Variety is the Spice of Life

You've probably heart this saying all your life. If it is true, then the Tri-Cities area of northeast Tennessee is a spicy place!

This will be a multiple part blog. This first part will address the variety of activities available during the spring months that are related to the natural beauty of the area. There's lots' going on! For the second part, come back shortly. You may be surprised to find the variety in future blogs.

Festivals and flowers seem to share an affinity. The northeast Tennessee area is abloom now and would be gorgeous had we not had temperatures in the 20s over the weekend! My azaleas that were just about ready to pop are now brown. However, other bloomers will show their beauty soon.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Garden Faire will be held in Abingdon, VA less than an hour drive from the Tri-Cities on April 20-22. The same weekend, the Spring Nature Festival will be held at Warriors' Path State Park in Kingsport. And, on the 21st, a Landscape Seminar and Plant Auction will take place at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton.

On April 28th the Community Plant Exchange will be staged at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton and the Spring Garden Fair will be at Exchange Place in Kingsport.

The ramp is an indigenous plant and has its own festival! Even though ramps are highly odiferous members of the onion family, locals do enjoy eating them. So, for something a bit dirrerent, check out the Ramp Festival sponsored by the Flag Pond Ruritan Club on May 12th. Flag Pond is between Johnson City and Asheville.

Gardens planned and executed by the homeowner without professional input are featured in a Garden Tour sponsored by the Shady Oaks Garden Club in Johnson City on May 12th. Members of the club and the creator of the garden will be available to answer questions.

While plants and flowers signal the arrival of spring, birds do as well. On May 19th, Bird Walks will be held at Sycamore Shoals Historic Area in Elizabethton.

Greeneville, which is about 30 minutes west of Johnson City will hold its Iris Festival May 19-20. In addition to the blooming iris, the state flower of Tennessee, expect to see artisans, crafters, entertainers, and a "Miss Iris Festival" pageant. There'll be much more going on--just go and browse to find something for every family member!

Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee and has lovely gardens. On May 26, several of the gardens will be open for the Annual Garden Gala.

Not to be outdone, Abingdon, VA will stage its Annual Garden Tour on June 23 and 24. This same weekend, the 61st Rhododendron Festival will be held at Roan Mountain State Park. The native rhododendrons are certainly the stars of this festival, but ohter family oriented activities are included, as well.

Does the opportunity to enjoy over 18,000 plants in one place pique your interest? The the Scott County Lavender Farm in Dungannon, VA just north of Kingsport should delight you. Here, from May 8 thru Juoly 7, you can cut your own lavender bunches, watch steam distillation, learn to make lavender wands, and enjoy lavender lemonade and lavender cookies. Sandwiches will be available for a picnic by the beautiful Clinch River.

On June 16, join the folks at the lavender farm for the Lavender Festival. During the day you can make lavender crafts, enjoy musicy by Copper Ridge, Tim Underwood, and Virginia's banjo picker of the year Blaine Gilliam with Kelly on bass guitar. Vendors will be present. There will also be more lavender food, plus a wine tasting at 12 noon featuring wines from Mt. Rose Vineyards.

For more information on any of these events, respond or email me.

Handcuffs in the Medicine Chest!

"Stage it!" "Think like a buyer!" "Have a garage sale." "Your house is a commodity now."Every real estate agent has said at least one of the above phrases to a seller. And each of the phrases is important for successful marketing.

A friend and I were discussing such recently when he said something that really made me think. I'll share what he said, some ideas that I then generated, and the reason that these ideas are excellent ones for sellers to remember.

So here goes:"We have noticed that severed heads mounted on the walls always seem to get people's attention. That can be a good or a bad thing depending on one's raisin'."OR...."Believe it, everyone who goes through your home will look in the medicine chest. If you want to have a little fun consider storing a pair of handcuffs therein".

