Make A Wish Holiday Home Show
From exotic granite and leopard faux to dry-erase paint and organic draperies, wonderful home design and holiday decorating ideas await at the Make-A-Wish Holiday Home Show at Kings’ Chapel in Arrington with five, fully-furnished homes open daily November 28-December 6. With free, on-site parking, tickets are $10 and 100 percent of the gate benefits the worthy children’s charity. Each home has a Dreams Come True Child’s Bedroom based on critically ill children’s wishes including: “Night On The Predators’ Bench,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Diamonds and Tiaras,” “Dancing Girl,” and “Titans Teen Room.” “Meet The Designers Night” is being held on Tuesday, December 1 from 4 p.m. until closing where designers from the homes will be on-site to answer decorating questions. Saturdays, November 28 and December 1, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., there will be an Arrington Vineyards wine tasting included in the ticket price. Realtors presenting a business card are half price throughout the event. For more information and directions, visit www.kingschapellife.com .
The Make-A-Wish Building and Design Team includes: Kris Blalock, Blalock Homes working with Branan White, Revival Home Inspirations on interiors and holiday decor; Chip Walker, Arrington Builders working with Teena Bivings, Dream Home Designs with Trees ‘N Trends and J.J. Ashley’s holiday decor; Bob Sloan, Artistic Builders working with Donna Henninger, Brentwood Staging with ReCreations’ holiday decor; Chris Franks, Tennessee Valley Homes working with in-house TN Valley designer and Battle Ground Realty agent McClain Holloway and designer Michael Pleasant with Harpeth True Value holiday decor; and Ken Staley working with designer Kristen Finney, Finney Interiors, with Bagbey House holiday decor.
A Time for Change
Bank failures, stock market crashes and government bailouts have changed the landscape of real estate transactions. What we are seeing is a trend toward less house with the same level of craftsmanship as the larger homes usually convey, says Jimmy Franks, local builder and developer of Tennessee Valley Homes. With the changing values of the real estate market it will make it even harder for real estate agents to sell homes, says Mary Lane Everett, managing broker of Battle Ground Realty. “Staging a home is ever more important as is realistic goals in this current housing market,” says Everett. “Find your homes most unique feature and play it up. That and decluttering makes a huge difference in the appeal of your home in today’s market. When buying do your research and know what area best suits your lifestyle and your families needs. In real estate it is still about location, location, location.”
Research supports what most realtors already know — that most buyers start their home searches on the internet, and one reason Battle Ground Realty has completely redesigned their website. “Visual websites with complete home information and virtual tours are very relevant especially to out-of-state buyers,” says Everett. “Homeowners buying or selling will have to take a realistic view of what is possible, and realize it may take longer to sell their property or find the right home. But there are a lot of interesting possibilities out there now. In a way, it is a very exciting time for change,” says Everett.
