Knoxville Tennessee Real Estate Blog

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If you’re thinking of selling your house and it has older and outdated kitchen and bathrooms you’re probably thinking thousands of dollars to remodel and upgrade.

There is a low cost alternative to replacing bathtubs, showers, counters, etc. by simply having them professionally refinished. We sold our house in 2007. It was built in the 70s I believe and each of the three bathrooms had different colored fixtures and tile. One was yellow, one was avocado, and the other was a funky brown and gold.

After some investigation I found a company called Miracle Method of Knoxville who refinishes tiles, tubs, etc., in place with very high grade paint and totally changes the look to a clean, modern finish.The entire process, depending on how much you do, takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days. If you’re worried about durability they guarantee the finish for 5 years against peeling and flaking.

They have a showroom in the Middlebrook Pike area near Wright’s Cafeteria so you can go by and see their work firsthand.

In each bathroom they repainted the bathtub and all the tile along the walls. I installed new vanities, mirrors, light fixtures, and a new, comfort height commode along with new vinyl flooring. My total cost per bathroom was under $2,000 and the difference was enormous.

Here are some example from other projects they have done.

Notice how the dirty old pink and black tile was coated to provide a clean, modern look

Kitchen counter tops can also be refinished in place.

Counter tops can also be refinished and they even have a textured finish that imitates granite or quartz.

Dated Avocado Green tile becomes sparkling white.

Huge difference in this shower stall after refinishing.

BTW, our house sold at full price in a week. The buyers were totally blown away by the bathrooms and kitchen in a 35 year old house.

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Best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Prosperous New Year and thank you for a great 2008.

Jim Lee, Your Realtor

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real estate transfers for the week of December 28, 2008.

It looks like the numbers of real estate transfers at the Knox County Registrar of Deeds office is holding fairly

constant with other week. this week saw 139 property

transfers compared to 137 a couple of weeks ago.

There were four transactions recorded over $1,000,000

$500,000 – $1,000,000           2

$300,000 – $500,000             11

$200,000 – $300,000             16

$150,000 – $200,000             24

$100,000 – $150,000             34

$50,000  -  $100,000             25

Under $50,000                       23

Knox County real estate transfers week of Dec. 28, 2008

Knoxville mortgage interest rates continue to drop; Southeast Mortgage company in my office is still quoting 4.5% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Is that the bottom? Who knows, but I do know that a 4.5% interest rate translates into an extremely attractive monthly payment.

A $100,000 mortgage at 4.5% would have a monthly principal and interest payment of $506.69!

The monthly payment on $200,000 would be $1013.37.

Here are some example of what your money can buy in the greater Knoxville, TN area today.

Beautiful north Knoxville estate with pool and spectacular views, $1,100,000 Brokered by Wood Realtors 577-7575

View these and lots more beautiful homes for sale at www.KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com No registration required to search for greater Knoxville area homes.

Impressive all brick home with in ground pool and just minutes to downtown and UT.$649,00, brokered by Dean-Smith, Inc. 588-5000ÂÂ

Brand new home in excellent west Knoxville location, $474,000. Brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

Farragut beauty in wonderful neighborhood, $388,500, brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

One level home in northwest Knoxville, $189,500, brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

Fountain City rancher, one level and $139,900, brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

Cute as a button Powell area home, only $94,500, brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

See these and hundreds more Knox County homes at www.KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com

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OK, Christmas is past and it will soon be time to pack up the ornaments and tinsel for next year.

However, what do you do with your old cut Christmas tree.

The best deal is to take it to Ijams Park to be recycled into mulch which is used to maintain the trails we all enjoy.

“Collecting trees and holiday greenery now through January 31

Ijams Nature Center will be accepting holiday greenery and trees for recycling into mulch. (Please remove greenery from wire back wreaths.)

When you bring your trees to Ijams, turn into Ijams entrance and then bear left on the interior road to the home-site.  You may place trees near the mulch piles on the left, now through January 31.”

If you live in the city and can’t make the trip to Ijams the city will collect it. Right now they’re still concentrating on leaves but the regular two week brush pick up cycle begins again in mid January 2009. Just put your ornament and tinsel free tree at the curb just as your do brush and it will be picked up.

County residents can have their tree recycled into free mulch at 2 locations:

North: Knox County Convenience Center in Halls
Drop Off Tree Dec 26 through Jan 5 – Trees Chipped on January 5th
To drop off a tree Dec 26 through Jan 5 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday
To drop of a tree and pick up mulch on January 6th, event will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
3608 Neal Road, 37918 – Click for Map

West: Knox County Greenwaste Facility in Solway
Drop Off Tree Dec 26 through Jan 6 – Trees Chipped on January 5th
To drop off a tree Dec 26 through Jan 5 – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday
To drop of a tree and pick up mulch on January 5th, event will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
8707 Joe Daniel Road, 37931 – Click for Map

One more county locations to drop off your used tree but no mulching is:

East: Knox County Convenience Center at Forks-of-the-River Industrial Park
Drop Off Tree Dec 26 through Jan 5 – NO Chipping at this Site
To drop off a tree: Dec 26 through Jan 5 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
3106 Water Plant Road, 37914 – Click for Map

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An amazing Christmas light show is going on just off the Watt Road exit in West Knoxville. Shadrack Water Sports and RV has turned their entire lot into a Christmas wonderland with over 250,000 lights,10,000+ feet of network cable to control the show, and 30,000 feet of power cords.

Visitors can drive through and enjoy the show or park for a few minutes to hear the music synchronized to all the lights.

This huge undertaking began this past August and required over 500 hours of computer programming to pull it all together.

