Emily Lowe - Nashville TN Realtor

I ran across this GREAT article on Spring Cleaning and Home Maintenance through Rismedia and thought I would share it with you! I will add some pictures to make it more entertaining :)!

Spring Cleaning

The first step to Spring cleaning is making a list of which areas of your home need to be freshened up.

- Experts recommend a professional carpet cleaning every 12 to 18 months. Schedule an appointment with carpet cleaners now to cut down on your wait time.
- Check your gutters. Professionals recommend gutter cleaning in the spring and the fall. Clogged gutters can lead to water damage.
- Use a garden hose to remove the film left by dirty snow and rain from your siding and deck. Attach a soft-bristled, long-handled car brush to the hose for some extra help. Use a mild cleanser to get those tough-to-clean spots.
- Remove wet leaves and debris from your deck, front porch and around your house on a regular basis. Allowing the debris to accumulate can trap water, lead to staining or mold build-up, as well as create an ideal environment for termites.

Home Maintenance

Snow, ice and wind can wreak havoc on your home, so be sure to go over the structures in early spring. Finding damage early will increase your chances of getting an early repair, as many home improvement companies begin their busy seasons this time of year.

- Scrutinize your crawl space for water accumulation or excessive moisture, and keep an eye out for water damage on the sub-floor and joists beneath the kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas.
- Give your roof a "once-over" for damage inflicted during the winter. Depending on the style and pitch of your roof, you may want to use a ladder and a pair of binoculars to look for missing or broken shingles and other damage. If you don't feel comfortable on a ladder, call a professional before the busy season begins.
- Check the weather stripping around doors and windows. The winter season may have caused some damage. Also remove any storm windows and replace with screens.
- Check the valve where water enters your house, outdoor faucets and valves to toilets, bathroom and kitchen sinks. Turn each off and on several times to identify any leaks.

Outdoor Maintenance

By preparing for outdoor projects early, homeowners can get a jump on things like landscaping - but don't forget about your driveway! Water that seeps into your driveway can freeze, causing cracks and other damage.

- Talk with your landscaper or local garden center about the best way to enrich your soil for the types of plants in your yard. Proper fertilization can keep your soil and your plants in great shape throughout the year.
- If you've postponed tool care, now is a good time to get in the garage and take a closer look at your garden equipment. Does the mower need serviced? It's a good idea to call now. Garden service companies will get busy in the next couple of months. Don't forget to clean and sharpen other garden tools as well.
- Spring is a good time to examine your asphalt driveway's surface for damage. Regular resealing is the best way to protect the surface and keep it in good shape. If you're planning to hire a professional to seal the driveway, summer is peak time of year - so call now to get on their schedule.

"Start with the entry door," says Sherrard. "Paint or replace and take notice of missing screens or old storm doors. Add a new mailbox, lighting fixture, or address to add a new feel. Clean up the garage and landscaping."

Appliance Maintenance

Regular maintenance on major home appliances can help to ensure their efficiency and lifespan.

- Get your air conditioner serviced. Technicians can test your air conditioner as long as the temperature is above 60 degrees. Call now to get on their schedule before the first warm days of spring.
- Clean and lubricate hinges, rollers and tracks on garage doors with a light household oil - don't use petroleum-based lubricants. You can call a professional to take care of this, as well as service the opener mechanism itself. Don't attempt to service the opener mechanism yourself. Your garage door opener can be one of the most dangerous appliances around your house.
- Get your water heater serviced. Maintained properly, water heaters will last for years and deliver gallon after gallon of hot water. Left alone, they'll quickly lose efficiency, sucking dollars out of your wallet with every degree of heat.
- Spring rains are just around the corner, so be sure your sump pump works properly. To test, fill the sump pit with water and go outside to make sure the pump is actually discharging water. You can also eliminate any build-up in the system by pouring white vinegar through the unit.

Home Projects

You may have already received your tax return. A recent poll found that 25% of Angie's List members plan on using their tax checks to invest in home repairs. Some investments will have a better return than others, so choose your projects wisely.

"Clean out closets and cabinets providing as much empty space as possible," says Sherrard. When preparing to sell, "Pack away all personal items including photos. The emptier your home, the larger it appears. Buy a new bed in a bag for your bedrooms. Dust everything including the basement."

What's more, says Sherrard, buyers look at mechanicals and corners.

"Freshen the home by airing it out thoroughly and sanitizing baseboards, woodwork, floors and lighting fixtures," she says.

- The roof, furnace and water heater, won't garner great returns, but are expected to be in good shape. Proper home maintenance saves you money on a daily basis and positions you well for a sale.
- Kitchen and bath renovations are expensive but great investments if you are going to be in your house at least five more years. They're also the rooms buyers pay the most attention to and can make or break your sale.
- Turning attics and basements into livable space, or adding decks, can bring a better return than adding square footage, and the upfront costs aren't nearly as exorbitant. Finishing touches matter, though. Wall-to-wall carpeting and drywall in a basement will bring a lot more than cheap paneling and a drop-in ceiling.

Hope this post has been enlightening and informative for you - now GET TO WORK!!!

Oh the Zero Lot Line Home. The war rages over the pros and cons of these newer homes.

