Ralston Glen market report

Franklin Real estate – Ralston Glen is a medium (99 homes) neighborhood in the east side of Franklin TN. Interstate access is one of it’s major assets, but a community pool and tennis courts also add to it’s allure. With homes ranging from 2000 square ft to 3500 square ft, and prices from $310,000 to $385,000, it’s a fairly affordable neighborhood for Franklin standards. Schools are Liberty elementary, Freedom middle, and Centennial High school.

Two homes have sold in the last 12 months at an average price of $351,750. the average price per square ft was $125.69, and the average days on market was 65.

If you are interest in Ralston Glen real estate, contact Larry Brewer, or click on the link to view available homes.

Brentwood parks – Lots of choices for outdoor fun

If you are considering a move to Williamson county, Brentwood has a more than just the best schools in the state, they also have a great park system. Here is a sample

Crockett Park is located on Crockett road directly behind Crockett elementary.
Home of the historic Cool Springs House and the Eddy Arnold Amphitheater, Crockett Park is the site of many Brentwood events and activities including the summer Concert in the Park Series and the annual 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks. Also within the park is the Williamson County Parks & Recreation Indoor Soccer facility (to open in summer 2007).

- eight multipurpose fields (two lighted)
- eight lighted baseball/softball diamonds
- seven lighted tennis courts
- concessions and restrooms buildings
- open meadows
- nature trail
- paved walking paths and bikeways
- community playground for children of all ages.

The historic Cool Springs House features facilities for receptions and community gatherings. You can find more by CLICKING HERE. A portion of the second floor has been transformed into a large conference room for workshops and business retreats.
• To reserve one of the pavilions or facilities, print and complete the form by CLICKING HERE and call 371-2208.
• To reserve one of the athletic fields, call the Recreation Services coordinator at 371-2208.
• For athletic field closures call 373-7752.

The City of Brentwood has developed a Trail System of multiple marked trails along paved surfaces in many of the City’s parks.

The trails are designed for the leisurely enjoyment of the beautiful outdoors as well as for the exercise enthusiast. They provide a great place to walk, jog run, bike and rollerblade. The trails vary in length and difficulty. They are incorporated around other areas of the park system to allow use while family or friends may be utilizing the area facilities including the YMCA, Williamson Recreation Center or Martin Center, for example.
The trails are color coded and a map can be found below or by visiting City hall on Maryland Way. The markers are color coded every 10th of a mile. Emergency call boxes are located along the trails. They are noted in the available map.
Additional trails are currently being developed for future expansion of the trail system and are noted on the map. Enjoy the City’s trail system and help preserve them for future generations.
Please be courteous of others on the trails. Always walk, skate or ride to the RIGHT. Pass to the LEFT. Give a shout when passing. Walkers and Joggers have the right of way. Skaters please yield to those on foot. Bikers please yield to all.

Granny White Park on Granny White pike adjacent to Brentwood Middle and High Schools.

- walking and exercise trails
- the Rotary Pavilion
- multi-purpose athletic field
- four lighted tennis courts
- lighted baseball/softball fields with dugout covers
- children’s playground.

Granny White Park is adjacent to Brentwood Middle and High Schools.
• The Rotary Pavilion is often used for company, organization and family picnics. To reserve it, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 371-2208 and complete the form HERE.
• The children’s playground is large and often busy, regardless of the season. There are two large jungle gyms that are geared towards different aged children. There are smaller shelters near by and plenty of swings, both for children and adults. There is a water fountain next to the playground.
• Restroom facilities can be found by the ball fields.

• To reserve one of the athletic fields, contact Mike Recreation Services coordinator at 371-2208. For athletic field closures call 373-8310.

 

Deerwood Arboretum & Nature Center

320 Deerwood Lane
Park hours: dawn to dusk

Deerwood is a 27-acre natural area and State of Tennessee Certified Arboretum.

