GRAND OPENING OF NEW PUBLIX ON MADISON ST FEB 1ST 2012!
GET EXCITED CLARKSVILLE!! Make way for the completion of Clarksville’s first Publix store!!

The total area is approximately 73,000 square feet, with the Publix store occupying 54,000. PGM properties plans call for the Publix store to be completed on Feb 1st, 2012. The new store stands in place of the old Memorial Hospital facility. Legends Bank is the leading financial partner that put the funding for the project together.

This is the first Publix here in Clarksville. Clarksvillians, prepare yourself for the boatload of savings, good fried chicken, deli subs, and delicious baked cakes!! I am very excited!

See where it first began below!!

GET YOUR HOME READY FOR 2012!! By Cameron English

On New Year’s Day, we usually begin to think about what resolutions and changes that we can make in our everyday lives. It may be to get fit or to stop a bad habit but we tend to leave out on how we can better take care of what we have. You have been blessed with a beautiful home. We have to remember that “To much is given, much is required” and that “Preparation is never lost time”. Maintenance your home regularly for upkeep of your home and to avoid major money being spent to fix what could have been avoided… The transition from winter into spring is only a few months away, and you can get your home ready for spring by keeping it simple and easy with doing these few things that will help save you time, energy and money in 2012!!

Inside

• Caulk around windows and doors. Check the gaps between siding and window or door frames and if they are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to reapply exterior silicone caulk. In the colder months, it is the perfect time to caulk joints and cracks because in wintertime, caulk may shrink because of less moisture and heat. Doing this will help you avoid double work. If you do your caulking in the summertime when moisture and heat expands, when you get into the winter months you will most likely see cracks again. Seal drafty doors and windows and replace seals as needed. Think about this: If you added up all of the small cracks where heating and cooling escapes from a home, it would be the same as having a window open!!
• Close vents in crawl space. This will help you save money on your electric bill. This will help avoid cold air coming up from the bottom of your home causing your heat to continuously be running to maintain a certain temperature. If you have a basement, check the basement walls and floor for dampness. Be sure to clean the dehumidifier regularly, if you have one.
• Change air filters. Remember to clean or replace filters once a month, or as needed. Check and clean the dryer vent, air conditioner, stove hood, and room fans. Keep heating and cooling vents clean and free from furniture and draperies. Failing to regularly clean permanent filters or replace disposable ones reduces efficiency and can cause the heat and air unit eventually to shut down from overworking, which costs big bucks to replace.
• Replace light bulbs in the interior and exterior of your home. Use energy saving LCD/florescent light bulbs.  It is a great investment to make sure your home is illuminated and well lit.
• Check Safety Equipment: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriate devices as needed, or at least twice each year.
• Refrigerator: Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, the latch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced. In addition, if you have a coil-back refrigerator, vacuum the coils at least twice each year. Your refrigerator will run more efficiently with clean coils. Also, stock up! A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.
• Faucets: Check for leaky faucets in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. This will definitely help you preserve water and save money on bills. Replace washers as necessary. Even a small amount of dripping water can, over time, can cause extensive damage to drywall, cabinets and flooring, as well as unseen structural supports such as wall studs and floor joists.

Outside

• Trim your bushes and manicure your yard. Horticulturalists advise waiting to prune until late winter for most plants, when they’ve been long dormant and just before spring growth begins. January is a perfect time to get your yard ready for Springtime. Clean up fall leaves by raking the yard or turning leaves into mulch with your lawn mower.
• Clean your gutters.  If your gutters are full of leaves or other debris, water can back up against the house and damage roofing, siding and wood trim, or it can cause leaks and ice dams during the remnants of winter. Clogged gutters can divert water into places you don’t want it to go, damaging the wood trim and the roof of your house. Overhanging limbs can cause debris buildup and eventually damage your roof. Limbs also create a bridge for crawling insects, such as carpenter ants, to gain access to your home.
• Drain and Turn off exterior faucets.  Un-drained water in pipes can freeze, which will cause pipes to burst as ice expands. Disconnect all garden hoses and draining the water that remains in faucets. If you don’t have frost-proof faucets (homes more than ten to 15 years old typically do not), turn off the shut-off valve inside your home. Ensure that they drain away from the house to avoid flooding.
• Scan the Roof: Check the roof and around vents, skylights, and chimneys for leaks. Repair if you see anything necessary.
• Siding and Paint: Look for cracks and holes in house siding or paint. Replace with caulk if necessary. A carpet knife can work well for cutting away old caulking from house siding. Slice down alongside it from both directions with the hook-like blade, and then use the knife to lift out the old caulk bead intact. This helps the curb appeal of your home as well as keeping you dry and warm during the cold months.

