Just south of downtown Nashville, a family owned Greek restaurant recently filmed a television spot for a small network. Okay… maybe the network isn’t quite so small. Maybe it was the Food Network. And maybe the host of the show is Guy Fieri, the showboating cooking personality we all know and love as the owner of the craziest hair in cuisine. That’s right, once again Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has visited the heart of middle Tennessee to investigate unique and authentic cuisine so good it reached the ears of the Food Network.

Athens Family Restaurant offers Greek cooking like Grandma made it. If your Grandma is Greek that is. Guy Fieri showed up to investigate Chef Adel’s original creation the Bacon Lamb Burger, a “Grilled and lightly spiced ground lamb patty, strips of bacon topped with melted Swiss cheese and a pinch of crushed red pepper.” Offering up long hours to soothe the growling bellies of Nashville, including 24-hours Thursday through Saturday the staff of Athens Family Restaurant guides you on a unique, relaxed journey into the specialties of Greek Cuisine.

Since this episode of Burgers ‘n More will be airing February 13, 2012 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, this small seat-yourself restaurant might get a whole lot busier very soon… so it might be a good idea to take some time this weekend and explore a menu that brings a little bit of the Mediterranean right here to Nashville. Voted number one breakfast place in the Nashville Scene Writer’s Choice November of 2005, this Nashville gem continues to make you want to smash your plate and yell “Oompa!” Though they state on their website “they would rather you order seconds than charge you for broken plates.”

Posted by:  Jennifer McClarney

Lynn Tede of Bob Parks Realty has been chosen as Rutherford County’s 2011 Diplomat of the Year by the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. Dedicated to bettering the lives of Rutherford County Residents since its origination in 1982, the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce will recognize Lynn Tede at the Business at Its Best 2012 dinner and reception.

Lynn Tede has been a member of the Chamber’s Diplomat program since 2009; volunteering her time and efforts for countless hours in an attempt to give back to the community she loves to be a part of. In addition to being the agent council representative for the Bob Parks Smyrna office, Lynn also volunteers for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is a member of the Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors public relations committee.

Kelli Beam, Director of Membership for the Chamber is proud to recognize this bustling woman, saying, “Lynn is very deserving of this award because of her dedication and ability to make others feel welcome into the Chamber's membership." Lynn, however, takes a more selfless view of what her efforts mean to others. "I'm thankful to have a job that enables me to help families achieve the American dream of owning a home."

The Rutherford County Business at Its Best 2012 will be February 3^rd at the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel & Conference Center beginning at 5:30 p.m. Seating for dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. Make sure to call and purchase your tickets so you can be there to help honor Lynn Tede for all she has done for Bob Parks Realty and her community.

Posted by:  Jennifer McClarney

Christmas Parades will soon be taking place all over Middle Tennessee!  I found this great site at NashvilleLife.com outlining all of the Christmas Parades and other great Christmas activities that are happening in Middle Tennessee!

• The Nashville Christmas Parade will take place this coming Friday, December 3rd at 7pm
• Downtown Franklin, TN Christmas Parade will take place Saturday, December 4th at 2pm
• Hendersonville has a lighted boat parade taking place Saturday, December 4th at 6pm
• December 5th is a parade in Lebanon and Portland
• December 11th in Gallatin and Mt. Juliet!

If you love parades there are plenty that you can attend! Have fun!

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

We all know that Middle Tennessee is a great place to work and live! But here is just another reason why this is a great place to relocate to!

See this article by The Nashville Business Journal. According to a report released by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, we are set to have an abundance of jobs available! Due to the “Baby Boomers” hitting retirement age and the continued job growth we are set to have plenty of work to go around. That’s exciting news! So, if you know of someone thinking of moving to Middle Tennessee or if your trying to coax your family into being closer to you.. Tell them there is plenty of work to go around!

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

Fieldstone Farms was heavily damaged in the May flooding here in Middle Tennessee. In early September, the crack of a bat was once again heard in the park. After many renovations and upgrades, the park is back open for business! 

Click here to check out the Tennessean article.

Posted by:  Jody Stahly

Not every home owner considering selling a house is doing it under duress. Sometimes people just want to move. Maybe they want more space. Or they may have found some land to build their dream home - lots of trees, a bubbling brook, privacy.

However, the reality is that most homes built or sold in the last five or six years have not held their value of the original purchase price. If the homeowner put a lot of money down, they may be in good shape to sell. If not, most will be lucky to break even or make a few thousand dollars.

