Rich Hodupp

Christmas is coming to Overton County, Livingston, TN that is part of the Upper Cumberland Region of TN. Christmas on the Square begins every Friday night starting November 27th through December 18th from 5 pm to 8 pm. In addition to enjoying entertainment, music, hot chocolate, apple cider, popcorn and roasted peanuts you may take a carriage or wagon ride around the downtown area. Santa Claus will also be on the square each Friday night.

One can also visit the Elves' workshop on Saturday, December 5th from 9 am to 5 pm at the Livingston Rotary Ag Complex just outside of town. You can purchase homemade crafts, decorations, baked goods, jewelry, ornaments, flowers, holiday decorations, art work, and much more for that special someone or family member. Santa will be available and door prizes will be given away each hour. If you have the munchies, food and beverages will be available.

To help get everyone in the Christmas spirit, the annual Christmas parade will be held on Saturday, December 12th at 2 pm in Overton County in downtown Livingston, TN. There are currently 27 different categories in which to enter if you choose to participate. This is truly one of the most spectacular sights in the Upper Cumberland Regions.

As you are surfing the internet looking at aerial views have you pondered what those long rectangular "mirrors" may be on the ground that are in rural areas of the country in the mid south and eastern part of the United States? The answer - in this case - is chicken houses! Usually they are in groups of 2. In this example there are 6 of them. Depending upon the topography they may be very close to your home and you will not even know it - until the manure is removed.

Each of these houses contains approximately 40,000 chickens. In this picture this equates to about 240,000 of them that may be your neighbors - if you happen to live "next door". In most instances you will get a flock of new neighbors about every 40 to 55 days. At that time both the chickens and the manure are removed.

The chickens are almost always grown by the land owner, under contract, for one of the 3 major poultry processors in the United States. The land owner also owns the building and other infrastructure associated with the operation. The contractor determines how long they are fed, when they are removed and when a new flock arrives.

In most instances, chicken farms are required to obtain an NPDES permit from the EPA or the EPA equivalent in state in which they operate. This permit regulates the disposal of the manure, any deceased animals and the overall operation of the farm.

So, now as you are "surfing" the maps on the internet, you will know what some of those rectangular mirrors are that are staring back at you - chicken houses!

How often do we hear, especially from first time home buyers, "we will see about getting a loan, after we find a home to buy". I believe I am doing a disservice to my clients if I do not have them get pre-qualified BEFORE they start looking instead of AFTER they find the one they think they can afford. At first, most are defensive. After I explain WHY it is important, the majority do speak with a lender. A few decide to find another real estate agent to help them buy a home. In the end, all of us are probably happier!