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

March 2009

8 -- Daylight Savings Time Begins
13 -- Friday the 13th
17 -- St. Patrick's Day
20 -- Spring

SPRING is coming....

Spring is coming and it is an exciting time for The Hughes Properties.  We love that the daffodils are popping out of the ground and our signs are popping up all over town.  We are popping sold signs up as well!  We have some great new listings and we are meeting with new buyers and sellers every day.  Not only do we have several new listings, we also have some great pocket listings....so if you have a special "want",  give us a call.  We just might have the perfect fit.  Also, do not forget about our buyers club.  We have some excellent services that can help you find the home you have always dreamed of.  Below you will see several of our new listings.  There are so many this month~ Tis the season.  We hope that you will view them by clicking on the photos beside them.  View them, enjoy them and please pass them on to anyone that might be interested!  Enjoy the Spring and the wonderful warmth that it will bring.   Sincerely, Tom and Debaran Hughes

Waterfront in Riverbend

This completely renovated 4BR/5B home sits majestically atop point overlooking 365 ft of private lakeshore on Ft Loudon Lake. Home is perfectly situated on 1.80 acres at back of cul-de-sac on Riverbriar Rd in highly desirable Lyon's Bend subdivision. House was built to capture unparalleled lake views from every room in the house. Features lrg. liv. rm w/stone fireplace, exposed beam ceiling, main level master suite w/sitting area, fireplace, and priv glass enclosed office overlooking lake, addl. main level bdrm and bath, dining rm, gourmet kitch, dining rm, & laundry.  Lower level offers wet bar, lrg liv space w/enormous stone fireplace and 2 addl bedrooms. Both levels offer fabulous built-ins and extra storage. Lush landscaping, newer boat dock and lift, security system, water softener, & irrigation system. *Owner is licensed realtor* Northshore to Lyons Bend Rd, 2 1/4 miles L Houser Rd 1 1/4 miles L Whitehorse R Hickory Hollow L Riverbriar, house at rear of cul-de-sac, address on mailbox.  Offered at $1,600,000  Just LIsted Today Please contact Tom
 

Spacious Traditional Home on 5+ Acres

THIS AUTHENTIC REPRODUCTION OF A 200 YEAR OLD WILLIAMSBURG HOME OFFERS TRADITIONAL BEAUTY, SPACIOUS ROOMS, ELEGANT MOLDINGS AND FRIENDLY FUNCTION. 5BRS/6.5BAs AND 12 FIREPLACES! COMFORT AND PRIVACY ABOUND. PERFECTLY SITUATED ON OVER 5 ACRES W/A HORSE BARN AND INDOOR BASKETBALL COURT. THE MAIN LEVEL FEATURES A HUGE DINING ROOM, KEEPING ROOM OFF OF THE KITCHEN, NEW STAINLESS APPLIANCES, A FORMAL LR, PANELED STUDY, SUNROOM, AND GRAND ENTRANCE. THE BASEMENT REC ROOM IS ENORMOUS AND MASTER FEATURES A JACUZZI AND FIREPLACE. EACH BR HAS ITS OWN BATH, A VERY SPECIAL HOME. Offered at $1,550,000 Please contact Debaran

Wonderful Sherwood Oakes

BEAUTIFUL BRICK AND STONE TRADITIONAL HOME IN TREASURED SHERWOOD OAKS. AS BUILDER'S PERSONAL HOME YOU WILL FIND METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. FOUR BEDROOMS INCLUDING MASTER SUITE ON THE MAIN, OPEN FLOOR PLAN, HIGH CEILINGS, CUSTOM CABINETS, AND BUILT-INS. FABULOUS HOME FOR ENTERTAINING. PRIVATE BACKYARD WITH PLENTY OF ROOM FOR POOL IF SO DESIRED. SIMPLY STUNNING CURB APPEALAND TERRIFIC LOCATION. WELCOME HOME!  offered at $723,000 Please contact Tom Hughes

Duncan's Glen~Sequoyah Hills Elementary yet Only County Taxes!!!

POPULAR DUNCANS GLEN SUBDIVISION! 4BR/3.5B HOME PERFECTLY SITUATED ON 3/4 OF AN ACRE. MASTER SUITE OPENS TO LARGE SCREENED OUTDOOR LIVING AREA WITH BRAZILLIAN HARDWOODS. AN OPEN GREAT ROOM WITH CUSTOM BUILT INS, VAULTED CEILING, AND FIREPLACE. EAT IN KITCHEN WITH GRANITE TOPS, ATTACHED FAMILY KEEPING ROOM WITH FIREPLACE. UNBELIEVABLE STORAGE, A 3 CAR GARAGE AND 2400 SQ FT OF UNFINISHED BASEMENT MAKES THIS THE HOUSE YOU WILL WANT TO CALL HOME. offered at $649,000 Please contact Tom

