In a day when rents just keep getting higher, and the mortgage industry seems to be tighter and tighter, first time homebuyers are being given many 100% financing options. Here are a few listed below:
The most interesting and exciting one that has come about in the last few months is what The Housing Fund of Tennessee is offering. They took back some homes and rather than send them to foreclosure, they decided to finish them and offer assistance on the purchase. As an incentive, home buyers can purchase these hme with no money down, and the Housing Fund is offering a 25% down payment assitance. This assistance allows the home buyer to get into a nicer home with a lower payment, no mortgage insurance, and a super affordable payment. To find out more information about this please call me at 615-289-6056 or you can visit the website at www.thehousingfund.org They have the details about the downpayment assistance.
The second option is provided through THDA which is a grant for first time homebuyers to purchase a home. Decent credit scores and a debit ratio of 41% or less is needed to qualify. THDA provides a grant for the downpayment allowing to the buyer to purchase the home without money for downpayment. This is also being offered to anyone who hasn't purchased a home within 3 years.
Additionally, Regions Bank has also come out with a program for 100% financing. They are offering a great program for lower priced homes. For more information on this program, contact me at mariaholland@comcast.net or 615-289-6056 and I will put you in touch with a local lender.
If you want to buy a home in Tennessee and quit paying high rent, they are many possibilities. Knowledge about these programs is power to get you in a house quickly and affordably. Call me today!
Franklin's 28th Annual Pumpkin Fest, Saturday October 29th
28th Annual Pumpkinfest Fills Franklin’s Main Street Oct. 29, 2011
One of Downtown Franklin’s favorite annual traditions, Pumpkinfest, has several new features for the Oct. 29, 2011 event on Main Street and the surrounding streets.
The 28th Annual Pumpkinfest presented by Bank of America is 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, with more than 75 arts and crafts vendors, a children’s activity area on 3rd Ave. S., Five Points stage, Sister Cities’ Great Pumpkin, Franklin Tomorrow Chili Cook-off and more.
Held in conjunction with Pumpkinfest is the second annual Franklin Battle of the BBQ presented by Heineken. For more information, please see www.franklinsbattleofthebbq.com
And there’s a night-time cemetery tour in Downtown Franklin with the “Grave Matters: The Stories Behind the Stones” tours Saturday night, Oct. 29, at the Old City Cemetery and Rest Haven Cemetery from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, see www.franklinonfoot.com
The street festival of Pumpkinfest is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin’s Main Street from First to Fifth Avenues. The fun continues until 9 p.m. on Main Street from 4th to 5th Avenues, with children’s activities and booths closing at 6 p.m.
Other activities include:
•The Battle of the BBQ Peoples’ Choice tent on 4th Ave. S. invites the public is invited to taste pulled pork (at $5) or ribs ($1 per bone) with Heineken beers in the Heineys and Butts tent. Be sure to vote for your favorites!
•The Franklin Tomorrow Chili Cook-off on 4th Ave. N. from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Oct. 29. Tickets to taste chili from local organizations and restaurants will be available for $5 at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Main during the event.
•Fall and holiday arts and crafts around the Public Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 60 vendors will be displaying hand-crafted items perfect for fall and the holidays.
•Cemetery Tours 7 to 9 p.m. Participants will walk from tombstone to tombstone at the Historic Resthaven cemetery on North Margin Street, hearing from costumed re-enactors about the people who are buried in certain graves. Tickets are $15 per person for adults, $5 for children, but the activity is not recommended for children under 6. Tickets are available from www.franklinonfoot.com and at the Heritage Foundation. Participants should bring a flashlight and wear close-toe shoes.
•Costume Contest starts at 3 p.m. at the Five Points stage. It’s $1 for each entry and categories are pets, children ages 0-5, ages 6-13 and 14+. Enter at the headquarters tent on the Public Square between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
•Five Points Stage
10am—Franklin School of Performing Arts
•11am—All That Dance
11:30am—Prima Performance
Noon—Waste Management Elvis
12:10—Scott Ellis School of Dance
1pm—Kristin Butke School of Irish Dance
2pm—Tommy Jackson’s Rocky Top Revue
2:50pm-Pull-Tight Players Youth Guild
3pm—Waste Management Elvis
3:10pm—Costume Contest
4pm —O’Brien School of Dance
4:50pm—Waste Management Elvis
5pm—’50s Music—The Fabulous Suedes
6pm—’60s Music—SixtyFour Band
7pm—’70s Music—Emy and Soul Survivors
8pm—’80s Music—SASS
The annual fall event is presented by Bank of America and Waste Management and produced by the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County and its division, the Downtown Franklin Association. Pumpkinfest is co-sponsored by the City of Franklin, Jackson National Life, Publix Super Markets, Fox 17, MY30, CW58, Williamson A.M./The Tennessean, Clear Channel Radio, and Williamson Medical Center.Pumpkinfest is open to the public with free admission except for special activities as noted. For more information please call 615-591-8500 or visit www.historicfranklin.com.
