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The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty agents will hold numerous open houses throughout the Nashville area in conjunction with hundreds of agents citywide. With housing affordability at record highs, real estate professionals are hoping this year’s event will be a big jump-start to the spring market, in which we are already seeing a significant increase.

Nearly half of home buyers visit open houses during their home search, according to the 2011 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers survey conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®.  Open houses give buyers a stress-free way to visit homes for sale in different neighborhoods where they might want to live. With prices at their most affordable, buyers may now be able to find their dream home at their price! Whether actively searching or just contemplating if homeownership is right, this is a great, low-pressure opportunity to get out and view the quality and affordability of homes in Nashville. For sellers, the weekend provides a high-visibility effort to promote traffic and drive home sales.

Back by popular demand, this fourth annual special event is presented by the National Association of REALTORS®, Greater Nashville Association of REALTORS®, and their colleagues. 

The Sotheby’s International Realty brand also acquired the license from the Sotheby’s Auction House last year to develop the brand in Australia, the only region where it did not previously hold the rights.

“Our growth in the last year demonstrates the value real estate professionals are placing on the services we offer and the power of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and its reputation for excellence,” said Michael R. Good, chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “One of our goals for last year was to continue to expand our network in key luxury markets worldwide, and we have achieved that with the addition of 12 new companies worldwide and the acquisition of the licensing rights for Australia, which allows us to now move forward with gaining representation in a critical international market.”

“Our U.S. network also increased the total number of closed transactions by 24 percent from the prior year, which is a testament to our commitment to grow into new markets and the powerful combination of their local expertise and the support of our global brand,” added Good. “In 2012 we will work to expand our global footprint even more, with growth in Asia our first priority. To that extent, the brand has three new management positions that will be based in Asia for which it is seeking candidates. Those executives will be responsible for accelerating the Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s development throughout Asia and for supporting its network of affiliates. We are committed to creating a significant servicing hub in Hong Kong to further support our growth in the region and to continue servicing the needs of our growing network of companies there.”

On the marketing front, the Sotheby’s International Realty brand introduced an iPad app to enhance your search for a home by offering luxury homes for sale, for rent and recent home sale prices, and it also provides the ability to hone your property search based on local points of interest and lifestyle.

iPad app features include:
• Unique views into property details
• Amazing photos of some of the world’s most distinctive homes
• Almost 40 points of interest based on the property location
• One -click-contact to a Sotheby’s International Realty broker or agent
• The ability to save home search information for future use
• A dynamic map feature displaying all available homes for sale or rent based on a user’s location or interested city/neighborhood

The Sotheby’s International Realty iPad app is an extensive house hunting and powerful property search tool. Find out everything about a home that strikes your fancy from the year it was built to the yearly tax rates, and much more.

Perfectly located between Green Hills and Vanderbilt, this Georgian home is offered by The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty. Click on the image for more photos and additional information.

The three bedroom, three and a half bath home on Golf Club Lane in Gloucester Square exudes elegance from the minute you open the front door. You are greeted in the foyer by a formal living and dining room on your right and left. Stairs rise in front of you to a second floor. Gilded accents adorn the home subtly and add to the luxury that you feel.

A top of the line kitchen is one of the many highlights in this home for sale in Nasvhille.

As you move through the main level the kitchen proudly displays stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.  Nearby are a powder bath, a paneled family room with built-ins and a magnificent butler’s pantry/bar.  The home is the perfect home for everyday living, as well as entertaining. The layout easily flows from room to room.

We love the built-ins and complimentary paneling in this cozy family room.

From the family room French doors lead to a patio. Part of the patio is open while the other side is behind a partial privacy wall. An intimate dinner or a garden party could easily be hosted in these
surroundings.

All three bedrooms are on the second floor, including a spacious master suite. His and her walk-in closets, master bath with split vanities, as well as separate tub and shower. It is an absolute oasis for the home owner.

A lovely owner's retreat complete with his and her walk in closets and a fantastic bathroom.

The fully fenced flat yard is low maintenance and easily accessible from the main level.

Luxury, elegance and more are what you find in this all brick home. It is a must see. It feels a bit like a dream come true from the moment you set eyes on it.

Three bedrooms, three full baths and one half bath.

Offered at $595,000.

2114 Golf Club Lane
Nashville, TN 37215

Michelle Maldonado, The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty

For more information on this Nashville home for sale, please contact:

Michelle Maldonado

The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty

(615) 260-4423

“Conditions are coming together to encourage people to want to buy homes,” says Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae. “Americans’ rental price expectations for the next year continue to rise, reaching their record high level for our survey this month. With an increasing share of consumers expecting higher mortgage rates and home prices over the next 12 months, some may feel that renting is becoming more costly and that homeownership is a more compelling housing choice.”

