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

October 2009

1 -- World Vegetarian Day
12 -- Columbus Day
12 -- Free Thought Day
13 -- U.S. Navy Day
31 -- Halloween

Fall Finds....

Fall finds...an active market, great homes that are great values, two very busy realtors, 13 closings, 5 pending closings, the last 2 months of the first time buyers credit and the PERFECT time to buy your new home!  This month we have featured a few of our listings that we hope will spark your interest.  There are some wonderful homes currently on the market.  In the coming weeks we will have more exciting listings  to share with you so visit THEHUGHESPROPERTIES.COM often to see what is new for The Hughes.   We also want to talk with you if you are considering selling your home. The last few months of the year are consistantly our most active months.  As other agents tell their clients to "pull their homes off of the market" we say, "NO WAY"  this is the time when there is less competition, low interest rates and very serious buyers.  Most buyers that are out looking for a new home during the holidays are not just tire kicking.  They need to buy a home!   At The Hughes Properties, we take the time to learn about your home, your neighborhood and your goals so that we can customize your marketing plan to deliver results.  It is always our goal to show you that there is a difference.  Most agents cost the same, but have wildly different results.  With The Hughes you are getting two, full time real estate agents working dilligently to achieve your goals. As always, we appreciate all of your referrals.  There is truly no greater compliment.   So...if Fall finds you thinking about a move or speaking to someone who is, remember The Hughes.  

NEW FOR THE HUGHES

Now you can also visit our site by way of the following neighborhood domains.  We will be incorporating these in many of our marketing campaigns so watch for them everywhere!

Interest Rates Do Make A Difference-A BIG ONE

NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BUY!

If you are approved for a $200,000 loan, your payment is $1,058.42... with today's interest rate of 4.875% for a 30 year fixed loan.

WHAT DOES A 1% INCREASE IN INTEREST RATES ALLOW YOU TO BORROW? CHECK THIS OUT...

If rates go up just 1% to 5.875% for the same payment of $1,058.42 your purchasing power allows you to now borrow just $178,930... which reduces your purchasing power by $21,070.

LETS TRY IT AGAIN WITH DIFFERENT NUMBERS...

If you are approved to borrow $100,000. Your principal and interest payment is $536.82... with today's FHA interest rate 5%.

If (better said WHEN) interest rates go up just 1% to 6% you will only be able to borrow $89,540.

Would you prefer to be qualified to borrow $100,000 or $89,540 while making the same $536.82 payment?

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!

If you know anyone with an interest in buying please pass this valuable information on to them.
 

Hillvale-A quiet street in a fabulous neighborhood Sequoyah Hills

PLEASE ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO VIEW THE CHARM AND CHARACTER THAT THIS HOME HAS TO OFFER. ELEGANT ENTRY WAY FEATURING ARCHWAYS, HARDWOOD FLOORS AND LOVELY STAIRCASE. LARGE LIVING ROOM, QUAINT DINING ROOM AND COMPLETELY REMODELED EAT-IN KITCHEN ALL OVERLOOKING FENCED-IN BACKYARD AND RECEIVING TREMENDOUS NATURAL LIGHT. COZY DEN/OFFICE WITH WOOD BURNING FIRE PLACE ALSO ON MAIN LEVEL. UPSTAIRS FEATURES 2 BEDROOMS, FULL BATH AND ENORMOUS MASTER SUITE WITH UPDATED BATH. RECENTLY FINISHED BASEMENT WITH REC ROOM, FULL BATH AND WALK-OUT BEDROOM. Offered at $498,000  Please contact Tom 806-1886

New Listing in Sequoyah Hills-Sidewalks and Charm come see!

CHARMING SEQUOAH HILLS HOME(MOVE IN CONDITION) LOCATED ON ONE OF THE FEW STREETS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FEATURING A SIDEWALK. MAIN LEVEL MASTER AS WELL AS LG MASTER ON 2ND FLOOR, 5 BEDROOMS OVERALL & 3 FULL BATHS.NICE KITCHEN & DINING AREA OVERLOOKING DECK & PRIVATE BACK YARD. LG UNFINISHED BASEMENT W/NEW B-DRY WATERPROOFING SYSTEM(W/WARRANTY) WOULD MAKE PERFECT WORKSOP AND/OR STORAGE. NEW 2.5 TON DUAL FUEL HVAC UNIT & DETACHED 2 CAR GARAGE. VERY CONVENIENT TO SEQUOYAH SCHOOL, PLAYGROUND, PARK & LIBRARY. CHEROKEE BLVD IS ALSO IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.  Offered at $334,000  Please contact Tom 806-1886

The Best of Sequoyah Hills-Designer Quality and Beautiful Updates

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 $599,000 Please contact Tom 806-1886

Investors and First Time Buyers...Walk to Rocky Hill

UPDATED AND FRESH WITH A NEW KITCHEN, NEW BATH FIXTURES, NEW PAINT AND NEW LANDSCSAPING.THERE IS A LARGE, FLAT, FENCED IN BACK YARD PERFECT FOR KIDS AT PLAY OR A FAMILY PET. SPACIOUS AND OPEN FLOORPLAN IN A WONDERFUL LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. WALK TO ROCKY HILL ELEMENTARY!  Offered at $164,000  contact Debaran 660-4411

Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
~ Anatole France

Real Estate Sales Remain Above Year-Ago Levels

According to the National Association of Realtors® existing-home sales have eased since July but remain above year-ago levels.