Bordering the Little Harpeth River, it showcases native trees, migratory birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The park features bikeway and jogging trails, ponds, a wildflower meadow and a Nature Center Complex with an outdoor classroom. There are also restrooms, information kiosks and a small amphitheater. An educational curriculum is available for use by schools and service groups, and a parks department employee is available on site to assist visitors.
Deerwood features more than 69 different species of trees, all identified and locatable with a Tree Identification Trail Guide. As a State Certified Arboretum, most examples of each species is within 20 feet of the trail. Most of the tagged trees are native to Tennessee. Sections of the trail connect Deerwood to Belle Rive Drive and a foot bridge over the Little Harpeth River that leads to Kingsbury Drive in Laurelwood.
To reserve a shelter at Deerwood Arboretum and Natural Area contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 371-2208

Tower Park

Heritage Way

Park Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Tower Park is a 47 acre park that surrounds the historic WSM Tower.

The park includes:

- walking and biking trails
- multi-purpose fields
- natural open spaces
Located adjacent to Tower Park is the Williamson County Sports Complex, a 76,000 square-foot indoor sports complex which hosts a 50+ meter pool, five indoor tennis courts, a 4,000 square-foot fitness center, full service locker rooms, childcare room and multi-purpose room. The Sports Complex is owned and operated by Williamson County. For more information, contact 370-3471.
To reserve an athletic field contact the Recreation Services Coordinator at 371-2208
For athletic field closures call 373-7752.

Concord Park is a 40 acre park surrounding the Brentwood Library.

Situated at one side of River Park and across from the WSM tower on Concord Road, the location is a good spot for beginning a walk or jog. Connected to the Brentwood Bikeway system, the park is also a great destination for family activities.
Housed within the park are the Civitan Fields. For more information, see the ACTIVITIES PAGE.
The park includes:
- walking paths
- bikeways
- practice fields
- basketball courts
- open areas for picnics and kite flying.
There are no large shelters or athletic fields available for reservation in Concord Park.

Primm Park is a 31 acre park that includes the historic Boiling Spring Academy (circa 1830) and five mounds from the Mound Builders circa 1200 A.D.), the last of prehistoric Native Americans to live in this area.
The park, designed to showcase both historic features, also connects, extends and acts as an entrance to the Brentwood Bikeway. The Little Harpeth River runs through the park.
Boiling Springs Academy originally opened as a private school in 1833, has undergone an extensive restoration. Tuition was originally $8 per semester (about 5 months). The school has two rooms, one upstairs and one on the main floor. Six schools in Brentwood participate in the Boiling Spring Academy Classroom Project. Third grade students come to Boiling Springs Academy dressed in period clothes loaned to them by the Historic Commission. They spend the day much like the children of the 1800’s, being taught by schoolmarms and using slates and slate pens during their lessons.
The Indian mounds are part of the ceremonial mounds built by the Native American Mound Builders between 900 and 1450 AD. They built ceremonial buildings and homes on top of the mounds and used one as a burial mound. The mound clearly visible today was likely home to the tribal chief. The mounds have been studied and researched and some of the artifacts are now part of the Smithsonian Institution.

For more information about brentwood parks, click here http://www.brentwood-tn.org/

If you are interested in moving to Brentwood, contact Larry Brewer at 615-512-7853, or to search for Brentwood real estate, click on the button.

Franklin Jazz Fest this weekend

  For the 19th year, Franklin will have a Jazz Fest on labor day weekend. The activities start at 5 p.m. on Saturday with the last act going on stage at 08:30. Sundays start times will also be at 05:00. Admission will be $5.00 and the proceeds will go to the Epilepsy Foundation of Middle and West Tennessee.

Acts will include Buckwheat Zydeco, Cissy Crutcher, the Storm Kings, Reggie Wooten, Christina Watson, Pat Coil Sextet, and orquesta Macuba. It should be a lot of fun for Jazz fans.

for more information click on the Franklin Jazzfest link.

Tennessee Counties struggle to Fund Growth?

