You should get to know a good red beans & rice recipe...

Houndstooth!

It's 60° this morning in Memphis and I'm ecstatic.  I took the pooch on her morning stroll and I needed a sweater (so did she)!  Actually, the weather's been fantastic since this weekend and because of the cooler temperatures, I've been planning a few of the fall to-do's around the house:  switch out the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter closets, find those fall and Halloween decorations, put out some mums and pansies and pumpkins and gourds, and pull out my comfort-food recipes.  I dread the closet task and I'm not looking forward to pillaging the attic for our box of Halloween goodies, but the landscaping chore got a lot easier when I opened up my email this morning to find a Groupon offer of 50% off at Midtown Nursery.  Score!  I LOVE Groupon!

But the food!  Oh, the food!  There's something so earthy and rich and satisfying about the offerings this time of year that make the fruit and pasta and chicken salads of this summer seem so...well, salad-y.  I want stick-to-your-ribs goodness and full flavors and spices and carbs!  I want the house to smell amazing and folks to walk in and say, "Mmmmmm, it smells so GOOD; I can't wait to EAT!"  And the first thing you should make now that the temperatures have turned and football season is in full swing:  Red Beans & Rice.  It's the perfect dish - the recipe is easy enough that you can sort of ease yourself back into the kitchen after the summer hiatus and the payoff is nothing short of spectacular.  I've been known to rip into a box of Zataran's for a quick RB&R (that's what we call it around our house) fix, but you gotta go home-made if you want to do it right.  And for the perfect recipe, I turned to my friend Patti Bryan because she knows how to do it right.

Patti Bryan's Monday Red Beans & Rice

• 1 lb Camellia Red Kidney Beans, presoaked
• Boil beans in water for 3 minutes in a heavy pot.  Cover and set aside for 2 hours.  Drain and discard the water.
• I lb Andouille sausage
• 8-10 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• Cayenne pepper to taste, optional
• Salt & pepper to taste (taste before adding salt!)
• Freshly cooked hot, fluffy rice, cooked separately

Rinse and sort beans.  Cover with fresh water, start to cook over low heat in a covered pot.  In an iron skillet, cook sliced Andouille sausage and add to the beans.  In the drippings, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and parsley.  Add this, along with the bay leaf and other seasonings, to the beans.  Cook for an hour and thirty to forty-five minutes.  Add water while cooking, if necessary.  Keep the beans covered.  Serve over hot rice with New Orleans Cornbread.

 I cannot WAIT to put some Red Beans & Rice on the stove this afternoon!  Kevin's going to be thrilled and the house is gonna smell sooooo good!  We like our RB&R with the roasted garlic loaf you can pick up at Miss Cordelia's.  When dinner's finished and you've got to satisfy your sweet tooth, try a handfull of roasted, salted peanuts and candy corn - tastes just like a Payday.  No kidding.

For more marvelous recipes from Patti, you should check out her blog, Hugs From Home.  She's got a catalog of recipes that have been passed through her family for generations, and a few she's perfected on her own.  Everything on her site sounds amazing and is reminiscent of leafing through my own family's private collection.  Think Paula Deen with a little bit more Cajun and Creole influence and a whole lot less annoying.  Whatever you cook, I'm sure it'll be a hit.  Thanks, Patti, for letting me share your Red Beans & Rice recipe!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Tuesday Tour - 642 Watson

I'm fighting off a nap as I write this and here's why:  Gus's Fried Chicken.  That's right, I had Gus's for lunch.  Kudos to the friendly Crye-Leike agent who hosted a Realtor Open House in High Point Terrace and stuffed us all silly with fried, spicy goodness.  If you're an agent and you happen to be reading this, right now would be the time to swoop in and get some deals done because the weather is right and I know probably 1/3 of the agents in this town are in a fried chicken-induced stupor like me.