It was worth it all. This is the most amazing display of Christmas lights set to music I’ve seen. Imagine Knoxville’s Boomsday fireworks show without the noise and a Christmas theme and you’ve nailed it

This song is “Christmas with a Capital C” by Go Fish

And the finale is an old favorite “Silent Night” by Mannheim Steamroller

Great Christmas entertainment for the whole family. The Christmas light show is open 6-10 p.m. weekdays, 6-11 p.m. weekends past New Year’s. Admission is $10,00 per carload during the week and $12.00 on weekends. They said over 2,000 cars have toured the grounds and watched the light show since it opened in mid November.

Fun for all the some of the proceeds go to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.

If you’re in Knoxville take I 40 & 75 west to the Watt Road Exit, turn right on Watt Road then almost immediately left on a frontage road parallelling the interstate. There are plenty of signs and you can’t miss seeing all the lights.

Don’t miss it.

The end of 2008 is in sight and it’s been quite a year, especially with the mortgage meltdown in the fall.

It appears from the sales volume numbers that even though the unit volume is down from previous years, sales of homes in the greater Knoxville area is holding up fairly well especially compared to some other areas of the country such as southern California, Florida, Nevada, and some other states.

Real estate sales have historically tapered off in the winter months and built back up to a peak in the summer. Year to date figures for Knoxville don’t show any change in that trend.

Knoxville Area Association of Realtors Knoxville, Tennessee monthly unit sales

Average home prices seem to have held fairly consistent too with Knoxville hovering right around that $160,000 average sales price for a typical 3 bedroom home.

Average monthy sales prices for 3 bedroom homes

Yesterday a number of mortgage companies announced a huge interest rate drop to conincide with the federal government cutting their key rates to near zero.

You can now get a 4.5% FIXED RATE, 30 year home mortgage. At 4.5% that would make the monthly principal and interest payments for typical Knoxville 3 bedroom home $786.38! Escrow for property taxes and insurance would vary but the total payment should be below $1,000 a month.

KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com is the place to go find your dream home and buy it before the rates go back up again.

Please call or email with any home buying or financing questions.

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This past week saw 137 real estate transactions recorded at the Knoxville and Knox County Registrar of Deed’s office.

Past weeks Knox County Registrar of Deeds real estate transactions

Over $1,000,000             2

$500,000 – $1,000,000    5

$300,000 – $500,000     14

$200,000 – $300,000     19

$150,000 – $200,000     24

$100,000 – $150,000     33

$50,000   – $100,000     26

Under $50,000              14

Total                           137

Looks like Knoxville & Farragut homes in all price ranges are selling in spite of the constant negative news and the mortgage crisis.

The facts of the matter are that if you have decent credit and want to buy a new house there is nothing standing in your way. There is a great selection of Knoxville area homes for sale in all price ranges and mortgage money is available around the 5% range.

This stunning home in Sequoyah Hills can be yours for $3,389,000.

Beautiful Sequoyah Hills estate in Knoxville, Tennessee, Contact Jim Lee for more information

Brokered by Re/Max Preferred Properties, 694-8100.

In the Northshore Drive area with lake views; this beautiful traditional home is listed for $459,900

This traditional home is on the market for $459,900, Call Jim Lee at 693-3232 for a private showing.

Brokered by Assist2Sell, 675-2995

This stately brick 2 story is listed for $299,000 in the Farragut area

Stately 2 story home located in the Town of Farragut

Brokered by ERA, Top Producers, 691-5348

Located in the Cedar Bluff Road area, this home is listed for $184,900

Imagine you and your family living in this home; it can be yours.

Brokered by Realty Executives Associates, 693-3232

To see these and any other Knox County or Knoxville & Farragut area home call or email Jim Lee, (865) 693-3232

Visit www.KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com to see all Knoxville area Realtor listings.

The data relating to real estate for sale on this Web Site comes from the IDX Program of the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS^® Multiple Listing Service. ©

This information is being provided for the consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties the consumers may be interested in purchasing. This information is updated weekly, however, some of these properties may subsequently have sold and may no longer be available. The Real Estate Broker providing this data believes it to be correct, but advises interested parties to confirm the data before relying on it in a purchase decision.

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Went to the Knoxville annual Christmas Parade last night. The newspaper said this morning there were about 35,000 in attendance which I think is pretty good since the temperature was around 30 degrees. There were lots of cold, happy people in attendance.

Downtown at the corner of Gay & Clinch waiting for the parade to start

The Knoxville City and Knox County motorcycle police officers wait for the parade to start in front of the Tennessee Theatre

Everyone is excited, the parade is fixing to start……..

Here’s the Karns High School marching band….they did a great job.

Knoxville's Pilot corporation float

There were lots of churches and religious themed floats

and horses............

And more marching bands…………….

We got to our spot about 45 minutes before the parade started to get a good spot. That turned out to be a good because people were 5 and 6 deep behind us after the parade started. Lots of kids of all ages, lots of happy faces in spite of the cold, and lots of shouts of “Merry Christmas” and “Where’s Santa Claus Mommy?”

And what’s a parade without lots of floats…………..there were lots of floats.

There were over 60 floats of all sorts, sizes, and shapes..........

The Knoxville Fire Department

The Knoxville Fire Department was well represented with several engines and firemen. This is their now retired, 1907 American-LaFrance horse drawn steam engine. It’s driven by retired firefighters.

Another antique fire engine.......

with some antique firefighters onboard. 😉

And another marching band,

I didn’t get this one’s name……sorry.

And last but certainly not least…..here’s Santa Claus in person…………

Santa Claus

Santa was saying “Merry Christmas” to all and looking for good little boy & girls.

A great parade as usual and 35,000+ happy folks went home to dream of Santa and his upcoming visit along with visions of sugarplums.

Merry Christmas to all.

BTW, it’s still not too late to put a nice Knoxville area house or condo under your Christmas tree…..KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com is the place to shop.

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