White House, TN Real Estate

Goodall Homes MVP Realtor of the Year!

Karen Valentine — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:24:49 +0000

Yesterday I was recognized as Goodall Homes and Communities MVP Realtor of the year.

Karen Valentine, 2009 Goodall Homes Realtor of the Year, with Bob Goodall

In 2009 I sold 4 new homes in their Magnolia Village Community in White House, TN.

I enjoy working with the Goodall Team and I feel confident that my clients are getting a quality home at a fair price. If you are considering purchasing a home, contact me for information on their floorplans and communities located in the Middle Tennessee cities of Gallatin, Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, Lebanon and Franklin. They offer a wide variety of certified Easy Living Homes in single-family communities as well as condos.

White House, TN

Magnolia Village – Homes starting at $138,900
Kensington Green – 55+ Condominimums starting at $149,000

Gallatin, TN

Lenox Place, 55 or better Condominimums starting at $139,900
Elk Acres – Homes starting at $153,900
Cambridge Farms – Homes starting at $173,900

Lebanon, TN

Colonial Village – Homes starting at $142,900
Stonebridge – Homes starting at $174,900

Goodlettsville, TN

Cottage Grove at Twelve Stones Crossing – Luxury Condos starting at $189,900

Hendersonville, TN

Waterford Crossing – New Condominimum development – details coming soon!

Franklin, TN

Ladd Park – New Community – details coming soon!

Mom’s New House

Karen Valentine — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:27:41 +0000

I’m so excited that Mom will be moving here to White House, TN in April. Here’s what’s going on with her new house!

Feb. 12 – All framed, working on roof!
Feb. 15 – Doors & Windows are in; looks like they put the tubs in too but I haven’t been inside yet.
Feb. 23 – Brick is done, working on siding today. Met with Dustin to approve the wiring; locations of tv, phone etc.

Test Your TN Home for Radon

Karen Valentine — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:14:41 +0000

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, resulting in more that 21,000 deaths each year. Millions of Tennessee homes are at risk for elevated radon levels. Fortunately, radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed by installing a vent system.

What is radon? Radon is a naturally occuring radioactive gas that is harmless when exposed to outdoor air. It’s undetectable through sight and smell and seriously increase your risk for lung cancer if exposed in high levels. Did you know that daily exposue to high levels of radon is like smoking half a pack of cigaretts a day?

Robertson County Environmental office if offering FREE Radon testing kits. Their office is located in the basement at the Robertson County Office Building at 501 South Brown Street, Springfield, TN. Call before going over since they are out in the field at times. 615-384-0240.

I tested my home and was trilled to learn that my radon count was .4 pCi/L, well within the allowable limit of 4 pCi/L.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and conservation has determined the following Nashville Area Counties to be high-risk:

Davidson
Rutherford
Wilson
Williamson

and these countied are categorized as moderate risk:

Cheatham
Dickson
Montgomery
Robertson
Sumner

For more information visit the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation website.

White House, TN Greenway

Karen Valentine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:49:12 +0000

I wanted to share some photos of my recent walk on the Greenway. This time of year it is so beautiful…the sights, sounds and smells; truly theraputic. Take 30 minutes out of your busy day and take a walk. You’ll be glad you did!

Much of the greenway passes through wooded flood plains following Honey Run Creek and its various branches. People can enjoy the trail by walking, jogging, running, biking, or roller-blading. The greenway currently covers exactly 3.5 miles. Another 3 miles of greenway is planned for future construction.

Enjoy!

Homebuyer Credit Extention Passes House; Obama to sign on Friday

Karen Valentine — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:38:58 +0000

Well folks, it’s almost official. President Obama is expected to sign a bill that contains provisions to extend the current First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit to homes under contract by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010. The bill also allows for a $6,500 tax credit to “move-up” buyers. The details of this portion of the bill are still unclear, but hopefully it will work the same as the $8,000 First Time Buyer Credit where qualified buyers receive the credit as more of a “gift” than a true tax credit.

Hopefully this extended and expanded home buyer credit will stimulate sales in mid-price homes and will open up more inventory in the first-time buyer price range as well.

Click Here to read the article from CNBC.com

Home Buyer Tax Credit – Extention and Expansion?