Homeownership and Renting

• Thirty-three percent of respondents expect home prices to increase over the next 12 months, a five percentage point increase from last month, the highest level over the past 12 months.

• The survey shows that on average, Americans expect home prices to increase by 0.9 percent over the next 12 months (up slightly since last month).

• Additionally, 39 percent of Americans say that mortgage rates will go up in the next 12 months, a five percentage point increase from last month.

• The percentage of respondents who say it is a good time to buy rose by three points to 73 percent, the highest level in over a year, while the percentage of respondents who say it is a good time to sell rose one point to 14 percent this month.

• On average, respondents expect home rental prices to increase by 4.1 percent over the next 12 months, a significant increase since February, and the highest number recorded to date.

• Forty-eight percent of respondents think that home rental prices will go up, a three percentage point increase from last month and the highest number recorded to date.

• Sixty-six percent of respondents say they would buy their next home if they were going to move, up one point since last month, while thirty percent say they would rent, up one point versus last month.

The Economy and Household Finances

• The rise in confidence in the economy’s direction leveled this month, with 35 percent responding that they think the economy is on the right track, consistent with February’s total. The percentage who say the economy is on the wrong track rose slightly from 57 percent to 58 percent.

• Only 12 percent think that their personal financial situation will worsen in the next 12 months, consistent with February as the lowest value in over a year, and tied with January 2011 for the lowest to date.

• Twenty-one percent of respondents say their income is significantly higher than it was 12 months ago, up 1 point versus February, while 63 percent say it has stayed the same – consistent with February’s values

• Thirty-four percent say their expenses have increased significantly over the past 12 months (a slight increase of one percentage point).

For more information, visit www.fanniemae.com.

Source: RISMedia

First things first: clear it out. Once it’s time to move everything back into your closet, arrange your wardrobe like a display. It’s important to have everything you own in view, or it’s possible you’ll forget you ever bought it.

Options for designing a closet are now nearly as wide as your choices for furnishing your house. It used to be that all a closet got were poles, hooks and shelves. Today, a closet’s custom mill work and visual finishes are as sophisticated as any high-end kitchen, bath or even retail store.

Closet designs begin with your basic “pole and shelf” setup: a single pole with a fixed shelf above it. Then it’s up to you to customize the closet interior.

The next upgrade includes multiple poles and shelves of varying lengths and heights to accommodate different types of garments. Typically, the vertical partitions holding up the poles are used as the sides for adjustable closet shelving. The components can be shop-built and painted on-site or, for a more durable (and expensive) finish, surfaced with melamine or laminate.

The third option is Oprah-style luxury. Think shop-built, prefinished wood: essentially furniture that is designed and dimensioned to fit your closet interior precisely. Custom-made dresser drawers, shoe cubbies, shelving, jewelry drawers and partitions give you the maximum amount of storage and cost the most money.

Below are some fabulous closets in homes for sale in Nashville.

At 2259 Horn Springs Road, the master closet features custom-made dresser drawers, shoe cubbies, shelving and an island providing additional storage. Click on the image for more photos and information from The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty.

2114 Golf Club Lane, perfectly located between Vanderbilt & Green Hills, features his and hers closets with custom systems that include drawers, shoe cubbies, and shelving. Click on the image for more photos and information from The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty.

Adelicia Unit 1105 features storage and organization with a modern feel. The bright white cabinetry allows your wardrobe to be the perfect pop of color. Click on the image for more photos and information from The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty.

For closet design inspiration visit Houzz.com and for organization tips from closet professionals visit RealSimple.com.

7201 Cumberland Drive
Fairview, TN 37062
Offered at $415,000.

Comfortable home with open feeling, on 7 acres of land with 6 stall barn, outdoor wash bay, fenced and cross fenced, pool and covered deck. Click on the image for more photos and information on this home listed by The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty.

For more information on this home for sale in Nashville, please contact:

Lawrence Lipman, The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty

Lawrence Lipman
The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty
larry.lipman@sothebysrealty.com
615.463.3333

If the buyer is looking for a home in the suburbs, they want to know about the size of the lot, access to the yard, whether or not there’s a pool, or the location of the lot in relation to the neighborhood.

Some buyers love properties on corner lots; others, not so much. In more urban areas, buyers want to know if a property has any outdoor space at all and, if not, where is the nearest park?

Don’t let this spectacular season go to waste. Below we have pulled together great resources to make the most of your patio or porch and turn it into the new living room.