Home staging is the act of preparing a private residence for sale in the real estate marketplace. The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Staging techniques focus on improving a property’s appeal by transforming it into a welcoming, attractive product that anyone might want. Because not all sellers stage their homes, especially homes in lower price ranges, you’ll be at an advantage if you do.

Why Home Staging Is Important
Other than the amount of time and money involved, staging may be one of the most profitable projects you ever undertake. Staging helps to create a more emotional purchase that can generate more money for the seller. Potential buyers want to see themselves in the home and it’s your job to help them paint that portrait.
       Home staging is also beneficial to do because potential buyers don’t want to see work that needs to be done upon moving into the home. For every problem they see, they’ll deduct its cost from their offering price. If they see too many problems, they’ll pass altogether. You probably know that your property needs to be as clean, clutter-free and in as good repair as possible, inside and out.

DIY on a Limited Budget:
If you were looking to hire a professional stager the fees range from $500 to $5,000 or more, depending on square footage and the number of rooms staged.  It can become quite pricey. If you’re on a limited budget, you can work at it yourself. It’s best to focus on ‘big-picture’ improvements and on the areas that will make the biggest difference in your home’s selling price.

First impressions are KEY!! You can follow these 8 simple techniques in as many rooms of the inside of the house as you can afford to dedicate time to.

1. Clean everything! You should have spotless appliances, floors, and rooms! Remove Odors. The smell of Cleanliness is important. Potential buyers want a “fresh” start in a new home!
2. De-clutter the home. Simplify the home to the purpose of the room. Keep your rooms organized. “A place for everything and everything in its place” is the motto to go by.
3. Depersonalize. Remove all family photos, refrigerator magnets, kids artwork, toiletries, personal items, etc. The potential buyer wants to envision their family in the home. “Buyers only know what they see, not the way it is going to be…”
4. Define Rooms. A bedroom should be a bedroom, and etc. Let the purpose of the room show. Make sure that there is appropriate furniture in every room and that it epitomizes the room’s purpose.
5. Wallpaper/Paint. Make sure paint looks smooth and wallpaper isn’t torn. It would be a good investment to make sure this looks right.
6. Flooring. Make sure hardwood floors shine, tiles should not peel, and carpet has minimal stains.
7. Lighting. Make sure all the lights work and that are bright. Make sure natural lighting is embraced in rooms.
8. Exterior. Curb appeal is important. Manicure your yard and foliage. Clean up leaves. Sweep your porches, patios, decks. Remove trash. Mow the lawn. Make your home look presentable before they step through the door.

In conclusion, the more time that you spend on minimizing and cleaning, you maximize the potential in your home… Remember that a little can go a long way! Invest some time and money into your home to make it look more like a dream and you will come out more lucrative from your dedication!!

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How would you like it if you could pay your 30 year mortgage off in 15 years? Many buyers cannot afford the payment on a 15 year mortgage, or don’t want to be cash poor by sinking all of their money into their home.

This post will show you how to pay your 30 year mortgage off in 15 years without having to commit yourself to the payment of a 15 year mortgage

First, let’s look at an example of the difference in payment between a $150,000 loan with a 30 year mortgage vs. one with a 15 year mortgage.

Purchase Price$150,000 Annual Interest Rate4.50% Loan30 Years Monthly Payment$760.03

Purchase Price$150,000 Annual Interest Rate3.75% Loan15 Years Monthly Payment$1090.83

So you get the benefit of the lower interest rate with the 15 year mortgage and that is appealing, but the payment is $330.80 more each month. I’ve learned a method which pays off the 30 year in 15 without committing yourself to such a high payment each month. This will save you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. And if you are my age you may even get your home paid off before the kids get to college. If you are older maybe you get it paid off by the time you retire.

So the basic rule to follow is simple. Each time you make your monthly payment you send the principal of the next months payment along with your payment. It is usually better to write a separate check and write “Pay to Principal” on the check so your lender applies it to the right place.

If you need help finding out what your next principal payment is going to be you need to look at an amortization schedule. This should have been given to you when you bought the home. It is in the big packet of papers that you brought home but probably never read through. If you cannot find your amortization schedule you can probably get one from your lender. If you are unable to get one I can easily generate one for you.

