Mary & Bill Watkins

Tulane University is opening its second satellite campus in Madison, Mississippi with the first classes beginning this summer. The expansion came after discussions with city officials who wanted to attract a university to the growing community of Madison, which has nearly 30,000 people. Within a half hour drive, classes will bring in 600,000 students from the surrounding population.

The Mississippi Commission on College Accreditation approved Tulane's plan all too happily. And the City of Madison has been renovating wings of a former elementary school building to house the university offices and classrooms ever since.

The city actually sought out Tulane because of its wonderful reputation. Not just any college would do, but one that would help with economic development and high standards is what Madison, Mississippi needs. Madison is now happy to embrace the wonderful university. Together, the city and the university can make great stridesin this new partnership.

The city is also proud to have an accomplished mayor with a demonstrated commitment to community building and education. Many people of Madison are looking forward to Tulane's presence and what it will bring. Tulane University of Madison will be offering courses in business, journalism and liberal arts. F or more information about Tulane, visit www.tulane.edu.

The third annual Township Jazz Festival is coming to Ridgeland, Mississippi on April 10, 2010 and will take place rain or shine. Not many communities can say they have a true musical legend right in their backyard. There are a few inspiring youngsters from Ridgeland who may be legends one day, too. The Jazz Festival will be held from 12:00pm until 7:00pm in Colony Park in Ridgeland, Mississippi, and will be hosted by Fusion Coffeehouse and Kerioth Corporation.

Look for headliner Mose Allison, a native of Mississippi Delta village of Tippo. This 82 year-old has had his songs covered by Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, The Who, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and several other mainstays. And now he's promoting his new recording "The Way of the World."

The Township Jazz Festival began in Ridgeland when musicians who began playing at the Fusion quickly started turning out large crowds and overwhelming the small venue. They had no other choice but to look for a larger site. And they got plenty of support from local sponsors.

This is a great opportunity to get out and mingle with your neighbors and other community members. If you'll be in town looking at local Ridgeland, MS real estate or in the surrounding area, drop by the festival with your lawn chair and blanket. It will give you a good sense of how welcome you'll feel when you move to town.

A new survey by Bloomberg Business Week shows that you can find affordable suburban living for less in Madison, Mississippi. Suburbanites who want to live better for less can find several neighborhoods such as Hunter's Pointe, Reunion, Adderley Gardens and Bradford Place.

The recent survey named Madison the most affordable suburb in the state of Mississippi. The report also recognized other top communities in all 50 states.

Many people in Mississippi have already discovered that they can live in Madison for a small town price and still have big city advantages. You simply get more value for your money.

Madison, Mississippi was once a small farming and railroad town, but it has blossomed into the popular suburb it is over the years. There are a couple of key factors that make Madison even better than its affordable living. It has one of the best school districts and the state's lowest crime rates.

Many neighborhoods in Madison are upscale communities, such as Reunion and Adderley Gardens, and offer amenities like an 18-hole golf course, a lake with a beautiful sand beach, a tennis club, a swim club, walking trails and an equestrian center.

Madison also has lower-priced homes in subdivisions such as Hunter's Pointe and Bradford Place. You can even find a range of modest homes, older homes and high end mansions.

The large selection of homes, wonderful neighborhoods, amenities and price ranges is what makes Madison, Mississippi a great and affordable place to live.

No one wants their kids to be unhappy during Spring Break. And not everyone can afford or has time to take the family to the beach for Spring Break. But, you still have great alternatives around Madison, Mississippi during Spring Break to keep their boredom at bay.

Here are some ideas for keeping your kids busy and happy:

* Mosart Craft Studio - They will be having a two week Spring Break camp for kids ages 5 to 15. Morning camp is from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Afternoon camp is from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Mosart Craft Studio is located in the Madison Market Shopping Center on US 51. All skill levels are encouraged to come. Groups will be sectioned out by ages. They will be working on glass, wood and ceramics.

* Different Strokes Art Studio - If you can't commit to a week long program, this may be perfect for you. Classes will be held from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm during the week at the studio in the Trace shopping Center in Ridgeland, MS. Children should bring a drink and snack and be ready to have a ton of fun working with pottery projects. Very young children will need supervision from an adult.

* Champions Baseball Spring Break Camp - If you're looking for something athletic, this is a great place to start. Bring your child to Millsaps College bright and early on Monday morning for the four-day camp. Camp will end at 12:00 pm each day. For more information, call Jim Page at (601) 974-1196.

* YMCA of Flowood - Soccer lovers will like this camp a lot. Bring your soccer players to Liberty Road just off Lakeland Drive for a half-day camp. YMCA members get reduced rates. For more details, call (601) 664-1995.

* Mississippi Museum of Natural Science - If you want educational programs for your young ones, bring them to Riverside Drive in Jackson, MS. There is an ongoing educational and interactive exhibit for kids featuring Smokey the Bear and Woodsy Owl. You can visit their website at museum.mdwfp.com.

* Jackson Zoo - Your kids, no matter how old they are, will absolutely love the Jackson Zoo. Just head on over toward the state's capital and you'll soon be there.

If, after all this, your kids are still bored, it's time to break out the heavy artillery and make them study.

Selling your home is a huge decision. It will be one of the biggest decisions of your life. Therefore, to maximize your gain, you need to be sure your Jackson, MS home is in great condition when it comes time to place it on the market. If it's not in the best possible condition, you most likely won't get the best value out of it.

There are several things you should do to your home prior to placing it on the market. And although no two home sales are exactly the same, many of the selling steps are similar.

Here is a basic outline that will help you understand what to expect during the sales process:

* The decision to sell - Once you decide to sell your home, it will become a financial asset you will be moving away from. At this point, you have determined it's time to sell your property so you can maximize your gain. Homeowners sell their homes for several reasons and, in each sale, the homeowner is entitled to their fair share of equity on the sale of the property.

* Clearing up the clutter - As you prepare your home for the sale, clear up and clean up any clutter you may have. This will help you get rid of junk so you will have less things to move and it will make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

Don't forget the outside of your home, too. Trim the bushes and mow the lawn, touch up paint and fix anything that is broken. Curb appeal is a necessity.

* Finding a real estate professional - Using a real estate agent is a good idea to help you market your home and get it sold faster. A Realtor® will prepare you a competitive market analyses, show you some of their accomplishments and experience in the business, and market your home professionally. You should expect to pay around 5% - 7% commission rate for a real estate professional. That may sound high, but when you consider everything that a real estate professional does to market your home, it really is worth the price.

* Setting a price - Setting a price for your home will require a good bit of thought because this is the most critical part. Setting your price too high will usually reduce the number of interested buyers. This is when a real estate professional can be extremely helpful. An agent will help you price your home just right based on recent home sales in your area.

* Marketing your home - If you wish not to use a real estate professional and want to market your home yourself, you can put a "For Sale" sign out front, advertise in the newspaper or list online to places like Craigslist.org. However, you will only get so much exposure.

* Moving - Once you have accepted a satisfactory price on your home, it is time to move. Planning your move and coordinating it is also important. Therefore, during the selling phase, you should pack up all non-essential living items. Be sure to clearly label your boxes and get them ready for transport. Moving is a huge effort in itself, so making up a checklist of things you need to accomplish can be very helpful. As you complete things on your checklist, check them off.

The more prepared you are, the better off you will be when moving day comes.