Existing-home sales -- including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and coops -- declined 2.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.10 million units in August from a pace of 5.24 million in July, but remain 3.4 percent above the 4.93 million-unit level in August 2008. In the previous four months, sales had risen a total of 15.2 percent.

“Home sales retrenched from a very strong improvement in July but continue to be much higher than before the stimulus," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "The first-time buyer tax credit is having the intended impact of bringing buyers into the market, allowing them to take advantage of very favorable affordability conditions.

"Some of the give-back in closed sales appears to result from rising numbers of contracts entering the system, with some fallouts and a backlog contributing to a longer closing process, but the decline demonstrates we can’t take a housing rebound for granted.”

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 5.19 percent in August from 5.22 percent in July; the rate was 6.48 percent in August 2008.

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Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
~ Cicero

Teaching Your Kids to Put It Back Where It Belongs

If you have kids, chances are you find yourself saying, "Put it back where it belongs," at least 10 times a day. Following are some tips on how to get your children to help out:

1. Tell your kids what you expect and point out exactly where things belong. If they don't know where the baseball bat belongs, it's hard to put it back.
2. Make cleaning up a game. Challenge them to clean up their mess in five minutes; if they do it, a reward will be given.
3. Use rewards to acknowledge good behavior rather than punishment for bad behavior. A reward can be anything that your child responds well to, whether it's a treat, playing a game, or reading a favorite book at bedtime.
4. Create a "chore" calendar to act as a reminder and track progress. Kids love to check off completed chores.
5. Put up sticky notes or other visual reminders. For example, post a note, "Put the basketball back," on the garage door where they come in after playing.
6. Sincerely praise your child when you see them doing well. And brag up their good behavior in front of people your child looks up to.
7. Make putting things away a family routine where every member chips in at the same time every day.
8. Don't let your kids watch TV, play video games, use the phone, etc. -- until they've cleaned up after themselves. Make it as routine as brushing their teeth, taking a bath, or doing homework.
9. Be patient and persistent.

The younger you get your children involved in helping out and putting their things back where they belong, the more likely they'll embrace this behavior and carry it through adulthood.

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Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
~ Jim Ryun

Being Prepared Key to Stress-Free Closing

As your real estate closing or settlement date approaches, there are various things you must do to ensure the transaction closes smoothly and on time. As escrow requirements differ from location to location, understanding what needs to be done and preparing accordingly is the key to a stress-free closing.

• Keep a close eye on the loan process. Check in with your loan officer frequently until you are satisfied everything they need has been submitted and the loan will fund on time.
• Review your settlement statement or HUD-1 form a few days before closing. Check the line items to make sure you are getting credit for your deposits and other items agreed upon.
• Thoroughly review the preliminary title report to confirm the exact legal description, and note any encumbrances, liens or other items that may have been discovered.
• Inspect the property a few days prior to closing to make sure all agreed-upon repairs have been finished and any personal property that was not negotiated in the sales contract has been removed.
• Make sure someone has contacted the utility companies to transfer them into your name on closing day.
• Contact your insurance company to make any required changes. This is usually required and handled by the lender, but it's up to you to make sure the policy is adequate.
• Bring a certified check to cover closing costs and two forms of identification.
• Get copies of the settlement statement, mortgage or deed of trust, truth-in-lending statement, sales contract, appraisals, inspections and disclosures. In addition, get the keys, gate codes and garage remotes.
• Get answers to all your questions. Don't proceed if you don't understand something, get answers.

The reason you want to review these items before closing day is to give the seller, escrow, realtor, whoever, time to remedy any mistakes or complete any agreed-upon conditions. By being proactive, you can make certain you'll have a smooth closing.

We don't know who we are until we see what we can do.
~ Martha Grimes

Understanding Radiant Floor Heating

If you've ever stepped out of a hot shower on a cold morning and were pleasantly surprised to discover a warm floor, you were probably experiencing radiant floor heating. Though this form of heating has been widely used throughout Europe and the Far East the past few decades, it has only recently become popular in the United States.

Radiant heating is a type of heating setup where the heat is supplied by electric wiring or hot water  tubes installed into or under the flooring, and sometimes walls and ceilings. While heating a room is the most common application, it is also used to heat water, swimming pools, sidewalks and garages.

Several reasons why people like radiant heating is because it doesn't dry out the air, it's essentially invisible, there are no noisy radiators, and most notably -- it provides a gentle and soothing supply of warmth with no drafts or cold spots. Unlike conventional forced-air heating which only heats the air, then quickly cools and needs to be reheated again, radiant floor heating warms everything it comes in contact with, such as your tile or wood floor, making it an extremely comfortable and efficient heating system.