642 Watson

But before I find a desk to crawl under, I wanted to tell you guys about a cute little house in East Memphis that I just listed last week, 642 Watson.  I helped the current owners, Devyn and Kyle Parkinson, along with their happy dog Crash, when they bought the house.  Believe me when I say we searched high and low, allllll over town for the perfect little nest for them.  I think Devyn was 14 months pregnant before they signed on the dotted line and I was seriously starting to worry that I'd have to help her deliver her baby while we were house-hunting.  Thankfully, Devyn had the decency to check into a proper hospital just a few days before closing.  And then there were five.  Ava and Elly, the cutest little twins you ever saw, round out the starting lineup (see, this line is funny because both Devyn and Kyle worked for the Memphis Redbirds when I first met them!).  Well, now it's time to move on, and it's kind of sad because it's their family's first home and I hate to see wonderful people leave Memphis.  However, I just know someone will love this house as much as the Parkinsons have.  Let's take a tour, shall we?

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Second Bedroom (I LOVE the green & brown for a nursery!)

Hall bathroom

Big ol' deck off the back (There's Crash in the corner! Hi Crash!)

Big ol' fenced-in backyard

I love this door.

There are these beautiful dark, wood floors throughout the house; big, pretty ceramic tile in the kitchen and bathrooms; interesting arched doorways; a friendly front porch; and my gosh what a great backyard!  The front door is one of my favorite features - it's this great Frank Lloyd Wright-ish inspired wood door with beautiful glass work.  The living and dining rooms have been painted in a crisp, brown-paper-bag color that really makes the house feel so warm and welcome as soon as you come in.  You may have noticed in my own home-improvement pictures that I'm a bit obsessed with kitten gray walls, so I LOVE the master bedroom and it's deeper, richer version.  It's such a serene color to me, perfect for your sleep retreat.  All the trim work in the house is a glossy white (my favorite!) and it looks so clean and fresh.  The deck out back features great bench seating all around the perimeter, perfect for inviting your new favorite neighbors over to show off your new digs.  And they'll be jealous, too; most of the homes in this neighborhood are smallish, with two, maybe three bedrooms and one or one and a half bathrooms.  THIS one boasts three bedrooms and two bathrooms, which is kind of a big deal. 

Speaking of the neighborhood, I LOVE this area.  The neighborhood is called Normal School Place (because it's adjacent to the University of Memphis, originally known as the West Tennessee State Normal School) and it's just east of the University in a pretty little three block by five block section of homes (that's an approximation, folks) that's kind of in the middle of everything in Memphis.  There are all kinds of great restaurants and bars and the like around the University (RP Tracks, Brother Juniper's, and Newby's come to mind); there's plenty of shopping with Laurelwood, Laurelwood Collection, Oak Court, Target(!) and Poplar Plaza nearby; you've got your pick of darn near any local or national grocery chain within a 5 minute drive (trust me, if you live downtown, that's kind of a big deal); and Audubon Park, the Botanic Gardens, and the Leftwich Tennis Center are practically in your backyard.  It'd be almost impossible not to be fit, happy, and have plenty to do if you lived in this house.

Once you see it, I think you'll agree there's something just wonderful about this house and this neighborhood.  Just say the word and I'll be happy to give you a tour.  In the mean time, I'm taking that nap.

Home Improvement Project - Filling in the TV Nook

One of the things Kevin and I really liked about each other when we first met was our collective apathy for all things TV.  We had both given up cable years ago in favor of a cheaper, less distracting lifestyle.  In our respective homes, we both had just the one TV – the big, old, giant box of a television set that was only good for whatever it could pick up with rabbit ears.  I had found my soul mate.  Together we secretly scoffed at our friends, those suckers who were spending who-knows-what on their utility bill to keep their behemoth sets running and who were slaves to the cable/satellite companies that were charging outrageous premiums for just-like-being-there quality pictures.  We were self-righteous, patting ourselves on the back for choosing to be above the fray.  Then, one day, we wandered into a Best Buy.