Make your deck the hot spot for evening parties. If your outdoor space currently says, "walk on by" rather than "please have a seat," follow these creative ideas and simple styling tricks to give it a five-star makeover. Photo Credit: Southern Living via MyHomeIdeas.com

Finding the perfect table and chairs might be the most important aspect of reinventing a deck. Homeowner and designer Mary Leigh Fitts ditched her outdated patio set to make room for a large table custom-made with an iron base and limestone top; canvas chairs fit easily around it.
Hint: For a less expensive tabletop version, use glass or plywood painted and sealed for outdoor use.
Photo Credit: Southern Living via MyHomeIdeas.com

The simple brilliance of this space is that it connects directly to the kitchen and family room through French doors, so when homeowner Jennifer Frist hosts a dinner party, it's a lot easier to perform back-and-forth hostess duties. Photo Credit: Laurey W. Glenn for Southern Living

To keep the landscape in view, designer Mark Simmons suggests copper or bronze screens. "They oxidize faster and have a way of disappearing into the background better, unlike the galvanized metal ones," he explains. Photo Credit: Laurey W. Glenn for Southern Living

Get more great ideas from MyHomeIdeas.com, HGTV.com, and don’t forget to pin your favorites on Pinterest!

Here are some of the latest new-home design trends, according to NAHB:

More new homes are incorporating a small space devoted to home management, known as “pocket offices.” These pocket offices may be anywhere; this pocket office is included in the pantry/mudroom.

1. “Pocket offices.” More space is being added to popular family gathering places like the kitchen and family room. As such, space devoted to formal home offices and dens are falling to the wayside. Instead of a formal home office, more new homes are incorporating a small space devoted to home management, known as “pocket offices.” These pocket offices may be anywhere, even included in a large pantry. They also might be tucked away near the kitchen or family great room. Most people today are mobile with their electronics and home office items anyway so they might not need as big of space to spread out and a “pocket office” may suffice.

2. Tucked away relax spots. Window seats and alcoves are increasing in new homes because they don’t take up much space but can still provide some private time.

Laundry rooms are being added onto the master bedroom’s walk-in closet for added convenience.

3. Master laundry rooms. Laundry rooms are being added onto the master bedroom’s walk-in closet for added convenience.

4. “Shadow” units. As more families live together under one roof, “shadow” units are increasing in popularity in new single-family homes. These units may be built alongside a home and operate as a separate living unit accessed through a door from the home’s main floorplan. Shadow units may also include homes that come with at least two master suites, such as one located on the ground floor and one upstairs.

5. Rectangular home designs. Rectangular home designs are increasing in popularity because they are more cost-effective to build. The trend was once grand, multiple roof lines. But to make rectangular designs appealing, these homes may have two windows in a corner with mitered glass to allow unobstructed views and light to flow in, according to NAHB. Or these homes might mix exterior materials, such as with metal, wood, and stone to give the home a more modern look.

Source: Styled Staged & Sold blog by REALTOR® magazine

This corner location city home in the Terrazzo is on the seventh floor (# 713) and is a two bedroom, two bath condominium currently listed by The Lipman Group and Sotheby’s International Realty. It is spectacular….the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows will leave you breathless. The open living room, dining space and kitchen allow for unobstructed views of the city lights.

The kitchen is at the center of the action in this sleek condo for sale from The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty. Click on the image for more photos and information.

The kitchen is modern and sleek in design. The mocha cabinets are appointed with white granite countertops. The spacious bar has pendant lighting shining down as great accent lighting.

The second bedroom can be utilized for a roommate plan, guest room or home office. The space is very flexible and will accommodate anything you can dream up..and you will always be day-dreaming with the views that abound from almost every room….whether it is to your next vacation, your next art investment, or the next party you’ll throw.

The balcony at The Terrazzo affords wonderful views of Nashville - and a breath of fresh air.

The master bath has pebble tile covering the walls, double rectangular sinks and separate tub and shower. The room feels like a luxurious hotel or spa bath.

Luxury is everywhere, including and especially in the master bath, in this condo on the seventh floor in The Terrazzo.

This is luxury and fine living. Have friends over for drinks then step out to one of the neighborhood restaurants. You will love living here.

Day or night, the pool at The Terrazzo is alluring. Click on the image for more information and additional photos.

Two Bedrooms and Two Baths

Offered at $487,700.

700 12th Ave S. #713
Nashville, TN 37203

For more information about this condo in The Gulch for sale, please contact:

Michele Trueba, The Lipman Group Sotheby's International Realty

Michele Trueba
The Lipman Group Sotheby’s International Realty
michele.trueba@sothebysrealty.com
615.424.0400