On the positive side, a zero lot line home is EXTREMELY environmentally friendly. Using land that is already developed and dividing it in two allows for more density of people in a smaller space instead of building out further, which disturbs virgin and previously "unimproved" land. We have to clear trees (which contributes to more global warming) and put in our underground utilities, ruffling the feathers of our precious ecological system.

On the negative side, if you are the kind of person who enjoys seeing one home for every half acre of land, then yes, the zero lot line is not a pretty sight for you! We begin living in a more cramped environment, able to see into our neighbor's home from only ten feet away.

For me, I am all for the zero lot line homes. And I am also a person who enjoys seeing one house per half acre! Aren't we all so hypocritical! I grew up in beautiful Davidson County and have lived here my entire life. I want nothing more than for Nashville to be a beautiful city and a wonderful place to live. But to me, the benefits of the zero lot line home for our environment outweighs my need for large beautiful yards. And that is difficult!

All ISSUES aside, here are what I consider to be the top three zero lot line homes in the Green Hills / David Lipscomb Area that I am so proud to call home!

First up is 4431 Soper Avenue, just around the corner from me! Asking price is $570,000. With 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths and over 3400 square feet, this is a Drees Home that features a great master bedroom down and all the amenities that a new house can offer!

Very open living floorplan and a bonus room upstairs for the kids to have their own space, too! Another good thing about this home is that its location is fabulous, at the corner of Soper and Harding, just at the border of Oak Hill.

Second is 1131 Granny White Court for $608,000. This 3 Bedroom, 3.5 Bathroom House has close to 3500 square feet and boasts a beautiful gourmet kitchen and sun porch! There is a homeowner's association fee of $225/month.

And last, but not least, is 904 Buford Place for $619,900. This home has 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms, and has right at 3500 square feet. Things to love about this place are the 10' ceilings on the main level (9' upstairs) and the beautiful kitchen. The craftsmanship on this house is also quite lovely.

Master features a lovely sitting area. Terrific location and NO homeowner's association fee!

I hope you have enjoyed the peek into the many possibilities these three zero lot line homes have to offer.

If you would like to view these or other homes, please call Prudential Woodmont Realty Agent Emily Lowe at 615.509.1753

1031 Exchange?!!?!?!!?

If you have investment property in Davidson County, or in the Greater Nashville Area, and you are getting ready to sell and invest in something else, then you MUST know about this 1031 Exchange!

The 1031 Exchange is basically a way to defer taxes and reinvest your savings!

Through the 1031 Exchange, you can further leverage your equity, diversify your real estate portfolio, consolidate the equity from many properties into one, keep you from having to manage too many properties at once, work on your estate planning, or change property types to get the most out of the available depreciation!

Here is how it works: Let's say you have three rental properties...

You have been managing them for five years and want to move up to something else.

So you put your properties on the market as a package deal...and sell them for $750,000. Normally your capital gains tax would be $112,500, leaving you with $637,500 in equity to reinvest...

Through the 1031 Exchange, you don't have to pay the capital gains tax, so you have $750,000 to reinvest!

Pretty cool, huh?

There are certain guidelines you must follow:

1. At the closing of the investment properties that you sell, you MUST let ALL of the proceeds be held by a Qualified Intermediary.

2. You have 45 days from the Sale date to pick out potential Replacement Properties.

3. You must PURCHASE the Replacement Property within 180 days of the Investment Property Closing.

This system of tax deferral also has some other perks to it. You don't have to purchase the same kind of investment property that you had previously purchased. So, if you owned a duplex, you can take the proceeds of that sale and maybe buy a piece of land, or an office building, or a motel or even an apartment building!

So what are you waiting for? Stretch those DOLLARS and make them work for you!

For more information about the 1031 Exchange, please contact Emily Lowe at 615.509.1753.

As many of you know, I am always scouring through listings trying to find places for Nashville Musicians to call home. A couple of days ago during one of these searches I found a REAL jewel - check this out!

106 Bonnie Briar Lane (in Hillsboro Village) for $369,900. This renovated townhouse has just over 2000 square feet, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms AND a studio control room designed by Carl Tatz!!!

Cool Redwood Shelving with Kohler Sauna/Foot Spa in the Master Bathroom!

There is custom shelving in the Master Closet Area!

The room has been acoustically calculated... and notice plenty of room for your guitars!

Wow!!! Where do I sign? If you'd like to take a closer look then feel free to contact me at 615.509.1753!

Then consider buying your first home right off the bat!

Most likely you have been spending the last four years of your life as a poverty stricken college student with barely enough money in your pocket to support your social life!

You have heard that home buying is a good thing for all people to do - but why?

Did you know that home buying creates wealth? Or did you know that the government actually assists first time home buyers as a way to help our economy? Maybe you've got a small chunk of money coming to you upon graduation and you want to do something good with it? There are even some employers out there who will give you sign on bonuses that you can put towards a home!

If you start early with home buying and saving money in an IRA, etc. you can REALLY accumulate a LOT of wealth fairly easily in the first ten to fifteen years of your working career.

One thing I just LOVE to do is work with people and help them accumulate wealth! Knowledge is power, so get started today!