I don’t even know why we were there and I’m not exactly sure how it all happened, but before we could say “let’s stimulate the economy with a big ticket item purchase,” we came out of a big box store loaded down with a pretty fabulous flat-panel, 1080i resolution (I have no idea what that even means), LG HD TV (there are waaay too many acronyms here).  We were pretty smitten from the start.  Why had we denied ourselves this luxury for so long?  Turns out, we were the schmucks who had refused to enter the 21^st century.  And the picture quality!  It really is Just Like Being There!

It's just weird.

 However, one of the things we never even had to consider became an issue right away when we brought our new set home – The TV Nook.  The TV Nook is a late 20^th-/early 21^st -century design element that’s found in most of the homes in our neighborhood.  The TV Nook, a one-time selling point, is a deep hole with cable and electrical outlets positioned on the back wall, usually set over the mantle, that’s meant as a tidy home for your big ol’ boxy TV set.  At the time of its advent, it really wasn’t a bad idea:  the developer had kindly eliminated the need for a separate piece of furniture to house your TV and created a functional space over the fireplace in case you were lacking in the “pretty art that could hang over the mantle” department.  But as more people ditch their boxy TVs in favor of flat-panel sets, the TV Nook is becoming obsolete for two reasons:  1.) it restricts the size of your new flat-panel TV purchase, and 2.) if your TV does fit, the space between the back of your set and the back wall just looks weird.

While our TV did fit into the nook, it just didn’t look at home there.  Enter Kevin, the Man Who Knows How To Do Stuff.  He took a good, hard look at the nook and decided he was up for the job of enclosing the space and mounting our new TV on the wall just above the fireplace.  And he was!  And he did!  And thus, the first big project that he tackled in our new house began.



Let's do this.

Kevin dropped the mantle down about six inches...

Frame it up...

Patch it up...

Paint it up...

Whew!  Just in time for 30 Rock!

Voila!


There were four big components here:  1.) Lower the mantle a bit (we had already agreed the TV was positioned too high on the wall - we were straining our necks looking at the blasted thing); 2.) Build out a support frame for hanging the new TV, cover it with drywall, and install a TV bracket (buying the bracket was the first order of business since Kevin needed to know how and where it would be attached to the wall, thus dictating where the framing would be installed); 3.)  Bring the cable and electrical outlets forward to the newly installed wall so they can be accessed easily; and 4.) Sand, prime, paint, finish and clean-up.  Like the staircase project I’ve written about before, this isn’t the kind of thing a novice could tackle; however, it wasn’t nearly as time-consuming.  I think Kevin took about a week to knock this out.

And the big, exciting news?  This li’l project cost just under $50!  If you’re not so DIY inclined, you can certainly call in a contractor for this one.  I know of a few that do a lot of work on Mud Island who’ve added the ol’ Fill in the TV Nook project to their repertoire.  You should expect to pay between $400 and $500 for their services.  Either way you do it, it’s a nice way to update your house a bit.  I’ve seen some creative cover-ups (propping an oversized painting over the hole, using the space for board game storage, shoving an over-sized silk floral arrangement into the nook), but eliminating the problem instead of working around it is the cleanest, most attractive route.

Before

Better!



I guess I do need to offer this disclaimer, too:  With all the components that a TV can require these days (the receiver, the surround sound, the DVD player, the cable/satellite box, the gaming station, etc.) a lot of folks are left wondering where all that is gonna go.  We were pretty lucky in that respect – the previous owner had already fashioned an exterior route for the cables to run from the components to the TV set, so we didn’t have to do the ol’ tuck-and-tape trick with the wiring and were free to set the components in a tower off to the side.  I didn’t ask for quotes, but if you get a contractor to come and help you with this one, it might be worth asking about rigging some behind-the-wall wiring.  The devil’s in the details and future prospective buyers will appreciate those kinds of touches.

