Mid TN Real Estate

I am proud to say that I have coached my sons teams every season of any kind of ball in their lives. It is one of my most meaningful endeavors. While preparing for this year’s baseball season, I remembered something from last season that really made me feel good about my son and proved to be a great teaching moment for me and my son.

Our games have 6 innings. It was the bottom of the 6th of the league championship game. We were last at bat and down by 2 runs. My son had been in a batting slump for most of the year, but he had managed a triple and a single on his first 2 at bats. We had a runner on 3rd with some speed.

My son clipped a grounder to short. He has amazing speed for a then 10 year old. But it proved to not be enough. The short stop fielded clean and let a bullet fly to 1st. We were a step too late!! It was out 2 so we still had hope.

Now here is the part that impressed me. My son turned from 1st and bagan to cry as he trotted back to the dugout.  I greeted him at the 3rd base line, just before reaching the dugout. I was teared up too. Not because we were sinking the game, but because I realized how much it mattered to him to do his absolute best!

I pulled him to the side and let him know how proud I was of his efforts. Then, I took a moment to tell him how glad I was to see him tearful. I wanted him to know that he will always be supported by me when he is doing his best, regardless of the outcome.

Here I am a year later., and the learning set it… for me. It hit me that if I approach each day with the same desire to win and carried that spirit with me throught my life, I would infect all who are around me. My Real Estate company, my family, our ball teams, etc would benefit from this contagion.

Don’t let “being a winner” carry a negative meaning in your circles. And, if you want, like I do, to be surrounded by a winning spirit, take a look at Red Realty to see how you might benefit from full exposure to a positive, winning spirit.

My mind has been very active the last few days in thought about the new year. A new year is one of the great gifts God gives us. It is a chance to wipe the slate clean and set out about the business of doing what we set out to do.

My thoughts have been fueled by reading Dave Ramsey’s “EntreLeadership” and identified strongly with some points he makes:To be a dreamer is a great thing but is a negative without action. The next step of dreaming is having vision. Having vision is to incorporate actions with your dreams. He had a great analogy, he says that doing what you do without a Mission Statement is like arriving at the top of the ladder of success to realize the ladder was propted up on the wrong building!

What does it mean to be visionary, a goal setter/ achiever, a leader? It means you took a dream, and put it in action by establishing goals and acting on them. Small attainable steps are taken to reach pinnacles within a goal until the big vision, which started as a dream, is realized.

Use this new year to your advantage. Throw out last years trash and stop holding on to stuff that is keeping you from moving forward. Plot your course by setting clearly defined goals. If you are someone in need of direction on this, consult your local guru, or contact me.

You can reach new heights, you can find financial and emotional freedom. Doing it, and how you do it, is up to you. no one can carry this cross for you… it is yours to bear. But, if you own this task and set it into action, your dreams will become vision which will offer you a new found confidence and freedom that is worth every bit of effort you put into it.

Dream today, put your dreams into action tomorrow, and reap the rewards all year long!

We live in an entitlement minded world these days. Especially if you are a Realtor. We had several years when the economy was good and mortgages were not very difficult to obtain. As you know… those days are gone! Yet, agents still sit around waiting for business to come to them.

We would all do good to read the book Who Moved My Cheese?. It does a good job of describing the entitlement mindset. If you are allowing yourself to be victimized by this curse, maybe this read will be an eye opener for you?

These days, you must WORK for every transaction. You have to be prepared to be a great resource to your clients and offer them a higher level of service. A well armed Realtor has worked hard to know their trade, to keep a professional image, and is a great resource to their customers and clients.

Nothing has burned me more than the attitude of our society these days though (and this mindset is not limited to the Real Estate community). There seems to be an expectation that the government should do something for them, that financial reward is RIGHTFULLY theirs, that the enjoyment of the finer things should be theirs if others have it… even if the “others” have worked tirelessly for it and they haven’t.

Pride can be a cancer, but in this case, it can be a blessing. How about we take some pride in ourselves and start looking for the answers to our financial problems in the mirror!? A simple “gut check” to see if you are waiting or if you are being proactive can be your catalyst for success.

Wikipedia defines it this way: An entitlement is a guarantee of access to benefits based on established rights or by legislation. A “right” is itself an entitlement associated with a moral or social principle, such that an “entitlement” is a provision made in accordance with legal framework of a society. Typically, entitlements are laws based on concepts of principle (“rights”) which are themselves based in concepts of social equality or enfranchisement.

In a casual sense, the term “entitlement” refers to a notion or belief that one (or oneself) is deserving of some particular reward or benefit—if given without deeper legal or principled cause, the term is often given with pejorative connotation (e.g. a “sense of entitlement”).

We are not all created financially equal. Yet we all have the ability to chose to be greater than we were at birth. Make the choice to reach higher by your own motivation rather than waiting for your entitlement to come in.

Our entitlement attitude needs to end! “Pull ourselves up by our boot straps” as my father used to say. Stop living in a manner of expectation from others and get back to being productive by your own efforts. Your pride will grow immensely, you will be so much prouder of yourself, your family and friends will respect you more, and good things will come your way! Now, be a go-getter and and go-giver!