Just Beautiful in Sequoyah Hills

Truly the best of both worlds! This 4BR/3B home offers an abundance of English country charm..archways, hardwood floors, living room w/10 ft coffered ceiling, fireplace, spectacular glassed-in sun porch. And after an extensive remodel you most certainly will enjoy the gourmet kitch. featuring stainless appl, pantry, eat-in area, main level master suite w/tremendous master bath (claw foot tub and walk-in shower), main level laundry rm, 2nd BR on main, 2 add'l upstairs BRs, and bonus/office space. Prof. landscaped, irrigation system and 2 car garage w/additional basement storage. Offered at $624,000 Please contact Tom Hughes

Kensington~Relax and Enjoy Summer By The Pool

This beautiful home features a private backyard oasis, 4 bedrooms, plus a bonus, 4 full baths plenty of floored attic storage, new exterior paint, and a stylish interior that is a must see! The open floor plan features hardwoods, new carpet, a huge master suite w/ sitting area and a fully renovated master bath. The renovated kitchen has granite, double ovens and a large walk in pantry! Hurry and relax on your fabulous screened in porch or sit by your beautiful pool. Excellent stucco inspection report just completed and is on file to be provided upon request.  offered at $474,000 Please contact Debaran

The Perfect Family Home in Rocky Hill

This lovely traditional features 3041 square feet, a beautiful screened in porch, 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a great open floor plan. The family friendly home has a fenced in back yard and a wonderful neighborhood to walk and enjoy! New and stylish, move in ready and perfect for your family.  offered at $284,000 Please contact Debaran

We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Realtors Support Aid to Troubled Homeowners

The National Association of Realtors® recently commended the administration’s plan to help up to nine million families restructure or refinance their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.

“When people lose homes to foreclosure, our communities, the housing market and our economy all suffer,” said NAR President Charles McMillan. “The administration’s proposed plan, combined with provisions like the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit in the just-enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will help minimize foreclosures, shrink housing inventory, stabilize home values and move the country closer to an economic recovery.”

The $75 billion Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan aims to help struggling homeowners by providing incentives to lenders, servicers, mortgage holders and borrowers to help modify mortgage loans. Consistent with NAR’s recommendations, financial institutions receiving assistance must agree to follow the guidelines.

According to the report, NAR called for improved foreclosure mitigation as part of its overall housing recovery plan in late 2008 and welcomes this initiative. The association supports the administration’s goals to reduce mortgage payments for millions of Americans, avoiding financial crises for families and communities.

“Realtors® build communities, and in today’s challenging environment, helping neighbors in need is what we all need to do. A renewed, revitalized and robust housing market is essential to generating commerce and helping families build wealth and stability, and we are eager to see these measures implemented,” said McMillan.

To learn more about the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan, visit the U.S. Department of Treasury website at ustreas.gov.

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You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
-- Jack London

Lights, Camera, Action ...

With the price of a decent digital camera breaking the $200 mark, there's no reason you can't have fun making movies while capturing some special family moments. All you need is a camera, an extra memory card, a backup battery, videoediting software and something fun to shoot. A tripod comes in handy too.

Once you know how to work most of the features on your camera, start scripting your movie. Anything will do, from baby's first steps to a birthday party to a day in the park. Following are some tips to make your home video better:

• Have a Plan -- Visualize what you want your movie to look like in advance and make a list. Then, get the shots you need. Give your movie a beginning, middle and end.
• Get Lots of Footage -- Don't worry about editing while you're filming, it's better to get too much footage than too little. You'll be editing out the boring stuff later.
• Be Real -- Don't direct; let everyone be themselves. It will be more fun to view later.
• Stay Close to the Action -- Get down on your knees, get up on a chair, do whatever you need to do to capture the action. Move around to get different angles and get original shots. In addition, alternate between wide, medium and close-up shots.
• Capture the Essence -- Think of your home movies as time capsules and really make an effort to capture the character of your family members. Include hobbies, habits, homework, family dinners, holiday celebrations and everyday chores.
• Get a Mic -- For some events, consider using an external microphone so you can hear what's going on. If you don't get good sound, dub in some music to liven it up.
• Create a Collage -- Don't bore your relatives and friends with hours and hours of footage. Instead, create an exciting collage that highlights the best parts.
• Join the Fun -- Don't spend all your time videotaping. Just get a few good clips and join the fun. Be sure to have someone else get a few shots of you too! After all, you're part of the family.

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He is indebted to his memory for his jests and to his imagination for his facts.
-- Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Don't Underestimate Rates and APRs

The difference between a 6.5 percent interest rate and a 7 percent rate may not seem like much, but it very well could be the difference between buying the home you want versus buying the home you can afford.

When shopping for a home, or anything requiring financing, rates matter! A lower interest rate allows you to borrow more money than a higher rate with the same monthly payment. Interest rates can fluctuate as you shop for a loan, so ask your lender if they offer a rate "lock-in" which guarantees a specific interest rate for a certain period of time, usually 30 to 90 days (you may have to pay for it).

Also, keep in mind a lender must disclose the annual percentage rate, more commonly referred to as the APR, of a loan. The APR shows the cost of a mortgage loan by expressing it in terms of a yearly interest rate. It is usually higher than the interest rate because it takes into account the cost of points, mortgage insurance and other service fees thrown into the loan.

So, don't just compare rates -- compare APRs as well.