Oh, and Kevin and me?  Well, we’re not so self-righteous these days.  We totally fell for the hype and now we subscribe to an HD satellite package with, like, a billion channels; we DVR like it’s a job; and you can catch us most nights staring up, open-mouthed and barely blinking, at our sleek, glossy, flat-panel TV.  And we couldn’t be happier.

You should get to know Brad Sterling

“For your protection, get a home inspection!”

In the real estate world, there’s a little extra form that comes with the FHA/VA Financing Addendum that admonishes folks to get their house inspected.  I don’t care what kind of financing you’re getting, if you don’t get a home inspection, you’re flying blind.  Home inspections are…well, why don’t I let a professional tell you what they are.  Brad Sterling is the owner, operator, and principal inspector at Sterling Amerispec Home Inspections.  I caught up with him at Young Avenue Deli last week.  You know what I like most about this guy?  His enthusiasm and honesty.  You see, I’d never been around Brad except when he’d been performing home inspections for my buyers, so it was refreshing to see that the same things that make him so enjoyable to work with carry over into his downtime.  He was eager to jump right into the Q&A session, talking so fast that my pen was practically smokin’!  You can tell he’s excited about what he does and cares a lot about doing it right.  He was kind enough to give me an hour or so of his time to fill me in on what really goes on in the life and times of a home inspector:

Me:  I would HATE to invite you over for dinner.  Do you make mental notes of your friends’ homes’ flaws?

Brad:  No!  I completely understand that there are little projects we all want to tackle and we all live with the random quirkiness in our houses.  I don’t really pay any attention.  The only time I say anything is if there’s a serious fire, safety, or health hazard.  Otherwise, I’m not running around putting stickers on all your rotten wood.  I’m not judging you.

Sterling.  Brad Sterling.

 Me:  Alright Brad, what do you do?

Brad:  Well, the short answer is I assess the condition of homes; I disclose to the buyer the condition of the property they’re interested in buying.  More specifically, I cover the major components:  structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, heating and air components, attic insulation and ventilation, fireplaces, built-in appliances, windows…Gosh, it’d almost be easier for me to tell you what I don’t cover.  I don’t do phone lines or security systems or audio/video equipment or satellites.

Me:  Sounds like a lot of responsibility.  I’m guessing, just like in any other profession, all inspectors are not created equally.  What should folks look for in a home inspector?

Brad:  It’s really important to know how long an inspector has lived in an area.  I’m a life-long Memphian and I’ve been doing this for 14 years in West Tennessee and North Mississippi; I know the area’s standard practices, I’m familiar with local code, and I can almost pre-diagnose a home based on it’s age.  Midtown homes are especially tricky and quirky and already having a base of knowledge to pull from is an advantage.  Make sure your inspector has plenty of insurance coverage.  I carry E&O [Errors & Omissions] insurance of $1 million.  There’s a lot of liability with what I do and lawsuits aren’t uncommon (or cheap).  Also, I know some inspectors feel like they have to earn their fee, making mountains out of molehills to make you feel like the inspection was worth it.  To me, the best thing I can say is, “This is a great house!”

Me:  What should folks expect from their inspector?

Brad:  After they write an acceptable offer, buyers should schedule a home inspection.  On the appointed day, I’ll take a few hours to go through the house, check on the major components, make note of any defects, and take pictures.  Afterwards, I write up a report noting all the findings and attach pictures of the items in question.  Often, the buyers will meet me at the house as I finish up the inspection and I’ll go over what I’ve found.  I’ll verbally highlight the big things (any fire, health, or safety hazards should be addressed by a licensed professional) and go over things that should be attended to with either maintenance or repair (these aren’t usually big deals, just the stuff of homeownership) but because of liability, there really is no differentiation made on the written copy.  The verbal wrap-up is really important here: the written report can often make the house look like a mess when in reality it’s just a bunch of squeaky doors, rotten wood, and some missing insulation.  None of those things are big deals and they can all be fixed, cheaply and easily.  If buyers and their agents don’t take time to be there for the wrap-up, they miss the point, freak out, and may even walk away from the house.  Either way, my report is not meant as a laundry list of everything that must be done before the buyer should close.  It’s just a disclosure on the condition; it’s up to the buyer and seller to agree on what repairs will be handled.

