Real Estate In Action

Your Realtors truly care about you and your community. When I was speaking at tonight's Franklin BOMA (Board of Mayor and Aldermen) meeting, not only did I run into my colleague, Franklin Rotarian and fellow football parent Kevin Townsel (center rear, wearing the "shades"):

but I also ran into my broker and practice founder Cindy and Joe Borbely. Together, we are working hard to *protect our values* in the City of Franklin:

Kevin spoke about the significant financial hardship experienced by City of Franklin retirees when a change in plans caused them to *miss an entire month's* check. The previous plan paid on the first of the month, while the replacement plan did not provide a check until the very end of the month. Remember the fallout during the recent and lengthy government shutdown where employees were without pay for several weeks? The hardship was real, but at least in that case those employees received their checks in arrears and were "made whole". In this instance, retirees - most of whom are likely on a fixed income by definition - were unable to meet their obligations for an entire month! And while the plan continues to manage their funds, there is no plan to make up for the month where they received no check...

As Realtors who truly are invested in your happiness, it was good to see my like-minded broker and practice owner Cindy and Joe Borbely make the effort to represent and encourage their neighbors just as I had in the previous 2-hour BOMA working session (video below). Both our concerns related to developers who have put forth aggressive plans that impact our neighborhoods. As I spoke in support of the 232 homes in well-established Falcon Creek subdivision along, I feel compelled that many of these homeowners are in similar situations - young families with smaller incomes who have stretched to own their first home, or retirees who have significant budget challenges and rely heavily on their fixed retirement income. In my case, neighbors with limited resources are confronting concerns brought by a deeper-pockets developer - whose adjacent Carothers Chase project not only brings unwelcome cut-through traffic, but also threatens home values with construction and blasting damage to established homes where their owners have limited means to repair any resulting damage - to say nothing of their well-established right to enjoy their established community.

Those who know me well might enjoy seeing my comments limited to 1 minute - AMAZING, yes? - along with other neighbor comments, mine start around 1:35:50 in this video of the March 12 BOMA Working Session

Want to benefit from working with a different kind of Real Estate practice? You know I only work from referrals you send my way. Call me at 615.480.2955, email me at bill@nashvillerg.com or reach me at my Nashville Realty Group practice at 615.261.8116.

A Birds' Eye View - Re-envisioning Your Home!

So here we are, at the beginning of Week 3 of our home remodel. Two weeks ago we had a typical 2-car garage with a 12/12 roofline. It was already good raw storage space, but we encountered a huge kitchen that Habitat Restore decommissioned in 2012. To quote "The Godfather", they made us an offer we couldn't refuse. Not only did we get an amazing deal, but the proceeds helped Habitat for Humanity build a home to help another family!

So we then spent a good couple of years considering floor plans and re-envisioning our home to include the 70 linear feet of cabinetry plus the matching center island plus all the granite plus a panel front GE high-end cabinet depth fridge. We knew that to accommodate the custom cabinets with at least a 9-foot ceiling height, we would have to take in the breezeway which featured a 2nd floor enclosed pass-thru between the main house and the garage (shown here):

(Who knew the door you see at the end of the passage would be opportunity knocking?) So we figured since we had to enclose the existing breezeway to increase the kitchen footprint below, we might use the opportunity to branch up and out!

We are at start of week 3. As you can see, we are creating 2nd floor living space of approximately 700 sq ft in addition to the original 150 sq ft breezeway. We are raising the roof to eliminate knee-walls while maintaining the 12/12 pitch and the storage it affords us. And as luck would have it, our panoramic views of the neighborhood are well worth the investment (and our patience over the past 6-1/2 years). Check these new views we will gain from our in-progress family room!

Hopefully this gives you the idea that I am not your typical Realtor. For me, it's not just about helping you buy your dream home or getting you the highest offer for your current one...it's also about re-envisioning the home you already own or are considering for purchase! And by the way, since I am blessed to only work exclusively by referrals from friends like you, I am never too busy to help you or your friends with their Real Estate needs - reach me directly at 615-480-2955 or through Nashville Realty Group 615-261-8116.

After 5 years as a professional Realtor®, not only have I used my experience to help friends (and *their* friends who are now *my* friends!) buy homes at a well-negotiated price or get the best possible sale price for their home, but my wife and I have also built a new 6000 sq ft commercial building for our Nashville preschool business and purchased a Franklin home 3 months ago below appraised value in our local hot real estate market. At the same time, for over 6 years we have delayed a project to renovate our own downtown Franklin home. As you are about to see, the time has *come* !!!

I expect this project should be on HGTV, since homes in our downtown area routinely sell for nearly $300 per square foot. We will add 900 square feet and greatly improve another 600 square feet...going from 5 bedrooms, 2-1/2 bathrooms and a modest kitchen to 5 bedrooms, 4-1/2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens - one of them equipped for the most demanding chef!

Last week was demolition week for the current garage. Now at beginning of week 2, we are into reconstruction of half the new space - the family room above the garage. You'll see that we have lengthened the garage 3 foot to gain 60 square feet to accommodate a wider second stair with a mud room inside the garage featuring a huge shoe closet...

...and our second floor presents such a wonderful overlook that we've decided to add a "third floor" rooftop deck to savor the view...

Just as we did, before you think about improving *your* home, wouldn't you like to know what your improvements will be worth in your neighborhood? On average, industry statistics reveal that kitchen remodels bring about 80-85 cents for every dollar you spend when you go to sell your home. In our case, we have no doubt this remodel will bring over 2 dollars for every dollar we spend. We all know the command to "love thy neighbor", but when you decide to put your house on the market one day, you and your neighbor are competing for Buyers.

And by the way, I only work by referral, so I am *never to busy* to help you or your friends make their Real Estate dreams a reality. Send them my way (615-480-2955 direct or via Nashville Realty Group® 615-261-8116)... you deserve a seasoned Realtor® who can bring his best ideas, experience and efforts!