Archive for the ‘Real Estate’ Category

Quality of Life in Nashville

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

Quality of Life in Nashville

The decision to move is one of the most significant decisions you will ever have to make. There are many reasons why people relocate. Some of the most common is an opportunity for a better job or lifestyle. If you have a family, then affordable homes, good schools and safe neighborhoods might be a factor. If you are single, then access to entertainment might be a factor. For the most part, the decision to move to a particular city comes down to cost of living and quality of life. A city that embodies all of these factors and more is Nashville.

A decision to move to Nashville now can be a lot easier than you might think. One of the quality of life factors is climate. Nashville encompasses this factor beautifully with a seasonally mild climate. Good schools is another factor in quality of life. The school district in Nashville is made up of many distinguished GreatSchools ratings. Your interests and hobbies also play a factor in your decision to move. If your hobbies are music, exploring historic sites and access to world-class entertainment, then Nashville is the perfect city for you. One of the biggest attractions in Nashville is their music scene. The Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are just a few of the places to you can explore and experience. For history buffs, The Hermitage, Belle Meade Plantation and a day trip to Franklin are a must.

Continuing with quality of life factors, Nashville has easy access to a large variety of entertainment. There are plenty of attractions to visit near Nashville. For family entertainment, Families will find entertainment options in Nashville for children of all ages. The Adventure Science Center is just about as cool as it gets and makes learning fun. Nashville Shores‚ a water park set along Percy Priest Lake‚ is always a popular place to cool down as the summer heats up. Giant slides‚ pools‚ Jet-Ski rentals and beach volleyball are some of the activities provided for all ages. The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is another great outdoor facility. The zoo is in the midst expansion and boasts that it will be almost three times the size of the world famous San Diego Zoo.

The cost of living factors also play heavily into decision making. Nashville’s affordable cost of living is just another reason to move to this great city. Your career is most likely the most important factor. The city offers employment in many diverse industries such as finance and insurance, health care, music and entertainment, publishing, transportation technology, higher education, biotechnology, plastics, and tourism. Affordabilty of homes that fit your in your lifestyle should play a major role in your decision-making. The median price for a home in Nashville is $145,000 making the city one of the most affordable areas to live in the country.

Nashville makes the grade and when it comes to quality of life in Music City USA.

A Comfortable Home While You’re Building a New One

Thursday, September 17, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

A Comfortable Home While You’re Building a New One

Building a new house can be an exciting time. There are so many activities going on at once and so many tasks that need to be coordinated. There are stresses that go along with the excitement, however, and one of the biggest ones can be coordinating the selling of your old home and moving in to your new one.

The contractor in charge of building your new home will likely have given you a tentative completion date as part of the quote on the work. With an estimate of when you will be able to move into your new home, you can estimate the earliest date that you can sell your old home and have to vacate. All too often, however, construction can become delayed and you find yourself having to move out of your old house and not yet having a new one to move into.

There are several options when this happens, including moving in temporarily with friends and family, renting a hotel room, or even going on vacation until the new house is completed. All of these options, however, can leave you feeling out of place and can throw off the daily routine for you and your family. Children can find it difficult to concentrate in school when their home life has been turned upside down and the added stress of “making do” can create tension in an already difficult situation.

There is another alternative that can make your temporary dislocation more relaxing. Extended stay housing combines the ease of booking a hotel room with the amenities of home. One of the leaders in the extended stay housing market is Wynne Residential (www.wynneresidential.com). Wynne has properties in every state and in most major municipalities. Most of the properties are condominiums in secured complexes and include swimming and exercise facilities. Each until is fully furnished with everything you use regularly at home including laundry facilities and a full kitchen so that you can prepare your own meals.

Wynne can book your stay for anywhere from a few days to a few months, depending on the progress of construction of your new home. This gives you one less thing to worry about as deadlines change over time. Your temporary home provides you a home base from which to work and play. Wynne looks after setting up and turning off all of the utilities as well as maintenance and any repairs. They bill you all in one bill so you don’t have to chase around utility companies to get final readings.

When your house is nearing completion and you are within a month of moving in, simply give Wynne 30 days notice of vacating and they will look after notifying all utility companies and having final readings done. All you have to worry about is moving into your beautiful new house.

Scottsdale, Arizona- A Jewel in the Desert

Friday, August 14, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

Scottsdale, Arizona- A Jewel in the Desert

Scottsdale was once nothing but a small farming town in the Sonoran Desert. Its proximity to Phoenix allowed its residents to get what they needed from the “big city”. Life was slow-paced and the beautiful desertscape that surrounded the town was a sight seen only by its residents.

