From education, war, rebuilding and growth to the first airmail by balloon in 1877, Nashville has been nicknamed, “The Athens of The South”. Due to Nashville being one of the first cities to establish higher education facilities and the first southern city to establish a public school system, Nashville has been progressive on the forefront as being a refined and educated city. From Fisk University, Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, Saint Cecilia Academy, Montgomery Bell Academy and Meharry Medical College all open its doors for higher learning and was known for its wealth and culture.

The Parthenon, which is located in Centennial Park is a beautiful centerpiece of one Nashville’s premier urban parks. The Parthenon was built to celebrate the 1897 Centennial Exposition. The structure is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens and serves to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. It is home to a permanent collection of paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists. The pieces were donated by James M. Cowan. The gallery also provides a venue for temporary shows and exhibits and is a great place to spend the afternoon.

For more information about the Parthenon, Click Here

When doing a tour of downtown, the Parthenon is certainly one of the stops we make when working with our corporate clients on a welcome tour. It’s a fun and exciting place to enjoy when considering making a move to Nashville. Downtown Nashville is an exciting place to experience the live country, jazz, rock and roll music venues. Just about every type of music is represented in Nashville ~ hence the “Music City”…..

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

Looking for a great way to spend a Saturday? Well here it is! The Murfreesboro Half Marathon is on Saturday, October 3, 2009 @ 7:00 am. Runners & Walkers from all over will be pounding the pavement on this 1.3 mile scenic course. This marathon has grown to become one of the top half marathons in Tennessee. Winning the Tennessee Parks & Recreation Four Star Program Award in 2008.

The night before you can load up on a delicious pasta dinner provided by Marina’s and Maple Street Grille located on The Downtown Square. “The Boomers” will also be providing live music for your enjoyment. A perfect evening to carbo load and enjoy some of your favorite tunes while relaxing with the family.

For more information regarding race registration and dinner tickets please visit www.themiddlehalf.com.

Posted By: MaryAnn Fisher

What a great place to live, work and play! LaVergne Tennessee is located just 15 miles outside Nashville at 36.016 latitude and 86.582 longitude in Rutherford County. Interstates I-24, I-40 and I-65 are close at hand for easy access to everywhere.

There are several lakes near, Percey Priest Lake, Old Hickory Lake and Tims Ford Lake if you are looking for fun on the water. LaVergne is also located near the Nashville International Airport, Middle Tennessee State University, Belmont University, Tennessee State University, and Vanderbilt University. LaVergne has been voted one of America’s most affordable places to live…..for more information, Click Here.

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

As more and more 1st time home buyers enter the real estate market one comment that I hear over and over is “We don’t even know where to start”. My answer is simple, “Well, you’ve come to the right person, because helping you understand and guiding you through the home buying process is my job.”

As your Realtor® I can help you avoid costly home buying mistakes. There are essential techniques that I recommend to all my clients that have helped them save time, money, and aggravation.

First, get pre-approved for a home mortgage. Mortgage approval (not just qualification) is a major hurdle for many homebuyers and is extremely important in today’s market. Many lenders have stricter guidelines than they did even a month or two ago, and a pre-approval letter will carry much more weight with the seller when you can attach it as part of your offer. Pre-approval will help in determining your price range and help you save time. This vital step will also provide you an opportunity to quickly place an offer when you find your perfect home.

Second, I can help you with finding the home you want to buy. As you think about where and what to buy, there are many important factors you should consider:

• Your work commute – how quickly can you get to and from work? How much traffic will you encounter? Is access to public transportation an important feature?
• Access to shopping – how important is having easy access to a shopping center? What about grocery stores?
• Utilities – Is there access to cable or high-speed Internet?
• Medical services – Is distance to the nearest hospital important to you?
• Parking – Do you want a garage? Is street parking available for guests?
• Recreation –do you need close proximity to parks, lakes, beaches or ski slopes to accommodate your hobbies and interests?

Finding the right neighborhood is just as important as finding the right house. When you are ready to purchase a home, I look forward to the opportunity to discuss all of your needs and ensure you have a house that suits your lifestyle and interests. Contact me at (615) 829-1051, or search for homes on my website at www.middletnrealestate.net.

Posted By: Christine Nale

The Baby Boomers of the world, born in 1946 – 1964, yes, I am a member of the club, or the chosen ones, I should say. There are over 78 million of us. Every 7 seconds someone turns 50. See, 50 doesn’t seem as old as it was when we were younger, right?

Since receiving my SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) I guess you could say I’ve become more aware of my generation of the Baby Boomers, especially when it comes to having Accessibility: The coming wave of housing for the future! Do you have a “Visitability” home? Think about it! Did you know that there are over 4 million multi-generational households in the U.S.? Since 1990 it has grown 40%, so our homes should meet the needs of younger and older persons.

That’s what I mean when I ask: Do you have a visitability home? These are items or ideas that make a home safer, more convenient for all ages and abilities. What if someone you loved had an accident and had to a be in a wheelchair or walker, could they visit your home, come for dinner, get in and out easily; get into and use the bathroom, stay overnight?

I just completed a CE (Continuing Education) course on Universal Design and how it can be an advantage to everyone. It has made me more aware of what to look for when helping my clients purchasing their next home. It’s opened my eyes to my own home.

As a verse in a Fleetwood Mac song goes: “But time makes you bolder, even children get older, and I’m getting older too.” Life brings change!

For more information on this subject, you can contact me at Beverly@SearchingForAhome.com, and I will be glad to share with you many options we can do with your own home or your new home. If you know of people who might benefit from my expertise, please feel free to give them my contact information.

I will be talking more about this subject in weeks to come, because I do feel that it is important to make people more knowledgeable on how to make our homes accessible to us, and our guests and family members.

Remember, you have a choice when you wake up every morning, so always make it a Great Day!

Posted by:Beverly Cannon

Go green by paying bills and statements electronically instead of paper. A coalition of several financial service companies have found this method could assist in protecting the environment. The study revealed, that the average American household receives 19 bills and statements in the mail monthly and seven payments are made in paper form. If 2% more households would switch to electronic payments, more than 15 million pounds of paper would be saved, thereby saving more than 181,000 trees.Greenhouse gases would be reduced by more than 390 million pounds and 143 million gallons of wastewater would not enter the environment.

Posted by:Bob Cunningham