Collegedale, TN

There is a new trend in housing that has been showing up in Collegedale, Tennessee for a while and I see it beginning to trend elsewhere. Like the name implies, Collegedale is a college town; home to Southern Adventist University, a large religous university.

University housing is spread out throughout the town of Collegedale including dormitories, graduate student housing and faculty rental units. A lot of real estate is owned by the university. Students are required to live in supervised housing until they reach a certain age, however, most of them flee immediately, upon making the cut off, to independent housing.

Due to the continual influx of students and faculty, Collegedale is a terrific rental market, and many long term residents invest in real estate in the area and use it as rental property. There are a wide variety of housing opportunities. Duplexes are prevalent as well as converted single family homes. Apartment buildings with sixteen to eighteen units are also scattered around town.

What I have seen for a while is a growing trend for parents of college age students coming to the university, to purchase local real estate, a house, a condo or perhaps a duplex, and have their child reside in the property and then rent part of it out to other students.

It makes good sense. Often the mortgage payments are not nearly what the university charges for housing and then the student gains extra income from renting out rooms. This is a win-win for parent and stuudent. After the student graduates the parent will either sell the property or continue to keep it on the rental market as an investment.

I see this happening in downtown Chattanooga now and also in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Vols. It is good strategy to consider to offset the cost of college housing.

If you are interested in exploring this type of opportunity anywhere in East Tennessee or specifically Collegedale or Ooltewah Tennessee; please call me. I'd love to help!

This past Sunday was the annual Collegedale Christmas parade. It seems to grow larger each year with more people lining the streets to view it. No, it's not Macy's, but, it is something the little community has a lot of pride in and puts a lot of energy into.

There are floats; usually farm and landscape trailers decorated for the holidays with neighborhood kids aboard. The there are the vintage cars all decorated for the holidays. Of course there is the beauty queen; usually a local high school girl that was homecoming queen or some such thing. I wonder if they will ever let a boy be the parade queen? Of course there are the high schol bands and the local politicians walking down pison Pike and Little Debbie Parkway. The floats and exhibits are sponsored by local businesses such as Steve Ray's Midnite Oil and quite actually their amature character puts one in mind of something straight out of ANdy Griffith. (I was naughty this year and became preoccupied with something else and didn't get pictures. Sorry!)

Today is a half and half day; part fall, part wineter. It rained hard all night and then this morning it was windy. Now about 1 P.M. it is getting downright chilly and the prediction is for snow flurries this evening.

Welcome to Tennessee! They say here that if you don't like the weather now, wait 10 minutes. I am not sure that I have made the adjustment from summer to fall yet and here we go winter. I have to admit that we have been having unseasonably warm temeratures for the last month or so, but, now it will be spitting snow tonight?

I enjoy the change of seasons, don't get me wrong. In Tennessee however, both Fall and Spring seem very short. We don't see much snow here so the winters are not like the Northeast that I am used to, but, Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons. I guess that I will be getting some Fall and some Winter today.

What wonderful sounds an sites and smells are in Collegedale, Tn this time of year! I am not going to try to tell you a story, simply let you look at what I collected today from around town in the fall season.. By the way, this weekend was homecoming weekend for Collegedaale Academy and a lot of folks were in town to enjoy the season and many special events and old friends. There were several concerts and a gymnastic exhibit that I know of and many other events that I haven't caught up with yet.

The ballfield at SAU behind the Fleming Plaza buildings and Collegedale Post Office.

Old Camp road on the way to the scuppernong vineyard.

The duck pond in Collegedale, Tn.

The Nature Nook by the Greenway

University Dr. heading north Collegedale, Tn.

By the outdoor theater.

So, if you have enjoyed the tranquil tour of Collegedale, Tn. and think that you might like to pay us a visit, please call me and I'll show you around. It's a great place to be!

I haven't written about the Poos in a while, so, here's an update:

MARILYN She is home now at 16 months old. She is growing coat to go back in the show ring. She is turning out to be an intelligent, athletic and highly independent girl. Stuning to look at. She came home with 4 points and a HUGE bill for me to pay. Taking care of coat is not my forte so we struggle along. Today is supposed to be Marilyn grooming day.

SAGITTA She is 18 months now and ever my little agility queen and early warning detector. You know that thos dangerous squirrels require a prompt alert. She has wonderful structure and the most fabulous coat I have seen on a Poodle. Unfortunately it is dirty a lot of the time because she is the ultimate tomboy! She loves water and mud.

RICOH My stallion is now 28 months old and is FINALLY growing up. He is my lover boy and loves me and the girls. I took him out of the conformation shows because I wanted him to mature. I am slowly regrowing his coat. He loves to go out with Mommy in the car and we frequently go to McDonalds in the evening for a quick burger.

Here is Katie, my little old lady trying to avoid Marilyn!

I began feeding them a totally raw diet about 2 months ago and boy are they flourishing!