I continue to be bothered by the constant negative news. I stopped watching all news broadcasts several months ago. Here’s the hard truth. Bad stuff is considered news and people listen. It’s an unfortunate fact of life. But in the Middle TN market, the news isn’t that grim. Here is my perspective from the Middle Tennessee market area.

First of all, please remember that when you are watching a national news broadcast, it is written to a national audience and therefore is not specific to a market area. Location, location, location… have you heard that expression before? Your local market may be better or worse than the markets that are being discussed nationally.

In Middle Tennessee, I believe we have seen the bottom and are skating across it. We have seen a massive decrease in inventory which is making for a healthier market. Home values have stabilized if for no other reason than supply and demand. Lenders are lending to those with 620 credit scores or higher and there are still programs that allow buyers to get in for little or no money such as VA, THDA, and RD (If you don’t know what those are, call me or your real estate professional).

Appraisals continue to be a problem due to so many distress sales that affect values. Sellers tend to be of the opinion that they will not sell because they can’t get what they want for their house. If they think the process through, they will see that there is a huge win at the end. If they have to take less, the likelihood is that the person they buy from will as well. So that creates a wash. So where is the win? In the interest rates!

Right now, mortgage rates are off-the-charts low… In 1980, mortgage rates were 15%. In 1990 (when I became a Realtor), they were 10%. In 2000, they were 8%. Today, they are BELOW 4%. It is the greatest deal in U.S. history!! We may never see a buying opportunity like this again! Fortunately, current indicators lead me to believe that rates will remain low in 2012. Historically, interest rates are low in years of Presidential elections.

We need to understand that people don’t buy homes based on the price of the house relative to their income. People buy homes based on the mortgage payment of that house, relative to their incomes. Opportunity is knocking for home owners and is yelling from the tops of mountains for investors!

2011 has seen a continual flow of distressed properties. I expect more of the same in 2012. Bank, VA, and FHA foreclosures offer great opportunities. Investors can purchase rental property as well as flip properties and can make a good living doing it.

Positive signs are coming from the job market, Nissan related contractors have been hiring, Amazon is bringing business here, Bridgestone, Rich Food Products and the like like continue to add stability in the local economy.

I live near a very nice shopping center that has many dining and shopping choices. Those businesses are full nearly every day, especially on weekends. People have finally accepted that the economy we live in is the new norm and have adjusted their spending habits accordingly. The last thing people are willing to give up is their life style and the local style is to enjoy the fruits of their labor by dining out and shopping for loved one’s at Christmas.

The commercial market always follows the residential by a few months. With that said, I believe the commercial market is finally hitting bottom and will be on it’s path to recovery in 2012. I do not see the plethera of small businesses leasing space like we saw for so many years. Large users have consolidated space and are now poised for the next level of growth. They maximized their space and have pushed themselves as far to the walls as they can. It’s time to shift gears and expand.

In conclusion, don’t be the guy that looks back and says “I should have taken advantage of the great real estate opportunities in 2011 and 2012″. Your financial future depends on your ability to see opportunity and embrace it. A better financial life awaits for those willing to read this and act on it.

Red Realty is embracing the market and making lemonade from lemons. Check us out at www.RedRealty.com

Life always seems to be sweeter when your sails are full. When the wind is at your back and the belly of your sails swells with contentment. But what happens when someone starts blocking your airstream or stealing your wind?!

It happens to all of us at points in our lives. You wake one morning and realize you are living in the sweet spot. You go about your usual buisness with full sails. You are singing and wistling a happy tune… then the naysayer comes along. It might be a client, loved one, boss, or competitor. People have a tendency to want to see you fail and will block your airstream to do it.

How you respond is a defining moment of your character. If you like living in the sweet spot, you either readjust your sails to further the gap between you and the windthief or plot a new course to deviate away from them. If you have lost your will you might simply allow them to luff your sails, you might reef your sails to let them pass, or worse yet, you might furl your sails and give up the fight.

Why not fast your sails, take a firm grip on the helm, smile wildly, laugh out loud, and sail into the sunset with your heart and sails full! You can do this if you dig deeply into your soul and find that spark that brought you to where you are. Keep your attitude right and believe in yourself. After all, you are the captain of your ship!

On Veterans Day our Nation pays tribute to those who proudly serve and served in our Armed Forces.

Our Vets steeped forward when American needs them most in conflicts around the world, their sacrifice and resolvehelp destroy the enemies of freedom and have saved millions from oppression. In honoring histories call with honor, decency, and resolve, our Veterans have shown the power of liberty and earned the respect and admiration of a grateful nation.

All of America’s Vets have placed our nations freedom and security ahead of their own lives, creating a debt that we can never fully repay. Today we are reminded that the defense of freedom comes with great loss and sacrifice. This Veteran’s Day, we give thanks to those who have served freedom’s cause.

In conclusion I want to share a quote from President John Adams (1797-1801):

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

Someone shared a quote with me that goes like this “we are willing to let go of anything, except our own misery”. How true is this statement! Have you ever noticed that you will hold onto ill feelings for as long as you are capable?

