Each week, I do “check-ins” on Mondays 10-11 with the Pareto Realty team . . .These check-ins are very helpful getting a good start for the week. This isn’t just about accountability . . . It’s a way to check our pulses and shift gears (mindset) into a productive mode of operation. Intentionally “celebrating” each new week and all of the possibilities it may present creates the boost we all sometimes need to focus on doing the right things. I’ve found that these check ins are more powerful when we begin with a “1 word Opening”. “What is the 1 word that comes to mind that accurately describes your mental disposition NOW?” Just as with any (all) directions to get from “A” to “B”, we must first know where we are before departing. So . . . Where are you now? (Physically, Mentally, Spiritual... 10/01/2019

Note: This article references business practices in Middle Tennessee. Customs in your region may be different. Should You Sign a Buyers Representation Agreement (BRA)? I don’t know. What is it? Ahh. This would be the first problem. The BRA outlines the terms of the relationship between the agent and her client. Ideally buyers sign this document at the start of the house hunt, but sadly, this important document is usually signed by all parties at the time of an offer. Should you sign the agreement sooner? YES! If  you answer the following five questions in the affirmative, there is no reason for hesitation: 1-Are you serious about buying a property within the next 60 days? Smart agents work with buyers who are committed to moving now (not when the child graduates from high school 4 years... 08/28/2012

Friday's Fotos... Today I will deviate from my typical, picturesque type of photo - maybe tonight. There are some photos that belong in the hall of fame, while others belong in the hall of shame. Not that they were badly taken, but for the subject matter. This one belongs in the latter category. One expects a certain level of workmanship based on the location and price point of the property. On a renovation of an early 1900's Victorian, with a price point of over $700K, I expect a lot. What some folks do to desecrate a property is a crime, and should be arrested for impersonating a workman. What can I say? The chop job under the marble topped, glass vessel, cherry cabinet was not what one would bargain for. All I could think, was that at one time, this person must have worked in the mea... 05/19/2011

Make My Day, Kill A Watt ~ Programmable Thermostats...The average house hold owner will pay thousands of dollars a year in electric bills. Most of the cost will go toward running major appliances. My goal is to reduce my energy consumption by 30% without having to make major changes my lifestyle. First on the list was the biggest energy hog, the HVAC system. Although I do have a high efficiency dual fuel unit, the thermostat was not programmable. The set-it-and-forget-it mentality has been costing me hundreds of dollars a year. The main purpose of cooling is first to dehumidify then cool. The higher your comfort temperature, the less the unit will have to work and the more money you can save. Changing my mindset of raising the thermostat to a higher night-time temperature and sleeping u... 09/28/2010

As I stated in an earlier post about wanting to stay on the on the bleeding edge of technology, I have been searching for a better source of video streaming other than the infamous You Tube. Although You Tube is great at some things, the down side is that when finished playing your video, the format is to want to show viewers similar videos. Which is okay, but not if you just want your video shown. Enter Blip.TV To make a short story long, I am doing some experimenting with different free video hosting services. Here is a 4 minute video that I shot of American Idol finalist Phil Stacey singing a Christmas Carol during Lipscomb University's 4th Annual "Lighting of the Green". This event kicked off their food raising event to raise 300,000 pounds of food for the needy here in the Middle T... 12/04/2008

Wine On The River,a hugely popular venue on the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge in Downtown Nashville is a great place to sit back and watch the glam girls in stiletto's and cigar toking gents graze up and down the bridge with their what...empty Riedel glass. What's up with that! My best friend and I have attended this event for the last 3 years and we arrived around 3:30 and started our ascent to one of the 4 lines marking the get on your mark, get set....go, and our first disappointment was a sold out Riedel wine glass booth. Everybody knows that all the wine snobs purchase a Riedel to sip the "Juice of the Gods" and stroll around sniffing into the wide neck; sipping and whispering about all the "sights" that have you wondering if it is not grown ups Halloween! I don't mean that in a... 09/26/2008

People do things a little differently here in Tennessee as compared to other parts of the country. We have even been chided as being “One of those Redneck States”. Well, I’m here to tell you that rednecks are alive and well in this State as this installation of the garbage disposal will show. Just goes to show you what you can accomplish with a few odds and ends, duct tape, a pack of Lucky Strikes and a half a case of beer. This post is a contribution to the Active Rain network. Have you joined my birthday alarm? It is fast painless and the best part of all, you will be helping me out. Thanks, Michael 05/07/2008

  Visit our website… Click Here People are moving to Tennessee like never before, expanding at the fastest rate in the state’s history. High employment and lower taxes contribute to the increase in population. The Tennessee housing market, which has been one of the strongest and longest appreciating markets in the nation is beginning to see prices fall amid higher inventories of homes on the market because of the credit crunch and increasing foreclosures. Sellers are facing longer listing periods before homes sell, and many more listings are expiring before selling than in the past few years. Nashville has doubled in population the past decade and its economy is still teeming with growth, but the national real estate slow down has caught on and is dragging the market downward. There se... 10/24/2007