Karen Valentine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:44:56 +0000

It looks as though the President will approve the $8000 Home Buyer Tax Credit for first time buyers sometime this week. But…it could be even better. In addition to upping the income cap for first-timers, buyers who are moving-up to a larger home may receive up to a tax credit up to $6,500! I don’t know the particulars and it remains to be seen if it will be a “gift” or a traditional tax credit (currently any first-time buyer will receive $8,000 regardless if they paid in any taxes or are due any refund at all.) Stay tuned for more info. as it becomes available. It’s a great time to buy real estate in Tennessee!

Here’s the article from Real Estate Economy Watch http://www.realestateeconomywatch.com/2009/11/senate-clears-homebuyer-tax-credit-extension-to-pass-this-week/

You Are Giving Away $8,000

Karen Valentine — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:39:53 +0000

First time buyers, if you are not under contract VERY SOON, you will miss out on your opportunity to receive an $8,000 tax credit (actually more like a gift) for buying your new home. This money is yours for the taking if you are a first-time buyer or if you have not owned a home for the past 3 years…all courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Did you know that you can even file an amended 2008 return and get the money just weeks after you close?

Purchases must be closed by

11/30/09

in order to qualify for the tax credit. Sure, that’s still 8 weeks away, but it can take 6 weeks or longer to get your purchase closed; especially if you are using THDA (Tennessee Housing Development) or USDA Rural Development programs which are offering 100% Financing.

Another issue to consider is that inventory of homes under $150,000 is going fast; the best homes are being snatched up quickly.

The best thing you can do is to contact a mortgage lender and get pre-approved TODAY – many sellers are requiring a pre-approval letter to be submitted with the offer. Some are even requiring that you be pre-approved through their preferred lender, even if you chose to use a different one.

All this takes time so don’t delay. Contact me today and I’ll send you listings that meet your needs or visit www.SellingWhiteHouseTN.com to search for homes on your own. I highly recommend that you set up property alerts that will be emailed to you as soon as new homes meeting your criteria hit the market.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

THDA – It just keeps gettin’ better

Karen Valentine — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:45:38 +0000

The THDA (Tennessee Housing Development Agency) is offering a new alternative to their Great Start program. Buyers who need help with thier downpayment can get a 3.5% second mortgage with payments deferred until 6/1/2010. This allows first-time buyers to use the anticipated $8,000 first time buyer tax credit toward a purchase now. The 2nd mortgage may be paid in full prior to 6/1/2010 or it will amortize for 10 years at a rate of 1% over the locked in first mortgage rate.

This is a temporary program and is only available until 11/30/09 so don’t wait! In order to close by 11/30 you should have a contract in place well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush to close by November 30. Contact me today to learn more!

Search for your new home online now. My MLS search will let you search the MLS, save your favorite houses and set up your own new listing alerts. Click Here to check it out!

First Time Buyers – Buy Now, Get Your ‘09 Tax Credit Now!

Karen Valentine — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:45:39 +0000

First time home buyers who qualify for the $8000 tax credit can claim the credit on thei 2008 tax return!! Even if you’ve already filed your taxes you can file an amended return and claim the credit now.

There are a few important things to know about this Tax Credit from the Stimulus Plan…

1. You Don’t Have to Pay it Back (as long as you own the home for at least 3 years). The previous incentive had to be repaid over 15 years.

2. The credit is 10% of the Purchase Price, up to $8,000. If you buy a home for $70,000; you’ll only receive a $7,000 credit.

3. You must be a first time homebuyer…but if you havn’t owned a home for three years prior to purchase, you are considered a first-time buyer.

4. You must purchase (close the transaction) by December 1, 2009.

5. There are income limitations – $75,000 for single buyer and $150,000 annual income for a married couple.

Here’s a link to the IRS website for more info. www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf

If You’ve Got Decent Credit and Are Still Renting, You’re Nuts!

Karen Valentine — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:09:33 +0000

There has probably NEVER been a better time for the first-time home buyer. The market is overflowing with inventory, interest rates are very low and there are programs available for 100% Financing and even 102% Financing, so you can still buy a home with no money down. And if that weren’t enough reason to buy now, the IRS is giving an $8,000 tax credit, which can be split over 2 tax years if your tax liability isn’t $8,000 for 2009.

You could buy a $120,000 home and be paying under $800 a month; including taxes and insurance. When you factor in the interest you can deduct from your taxes at the end of the year, your mortgage payment may be less than you are paying for rent and you are building equity! So what’s stopping you? Pick up the phone and call me at 615-830-2887 to learn more about the programs available for first-time buyers.