Ok, my friend DOES have a strange sense of humor! But, his humor contains hidden jewels for sellers. First, what is on walls does impress buyers. Granted, not many are impressed favorably with heads! Just enough decor to give a lived-in look but not so much that the buyer can't imagine their own decor is always the right amount. You want buyers to look at the HOUSE, not at your favorite trinkets or family pictures. Selling time is not a time for extremes!

Second, yes they probably will look in the medicine chest, the vanity, every closet in the house, the cabinets, and everywhere else, especially if they are impressed and considering the house. You aren't into handcuffs?? That's fine. Just clean all closets and cabinets so that they look impressive. A stuffed area doesn't impress a buyer with the amount that can be contained therein. Sort, throw away, sort, throw away, then do it again so that your storage areas will appear large and organized.

Third, (this one isn't funny and my friend didn't address it), if you have children, involve them in the preparation for showing the house. When that garage sale is held, older children can participate and, in my opinion, be able to keep the money earned from their belongings. And, even younger ones can understand the need for dirty clothes going in the hamper, even if they didn't seem to understand at any other time. Several years ago, I marketed a house occupied by two boys about 6 and 8. Their rooms had always shown well. The night that their parents accepted an offer their question was "Can we now put our clothes hampers back out in our rooms?" They had adapted by now having the hampers out where they could practice shooting hoops with their clothes. It paid off!Selling a house involves stress. Put a bit of humor in it!
Posted by Marilyn Robertson

Pretty--Price!

Buying a home has been shown to be a decision driven by emotions. Knowing this, a seller who understands the emotions that govern buyers will be more likely to get a quick sale for a good price.

For many females, "pretty," is a very significant word. It was one of the first words that my granddaughter used over and over. It was also one of the last words that my mother used when Alzheimer's robbed her of most of her vocabulary.

This suggests to me that a pretty property will likely be more appealing, especially to females. Note that I did not imply that the price or size of the property has anything to do with whether the perception of that property is pretty. I've seen tiny houses that certainly were pretty. I've seen huge houses that needed a magician to make them pretty!

So what makes a house pretty? I think of a pretty house as one that looks loved. Its yard is well groomed; its front entry says "welcome" with a freshly painted door, plants, and a porch that invites you to stay a while. The back yard is an oasis. Even if there are children and pets, this area is void of clutter. This area says, "kick back and rest, or kick it up and party!"

Opening the front door makes a huge impression. There's nothing that can be done to change that first impression! What seems to make the inside of a house pretty to a buyer? A house in which a buyer can imagine living every day is the beginning. Questions going through the mind of that lady are "will my furniture fit?" "Is there enough light?" "Are the closets big enough?" "What about other storage space?" "How soon will I have to spend money to redecorate?"

To help the lady answer these questions a seller would be wise to do a few things before the house goes on the market. Remember: when your house goes on the market, it becomes a commodity. Some changes may need to be made to increase its saleability. First, clear out any furniture that you do not absolutely need for day to day functioning. You may be accustomed to some of these pieces, but remember that making rooms look as spacious as possible is very important. If you absolutely cannot part with these pieces of furniture, find some way to increase the spacious look when the house shows. Extra pieces look much better in the basement than in the living room!

One of my favorite true stories is of the seller who had a very small kitchen with a very large microwave sitting on the counter. Her reasoning was that a buyer would look at that and say, "this is a very small kitchen with almost no counter space." So, she arranged with her next door neighbor to keep the big microwave at her house when showings occurred! Drastic, perhaps, but it worked! I'll share with you some of the other things that this wise seller did. Just keep reading.

Making closets and cabinets look big and uncluttered is also important. Box up those items that you haven't used lately or are out of season. If a garage sale isn't your thing, there are charities that would give you a big thanks and you'd have a tax break, as well. Just can't part with any of it? If you have a basement, store it there (neatly boxed, of course.) Some sellers may even need to rent a storage unit. This is not a drastic move if it means the sale of your house!

"But I like a warm, cozy feel that surrounds me," may be your response to my suggestion of bathing a house in light when it is being shown. Warm and cozy can still be light. Dark and dreary can't! Light should come in the windows. Shades or blinds covered with sheers, then with draperies would probably appeal to few folks. If this is your taste and you need the privacy at night, then let the sunshine in when showings happen!

