If you need information on first time home buyer and  buying a home  in the Sumner, Robertson, Davdison or Cheatham County areas of Tennessee, including Goodlettsville, White House, Hendersonville, Springfield and Pleasant View, Tennessee, please visit my home page to get started on searching for homes and getting valuable information on buying or selling your home.  You may also want to chose where to live in Middle Tennessee.

Buying a first home can be a daunting experience. Here are five common and sometimes costly mistakes that new home buyers make:

1. Ignoring the costs of having a low credit score. Lower-score borrowers pay thousands of dollars in increased interest rates over the life of the loan. Don't think that not paying that cell phone bill is not going to make a difference, lenders will want to check everything.

2. Muddying the waters by shopping for other things before closing. Lenders continue to check credit scores right up until the time of closing. Too much shopping could cause the lender to take back the loan. Wait to buy new appliances and furniture and don't buy a new car during the middle of your loan process.

3. Scrimping on an inspection. Being surprised by the need for expensive repairs can be financially devastating.  Get a professional home inspector to give you an idea of any repairs that might be needed.

4. Buying without contingencies. Buyers should give themselves an out if the inspection turns up problems or the bank raises the interest rates.

5. Not using a Buyer's Agent.  Buyers should always use aRealtor or Buyer's Agent to help in the transaction of thier largest asset.  Stay away from For Sale By Owners or Builders that do not want you to have representation.  Your agent will insure you have the proper contingencies mentioned above.  

excerpts from: CNNMoney.com, Les Christie (04/19/2010)

By:  Rachel Louise Ensign

This New Year's, you may want to make a resolution to go house hunting.

Home prices are finally starting to recover, but they're still low enough to get a great deal. Add to that interest rates that are at historic lows, and 2013 may be the time for first-time home buyers to finally get in the game.

"We think the answer, definitively, is that home prices have bottomed," says Stan Humphries, chief economist of real-estate firm Zillow. "Right now, buying looks very attractive, even for short-term time horizons."

While the timing may be right, the tougher standards lenders imposed after the housing crash are still very much in place. So buyers with good credit and a hefty down payment may benefit the most.

"Now it's all about the rules," says Jeff Conn, a mortgage banker in the Atlanta area.

Window of Opportunity

A bevy of data suggest housing prices have finally begun to climb back. So there's a window of opportunity before prices start a faster upward march.

The median price of an existing single-family home was $178,700 in October, up 11% from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. But that's still down 13% from $204,800 in October 2007.

Prices are on the way up, but mortgage rates remain in the bargain bin. The average rate on a standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a record low 3.46% for the week ended Nov. 16, according to data provider HSH.com. The average rate on a standard 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage hit a low of 2.84%. And rates are expected to stay low next year and further out, thanks, in part, to the Federal Reserve's moves to keep interest rates low until mid-2015.

For first-time home buyers, it may be easier to buy. Many first-time buyers are opting for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration, since they now have looser credit and down-payment criteria compared with the tougher criteria for standard loans. The typical rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage backed by the FHA was 3.31% last week, according to HSH.com.

This article was reposted by homesbykimblanton.com.  Selling lifestyles not just homes in Middle Tennessee including Goodlettsville, Hendersonville, White House and Springfield TN.

For more information contact Kim Blanton

Color Inspiration
Wherever we go, we respond to color, but the importance of color is often underestimated. Whether architectural or in products; color accounts for 60% of our response to an object or place.
Color inspiration in designing a home can come from many things. Some of the more common are artwork, rugs or furniture pieces, dishes, pillows or curtains.

 Color Selection
Consideration of the “mood” of the room should be factored in when selecting a color. For example most people would want a bedroom to be restful, maybe even dramatic. Cool colors suggest peacefulness and quiet whereas stronger Warm colors emit drama and boldness.
Another area may be the dining room. This area is normally a place for social gathering. Warm, bright colors reflect social and blue, green or neutral would be considered a more formal atmosphere.
Children’s rooms have been studied for years. That is why so much emphasis on preschool and daycare wall color is relevant. Bolder and brighter colors have been said to create active and exciting energy and the neutral and cooler colors reflect order and restful places. The next time you visit a space, be it school, stores, etc…pay attention to the wall color. Most, if not all of the time, there is a reason behind the color.