Here is an example of the first year of an amortization schedule for the above example of a $150,000 loan on a 30 year mortgage. In this example, when you make your July payment of $760.03 you would send your lender a separate check to pay the principal for August which would be $198.27. When you make your August payment of $760.03 you would send another separate check for the principal payment for September which would be for $199.01.

Amortization Schedule

Year    Month Payment          Principal          Interest            Balance

2011    Jul        $760.03           $197.53           $562.50           $149,802.47

2011    Aug     $760.03           $198.27           $561.76           $149,604.20

2011    Sep      $760.03           $199.01           $561.02           $149,405.19

2011    Oct      $760.03           $199.76           $560.27           $149,205.43

2011    Nov     $760.03           $200.51           $559.52           $149,004.92

2011    Dec      $760.03           $201.26           $558.77           $148,803.66

2012    Jan       $760.03           $202.02           $558.01           $148,601.64

2012    Feb      $760.03           $202.77           $557.26           $148,398.87

2012    Mar      $760.03           $203.53           $556.50           $148,195.34

2012    Apr      $760.03           $204.30           $555.73           $147,991.04

2012    May     $760.03           $205.06           $554.97           $147,785.98

2012    Jun       $760.03           $205.83           $554.20           $147,580.15

2012    Jul        $760.03           $206.60           $553.43           $147,373.55

999 Terraceside Dr, Clarksville TN 37040

Private creek view from the deck! Master on main level w/luxury bath, living room w/hardwood, double sided fireplace, kitchen w/breakfast bar, granite, huge pantry & hearth room. Mud room w/custom bench & hooks. 2 bedrooms upstairs & computer loft area.

For a personal showing of this home call or text me at 931-801-8660 or email me atcblack@realtracs.com. To veiw all homes for sale in Clarksville TN go tohttp://www.HomeClarksville.com.

153 Summer Terrace Ln, Clarksville TN 37040

Great floorplan! 3 BR/2 baths down, 4th BR, full bath & bonus room/5th BR up. Granite counters, fireplace, hardwood & tile floors, stainless steel appliances. large laundry room, formal dining, Master BR w/dbl vanities, WIC & garden tub/sep. tile shower.

For a personal showing of this home call or text me at 931-801-8660 or email me atcblack@realtracs.com. To veiw all homes for sale in Clarksville TN go tohttp://www.HomeClarksville.com.

Here are five tips for anyone interested in buying a home.

1. Get pre-qualified for a home loan before you go home shopping. A local bank can tell you how much house you can afford based on your current debt and income. When you are done with this short meeting, which can be done over the phone or in person, you will know what price range to search within. Your total payment will include taxes and insurance. Ask a friend or your Realtor for recommendations on local lenders.

2. Find a good local Realtor to help you in your home search. As a buyer you do not pay for the services of your Realtor, but you can still benefit from having a Realtor represent you. A Realtor can help with your search criteria, schedule appointments and help get you from one showing to the next. Once you find the home you like your Realtor can help you determine the market value, draft your offer and navigate you through the inspection, appraisal and closing process.

3. Keep a “Top Three” list as you search for your home. Once you have looked at a few homes, rank them and keep a top three list of your favorites as you go along. When you find another home you like only put it in your top three if you are willing to remove one that is already on the list. This will help you from mixing up all the homes and having them all run together. At the end of your search you can visit your top three homes again to refresh your memory before you make your offer.

4. Make a “+ and -” list. When you have a couple homes that you like and it is hard to make up your mind which home to go with make a list of good and bad things about each home. Make a plus column for all the good items you can think of about the home and a minus column for all the negatives. This may be helpful in deciding which home to go with.

5. Don’t skip the home inspection. For about $250 you can get your home inspected before you buy it. This is a small amount to pay on the front end to keep you from having to potentially pay much more down the road.  If there are major concerns that show up on the inspection you can terminate the contract and move on to another home. If there are important repairs needed you can ask the seller to have the repairs done professionally so you can start out with a trouble-free home. If the home is new construction a home inspection is still a good idea. If an inspection is not done, the builder’s warranty may run out before you notice the problem.

These tips should help you have a more enjoyable transaction. If you have any questions or are ready to get started with your search feel free to give me a call. 931-801-8660 or email me at cblack@realtracs.com.

Are you looking for a home for sale in Clarksville TN? Today I’m going to introduce you to a great subdivision in Clarksville, Hidden Valley. As the name implies Hidden Valley is tucked away in Downtown Clarksville TN. Here you will find handcrafted homes built by some of Clarksville’s best and most experienced builders.