Artificial light makes a big difference in whether a house looks inviting, as well. When your house is being shown, turn on every light. Your house will look prettier and say "welcome", too!

Then there's the redecorating question! Take a look at your house through the eyes of a buyer. Start with the floors and work upward. Will cleaning the carpet suffice, or has that carpet really seen its last days?? Replacing worn carpet with a builder's grade of carpet in a neutral color may be the best investment you'll make for a while! Few buyers have dollars available immediately after closing. Many would qualify for higher payments that would easily cover the cost of the carpet that you installed. The carpet added immediate value to your house. Vinyl floors deserve the same scrutiny. Some bathrooms can be given a new life with a remnant!

"And, you say, I'm sure that a buyer would want to pick the paint colors, so I won't paint." They may want to paint later, but fresh, clean paint in neutral colors against which they can imagine their furniture is very important. Stark all white houses are not so appealing as soft neutral colors.

"Well, is there anything else?" you think. There might be! My friend that I mentioned earlier lived in a cookie-cutter neighborhood of very similar houses. There were three on her street already on the market when they were transferred and added theirs to the mix. Here's what she did: replaced carpet and vinyl, replaced kitchen appliances, painted, took family pictures, etc. off the walls, put in new plants by the front door, stored unused items, removed all evidence of pets, and left the house when it was shown. She spent around $10,000. Her house went on the market for more than that above the price of the others on the street. She had a full price offer almost immediately. The other houses had not sold when she and her family moved away!

And what about price?? We'll address that in the next post!

What's the Market Like?

The first question usually asked when one realizes that I'm a REALTOR is, "what's the market like?" Of course, some say "How's business?" When I entered the profession in 1985, my broker told me to answer the last question with :"It's great!"

Business is great as long as agents are helping buyers and sellers realize their wants and fulfill their needs! But we all know that the real meaning of the questions above is "are you selling a lot?" And the honest answer to that question is that the market is always slower this time of year than in the spring and summer months.

However, this may yield a benefit to either a buyer or a seller. Buyers have fewer other buyers competiting for properties. And sellers have fewer houses with which to compete. So, for folks who need to buy and sell in Johnson City and Kingsport, this may be the time!

So, I'd encourage buyers to be preapproved for a loan and sellers to have the property ready to sell and priced according to market statistics for similar properties. These are the most important variables, whatever the month!

Where is That??

"Upper east Tennessee." "Northeast Tennessee." "Tri-Cities." "The Mountain South." Familiar with any of these?

From Memphis, on the southwestern most point of Tennessee to the Virginia state line on the northeastern point is farther than from either point to Ontario! The references above refer to the most northeastern part of the very wide state of Tennessee. The area is anchored by three towns: Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, hence "Tri-Cities."

East Tennesse includes that area east of the Cumberland Plateau. So "Upper east Tennessee" or "Northeast Tennessee" is the most northern area of east Tennessee.

You may know of the areas labeled the "Mid-South," "Deep South," or "Coastal South." Since east Tennessee is south of the Mason-Dixon line, it is in the south, even though many residents sided with the north during the Civil War. Being home to several mountains and in the foothills of the Smokies, magazine editor Scott Robertson dubbed this area "The Mountain South." This is an apt description of our beautiful area.

So, "that" is a gorgeous area adjoining southwest Virginia at Bristol, where the state line runs down the middle of State Street; it's less than an hour's drive to Asheville, NC on interstate 26 with some of the most spectacular mountain views you'll see anywhere; it's 100 miles via interstate 40 to Knoxville, home of The University of Tennessee and its famous Vols. Atlanta is about five hours, as is Nashville. The area has it all: a regional airport with Delta and USA service; East Tennessee State University and its College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy; cultural activities; outdoor recreation; four season climate. It's no wonder that our area has been chosen by national publications as a great place to live!