If you are not a first time homebuyer and do not qualify for THDA's first time homebuyer assistance, then the Housing Fund may be your ticket. If you really want to purchase a home, but don't have the down payment you need, the Housing Fund provides a second loan at a payment amount of no more than $50.00 a month to pay back. It is a fantastic way for want to be homeowners to secure a downpayment and a home with help.
I am including the link below for more information.
Call Maria Holland at Re/Max Elite, 615-661-4400/615-289-6056 or email mariaholland@comcast.net for more information. I can connect you with an approved lender and get you on your way to owning a home again.
Click on this link to go directly to the site. http://www.thehousingfund.org/homebuyerprograms/downpaymentassistance.html
There is good news in Tennessee for those who are unaware. 100% financing is still available through the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. Through a bond secured through the state of Tennessee, first time homebuyers can receive the downpayment needed for an FHA loan. In order to qualify, there are caps on income as well as debt ratio, and credit scores are considered. Nevertheless, for those first time homebuyers that are gainfully employed and only lack the downpayment to secure a home, THDA is a wonderful option. THDA provides the downpayment,and a good realtor, such as myself, can negotiate for closing costs so that you can move into your new home with almost zero dollars out of pocket. Last week I helped someone close on a property where they secured a THDA loan. They purchased the property with no money out of pocket. Their earnest money was returned to them at the closing table. If you need a realtor to help you purchase a home through THDA and 100% financing, call today.
Maria Holland Re/Max Elite 615-661-4400/615-289-6056. mariaholland@comcast.net www.mariaholland.net are the ways to reach me.
Follow the link to THDA to find out more about this affordable opportunity.
So many consumers have the notion that if a property is in foreclosure, they are going to get one great deal; however, I continually find the foreclosures owned by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae are difficult to negotiate. Just like any government deal they are wrapped up in what is seemingly bureaucratic tape. The listing has been appraised or a broker's price opinion has been secured to give the owner a parameter of where to price a foreclosed listing. The employees that handle these negotiations are seeminly only allowed to veer from the list price by a very small percentage. For example: 2 Weeks ago I presented an offer for a buyer on a listing that has been sitting for months. The home is priced at $287,000 which is fairly inexpensive for this area; however, the home needs an extensive amount of work, and it will either be a tear down or a complete gut and remodel. My client is a cash buyer and offered to closed quickly at an offer price of $231,000. Freddie Mac countered by moving off of their price to $285,000. Any other bank having held the property on the market for 6 months would have worked hard to negotiate a price that would be agreeable to buyer and seller. Instead when my client offered an additional small amount over their original offer, Freddie Mac simply declined the offer. The property is still sitting. Where is the reason in that type of negotiation? It is frustrating to all parties involved, and the simple truth of the matter is that they will probably not get any more than what was offered by my client after sitting on the property with carrying costs for several more months.
Other large individual banks can be difficult as well, but overall there seems to be a stronger sense of reasonable effort to come to the closing table.
As a specialist in the REO market, I can help you find a property that is just right for you. I have completed the training for Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR). I list short sales and have succesfully negotiated many to the closing table. If you need help in this market, please give me a call at 615-661-4400/615-289-6056 or email me at mariaholland@comcast.net I am fully licensed and specialized in both buyers and sellers.
 |
|
|
Serving you in the Nashville/Middle TN area as a listing agent & buyers agent. As a native Nashvillian I am the key to your perfect home buying/selling adventure specializing in relocation & new const
One of the most important qualities you find in a good Realtor is being a good listener. Good listening doesn't just involve hearing what one says. It also involves reading body language, hearing undertones, calculating responses and adding all of those things up to be able to visualize and understand a client's wants and desires in a home. A good realtor will listen, calculate, watch and then ask clarifying questions and listen again. It is those attributes that set me a part as a buyer's agent. In the same way I use some of these same attributes as a listing agent; however, selling a home requires additional skills as well. It requires putting together a marketing plan, determining your target market for the property and then implementing the plans you have chosen. As a native Nashvillian, I am very knowledgeable about the city as well as pocket communities. Different communities attract different buyers which equates to knowledge coupled with applied skill + right marketing techniques = right buyer for your home.