When I have a negative emotion cross me during the day, it completely throws me off. I have a hard time functioning the way I should until I let it go and/ or address and resolve it. Letting go of negative emotions could very well be the single most profitable thing you can do for yourself! Once you move past it, you discover that your energy level increases, you are more focused, you accomplish more in a day, and you are just plain happier.

Don’t let outside forces control your happiness and productivity. You are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul (William Earnest Henley, Invictus). Take life firmly by the reigns and make a concious choice to not hold grudges that ultimately poison your soul. Don’t hold ill feelings, even for a brief time because you never know what person you touch during that time that will be affected by you.

Perhaps you snap at your child, fly off on your spouse, are short with a client. You see, the poison you hold in, doesn’t stay in, it boils over and comes out on anyone around you. You owe it to your career, children, co workers, spouse, and most importantly, yourself, to let go and move to a better emotional place.

Stop making excuses. Accept that what I say here is true. Take action today to turn the page and start a new, happier chapter in life!

I had a recent conversation that really defined how differently people feel and think about things. Because we were brought up differently and taught to value different things, we tend to perceive things differently. After all perception is reality… right?!

I was told a story about a conversation between 2 ladies on a road trip. In this closed enviornment, it is hard to just walk away, so there is a captive audience. My friend told me that she carried on with a younger lady that continually related everything to her husband. She would say “oh, Bob always says…”, Bob and I love to …, Bob told me this story…., etc, etc. You get the picture. The young lady related a lot of her thoughts to her husband.

Now, here is where the perspective issue comes in. My friend said it drove her crazy to listen to this young lady continue on about her husband. She said she found it incredibly annoying. It sounded to me like my friend also thought very little of this person for this reason. But, for me, I heard something very different. I heard a story about a yound lady who loves, admires, and respects her husband. Our perspectives on this were on opposite ends of the spectrum. After all, isn’t that what we all want? We want our spouse to love, Admire, respect, and honor us don’t we? I know that is what I want. My wife has told me before that she wants that in our relationship.

Don’t you think this yound lady’s husband would feel so good about himself if someone said, “It is so nice to finally meet you! Your wife has said so many good things about you!”  And look at the benefits to his wife. He is secure in their relationship, feels loved, and in turn respects her so much more. He will in turn, be that much more eager to meet her needs. After all, what you talk about the most is what means the most to you, it is what you value most highly. Obviously, she valued her husband and their relationship.

Now, look at your perspective on things. Do you tend to hear or see the negative in things? Are you a glass is half empty, or a glass is half full kind of person. Perspective IS a direct result of your attitude. So, changing your attitude, will in turn change your perspective. It truly is a choice. You can chose to change your attitude and become a glass half full kind of person by simply challenging yourself to find the positive and chose to go with that.

I’ll conclude with this, when you are thinking about a problem personal or professional, do you find yourself role playing arguments in your mind? If so, you will will that to happen. Did you know that? If you are looking for something negative, you will find it, because you have programmed yourself for it. Reprogram your perspective and start looking for the positive today!

When building a house, the first, most important step, is to put a good foundation under it. At Red Realty, we have a foundational belief we call ADD. Sure, you think you know what it means, but at Red it means Attitude, Determination, and Desire.

The A, is the single most important characteristic, but let’s look at the D’s. Collectively, these two can be seen as Emotions. What emotions are needed to be productive and therefore successful? What emotions motivate you?

For me, I must be passionate about what I am doing, it must have meaning to me and I need to understand it as fully as possible to be able to completely embrace it. The emotions I want from my work and family are joy- what I am doing makes me feel happy and content, Satisfied- I feel fulfilled, and most important… pride/ respect- I feel a sense of accomplishment and reward for my efforts. Wouldn’t you agree that these are things we all need in our personal and professional lives?!

When looking for a needed life change, look within first and try to find your D’s and see that they are fulfilled. Others aren’t responsible for your happiness or performance… you are. Those you surround yourself with should be an enhancement to your life and a “bonus”, adding to your happiness/ completeness. Are you surrounded by people who appreciate, admire, and respect you? Do you enjoy your work and your family? If not, look within first, before blaming others and pinpointing your scapegoat.

Your Emotions will mold your Determination and Desire for accomplishment. They will be a great source of motivation. So, in conclusion, don’t go through life emotionless. Seek them, embrace them, tame them to be your catalyst for greatness!

I once heard a football coach say that “football is not an emotionless game, it is a game full of emotion”. It is those emotions that drive athletes to greatness. They have such a Desire to win, a Desire to reach new levels, and a Desire to FEEL every emotion with an intense magnification.

Let today be the day you start allowing yourself to feel. Let today be full of determination. Let today be the day you decide to let the burning Desire for success in your life motivate you , no catapult you, to new levels!

http://1187vulteeblvd.isnowforsale.com/

I know all of you have been waiting for this! Here is my latest addition to my listing inventory. The provided link goes directly to the listing website and provides a lot of valuable info about the listing. This is one of those listings that some wait a lifetime for.

Share the link with anyone you like and hopefully, the right buyer will see it and know it is for them!