Christine McInerney & Jennifer Halinkowski, Green, EcoBroker, e-Pro

Wow, what an amazing time to buy! Inventory is high, interest rates are at an all time historic low (the best in over 37 years!), and mortgage companies are ready, able, and willing to make new loans. So what are you waiting for? There is no better time than the present.

Sure you could wait...but think long and hard about what are you waiting for and what you could be risking. Perhaps interest rates will go up again, click on my mortgage calculator and see just how much difference just a 1/2 % interest rate can make.

OK, so you are ready to look, so now what? Go out and start looking at homes? As a softball player, I know that you can not go home without first passing 1^st, 2^nd, and then 3^rd base. The same rules apply for purchasing a home.

First base- the 1^st step in the home buying process should be contacting a qualified mortgage professional and get pre-approved. This process will let you know what price range you can afford, preventing you from wasting valuable times looking at the wrong type of home. Being a pre-approved Buyer also will allow you to be taken seriously by Sellers. In this market, many Sellers will not be willing to negotiate with non approved Buyers and will see you as a time waster. Some Seller will not even allow you to view their property if you don't have a pre-approval in hand. In the case of bank foreclosures, they will not even acknowledge you, let alone take you seriously without proof of financing. If you need recommendation for mortgage professional then contact me at Christine@HomesForSaleKnoxville.com.

Second Base- Connect with a licensed Realtor® such as Christine McInerney or Jennifer Halinkowski of Team McIn-Kowski and let them know what you are looking for. When choosing a REALOR®, make sure you pick one that knows has the technological skills to find you the best properties for you. For example, I hold the e-Pro® designation that certifies me as a real estate internet professional which enable me to use the power of technology to best serve my clients.

Third Base- Once you have looked on line and have a good idea what your money can buy and have decided what areas you want to live/purchase a home in. Contact your REALTOR® to set up home showings for you. Keep in mind that even in this period of "hard economic times" the good homes still go quickly so jumping to 3^rd base with out first covering 1^st and 2^nd base could not only waste you time but make you lose out on the home that is best suited for you.

Home- Go to www.HomesForSaleKnoxville.com and contact Christine McInerney or Jennifer Halinkowski to start looking now for your new home now!

For additional information about home buying contact Christine today, I am only a phone call, text message, or e-mail away. Please check out my Real Estate Educational website at www.KnoxvilleHomeExpert.com. I am ready to start working for you and lead you home!

When choosing your next place to call home, most people will narrow down their search by the number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, and size of home. Once they start to look more they often become fixated on features like new countertops, updated light fixtures, and type of flooring. Don't get me wrong all these things are great, but perhaps you should think outside the box.

Most interior features such as countertop substrate, flooring, paint color, lighting fixtures, can be changed and in many cases quite easily and for moderate amounts of money. However, what is not easily changed or added is outdoor living space.

Take for example a home with a gorgeous wrap around covered porch. While this porch offers great outdoor living space it can not be included in the home's advertised square footage, giving you as a home buyer a unique opportunity if you can purchase a home with these features. Just think of all that you can do with a porch and a screened-in room and the hours of entertainment and relaxation it will provide. These are features that are not easily added to a home and if they could be added would be a huge expense.

Take a look at the pictures below:

Now close your eyes and imagine a gentle breeze brushing along your face as you sit, swinging gently on your private porch swing- with each forward motion feel the stress of the day rushing out of your body. Now imagine the welcome you can provide your friends and family as they walk up to your beautiful porch, taking them back in time to the days with "Gone with the Wind,". Now imagine sipping on your morning coffee on the screened in back porch listening to the sweet songs that the many of local song birds have to offer as you mentally prepare yourself for your long day at work. Now- open your eyes, extend your fingers, place them around your arm, and pinch yourself, this is not a dream and this home and all the enchantment that comes with it can be yours (visit www.5909Braelinn.com). Or if this ~2000 square foot is not for you, you can purchase a ~2300 square foot box, minus the enchanting outdoor living space- your choice....

To Search all Knoxville, TN Homes for Sale please visit my website at www.HomesForSaleKnoxville.com.

After about a year of searching, I finally found my camera and I love it! I have been searching for what felt like forever for a compact camera with a built in wide angle lens that was reasonably priced.

I had heard many people speak fondly of the Kodak with wide angle, but when I researched it further I found it had a plastic lens and that Kodak had an overall reputation of having lot of issues. In fact, many of the local stores avoided or stopped selling Kodak all together because of too many customer complaints and returns. This, despite recomendation, left me too timid about making an on-line purchase.

