November 2011
3 posts
Testimonial from a happy seller!
Paula Thomas is the best, and I would recommend her to anyone! I put my condo on the market a couple of months prior to my wedding and I was fortunate enough to close one week after the wedding –to be precise, 62 days from market to closing. This would not have been possible without Paula’s hard work and expertise. Paula staged the house perfectly and met with both the electrician and...
7 Smart Strategies for Kitchen Remodeling
By: John Riha
Published: March 25, 2011
Kitchen remodeling can turn a ho-hum room into your home’s pride and joy. Here are strategies to help your project run smoothly.
A significant portion of kitchen remodeling costs may be recovered by the value the project brings to your home. Kitchen remodels in the $50,000 to $60,000 range recoup about 69% of the initial project cost at the home’s...
Mortgage Rates Change Very Little
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates changing little for the second consecutive week amid mixed consumer confidence and housing data. Fixed mortgage rates remain near their 60-year lows.
30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.10 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending October 27, 2011, down from the prior week when it...
August 2011
2 posts
Art Show Honoring Josephine Mayo
Art Show Honoring Josephine Mayo
Sunday, Sep 11, 2011, 2:00pm
Mark you calendars for this beautiful event on Sunday, September 11, from 2:00 until 5:00, at 2nd Presbyterian Church, 2829 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.
We will be honoring Josephine Mayo, artist and church member, by displaying her paintings.
Art students of Josephine and area artists will also be exhibiting. At present, church...
IRS's top 10 tax tips for home sellers
Real Estate Tax Talk
By Stephen Fishman Inman News™
From time to time the IRS releases tips designed to help people with their taxes. Some of these are quite useful.
Last week the agency released “Ten Tax Tips for Individuals Selling Their Home,” (IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2011-15).
As a real estate agent or broker, it is not your job to give home sellers tax advice. Indeed, it is...
July 2011
1 post
Excellence . . .
A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing...
June 2011
6 posts
Worship in the City/Knoxville 2011
Worship in the City®, Knoxville 2011 will be celebrated at the World’s Fair Park August 26th -27th. This annual outdoor celebration festival will feature two stages featuring many popular Christian artists. The World’s Fair amphitheater will host the “Festival of Choirs” a gathering of local area church choirs which will set the tone for an amazing local worship experience. Exciting...
Household Hazardous Waste
Household Hazardous Waste
What is Household Hazardous Waste? Many common household products contain hazardous substances. These products become household hazardous waste (HHW) once the consumer no longer has any use for them. The average household generates more than 20 pounds ...
3 Green Home Improvements that Pay Off
3 Green Home Improvements that Pay Off
By: Karin Beuerlein
Forget big savings on your energy bills if you make green home improvements. Instead, choose green retrofits and home improvements that offset rising energy prices.
Why have my green home improvements fallen flat?
Energy prices as a whole have gone up over the last decade, especially in certain regions of the country. Although ...
Too Stressed to Sleep?
“Ah. That pillow feels good. That new eco-friendly laundry soap I use is nice, and I’m glad I’m not hurting the environment. Of course, it costs more than the old stuff, and my commissions have been down at work. If I can just do a stellar presentation on Thursday, maybe I can get a raise. When do I have time to work on it? I can’t do it Tuesday because I have to meet with Kevin’s teacher; I...
Smart Upgrades for Decks
Smart Upgrades for Decks
By: Dave Toht
A few cost-effective add-ons can give a modest deck an edge and deliver a handsome payback should you sell your house.
Hidden fasteners for decking
For years now, deck screws have been the fastener of choice. (Nails, prone to popping out over time, are old news.) Deck screws come in a useful range of colors, won’t corrode, and hold exceptionally well. ...
Westcliff Condo For Lease
$975 / 2br - Westcliff Condominium for Lease
Fabulous Westcliff Condominiums on Lyons View Pike; so convenient to everything in West Knoxville (and UT campus); 2 bedrooms, 2 baths; hardwood flooring throughout; tile in kitchen and baths; huge balcony overlooking swimming pool; water, basic cable and trash collection included. AND, refrigerator, glass top range, dishwasher and garbage ...
May 2011
1 post
Hillside and Ridgetop Plan
I received this email today from our Knoxville Area Association of Realtors and is directed to Realtors, but voices are also needed from homeowners to have this plan voted down!
The vote for the Hillside and Ridgetop Plan from MPC in the Knoxville City Council is set for 7:00 pm Tuesday May 17th in the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building. We need your help.
We have won half the...