If you’re a home owner hoping to sell, but the market is not favorable, you really do have some choices.

1. You can sell, but consider you may need to bring money to the table at closing. $2,000? $10,000? Every situation is unique, so your Realtor® can tell you what to expect based on your home’s market value.

2. You can consider selling on your own. No agent likes this option, but it’s there. The challenge is you will need to be the one to schedule showings, meet with buyers, negotiate your own contract, still complete the required paperwork dictated by state law (property condition disclosure report), and get the home to close. It’s not impossible to achieve, and it is a choice you can make.

3. Wait. Don’t put your house on the market just yet. Cool your heels. We’re hoping that the number of foreclosed home or distress sales will decrease by spring. Once that inventory starts shrinking, homes for sale that are in pristine shape and well-loved will be more in demand, thereby home prices should increase.

Consider all your options if you are thinking about selling. Don’t get in too big of a hurry in this market. Take your time, talk to an experienced Realtor®, and be realistic about pricing your house when you sell.

Call or text Kathy Tyson at (615) 491-2161 if you’re buying or selling in middle Tennessee!

Posted by:  Kathy Tyson

There may be plenty of houses in the middle Tennessee real estate market and not as many buyers as we’d like to see, but the homes that are priced right and also clean and well maintained are quite popular these days. So popular in fact, that multiple offers are coming in!

I had an older home listed last month that had lots of personality. The hardwood floors had a darker wood design built in and the backyard was a haven for bird lovers. The sellers fortunately negotiated and had a smooth closing with one of the two potential buyers. And today, I’m in another multiple offer situation. I’m meeting with a buyer about a condo he hopes to own, but this time he’s the one competing with another buyer.

Many buyers get alarmed when they hear they are in a multiple offer situation. Often they just want to throw in the flag to avoid a “bidding war.” Other times buyers are suspicious because they think agents are trying to maximize their own commission by getting the buyer to pay more. By law, we are required to put our clients’ interests above our own and we must deal with all parties honestly and in good faith. I take the mandates seriously because I don’t want to lose my ability to earn a living, and I believe other agents do the same.

Therefore if you’re told there are multiple offers, believe it. You have several choices you can then make. You can stand firm on your current price - there’s nothing wrong with that because it MIGHT already be the highest offer. You can change your offer (higher or lower). Stay away from the eBay mentality to “outbid” someone else - figure out in advance the highest amount you’d pay and do not go above it. If you don’t get the house, there will be others. Finally, your last choice and the worst thing to do is walk away. If it’s not meant to be, it never will be if you don’t at least make an effort.

There is one other choice you can make. It’s daring, but could be your key to winning the bid. You can change your offer to read, “Will pay $1,000 more than highest offer, not to exceed XX amount.” Of course, you would also ask for evidence that the other offer was a certain amount - and the listing agent can provide this with written permission from the seller, as long as the other buyer hasn’t specifically prohibited their bid from being shared.

Good luck buyers! If you’d like more information about real estate in Nashville, Smyrna, LaVergne, Murfreesboro, or other areas of Middle Tennessee, I welcome your call!

Posted by:Kathy Tyson

Rutherford County is the third healthiest out of a total of 95 counties in Tennessee according to a study released in mid February 2010 by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Foundation. The top three counties were Williamson, Sumner and Rutherford. See the full article at www.dnj.com.

For more information about finding a home for sale in one the healthiest counties in Middle, Tennessee visit:

• Rutherford County Real Estate

• Williamson County Real Estate

• Sumner County Real Estate

Posted By: Kimberly Fahey

If you haven’t experienced springtime in Middle Tennessee you don’t know what you’re missing. It is such a time of renewal. The flowers are blooming. The trees are beginning to get their leaves and the grass is becoming green. It’s ‘s time to get those yards in shape, plant some annuals and trim all the hedges and shrubs.

The good thing about spring is that you know it is getting close to time for all of the outdoor activities that Middle Tennessee is known for such as golf, fishing, boating, and camping. The possibilites are endless.

If you’d like to live in an area where there are four seasons, Middle Tennessee is the place for you and your family to relocate. The real estate market is still strong here and I would love to help with your move.