The Nashville Tennessean published an article on the front page today that really ticked me off. Once again, our local and state governments are proving that they cannot handle budgeting, and they want the taxpayers to cover it up. The story talks about how the local counties are all having to increase their property taxes soon to handle the growth that they have had in the last few years. They talk mostly about schools, but I’m sure that if the numbers were public, schools are not where the spending has been going.

I know that in Williamson county, every new home has an very large impact fee paid to the local government to cover the growth expense of the community. So that money should cover any growth issues that happen, schools, roads, and utilities. So the real question I have is this, when the impact fees pay for growth, and the regular property taxes pay for ongoing expenses, why do the communities now have a tax problem? My guess is that they assumed that growth would be consistent, and they were expecting a lot more from the impact fees than they should have. So what they are really saying is that growth is slowing and they don’t have the money to pay for the projects that they want.

If these local governments were a business, they would be cutting back on expenses, but since it’s the government, they just raise the tax rate. Unfortunately one of the sure ways to slow growth is to raise taxes.

Hostile Territory

Divorce and Real Estate, two very emotional subjects. As a realtor, I sometimes  get caught in the middle. It’s difficult to stay focused on what I can do to help them both. In a lot of cases, one party wants to sell, and the other wants to keep the house, and take over the payments. Especially if children are involved.

If you’ve ever been involved with a divorce sale, you know what I mean. If not, be prepared for some irrational behavior. Here are a few things that you should advise couples with a home, and going through a divorce.

1. If someone is planning to keep the home, have they talked to a mortgage person to see if they can qualify for the loan required?

2. If they plan to keep the house, how will the other party be compensated for their part of the equity if any?

3. How will you value the equity? It’s not as simple as appraised value minus the amount owed. You must also factor in any repairs that should be made, the actual closing cost of a new loan, and real estate fees when you sell. All of these costs could be many thousands of dollars, make sure it is part of the negotiation.

4. If you plan to sell, who is responsible for maintaining the home, and being prepared for showings.

5.Where will each of you live after you sell?

My advise is this, sell the house. Move on with your life. Don’t put yourself in a bind financially because you think it will be easier on the children. They will be much better off when their parents aren’t stressed out trying to pay for a home they can’t afford.

A lot of homes in foreclosure are due to divorce, and the actions taken during the divorce proceedings. Don’t let it happen to you or someone you know. Take the right action in the beginning, and realize that you probably need to divorce your house, as well as your spouse.

6010 Warner Ct – Golf View Estates

Larry Brewer | Keller Williams – Franklin | 615-512-7853 6010 warner ct, Spring Hill, TN Lighthouse single story 3BR/2BA Single Family House offered at $212,900 Year Built 2008 Sq Footage 2,010 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 7,200 sqft HOA/Maint $20 per month DESCRIPTION Single story with bonus room above garage. Double tray ceiling in fabulous dining room overlooking courtyard entrance. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Hardwood floor Family room Bonus/Rec room Dining room Dishwasher Stove/Oven Microwave Laundry area – inside COMMUNITY FEATURES Garage parking ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Seller contact info: Larry Brewer Keller Williams – Franklin 615-512-7853 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Aug 13, 2008, 2:42am PDT

Inconvenient Truth

 

House #1 A 20-room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool ( and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400. per month. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern “snow belt” area. It’s in the South.

House #2 Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every “green” feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.
The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000-gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

Now, for the clincher:

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of the “environmentalist” Al Gore.
HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas; is the residence of the President of the United States ,
George W. Bush.
Is this an “inconvenient truth?”
You can verify it at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

Famous Homes

Rags to riches stories of Hollywood celebrities – find out how much the house they grew up in cost and how much the one they live in now costs.

Eddie Murphy, See Home

Beverly Hills, CA – Eddie Murphy built a Mission-style $20 million mission in 2005.