Most of the lots back up to woods. These woods are part of the neighborhood and will never be built on. Rather than a troublesome neighbor to the rear, it is more common here to see wild turkey and deer in your back yard. While you get to experience a bit of wildlife in Hidden Valley, you can still enjoy the niceties of sidewalks, street lamps, underground utilities and matching rod iron mailboxes.

Hidden Valley’s location works great for everyone. It is within walking distance to the new Clarksville Marina at Liberty Park and its sports fields/playgrounds/dog park/picnic pavilions/fishing and paddle boats. Enjoy the festivals in historic Downtown Clarksville just 5 minutes away. For those who want to frequent Nashville Exit 11 is about a 10 minute drive. For those heading to the base, Ft. Campbell is a quick 20 minute commute.

Floor plans in Hidden Valley range from 1,300′-1,800′ and are priced from the $130′s – $160′s.

Here is a video for you to watch and get a feel for the neighborhood. This was taken in 2010 and the neighborhood has really come a long way since.

Come see why so many have already chosen Hidden Valley as their place to call home. Call or text me anytime for a personal showing at 931-801-8660. Visit my website http://www.HomeClarksville.comto view all homes for sale in Clarksville TN.

Directions to Hidden Valley: From Riverside Dr., turn right on Hwy. 48/13, left on Hawkins Rd., right on Edmondson Ferry Rd., first left into Hidden Valley

Have you always wanted to take the reins of your retirement account and be in charge of what you buy with your money? I think most of us just hope whatever we are investing in makes us enough money to live comfortably on into our golden years. But the stock market can be a real roller coaster, and a drop in the value of your retirement account not only upsets your stomach, but it can have major consequences on you and your family. I remember feeling sick as I watched  the stock market take a dizzying drop in October of 2008. What had recently been a record high Dow Jones of 14,000 would end up around 6,500. It made all hard-working Americans question the safety of their retirement nest egg.

I would like to introduce you to another way to grow your retirement account. This idea is not new. It has been available since the 1970′s, but is gaining popularity in these uncertain times. I’m talking about self directing your retirement account and buying real estate with your money instead of stocks. Amongst panicky investors, your stocks can plummet to little or nothing in the blink of an eye. Real estate may fluctuate in value, but unlike stock, it is a tangible asset that you can insure against total loss.

The investment possibilities with your IRA are endless. You can buy rental property or flip houses in Clarksville TN, Destin Florida, Gatlinburg TN, or anywhere you choose. You can partner with another investor, or several investors to purchase a large apartment building or commercial property. Just like stocks and bonds, the money that comes in off your investment goes right back into your IRA.

The Rental Home Example – The easiest example I can illustrate is an individual purchasing a single rental home with their IRA. Let’s say you have $100,000 in an IRA. You would love to get a 10% gain in value on that money every year, but we just haven’t seen those gains in the stock market in recent memory. Most of us are just trying to get back to even. Now you decide that you have had enough with rolling the dice on your retirement and you do something about it. You transfer your IRA to a self directed IRA so you can invest in whatever you decide to. You contact a Realtor and describe what you are looking for. Maybe something in great shape for $90,000 in an area that rents fast and has good schools. May a fixer-upper for $65,000 that you can put a little money into and have some instant equity. Let’s say you go for the $90,000 home. You take $90,000 from your IRA and purchase the home. The home rents for $900/month, or $10,800/year. After expenses you make $9,720 which goes back into your IRA. You keep this home for 5 years and decide to sell it because the renter wants to buy it, and it has appreciated nicely given the school district you are in. Your $90,000 has appreciated at an average rate of 4% over 5 years bringing the value to $109,500. After paying closing costs for the transaction you are left with $106,200. Now add that to the money you have made in rent for the last 5 years, ($9,720 x 5 = $48,600) and your $100,000 IRA is now worth $154,800 after only 5 years. Maybe now you decide to do it again, but this time you have enough money to buy two homes…you do the math this time.

The Flip Example – Maybe you’ve always wanted to flip a home. Now you can do it with your own money. No lenders and no closing costs can often get you better deals when you buy a flip. You are a cash buyer and can expect big discounts. You contact a Realtor and let them know what you are looking for. Soon your phone is ringing and your Realtor has a great deal for you. It’s a $75,000 home that needs mostly cosmetic work on the inside and will sell for $115,000 when it is fixed up. You make an offer to close quickly for $60,000 with no contingencies. After negotiating you get an accepted contract for $67,500. After 30 days and $7,500 in repairs you are ready to sell. The home is in great shape and outshines 90% of the existing homes out there and you get a contract for $113,000 in 60 days. After real estate fees and closing costs you net $103,000. After subtracting the repair money you are left with $28,000. Oh yeah, and you didn’t have to pay interest to a bank each month because there was no loan. I can’t put a price on the amount of stress this saves you, but the dollar amount would be about another $1,500 (4 months of interest).

