, I've been going there 5 years, great place. Also, I'm a real estate agent as well." His response was "Ah, the ole' shameless plug that Realtors have down pat! nice..." I actually took offense to that. This particular individual was a "church planter" as he says in his profile on Twitter. I must assume that from his response to me, if he heard someone say, "Hey, my friend just became a Christian and is moving to (enter your town here)", this person would not want to at least say, "Hey I'm a church planter (which is to say, I know a lot about churches), you should try my church out." This guy reeks of hypocrisy, and is one reason why I believe people are turned off by those that call themselves Christian, (which is why I choose to use the phrase, "follower of Christ" for myself) Look, as a real estate agent, I see some really good agents, and then some others that just do not put the clients needs first. Example, I'm working on a deal now where I represent the buyer. The sellers agent is asking me to change a couple words in the contract after it has already been agreed upon by both parties. Currently the contract states: "Seller to pay all title expenses" and "Seller to pay up to $3,500 in buyers closing costs." This agent has asked that I change this to read, "Seller to pay all title expenses, except for Mortgagees expenses." and "Seller to pay up to $3,500 in buyers closing costs, including title expenses." Well, if I do that, it would cause my client to pay an addition $1,019 out of pocket at closing. Would some other agents roll over and say, "Well. ok, I want to get the deal done, I'll change it and have my buyers sign off? Yes! I'm sure some would, but not me. I work very hard on behalf of my clients. I look out for them and do my best to protect them in this transaction.

So, if I ever offer my services to you, it's only because I know for a fact that I can protect your interests in your real estate transaction. I know that I will work extremely hard on your behalf. And by the way, my response back to this person was, "No prob, just tell him about the church, no worries." I can tell you this much, if this guy does happen to tell his friend about me, out of principle, I will likely choose to NOT represent him. Yes, I'm in this business to make money, I do not work for free. However, my integrity is worth much more than the commission of one deal.

Do I Need A Realtor?

Have you ever asked yourself or even thought this question? "Do I need a Realtor?" What is the point? I can find a house and tell the owner I want to buy the house, head over to Office Max and pick up a standard purchase agreement for $10.00 and I'm on my way to home ownership. Well, sure you could do that. You could also break your leg, pick up season one of ER on DVD and try to fix it yourself after watching a few episodes. It's simply not smart to do that, right? Well, I'm biased. I'm a realtor, so of course I think you need me. I only think that because I know how risky it is to go about this without expert advice. I think it is very important that you know and have a business relationship with a Realtor, Lawyer, CPA, Doctor, Dentist and a few others. I encourage you to know a realtor. Even if you do not need the services of one today, tomorrow or this year, you will likely need to purchase and/or sell a home a few times in your life. It is smart for you to have a relationship with a realtor for when that time comes. Buying or selling a house is a huge thing! Often times, it is the largest asset you have. How many $100,000, $250,000, $500,000 or $1,000,000 purchases would you make without getting expert advice to help you walk through the process? Please don't take this the wrong way, but it would be next to insanity if you were going to make this proper practice. It puts your investment at total risk. As a realtor, I know your rights, your risks, your opportunities, etc. I have relationships with lenders that I trust, who I know can get your loan closed on time and properly. How would you like to have all of your belongings loaded up on a U-Haul truck only to find out that your lender dropped the ball and will not be able to close your loan on time and it will take an extra 3 days? I have relationships with Lawyers who will be able to make sure that your title is clean. I have relationships with Termite inspectors, Home inspectors, appraisers. All of these people will make your investment that much more protected. I will work with the cooperating agent on the other side of the transaction to make sure we obtain a proper disclosures about the property you intend to buy, so that you know as much as possible about the history of that house. You need to know if there has ever been foundation problems, water damage, etc. A great real estate agent will know how to get the proper and pertinent information on your behalf. So, ask around now. Ask your friends and family if they have a relationship with a realtor. If so, call them up, sit down over coffee and get to know them. You need to have that relationship. I am more than happy to build a relationship with a potential client. I do not need to help you buy or sell a house this week, month or year. But when that time does come, I'd like you to think of me. If you live in the Nashville area and you want to meet, call or email me: 615-479-1639 , steve@steveblair.net. If you do not live in the Nashville area or in Tennessee at al and would like to be referred to a good agent in your town, call me or email me and I'll get you in touch with one.

Home Warranty - Should I or Shouldn't I?