Today’s Scottsdale could not be more different from the town it once was. It is now a bustling resort town with world-class shopping, golf, and dining. It is a destination all on its own and attracts Phoenix residents as well as travelers from around the world to experience all it has to offer.

The US Conference of Mayors recognized Scottsdale as one of the country’s “Most Livable Cities” and it has received many other awards and mentions as one of the best places to live, work and visit.

Scottsdale has been called “The Jewel of the Sonoran Desert” and it certainly is that. The city of around 200,000 residents boasts over 600 restaurants, 67 hotels and resorts, and more than two dozen day spas. Some of the most celebrated chefs in the country operate eateries in Scottsdale and it is known as one of top US cities for haute cuisine.

For those who love golf, Scottsdale is nirvana. There are more than 200 public and private golf courses surrounding the city. The weather in Scottsdale is perfect for golf with an average of 329 days a year of sun. Scottsdale is the birthplace of “desert golf”, a course design philosophy that requires working with and around the landscape without altering it. This means designing around huge desert rocks and outcroppings, working with the flow of water in streams rather than diverting them, and incorporating natural cacti and other desert plants into the design. This has given the area’s golf courses the reputation of being some of the most challenging in the world and Scottsdale has become a favorite of golf professionals because of it.

Scottsdale is also world-renowned for its arts community and is the home of over 120 museums, art galleries and working studios. One of the most unique ongoing events in Scottsdale is its “ArtWalk”. Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 pm, local art galleries, boutiques and restaurants stay open late so that art lovers can browse the galleries in a leisurely manner in the cool of the evening.

Scottsdale is an affluent city and sports some of the most beautiful, and expensive, real estate in the country. The average house price in Scottsdale is currently just under $500,000 and that has come down recently with the soft real estate market. Many people are finding that now is a great time to buy a home or a vacation home in Scottsdale. Practically every type and style of home is available from studio condos to 6 bedroom mansions.

Whether you are visiting Scottsdale or plan to live there, you will be captivated by the Jewel of the Sonoran Desert.

Things to See and Do in Encinitas, CA

Friday, August 14, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

Things to See and Do in Encinitas, CA

Encinitas is synonymous with surfing and with summer fun. This retro laid back beach town has maintained its charm for decades and is still a magnet for summertime hordes of surfers and beach bodies. But Encinitas has much more to offer than just surfing. Here are some of its popular attractions:

The Quail Botanical Gardens is a 30 acre plant preserve located just outside Encinitas. The Gardens showcases rare and unusual plant specimens from all over the world, and some local native varieties. The Gardens also claims the largest display of bamboo in North America. They are open every day except certain holidays. On Saturdays at 10 am, the Gardens offers a tour at no charge. It is definitely worth taking the tour to find out more information about their plant collections.

If you love to golf, the par-72 Encinitas Ranch Golf Course is a popular choice. It is one of the only championship courses in the San Diego area and offers fantastic ocean views on the course. Green fees are reasonable and the course has private and group golf lessons and clinics available. For those traveling without their clubs, the course has rentals available.

The San Dieguito Heritage Museum is a compact but in-depth look at the history of the area including its role in World War II and the birth and development of its surf culture. There are also books available for sale on local history. Entry to the museum is free but they do accept donations.

Moonlight Beach is an easy destination to get to down the Pacific Coast Highway. Although Moonlight has as many surfers as any other Encinitas beach, it has a very family-friendly atmosphere that is great for kids and adults alike. The beach is patrolled by several lifeguards and surfing is restricted to certain areas of the beach allowing sun worshippers and picnickers the rest of the beach. One of the best benefits of Moonlight is that there is free parking available on many of the side streets leading to the beach. Parking can often be at a premium at other beaches in Southern California.

If you are looking for great food that fits perfectly with the atmosphere and culture of Encinitas, stop by Rico’s Taco Shop. Rico’s is a legend in Encinitas and serves up both traditional Mexican and California-style burritos every day of the week. Rico’s is also open for breakfast starting at 7 am. Rico’s is a casual restaurant and has a significant take out business, especially at lunch time. Consistently rated one of the best Mexican restaurants in the area.

There is always a lot to see and do in Encinitas if you are vacationing there or have been brought along by an avid surfer and you don’t know what to do with yourself. If all else fails, you can lie in the sun and relax your stress away.