I am a realtor that loves my job. I love the people I work with; I love the strategies involved in selling a home, and I love the energy that comes from selling or finding a home for someone. Strong work ethic, accessibility, good communication skills and a strong knowledge of the market set me a part. My website is www.mariaholland.net Check out client testimonies under "about me." My clients say it best. Referrals are the biggest part of my income. My goal is to be able to use every client as a reference. DEDICATION to you is my top priority.
I do believe in Education. I currently hold my ABR and GRI which stand for Accredited Buyers Representative and Graduate of Realtor Institute.
I specialize in Williamson and Davidson County. Growing up in Brentwood and Franklin and living in working in the South Part of Nashville give me many insights into helping you purchase your home. My highest specialty is remodels and new construction mainly because I have had first hand experience working with my husband as a developer and remodeler. I would be in charge of many of the subs, meeting with code inspectors and the like. Not only do I understand the logistics of much of the construction business, I have the vision to see the potential. If I don't know the answer, I know the contractor to call to get you the answer. Having many connections in this business can be very valuable. Many clients use me as a free source for help on their remodel.
In addition, My favorite thing to do in my job is to work with first time home buyers. They are so fun because they are so excited about their first home. It is so fun to take them every step of the way through the process. I get just as excited as they do as I work with them and watch them plan their future as they get closer to their moving date. I personally find this a very rewarding part of my job.
I work all areas of Metro Nashville and the surrounding communites; however, Brentwood, Franklin, Nolensville, South Nashville, Crieve Hall, Green Hills, Hillsboro Village and Bellevue, West Meade are the heaviest areas where I work.
Dear Maria:
I cannot thank you enough for the brilliant way in which you handled my real estate transaction last month.
You made the whole thing simple and sensible and you did so with grace and ease.
Perhaps most important is that you created the environment in which a difficult transaction was made fluid. Whatever difficulties may have arisen were anticipated by you in such a way as to ease both my mind and my pocketbook in the process of acquiring an absolutely beautiful home. It is with gratitude for the way in which you were able to fulfill our needs and make our transition to Nashville most pleasant.
With warm regards,
Bud Stone
Maria
I just have to say how impressed we are with you. The attention you have shown our property in the last couple of days far outweighs the attention from our previous realtor in seven months. I am so impressed with your professionalism and dedication to getting our home sold. We just wish we had met you earlier. Thanks again.
Lisa Powers
To Whom it May Concern:
This letter comes with a high recommendation for Maria Holland, American Heritage, Inc. My wife and I had the privilege of working with Maria not only as our listing agent, but also as our buying agent. Not only did she sell our current home in less than 60 days, but she also committed countless hours to helping us find the home we were looking for. Maria's vast knowledge of all areas we were looking in: Antioch, Hermitage,Metro Nashville, Mount Juliet, Murfreesboro, Nolensville & Franklin were essential. She was able to give us valuable information about every piece of property we looked at from neighborhood comps, demographics, schools, & possible commute problems. One other item I should mention is the fact that Maria has always been accessible. If she does not answer the phone immediately she has always called me back with in a matter of minutes. It is very hard to find a good realtor in this competitive market, so when you find one you hold on to that person. Maria will be our agent exclusively for many years to come. If you should have any further questions or concerns, please call me.
Sincerely,
Sean M. Peterson
Maria,
You have been such a blessing in our lives these past 6 months.
The kind, patient and professional way in which you approach the seemingly endless task of finding us a home, was absolutely inspiring.
Please know that Rob and I will never forget you. Every time we walk in our front door it will be a wonderful reminder of your genuine smile and caring touch.
Thank you hardly seems enough for such a journey as this.
Just know we appreciate everything you have done as a realtor and as Maria.
You are undoubtly an awesome Lady!
Be blessed,
Ann and Rob
Maria-
We just wanted to thank you for all your help in finding us the perfect home. Being a first time buyer, we weren't familiar with everything that went along with purchasing a home and weren't set on using a realtor. You were referred to us and what a blessing! There is no way we could have done any of it without you!