When I think about a warranty or a guarantee, I'm reminded of a funny but very true to the art of sales, movie, Tommy Boy. Even as I type this, I'm laughing! If you'll remember, young Tommy Callaghan, played by Chris Farley, is out trying to sell brake pads to save his late fathers business from a corporate takeover and eventual sale. Tommy is out doing sales calls when he runs into a potential client who does not like the fact that Callaghan does not put a guarantee on the box like their competitors do. The potential client says that people like a guarantee, it makes them feel good. This is true. And this is why potential home buyers like to see that a home has a warranty attached to it. In most cases a warranty will cost about $425. Typically, this money is paid at closing out of the money that you receive as a seller, so you really never miss it. Let's pretend that you are a buyer and you are looking at 2 houses. Both are equal to you in regards to your interest in them. One house is priced at $220,000 and has a warranty. The other is priced at $217,000 and does not include a warranty. Which one do you think you'd be more likely to want to purchase? As a seller, it costs you in the neighborhood of $425, but you are going to make an extra $3,000 or more over your competitors. It is a smart move to offer a warranty as a seller and it is equally as smart to purchase a property with a warranty. All you ned to do is ask your agent to show you how to take out a policy. It is a very simple process that literally takes about 5 mins. to complete.

GM to Re-open Plant in Spring Hill, TN?

In a statement made earlier this week in Detroit. GM's North American President, Mark Reuss announced that the plants that build the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and the Cadillac SRX crossover vehicles as well as the Buick LaCrosse are all running at capacity and can not keep up with market demand. He says in the short term he will try to increase output in existing plants. Reuss mentioned the idled plant in Spring Hill, but did not confirm nor deny that GM had plans to re-open the plant. GM recently spent $700 million to re-tool the Spring Hill plant in order to make it a state of the art facility. Stay tuned for more news as I hear about it.

Feature in the Spring Hill Advertiser Newspaper

Hello all! If you are in the Spring Hill area, you can read the feature they did on me and the fact that I am designated by the National Association of Realtors as a resource for Short Sales and Foreclosures. Thanks!

To Buy or Not To Buy?

OK, this might be the shortest blog yet. Reason? It's quite simple. If you have ever wanted to be a home owner and you qualify for the loan, I really can't find a reason why you should not buy. Here's why:

1. The government is providing a tax credit for up to 10% of the value of the purchase, not to exceed $8,000, for first time home buyer(s). This credit does have restrictions on high income earners, but the majority of people certainly qualify.

2. If you have been in your existing home for 5 consecutive years, you may qualify for a $6,500 tax credit if you sell and repurchase a new home by the deadline of April 30th 2010!

3. The interest rates are still at record lows. They will only go up from here.

So, there you have it. If you have not yet made the jump, I hope this has urged you to at least look over the edge. Come on in, the home ownership waters are really nice!

Email or call me today to get you on the road to owning a home! steve@steveblair.net or 615-479-1639

A Bright Spot in Spring Hill, TN Home Sales!

It's always easy to complain about a market. It's easy to find reasons why we should be down and out. It's much harder in a down economy to have a positive outlook. Well, that's why you have me! Here is some pretty good news for the housing market if you are looking and/or living in the Spring Hill area. According to a leading real estate website, Trulia.com, the following trend is pretty nice, and offers a reason to celebrate!

Housing sales were up in Dec! Look at his chart provided by Trulia.

Spring Hill Recently Sold Homes

This chart shows that home sales from December in 2008 compared to home sales in December of 2009 were up sharply by almost 20%! Not only that... Look at the increase from Nov. 09 - Dec 09. The best month of 09 was August, but that is no surprise. The weather was nice, the leaves were still on the trees, just a better presentation when you are trying to sell a home.

The good thing is that things are looking better in Spring Hill. We have much to celebrate, and much to be happy about in our city. Stay tuned for the next blog!

Spring Hill, TN Local Business Feature - Taco Express Grill

One of the things I want to do with this blog, is to highlight some of the great local businesses in Spring Hill and Thompsons Station. One of the great things about living in a smaller town like Spring Hill are the local restaurants. One of my family's recent favorites is Taco Express Grill on Campbell Station Parkway. They have great Mexican food and they are very affordable for anyone, especially families on a budget. On any day of the week, if you pay in cash, for every $10.00 spent, you will receive one free fountain drink. If you go on Tuesday's you can get any Taco for only $0.99! (Excluding Shrimp Taco). Last night my family went. I got a grilled chicken soft taco as well as a carne asada soft taco. Normally, this would have cost me $2.25 each. On Tuesday's it's $.99 each! This is a tremendous value, they pile it high with meat, cheese, pico, and guac on 2 corn tortillas! This is no Taco Bell taco, I assure you. I highly recommend this place.

Taco Express Grill

615.302.2888
2001 Campbell Station Pkwy • Spring Hill, TN 37174
Located behind the old Kroger in Campbell Station

www.tacoexpressgrill.com

Hours:
Sunday 9 am - 9 pm
Monday - Tuesday 8am - 9 pm
Wednesday - Saturday 8 am - 12 am