The camera I purchased is the Panasonic Lumix wide angle camera (has a glass lens). I purchased it for $199 at Circuit City - click here for more info http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Digital-Cameras/Lumix-Digital-Cameras/model.DMC-TZ4S_11002_7000000000000005702 (image below from panasonic website)

I was given a great opportunity to test out my new camera with two new listings I got this week www.5905Braelinn.com for some examples.

The pictures turned out very clear, was super easy to use, informend me when there was too much backlight, and took great pictures.

www.HomesForSaleKnoxville.com- Free Home Search

Ah windows, a homes connection to the outside world. The joys that they bring homeowners as they allow for sun to shine through, brightening up the interior of our homes, allowing us to enjoy the wonders of the outdoors while sitting in the comfortable climate-controlled interiors of our homes.

However, if you are not careful in both your choice and maintanece of your home's windows they could be creating a gateway to not only the outside world, but your wallet! Windows while highly desirable by homeowners can cause major heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. In the U.S., the energy required to offset these temperature losses and gains in homes and buildings accounts for about 1/4 of all heating/cooling energy costs.

So what does this mean for you as a current or potential home owner?

You better be maintaining your existing windows and or considering an upgrade to energy efficient windows. At first glance it may seem that new windows may be an unnecessary or excessive expense, but new energy star windows are about 2 times as effective as non-energy star windows and can save up to 15% off of your energy bills.

image courtesy of www.energystar.gov

Simple low cost ways to ensure your windows aren't wasting excessive energy

• Thoroughly inspect both the inside and outside of your home for cracks- seal all cracks and openings with a window sealant. Consumers guide to caulking (http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11270)
• Perform the paper test- open each window and place a sheet of paper on the window sill and close the window. If you can pull the sheet of paper out then you may need a weather sealing device such as stripping or taping. (Guide to weather stripping http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11280 cost The costs of these simple remedies will be well saved in energy costs.
• Have an energy audit done to detect all of your homes leaks.
• Consider using decorative window coverings- installing window treaments such as blinds, shutters, and curtains can not only add a style to your home, but if carefully selected can actually help you save energy (consumers guide to window coverings http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/windows_doors_skylights/index.cfm/mytopic=13500)

2009- The Season to Sell- Let Me Tell You Why!

Hooray, a new year is here, a year filled with tons of great opportunities for those ready to take control of the unique possibilities out there for Knoxville Tennesseans. Your neighbors, your friends, the media, may have told you that now is not the time to Sell, and that unless you absolutely have to move you should wait. However, in reality now is the perfect time to TRADE UP!

Perhaps your expanding family has made your current home a little bit too cramped and you are in need of more room. Maybe with the kids gone, your home is too big and you are looking to downsize. Maybe, your old home is too far from work and schools and you have found yourself wasting way too much time in commuting. Whatever your situation may be, it may be time for a change and there has been no better time in years to do so.

Let me tell you why!

If you are a Seller/Buyer who is in need/want of a trade up then you can actually do so and SAVE! Because both interest rates and home prices are lower than they were last year (in many areas) the amount you SAVE on your NEW home can offset any amount you lose on the sale of your current home. Not too shabby considering this next home will be the one you have the new 30 year mortgage on.

Here is an example of a Buyer in a Trade Up Market

REALTOR® Magazine said "Falling Home prices are a great opportunity for move up buyers. Even though your home sale price may be lower, the smaller loss at sale can be compensated by greater savings at purchase. If home prices dropped by 5%, here's what it could look like if you decided to trade up":

Old Home Price = $200,000 New Home Price = $400,000

Sell at $190,000 = $10,000 less Buy at $380,000 = $20,000 SAVINGS

Plus with the now lower interest rates the savings will even be greater!

Ready to Trade Up?

Don't let this opportunity slip away, make 2009 the "Year of Great Opportunity", not the "Year of Regret and Missed Boats".

• Contact Christine and Jennifer directly at (865) 237-5289 or by e-mail at Christine@HomesForSaleKnoxville.com- we will sent you a short and easy Buyer want/need questionnaire and immediately get you set up to receive free Listing Notifiers/Best Buy List sent directly to your e-mail. Your contact information will never be sold/shared with anyone and you can stop receiving listings at any time.
• If you need a list of local recommended lender's let us know- talk to them about getting set up with an interest rate notifier so you can be notified of low rates to get locked in at.

Curious about what your current home would sell for? Contact Christine and Jennifer today and we will gladly create a free Sellers Comparative Market Analysis filled with helpful, comps, graphs, stats, and tips on how to sell your home quickly and for more money with our unique selling strategy.

For more information about selling your Knoxville, TN home please visit www.HomesForSaleKnoxville.com and www.KnoxvilleReal-Estate.com

Not ready to talk to a REALTOR(R) yet? Please visit our educational website at www.KnoxvilleHomeExpert.com for Free Online Information and E-Courses.