Lighting
If you have ever painted a room or had one painted by a professional, you may have said “that doesn’t look like the color I chose.” Lighting can play tricks. You may even find that at certain times of the day, your room can look as if it’s a different color altogether. 
Natural daylight shows the truest color. Fluorescent lighting casts a blue tone and incandescent (home lighting, lamps, etc.) reflect warm tones and yellows.
Check with your contractor or local paint store. The paint stores often provide paint boxes for you to test your color choice.
Take into consideration where you will apply the paint color. For example near large windows or possibly accent walls. The same color can appear different depending on placement. Also consider, when choosing a paint color, how will it flow from room to room.

Tips and Tools
If paint colors seem to overwhelm you, maybe a monochromatic (all one color) scheme may work for you. This can be accomplished by choosing furnishings and décor that have very similar colors, and then focus your “pops” of color in smaller decorative items throughout the room. This scheme can allow for a cozy space while entertaining the eye with smaller bits of color in maybe a sold colored vase or pillow.
Paint comes in “finishes” such as eggshell, flat (matte), semi-gloss or high gloss. The same color in each of these finishes can appear a different color, even though they are not. I recommend eggshell or flat on walls and satin or semi-gloss on trim. Take into consideration whether or not you want a wall finish to be washable. Flat (matte) is rarely washable and attempting to remove marks, scuffs, food, etc..; will likely be unsuccessful and leave even larger markings where you attempted to remove the others. Eggshell is the more logical choice if you want washable.

Absolute Makeover can help you in these areas as well as home décor, home staging, organization and so much more. If we can be of service to you, please let us know. Our goal is to create spaces you love and enjoy.
Contact Melissa at (615) 977-7732, for all your home improvement and décor needs.

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What your Hendersonville TN Home Inspection Should Include:

Siding: Look for dents or buckling

Foundations: Look for cracks or water seepage

Exterior Brick: Look for cracked bricks or mortar pulling away from bricks

Insulation: Look for condition, adequate rating for climate (the higher the R value, the more effective the insulation is)

Doors and Windows: Look for loose or tight fits, condition of locks, condition of weatherstripping

Roof: Look for age, conditions of flashing, pooling water, buckled shingles, or loose gutters and downspouts

Ceilings, walls, and moldings: Look for loose pieces, dry wall that is pulling away.

Porch/Deck: Loose railings or step, rot

Electrical: Look for condition of fuse box/circuit breakers, number of outlets in each room

Plumbing: Look for poor water pressure, banging pipes, rust spots or corrosion that indicate leaks, sufficient insulation

Water Heater: Look for age, size adequate for house, speed of recovery, energy rating.

Furnace/Air Conditioning: Look for age, energy rating. Furnaces are rated by annual fuel utilization efficiency; the higher the rating, the lower your fuel costs. However, other factors such as payback period and other operating costs, such as electricity to operate motors.

Garage: Look for exterior in good repair; condition of floor'cracks, stains, etc.; condition of door mechanism.

Basement: Look for water leakage, musty smell.

Attic: Look for adequate ventilation, water leaks from roof.

Septic Tanks (if applicable): Adequate absorption field capacity for the percolation rate in your area and the size of your family.

Driveways/Sidewalks: Look for cracks, heaving pavement, crumbling near edges, stains.

No home is flawless, but certain physical problems can be expensive. Watch for:

Water leaks. Look for stains on ceilings and near the baseboards, especially in basements or attics.

Shifting foundations. Look for large cracks along the home's foundation>

Drainage. Look for standing water, either around the foundation of the home, in the crawl space or in the yard. .

Termites. Look for weakened or grooved wood, especially near ground level. .

Worn roofs. Look for broken or missing copings and buckled shingles as well as water spots on ceilings.

Inadequate wiring. Look for antiquated fuse boxes, extension cords(indicating insufficient outlets), and outlets without a place to plug in the ground prong.

Choose a qualified Tennessee Home Inspector. Find a Tennessee Home Inspector at The National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. http://www.nahi.org/

A home inspector is sometimes confused with a real estate appraiser. A Tennessee Home Inspector determines the condition of a structure, whereas an appraiser determines the value of a property.

If you want more information on buying or selling a home, learn more about Hendersonville TN Real Estate