- Real Estate Update
- Home & Family
- Buyers & Seller's Corner
- Home Improvement
- Wine 101
- Health & Fitness
- New Movie Releases
- Recipe of the Month

June 2008

7 -- Family Day
8 -- Write to Your Father Day
13 -- Friday the 13th
14 -- Flag Day
15 -- Father's Day
18 -- Go Fishing Day
18 -- Full Moon Day
20 -- Summer Solstice

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We are achieving GOALS!

All I can say is that we are so thankful for the continued support of our friends and clients.  Business is really good and we are really working hard to provide our clients a cutting edge real estate approach that yields results.  Our proof....1440 Queensbridge under contract in 24 days (after being listed with another agent for six months),  3831 Keowee under contract in 40 days, 103 Greenbriar CLOSED in 30 days.  We are achieving the real estate goals of our clients time and time again.  We also want to thank you for your continued referrals We appreciate your confidence and look forward to serving your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. 

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An opportunity to get a great overview of what is on the market in Sequoyah Hills

Wow, we have been hard at work!  We are selling houses!  This is a little different than what you are hearing on the Today show isn't it????  We are constantly looking to be a little different and here is the latest. 

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Find out the Value of your Knoxville home or rental property FREE-Right over the phone

Now you can quickly and easily find out today's value of your home or other real estate free, right over the phone or web.

Second Half of 2008 Poised for Improvement

Home sales and prices throughout most of the country are poised for improvement in the second half of 2008, and the recovery will vary by market, said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun at a recent meeting.

Middle-America cities that performed evenly over the past few years -- like Cincinnati, Milwaukee and the Kansas City, Mo., area -- are likely to experience home price gains in the 20 to 30 percent range over the next five years, while markets like Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix could see prices go up as much as 50 percent during that time period, according to Yun.

Yun blamed most of the softening of the housing market over the last year on the "subprime mess," where consumers with blemished credit records got loans they couldn't afford when the interest rates reset to higher levels.

Yun urged the Congress and White House to enact NAR-supported legislation to modernize FHA programs, reform regulation affecting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, establish a first-time home buyer tax credit, and make the temporary increases to the conforming loan limits established by the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 permanent.

"These measures would quickly stabilize the housing markets and get fence-sitters into the market to buy homes," said Yun. "There are many reasons for people to get into the housing market today, and very few reasons not to. With the plentiful supply of homes for sale at affordable prices, interest rates approaching 40-year lows, and the strong track record of housing as a good long-term investment, conditions are ripe for buyers."

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How-To Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike

Don't let your child miss out on the fun biking provides. Yes, it can be difficult to teach a 5-year-old to ride, but the effort is well worthwhile and provides a healthy activity and a lifetime of smiles. Following are a few tips to get you rolling:

• The ideal bike for learning to ride is a bike that is "too small" for efficient riding. Borrow one if you need to.
• Make sure the bike is in good working condition, bolts tight, chain oiled, brakes working, air in tires.
• Remove the training wheels.
• Adjust the seat so your child can firmly plant both feet on the ground.
• Get a helmet that fits correctly. Leather gloves and knee pads are a good idea too, especially if you're learning in an area with gravel.
• Practice in an open and flat or gently-sloping area; grass makes for a less-painful fall.

The primary difficulty with learning to ride a bike is that the child is expected to learn two skills at the same time: balance and propulsion. Instead of trying to teach both skills at the same time, focus on balance and steering first (without trying to pedal). Let your child simply sit on the bike and push himself around to get use to the feel. After your child is comfortable with this, either give him a gentle push or find a gentle-sloping hill so he can practice coasting without touching the ground.

After your child can coast comfortably for about 25 feet, it's time to add propulsion to the equation. Hold the bike upright and give a gentle push to get your child moving. Do not hold the handlebar or seat as this will only hinder his ability to understand balance. In addition, if you plan to run alongside and hold your child up, do so by holding them at the shoulders. The process may be slow at first, but within a few hours your child should be able to ride about 50 feet without touching the ground.

As your child's balance and propulsion skills get better, you may want to raise the seat and handlebars or move up to a bigger bike. The small bike is only used to teach balance and propulsion skills. Once they master these, a size-appropriate bike will be easier to propel and steer. Most children will figure out how to start pedaling from a stationary position without assistance after they've been peddling for a few hours.

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Between saying and doing many a pair of shoes
is worn out.
-- Italian Proverb

Take the Time to Check Out the Competition

It's pretty much standard for the listing agent to prepare and present a home evaluation to a home seller before they place the home on the market. This evaluation often includes comparable homes for sale, pending and sold home prices, average number of days on the market, and more. While this evaluation is good, it doesn't always give you the whole picture.