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Poverty is the parent of
revolution and crime.
-- Aristotle

Tips on Identifying Mold

Mold is a fungus that grows anywhere there's a food source and moisture, and can cause serious damage to both your health and home. The most common places to find mold include basements, windowsills, refrigerator seals, under the kitchen sink, air registers, entryways, and the bathroom. In addition, it may be hiding behind walls, under the carpet, or up in the attic. Following are some ways to help identify it:

1. Carpet that has had any water damage is prone to produce mold. To check your carpet for mold, lift a small section up off the floor. Note that mold can come in any shade of color, including red, black, green, purple, gray, yellow, etc. In addition, the texture is usually cottony, velvety, granular or leathery.
2. If you can't see it, follow your nose. Mold usually carries an odor, often described as musky, musty, or earthy. If you can smell it, you can assume that moisture and mold are close by.
3. If you suspect you have mold, but can't pinpoint the problem, consider hiring a professional to test your home, including various testings of air quality. Pricing varies, but any detection of mold should be viewed as a red flag, and it's better for both your health and your checkbook to catch it as early as possible.

Regular cleaning with a bleach-based product is the most effective way to kill mold spores. But, keep in mind mold can mushroom up in as little as 48 hours under certain conditions. So, it's a good idea to take an occasional peak -- or sniff -- in the attic or cellar.

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Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
-- Henrik Tikkanen

5 Myths About Wine

1. Wine & Cheese -- The wine and cheese combination is so overly promoted it's almost funny. Except, great wines should not be accompanied by cheese. Because cheese has a heavy, thick texture, and often a pungent smell, it overwhelms the taste buds and rids the tongue's ability to fully enjoy the richness and balance of a good wine. A bad wine, on the other hand, could use some cheese.
2. Vintage Means Expensive -- Nope. A vintage wine simply means all the grapes used to produce the wine were harvested in a specific year, for example, 2000. Because we often hear terms, such as vintage clothing or vintage cars, the term has been commonly misused to describe expensive wine. It is fun to say, however.
3. She's Got Legs -- The tears or streaks that drip down inside the wine glass after swirling or taking a sip are called "legs" and indicate the full-bodiness of the wine; however, it gives no indication of the wine's quality. For the most part, legs have more to do with surface tension, alcohol content and gravity than perceived quality.
4. Cab Is King -- Most of us have heard about the BIG cabs, so it is often thought cabernet sauvignon is the most planted grape? Not true. While cabs may be the most well-known type of red, it is not the most planted grape. So, what is the most planted grape in the world? Merlot.
5. Let It Breath -- Uncorking a bottle and letting it aerate for an hour will do little to improve it's taste because the narrow bottleneck prevents air from opening up the wine. If you think your wine will improve with a little air exposure, use a decanter or pour your wine into wine glasses and let it aerate quietly for a while before serving.

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Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy.
-- Sarah Ban Breathnach

A Healthy Diet Should Contain Some Fat

With the constant focus on health and fitness -- and dieting -- fat has become the bad boy of the food world. But, dozens of studies have proven that your body actually needs fat. So, what is one to do?

Well, the answer is simple: Eat the right kinds of fat. When choosing fats, pick unsaturated fats (monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids) over saturated or trans fats. Some food sources for healthy fats include olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, salmon, herring, walnuts and some vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower and soy.

As crazy as it may sound, unsaturated fats can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood. In addition, one type of polyunsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, may decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, protect against irregular heartbeats, and help lower your blood pressure.

Less healthy fats (saturated and trans fats) can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol. The worst offenders include saturated fats, such as lard and butter, and trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils used in commercial baked goods like cookies, crackers and cakes, and fried foods like doughnuts and french fries.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend that fat make up no more than 35 percent of your daily calories (at the upper limit) and that most of these fat calories should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources.

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Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.
-- Kin Hubbard

March Movie Releases

• March 6
  • Watchmen
  • All About Steve
• March 13
  • The Last House on the Left
  • Miss March
  • Race to Witch Mountain
• March 20
  • Duplicity
  • I Love You, Man
  • Sin Nombre
• March 27
  • 12 Rounds
  • The Accidental Husband
  • Adventureland
  • The Haunting in Connecticut
  • Janky Promoters

Those who flee temptation generally leave a forwarding address.
-- Lane Llinghouse

"The Best Steak Ever" Steak

Ingredients - Serves 2+

• 2 (8 ounce) beef rib-eye steaks -- cut 3/4 inch thick
• 1 tsp. steak seasoning
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper -- thinly sliced
• 8 oz. small mushrooms -- quartered
• 2 tb sp. crumbled blue cheese

Directions

1. Prepare your grill and preheat to medium-high heat. Season the steaks on both sides with steak seasoning.
2. While the grill is heating up, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
3. Cook the steak for about 12 minutes, turning once, or until your desired degree of doneness.
4. While the steaks are cooking, stir the butter, Worcestershire sauce and mustard into the bacon grease. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Add the red bell pepper and mushrooms; cook and stir until tender.
5. Place steaks onto plates and top with bacon, then blue cheese and then the vegetables.

Wine Pairing

• Andes Terra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2005

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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.