Posted By: Vicki Oczkowicz

Was it just one year ago that we were experiencing drought conditions in Middle Tennessee? The levels of the Cumberland River and Stones River were low. We were thinking about water conservation because the shores of Percy Priest Lake looked like a big mud ball. Today we long for dry skies. It feels like it’s been a solid month of rain and there’s no end in sight.

I’m thinking it’s time to invest in a rain barrel. I glamorize the rain barrel - thinking it should be wood with metal straps on the top, middle and bottom hugging it together. However, wooden barrels are not always a good idea according to the Clean Air Gardening site,

The problem with wooden rain barrels is that they quickly start to rot. Wooden rain barrels can attract termites, ants, and other wood boring insects. They are also susceptible to rust stains from the metal hoops that support them.

Modern rain barrels are now designed with recycled plastic. They have flat backs so they can sit against a house and have spigots on the bottom to drain the water. For the conservation minded among us, a simple search on Google will put you in touch with a huge variety of rain barrels. Then what you do with the water will be up to you, but I suggest you consider adding flowers and shrubbery around your house to make nice the curb appeal!

Meanwhile, I look forward to the day when the sun shines again.

Posted By: Kathy Tyson

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World recognizes, Bob Parks Realty as a Global Alliance Award Nominee at this year’s annual conference held at the Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Az. Bob Parks Realty’s Corporate Real Estate Services Division was nominated for the Global Alliance award for real estate business conducted across the outside the United States borders. Through the network, The Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the Relocation Department Corporate Real Estate Services of Bob Parks Realty is able to connect buyers and sellers anywhere in the United States and in 37 foreign countries.

Through the Relo Home Search capability, buyers and sellers are able to see the real estate practices in each country along with the currency and language that is used. Luxury properties are also listed on the Luxury Portfolio website with multiple photos and visual property tours. Luxury Portfolio represents companies within the network that market and sell luxury single family homes, condos, farms and estates around the world. For more info, Click Here.

For anyone moving or relocating to Nashville, Bob Parks Realty offers a welcome relocation package of information that will help get connected to just about everything you ever wanted to know about Nashville and the surrounding areas. Bob Parks Realty has offices to serve all of Nashville - Middle Tennessee for single family and multi-family homes, condos, land, farms, estates, and luxury properties.

Posted By: Tammy Carroll

This is a first in a series of blogs about our family’s relocation from California to Tennessee.

People often ask me “What made you choose Gallatin?” The answer is really very simple – the people.

I had actually traveled to and from Middle Tennessee only a couple of times prior to making the decision to move here. The first was by accident. During the August 2003 East coast blackout, my husband and I were in route to New York to assist my elderly parents in packing up their long-time home in Westchester County. While in the Dallas/Ft Worth airport, we were informed that no flights were being permitted to land at LaGuardia airport. Instead of waiting it out in Texas, my husband and I decided to fly to Tennessee and stay with my sister, who had just moved to Hendersonville in June. We literally were in Tennessee for no more than 12 hours, 8 of which were overnight.

Stay tuned…more to follow.

Posted By: Christine Nale

What could I mean by that, you ask? Well, as we all know, in late February, the stock market fell to its lowest value in twelve years. Investors have given back all the value they had gained in their stock portfolios in the last twelve years! So, if like me, you let it re-invest and had it all in untouchable SEP’s and 401’s, you have, in essence, earned nothing and in some cases have even cut into principal on your investments! Yes, I know – we are ALL sick!

Yet at the same time, houses in the middle Tennessee area have gained value. Even including the small amount of “give back on value ” that occurred locally in 2008, our houses have happily gained a 64% INCREASE in value since 1998- just 10 years!

This fascinating information comes from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. It shows that an investment of $201,211 in a home in Middle Tennessee in 1998 brought an average value of $329,065 in 2008!

The following considers a $100,000 home in Middle Tennessee in 1983 and how it appreciated in value over time:

1983 $100,000
1988 $140,283
1993 $148,363
1998 $201,211
2003 $243,894
2008 $329,065

Makes me wish I had ALL my investments in real estate!

The truth is, Real Estate is a great investment and now, with rates at historic lows, it is a great time to buy!

The Feds have just lifted their self-imposed limit of 4 investment properties per person, so now Investors have more options and opportunity! In addition, with the 2009 Homebuyers Tax Credit, there are even greater opportunities to benefit in this down market! Call me at (615) 790-7400 if you have any questions or ideas! I’d love to talk it over with you~

Posted By: Charlene Kimmel