Electric radiant heating is generally used to retrofit a single room, like a bathroom, den or kitchen. It uses coils of wire, or sometimes an electric mat, that is installed under the tile or other flooring often during a remodel. The electric radiant heat system is usually hooked up to a dedicated GFIC-protected circuit and a thermostat with an automatic timer to control the temperature and times.

Hydronic radiant heating is usually installed when a home is built and is intended to warm the entire dwelling. It does this by circulating warm water produced by a hot water heater or boiler through half-inch tubing that was set in poured concrete, installed above the subfloor in snap-in grids or grooved panels, or attached to aluminum strips underneath the flooring. There may be one or more thermostats to deliver the best comfort.

Radiant heating is more expensive to install than traditional forced-air heating systems, but once installed and running, it can be 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient. Other than price, the only other down side is that there are some limitations to the type of flooring you can install. But, when you take the high level of comfort into consideration, radiant heating is quickly becoming a popular heating choice.

Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.
~ Voltaire

Wine Blends and Varietals

Many novice wine enthusiasts get confused about wine blends and varietals because there are literally tens of thousands of possibilities. A simple definition would be that varietals are produced using only one type of grape variety, whereas blended wines are produced using at least two or more. But there's more to it than that. Let's take a look.

The term "varietal" describes wines that are produced primarily from a single-named grape variety. This is usually displayed on the wine label. A popular example would be Burgundy, one of France's famed red wine styles produced using only Pinot Noir grapes. Other commonly used varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. If you saw a wine label that read Chardonnay-Viognier, you would know that the wine is a blend, not a varietal.

A "wine blend," as the term implies, is a wine produced from two or more grapes. This is usually done to add complexity to the texture and flavor of the wine, and to create an exciting and unique wine that sets itself apart from other wines on the market. A good example is a Bordeaux red wine, often produced by blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

Wine blends can get pretty complicated because of the multitude of ways a wine can be produced. There are vintage wine blends, which consist of different grapes all grown in the same year; red wine blends, like Bordeaux mentioned above; Super Tuscan Blends, which can be made from grapes of Italian vintners using Cabernet Sauvignon, Syra, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc; Meritage, produced with similar wines as Bordeaux blends but with higher quality wines and with tighter regulations; and many others.

In retrospect, varietals are pretty easy to understand. But, blends, on the other hand, may require you to continue tasting wines for decades to come!

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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
~ Henry de Bracton

5 Essential Components to Optimal Physical Fitness

Following are the five components of physical fitness you should be aware of to lead a healthy, energetic and more productive life.

1. Cardiovascular Fitness – This is your circulatory system's ability to efficiently supply oxygen and important nutrients to working muscles. This is considered by many trainers to be one of the most important components because cardiovascular fitness keeps your heart, lungs and vascular system working at its best. Benefits can include lowering your blood pressure, increasing your metabolism, and decreasing the chance of depression and anxiety.
2. Body Composition – This measures the amount of body fat compared to lean body mass (bones, muscles, organs, water). Or, to put it simply, “How fat are you?” It is pretty much universally accepted that too much body fat poses serious health risks, including respiratory dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, and joint diseases.
3. Flexibility – This component is probably the most neglected factor to being physically fit. Flexibility is your ability to move joints or groups of joints through its natural range of motion, for example, bending down to tie your shoes. In addition, it also helps blood circulate to the muscles and nerves, and can help alleviate back and neck pain and other problems.
4. Muscular Strength -- This is your body's ability to generate a maximum amount of force during limited repetitions. This is the "How much can you bench?" component of physical fitness. While it's not important to be able to lift a house, health experts agree muscular strength training should be a part of your fitness program.
5. Muscular Endurance – This is your body's ability to exert sub-maximal force repeatedly over long periods of time. This is especially important for people who play sports or workers who have to sustain physical activity for long periods of time. It also aids in good posture, helps prevent injuries and increases your stamina and endurance for non-sports related activities as well.

Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
~ Oprah Winfrey

October Movie Releases

• Oct. 2
  • The Invention of Lying
  • Toy Story & Toy Story 2
  • Whip It
  • Zombieland
• Oct. 9
  • Couples Retreat
• Oct. 16
  • Law Abiding Citizen
  • The Stepfather
  • Where the Wild Things Are
• Oct. 23
  • Saw VI
  • The Vampire's Assistant
• Oct. 28
  • Michael Jackson: This Is It

*Wide releases only. Opening dates subject to change.

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The question isn't "who is going to let me;" it's "who is going to stop me."
~ Ayn Rand

Five Star Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients - Serves 6

• 12 ounce package frozen burger-style crumbles
• 30 ounces dark red kidney beans
• 30 ounces black beans – rinsed and drained
• 15 ounces light red kidney beans
• 12 fluid ounces tomato juice
• 29 ounces can diced tomatoes
• 3 tb. sp. chili powder
• 5 onions – chopped
• 1.5 tb. sp. ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tb. sp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a pot, mix meat substitute, kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, onions, tomato juice, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cover. Let chili simmer for at least 1 hour before serving.

Wine Pairing

• Tenuta La Meridiana Barbera d'Asti Vitis 2007

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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. © 2009 eNewsletterSolutions.