April 2011
8 posts
Beautiful Westcliff Condominiums - For Lease - 2...
http://paulathomas.tumblr.com/post/4763519080/beautiful-westcliff-condominiums-for-lease-2
Knoxville Symphony League
http://www.knoxvillesymphonyleague.org/showhouse/index.html
Invest a Tax Refund in Your Home: $3,000 Projects
By: John Riha
Published: April 4, 2011
Four great, summery ways to invest your $3,000 tax refund in your house.
Boring? Hardly. Upgrading and maintaining your home preserves its value, giving you a nice return on your investment. Plus, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labors every day. With summer on the horizon, here are four outdoorsy ideas for spending your refund.
Add outdoor lighting
Show...
Invest a Tax Refund in Your Home: $1,000 Projects
By: Mike DeSenne
Published: March 3, 2010
Consider these five great projects that cost around $1,000 if you decide to invest a tax refund in your home this year.
1. It all comes out in the wash
It might not sound sexy, but equipping your laundry room with a new washing machine will pay off immediately on your utility bills. Today’s high-efficiency washers use less water per load than...
Invest a Tax Refund in Your Home: $500 Projects
By: Mike DeSenne
Published: March 4, 2010
Here are five great ideas for investing a tax refund in your home if you receive $500 or less back from the IRS this year.
1. Go with the low flow
If you’re tired of watching money go down the drain, invest in the latest low-flow showerheads. Old showerheads (pre-1992) can pump out 5 gallons of water per minute. Newer showerheads, while more...
Tips for Investing a Tax Refund in Your Home
By: Richard Koreto
Published: March 4, 2010
HouseLogic talks to financial planner Alan D. Kahn, who offers tips for investing a tax refund in your home based on where you are in life—and with your house.
HouseLogic: What should be your priority if you get a $2,500 refund?
Alan Kahn: No matter what your situation, first and foremost, if you have credit card debt, pay it down....
Dorothy and Toto
I hope everyone is safe and sound from the storms tonight. All’s well here! Just can’t help but think of Dorothy and Toto when the wind blows like it blew tonight! My son and daughter each have a golden retriever and I hear they’re looking for their courage! :-)
March 2011
3 posts
Garden Money-Saving Tips
10 Tips for Saving Money in the Garden http://bit.ly/bODZqa
Rates Fall Again
Mortgage rates fell again this past week, along with the lower yields on Treasury bonds, reports Freddie Mac. Average interest on 30-year fixed loans declined to 4.87 percent from 4.95 percent a week earlier, and the 15-year fixed home loan rate slipped to 4.15 percent from 4.22 percent.
[SOURCES: Freddie Mac; Information, Inc.]
Hilltop and Ridge Plan from MPC
This past Monday Knox County Commission voted to defer the final vote on the Hilltop and Ridge Plan from MPC for 60 days so joint workshops can be held with Knoxville City Council. It is the desire of supporters of this plan to “educate” those who disagree with the plan.
The most significant parts of this meeting can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/KnoxTNWatch
What you need to know:...
February 2011
2 posts
Mortgage Rates Drop Again
Rates Drop Again
Borrowing costs for long-term home loans dipped in the latest week, reports Freddie Mac. According to the firm, average interest on 30-year fixed mortgages slid to 4.95 percent for the week ended Feb. 24 from 5.0 percent the prior week and 5.05 percent a year ago. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed rate settled at 4.22 percent compared to 4.27 percent the previous week and 4.40 ...
YIKES!!!! Knox County Possible Property Changes
Do you or anyone in your family own property in Knox County that is on a small 15% slope?
If so please be aware that Monday February 28th Knox County Commission will vote on a change to the General Plan and all Sector Plans from the Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission that could affect your property value and place severe limits on private property. This proposal could limit existing...
January 2011
3 posts
GRI Press Release
The Tennessee Association of REALTORS is proud to announce a recent graduate of the REALTOR Institute program: PAULA THOMAS of Realty Executives Associates, with the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors. By successful completion of this program, PAULA THOMAS, has earned the “Graduate, REALTOR Institute” (GRI) designation, signifying mastery of a specific and intensive program of classroom...
Interest Rates
Freddie Mac reports that mortgage interest was back down after a series of upward spikes. Rates for 30-year, fixed loans averaged 4.77 percent for the week ended Jan. 6, down from 4.86 percent a week earlier. The rate also is lower than a year ago, which Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft says should help foster housing market recovery. Interest on 15-year, fixed loans and five-year,...
Why You Should Use a Realtor
All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR “®” logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and...