Edward Regan “Eddie” Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor, film director, producer and comedian. Murphy ranks as the number one grossing film star in history, having a total of 33 films to date, his films grossing over $3.4 billion in the US alone, averaging $104 million per film.^[1] He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984, and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He has also enjoyed a minor singing career.

Murphy was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in the 1960’s where the median home price was $75,400.

Oprah Winfrey, See Home

Oprah resides in a $55 mil home in Montecito, CA with 14 bathrooms and 10 fireplaces.

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954), often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American television host, media mogul, and philanthropist. Her internationally-syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, has earned her multiple Emmy Awards and is the highest-rated talk show in the history of television.^[2] She is also an influential book critic, an Academy Award-nominated actress, and a magazine publisher.

Oprah was born in rural Mississippi but grew up in an inner city Milwaukee neighborhood in the 1960’s where the median home price was $60,600.

J.Lo, See Home

Los Angeles, CA – J.Lo lives in a seven bedroom and fourteen bathroom, 12,217 sq. ft home in

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969),^[1] popularly nicknamed J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, fashion designer, and television producer. She is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood according to Forbes, and the most influential Hispanic entertainer in America according to People en Español’s list of “100 Most Influential Hispanics”.^[2]

Jennifer Lopez was born in the South Bronx, New York and grew up in the 1970’s where the median home price was $86,400.

John Travolta, See Home

Ocala, FL – John Travolta built this $2.5 million dollar Florida house at the end of a private runway in Ocala, Florida, which includes parking for his Boeing 707 and Gulfstream jets. Oh, and a 16-car garage.

John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor, dancer, and singer, best known for his leading roles in films such as Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, and Battlefield Earth.

Travolta  was born in Englewood, New Jersey and grew up in the 1960’s where the median home price was $76,900.

Will Smith, See Home

Los Angeles – The Fresh Prince renovated this Calabasas castle, worth nearly $20 million. It has its own lake. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have their own full-sized basketball and tennis courts too!

Willard Christopher “Will” Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor and rapper. He is one of a small group of people who have enjoyed success in three major entertainment media in the United States. Newsweek has called him the most powerful actor on the planet.^[1] Smith has been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammys.

Will Smith was born and raised in West Philadelphia and Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia during the 1970’s where the median home price was $52,200.

Halle Berry, See Home

Malibu, CA – Halle Berry’s owns an $8 million estate in Malibu, CA. Nearly every room has a coastline view. 

Halle Maria Berry (IPA:; born August 14, 1966)^[1] is an American actress, former fashion model and beauty queen. Berry has received Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,^[2] and an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her performance in Monster’s Ball, becoming the first and still only woman of African-American descent to have won the award for Best Actress.

Halle was born in Cleveland Ohio and grew up in the 1970s where the median home price was $67,600.

Brad Pitt, See Home

Malibu, FL – Brad Pitt’s cliffside crib in Malibu, just $4.5 million.

William Bradley “Brad” Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor, film producer, and social activist. He became famous during the mid 1990s after starring in several major Hollywood films.^[1] Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys.^[1]

Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma and grew up during the 1970s where the median home price was $42,600.

Ryan Seacrest, See Home

Los Angeles, CA – Ryan Seacrest recently purchased Kevin Costner’s Los Angeles home for $11.5 million.

Ryan John Seacrest is an American television/radio host and television producer.His first big break after college was him hosting a small radio station called Star 94. Then, He rose to fame as the host of American Idol, and he has since gone on to host E! News Live, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, as well as such radio shows as On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and American Top 40.

Ryan Seacrest was born on Christmas Eve in Dunwoody, Georgia and grew up during the 1980’s $73,000.

Sylvester Stallone, See Home

Beverly Park, CA – Sylvester Stallone’s owns a $10 million 15,121 sq. ft. mansion in Beverly Park.

Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone^[1] (born July 6, 1946) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the ’70s to the early ’90s, Stallone is an international icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism. He has played two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon: Rocky Balboa, the boxer who overcame all odds to become a champion, and John Rambo, a sensitive soldier who specialized in violent rescues and revenge.