Atlanta- A Fast-Growing Community

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

Atlanta- A Fast-Growing Community

The roots of Atlanta run deep. The city was instrumental in the Civil War as a major manufacturing and transportation depot. It was a growing and thriving community until 1864 when it was burned to the ground by Union forces. In the early 1900’s, Atlanta began again from nothing but char and dust and slowly built itself back into one of the jewels of the South.

But Atlanta is more than just the sum of its history. For the past decade, the city has been one of the fastest-growing in the country, with residents coming from all corners of the United States and even all over the world.

The modern growth of Atlanta has been spurred by many factors. Since Ted Turner took ownership of a tiny radio station in Atlanta in the late 1960’s, the city has become a media and communications magnet. Turner grew his empire of radio and television stations that now includes CNN, WTBS, and TNT. Time Warner merged the Turner empire into its operations in 1996 but many of its subsidiaries, including CNN, still have a significant presence in Atlanta.

Atlanta is also home to the third largest population of Fortune 500 companies in the country. Headquartered in the city are Home Depot, Delta Airlines, AT&T Mobility, and The Coca-Cola Company. Atlanta has grown into one of the most substantial business hubs in the South. Over 75% of the Fortune 1000 have a presence in the city. This attracts a wide variety of highly-skilled workers to the city and its surrounding environs.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is not only the busiest airport in the country but also in the world. In 2008, the airport handled over 90 million passengers on over one million flights. Hartsfield is the largest employer in the state of Georgia, employing over 56,000 people in the areas of ground transportation, air crew, concessions, and security. The airport is the main hub of Delta Airlines and AirTran Airways and is a major destination for most other national and international airlines.

Another important factor in Atlanta’s growth is the climate. Atlanta’s sub tropical climate allows for outdoor activity year round and there is much to do in Georgia. Hiking in the mountains, fishing in freshwater lakes or farther afield in the ocean off the coast, and running are all popular outdoor activities in Atlanta. The balmy climate also favors both flower and vegetable gardening for much of the year.

Those who enjoy a bustling urban center will be attracted to Atlanta with its downtown restaurants and nightclubs. Families will appreciate Atlanta’s educational and cultural attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest in the world, and Atlanta’s music and art scene. If relaxing in a sleepy Southern town is appealing, the outskirts of Atlanta offer quiet, peace, and relaxation close to all the big city amenities. The appeal of Atlanta will continue to attract residents and the city will always retain its place as a Southern gem.

Selling your Golf Course Home

Sunday, August 9, 2009 posted by Frank Stevens

Selling your Golf Course Home

Living beside a golf course is a dream of almost every golfer in the country. The proximity to the course allows for ease of frequent play, a tight community of golfers (and easy access to warm bodies to fill up tee times), and the beauty of living beside a combination of park and nature preserve. There is great value placed by golfers on living so close to a course and golf course home prices retain their value more than many other city neighborhoods.

However, when you need to sell your golf course home, it can be a daunting proposition. The value of the home is likely to be only appreciated by fellow golfers and this limits the potential market for your home substantially. If you do not find potential buyers quickly, the house can sit on the market for an extended period of time. This usually results in two negatives. The first is that the house is still costing you to maintain even if you have already moved into your new home. Property taxes and maintenance charges have to be paid as well as mortgage payments if you still owe on the house. The second is that the longer the house sits on the market, the larger the perception to potential buyers that there is something wrong with it, even if it is otherwise a perfect house.

Marketing a golf course home for sale takes experience that not all real estate professionals have. Selling the benefits of the course to experienced golfers and potential buyers requires knowledge of the sport and the particular course and its regulations and attributes, as well as the house itself.

In Orange County, California, OCGolfCourseHomes.com specializes in selling golf course homes. Orange County Golf Course Homes is headed up by two real estate professionals who have extensive experience with the golf courses in the county and the homes that surround them. The firm doesn’t market golf course homes in the traditional fashion- by only posting listings of houses for sale on their website and plunking “for sale” signs on the front lawn. OC Golf Course Homes maintains a vast database of golf enthusiasts from all over the country and markets their golf course homes directly to them through email, brochure and fax.

The benefit of this approach for a golf course home seller is clear. Their property is seen by those who are in the target market. Rather than wasting money advertising the properties to the general public, OC Golf Course Homes laser focuses on those most likely to be interested in living beside a golf course, whether they currently live around the block or the other side of the country. The seller has a better chance of selling the home quickly and for the right price. With competition from golfers all across the country, the seller’s asking price is more likely to be met, or even exceeded.

Finding the right buyers for a golf course home starts with finding the right real estate professionals who know how to reach the most potential buyers.