On a normal flip you would be paying taxes on your profit, but with your IRA your taxes are deferred. If you have a Roth this investment income is tax exempt! You have just grown your retirement account from $100,000 to $128,000 in about 4 months. Now it’s time to find another flip…or maybe you’ll do a flip and a rental this time???

Other Options- If you don’t have enough money in your IRA to purchase a home yet, there are other options for you. You can partner with your own IRA and bring your own cash for the difference. You can partner with another investor or family member with their IRA or cash and gain profit off your percentage of the investment. If it’s a 50/50 split you would get 50% of the money returned to your IRA and your partner would get the other 50%. Finally, if you don’t have quite enough to purchase the home you want, you can get a loan for the difference to make the deal work. This is a specialized product and only a few lenders will handle this for you.

There are important rules involved with this process that you will have to take into consideration. You will have to have a qualified trustee or custodian maintain your assets and keep records of your transactions. I have all the contacts, knowledge and expertise to help with self directing your IRA. I am also a loacl expert in finding suitable investment properties for your needs. If you are interested in using local Clarksville TN real estate to grow your retirement account, instead of some brokerage in New York, just give me a call. I would love to sit down with you and discuss your options!

There are three ways to purchase a foreclosure home in Clarksville TN. You can buy a pre-foreclosure home directly from the seller, purchase a property at auction in Downtown Clarksville, or make an offer to the bank through a local Realtor after a property does not sell at auction.

Buying a Pre-Foreclosure – Purchasing this way can be risky because the bank may foreclose on the home before you can get to the closing table. There may also be title issues with the property that the seller may not tell you about. These properties are not advertised in advance, so finding one may be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Purchasing a Property at Auction - This option also comes with risks. It can turn into a full time job with all the research you will need to do. Many times you are unable to access a property that is going to auction. This makes it difficult to fully inspect the property and determine the amount of repairs needed. Auctions are often postponed or cancelled by the lender at the last minute. This can be frustrating after you have spent countless hours tracking the auction in the paper, determining how much you are willing to pay for the home and coming up with the after repair value. All the time and money you spent on inspections and title searches is wasted just like that. The other risk at an auction is that you will be out bid, or you over bid on a house because you got into a bidding war with another buyer.

Buying From the Bank After the Auction – The easiest and safest way to purchase a foreclosure in Clarksville is to work with a local agent that knows the market and is an expert in the field. Your first step is to locate an agent that you feel comfortable with and meet with them to discuss your needs. You supply them with your search criteria and they will begin contacting you when that type of home comes on the market. Foreclosure listing agents have homes they have been assigned, but are not ready to list yet. Partnering with one of these listing agents will give you the benefit of knowing about deals that are coming on the market soon. This allows you to act fast as soon as a home is available for offers.

After the meeting with your agent, you should get your finances together. If you need to get a loan for the purchase, go ahead and contact a lender so you will be more prepared than the next person when that great deal comes on the market. There are a lot of great lenders in the Clarksville TN area. Your agent should have a few reccomendations if you do not have a relationship with one already. If you are paying cash, go ahead and get a proof of funds statement and have it ready when your agent calls to tell you the perfect home has just come on the market. Many foreclosures in Clarksville go quickly. I have received 10 or more offers on foreclosure properties in the first day they come on the MLS. All banks are going to want a commitment letter from your lender or proof of funds before they will even consider your offer.

Buying a foreclosure this way is safe because you can include an inspection contingency with your offer. This allows you to inspect all of the systems of the home before you move forward with the transaction. If you find anything major, such as structural damage, then you can terminate the offer and move on to another home. You can also get title insurance when you buy a foreclosure this way. The bank will pay off any liens on the property before closing and you will be insured against any future claims against the home.

Foreclosures can be a great investment to live in, flip or rent. Whichever avenue you decide on requires it’s own strategy and a good agent can help you outline that strategy and make a wise decision that will pay you handsomely down the road.

If you would like more information about buying a foreclosure in Clarksville TN, or the surrounding areas, give me a call. I am a local expert in the field, licensed in TN and KY, and will be happy to meet you at my office and discuss your ideas over a cup of coffee.