So, before you put your home on the market, you may want to consider spending a weekend or two checking out the competition. This includes existing homes and new home developments. A good listing agent will be happy to show you a few "comps," and you can go to open houses on your own. You only need to see a few similarly-priced homes in similar neighborhoods to get a feel for your competition. You can preview new homes, of course, at the development during their regular business hours.

This research will help you determine the best sales price at which to list your home -- a key ingredient to get your home sold fast and at top dollar. You don't need to go out and buy new furniture to look like a model home, but it's important for you to see what potential buyers see.

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The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to
catch it yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin

5 Easy Steps to Repairing a Small Hole

Moving furniture, installing a HDTV, hanging shelves, a broken door stop, all these things and more can lead to a hole in the wall. Fortunately, repairing a hole in drywall is fairly simple. Most smaller holes can be repaired within a few hours. Here's what you need:

• Joint compound
• Fiberglass mesh tape or peal-and-stick drywall patch
• Putty knife
• Utility knife
• Medium grit sandpaper
• Primer and paint

Here's how you do it:

1. Wipe away any dust or debris around the hole.
2. Cut a piece of fiberglass mesh tape, leaving about a half inch excess over the hole. Trim away any extra.
3. Apply joint compound over the mesh tape using a putty knife. Smooth out joint compound so there is no excess.
4. Let the compound dry, then lightly sand until the surface is smooth and edges are even with the wall.
5. Prime with flat white paint, let dry, then paint with matching wall color.

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It is a good divine that follows his own instructions.
-- William Shakespeare

Wine 101: Old and New World Wine

Did you ever wonder what it means when someone refers to a wine as an "Old World wine" or a "New World wine"?

In short, these expressions refer to where the wines were produced. Old World wine refers to wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa; and New World wine refers to wines of newer producing regions, such as the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Australia and Argentina.

Since New World vineyards are generally in warmer climates than those of Northern Europe, the grapes tend to be riper and produce wines that tend to be correspondingly more alcoholic and full-bodied. Some wine critics have influenced New World producers and consumers towards a fruitier style, with more use of new oak. In recent years, however, there has been a reaction against some of the overly oaky, alcoholic styles that were common a few decades ago.

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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
-- Herm Albright

4 Exercises to Tone Your Arms

As the weather improves and you break out your summer wardrobe, here are a few exercises to tone up your arms.

Bicep Curls -- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, abs tight, shoulders squared and elbows tight against your rib cage. Grip the dumbbells with your palms facing forward and slowly curl the weights until they're at shoulder level, then slowly drop back down. The movement should be slow and controlled.

Triceps Kickbacks -- Using dumbbells, bend forward so your upper body is parallel to the floor, abs tight, feet flat and knees slightly bent. Bend your elbows so they're even with your back. Keeping your arms close to your rib cage, slowly raise the weights until your arms are straight behind you. After your arms are fully extended, squeeze your triceps, then lower your hands, returning to starting position.

Overhead Press -- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, abs tight and chest out. Bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, just to the side of each shoulder, palms facing forward. Now, slowly lift the weights overhead, bringing them toward each other as you extend your arms, pause a second, then return to starting position.

Push-ups -- Place your hands under your shoulders with your palms on the floor. Curl your toes upward so the tips of your feet touch the ground. Keeping your legs straight, raise yourself using your arms until they're fully extended, pause a moment, then lower yourself until your chin nearly touches the floor.

If you just want to tone your arms, use lighter weights so you can do 12 to 15 repetitions before your muscles tire, rest, then do two more sets. If your goal is to bulk up, use heavier weights that tire your muscles after eight reps, take a break, then do two more sets.

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June Movie Releases

• June 6
  • Kung Fu Panda
  • You Don't Mess With the Zohan
• June 13
  • The Happening
  • The Incredible Hulk
• June 20
  • Get Smart
  • The Love Guru
  • Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
• June 27
  • WALL-E
  • Wanted

*Wide releases only. Opening dates subject to change.

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Fish Fillets with Olives and Oregano

• 4 thick pieces white-fleshed skinless fish fillets, such as halibut (6 oz each)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 very thin lemon slices
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup pitted brine-cured green olives such as picholine, halved lengthwise (2 oz)
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear fillets, skinned sides down, until browned well, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer, seared sides up, to baking dish (reserve skillet), then top each fillet with a slice of lemon.
3. Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil 30 seconds, then pour around fish. Scatter olives around fish and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.
4. Transfer fish to a platter, then whisk lemon juice, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into cooking liquid in baking dish. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over fish.

San Osvaldo Pinot Grigio DOC 2006

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Tom & Debaran Hughes
1200 Forest Brook Road
Knoxville, TN 37919

This eNewsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This eNewsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2008 eNewsletterSolutions.