I was offered a job in Nashville, but had to find, buy and move into a home within a 4 week time period. From the very beginning, you were extremely helpful and available to my millions of phone calls and questions. You showed us many different areas of Nashville and got a really good feel for what style of home we were looking for. You then found us the perfect one, were able to befriend the seller and represented us better than we could have ever expected. You knew exactly what to look for, what to ask for and how to get it done in a very professional, yet efficient manner. There is NO way we could have found the perfect house, closed within a month, and had peace of mind knowing that all the details were taken care of. You even went as far as to bring your blow dryer and straightener to the walk-through to make sure the electrical outlet glitch in the bathroom was repaired as requested!
We are just so thankful! We will certainly refer you to anyone moving into the Nashville area. There is no way anyone should buy a house without you!
Thanks Maria for all your help, guidance, suggestions, phone calls, time, patience, energy, knowledge, negotiations and kindness.
Bethany Nichols and Chris Shantz
Hello Maria, Thank you! I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much I appreciate your professionalism and knowledge during the recent purchase of my first home. Not knowing what to expect in the home buying experience, you were always available to answer all of my questions and guide me along every step of the way. I truly appreciate your availability from start to finish. I could not have asked for more from my realtor at any point along the way and I can't thank you enough for everything. I am so happy in my new home! Many thanks to you Maria and to Rich with Legacy Home Lending. Stephanie ClaycombSpring Hill, TN
September 8, 2006
Maria, First, I want to thank you for helping us find our new house. We have only been there a few months, but it already seems like home. You really listened to our needs and desires, which helped you focus in on the right house for our growing family. Your experience was invaluable in the entire negotiation process. Second, thank you for your help in the disposition of our old house. You were always available to us during a difficult project and you brought us a buyer in a uncertain market. You handled every problem with ease, no matter how large or how small. I will certainly recommend your services to anyone that I meet and I look forward to staying in touch with you as the years go by.
Thanks again. Lee Black | Associate CB Richard Ellis | Industrial Services 150 4th Avenue North, Suite 2110 | Nashville, TN 37219 T 615 248 1117 | F 615 255 4610 | C 615 347 7877 lee.black@cbre.com | http://www.cbre.com/
August 15, 2006
Maria,
You are a true professional. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication towards selling our home. Due to your knowledge and experience in real estate, we were able to get top dollar for our house. We also appreciate the fact that you continued to look out for our best interest even while you were on vacation. Christie and I believe you did an outstanding job for us, but we also feel we made a friend in the process.
Thanks again for everything and please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Omar and Christie El-Shishini
July 24, 2006
Dear Maria,
Tom and I would like to thank you for all of your hard work. Having an offer on our home in 5 days was awesome. It took a lot of stress off of us as we approached the closing date on our new home. We were very impressed with your professionalism and your desire to please us. We will recommend you to all of our friends and family in the future.
Thanks again for everything!!!!
Jamie Burroughs
March 22, 2006
Dear Maria-
Thank you so much for walking with me every step of the way into my new and first home. As you well remember, I was full of questions and hesitations, but you went the extra mile to get me all the information I needed to make good decisions. You also spent plenty of time listening to me as I figured out what I wanted and where I wanted to live. Then you took that information and your knowledge of the Nashville area and found wonderful possibilities for me to choose from. Once we got started I didn't worry about the details because everyday you demonstrated that you could tend to those details in a professional and flexible manner. So thank you for working with me to make the possibility become a reality. Everyone who mentions to me that they are thinking of buying selling a home here is going to hear from me that they need to work with you.
Thanks again,
Judy Skeen
March 02, 2006
Thanks, Maria. Thank you for the follow up. This is one small example of why you are good at what you do and why our experience with you was so positive. I pointed out something that I did not understand, and you took the initiative to get the answer for me. That goes such a long way towards "great" client service, and I very much appreciate it. Thanks for all that you have done for us in the entire home buying process. You were terrific.
Vance and Jan Shaffer
September 15, 2005
Dear Maria,
We wish to thank you for your excellent work in helping us purchase our new home in Brentwood. You were very attentive to our preferences and needs and only showed us houses that met our criteria. Further, your vision for many of the accessories, walls and floors beyond their status at the showing was very helpful as we transformed our new purchase into our home. Finally, you advocated our position in an aggressive manner during the negotiations and ultimately saved us money in the process. We are grateful for your hard work, honesty and creativity in representing our interest.
Sincerely,
Jay and Melanie Brown
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2012 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