Me:  How much do inspections cost?

Brad:  The pricing is based on the square footage of the house.  There’s an additional fee if there’s a crawlspace.  Also, there are extra expenses for pools, hot tubs, and synthetic stucco.  When you call to schedule an inspection we clarify what will be inspected and let you know what the price will be then.  Some folks think this is an expense that’s a part of closing costs; however, unless otherwise specified, payment is due at the time of inspection.



No homes were harmed during the production
of this blogpost.

Me:  What’s the biggest misconception about what you do?

Brad:  I don’t do aesthetics.  So you don’t like the wallpaper in the kitchen?  That’s no going on my report.  I’m not here to help you re-negotiate your contract.  I’m just doing my due diligence to produce an assessment of the condition of the house.  I’ve also heard some agents call me a “deal-killer”.  I didn’t do it!  The house did!

Me:  What’s the best part of your job?

Brad:  I love first-time home buyers.  Whether everything’s still in soft-focus and I have to bring them down to reality or they’re getting antsy and I reassure them that, for the most part, everything’s okay, it’s great helping people realize their dreams and calming their fears.  People understand that I’m there to protect their investment and inform them on the biggest purchase they’ve ever made.  It’s a nice feeling.

Me:  What’s the worst part?

Brad:  Unrealistic clients and agents.  Some folks think I can – want me to – come in and say nothing’s wrong, to justify their purchase decision.  Others think that just because it’s in my report a seller will agree to everything on it.  Neither of these things ever really happen.

Me:  Any great horror stories?

Brad:  I could write a book!  Let’s see…  Oh, here’s a creepy one.  I was inspecting what was essentially a glorified trailer out in the county.  It was positioned on a sloped lot and it had a skirt around the crawl space so that you could walk upright into the crawlspace, but as you moved further in you had to stoop and eventually crawl.  I’m moving deeper into the crawlspace and I’ve got my flashlight out and I’m looking around and I see what looks like…well, I didn’t know.  It was a circle of stones around an area about the size of teenage body.  It was a gravesite!  I lost it.  I came scrambling out from under the house, grabbed the agent and the buyer and said, “you gotta come and see this!  Tell me what you think this is!”  The other problem was that the house was fed by well water – if it was indeed a gravesite, you’re dealing with water contamination.  I wrote it up as, “Circle of stones observed in crawlspace that appears to be a gravesite.  Requires further review.  Potential safety issue.”  Turns out the folks who lived there buried their Great Dane under the house!  Who does that?  And yeah, definite water contamination issue there.

Me:  What else should folks know about working with a home inspector?

Brad:  Sellers can use inspectors, too.  They can get what’s called a Listing Inspection.  I perform the same inspection of all the major components and write up a report.  The sellers can use that in all sorts of ways:  they can go ahead and tackle the repairs, keep the receipts from the work performed, and show it to all potential buyers as a clean bill of health.  It’s also a good thing to have to honestly fill out the Property Condition Disclosure Form that all sellers have to provide their buyers.  Either way, it’s a nice selling point and a lot of buyers seem to appreciate the extra time the seller put in.

~

Brad and I chatted the afternoon away over a couple of cold beverages and some of the best fries in town.  I did ask him about his own house and it turns out this guy has vision.  The house he bought was, as he described it, a dump.  Pink carpet, green toilet, dropped-tile ceiling, hideous wallpaper, that kind of stuff.  But the woodwork.  Oh, the woodwork.  He waxed poetic about how the trim work and the cabinets had never been touched and they were beautiful and he knew he could make the rest of it work as long as he had that marvelous woodwork as a base for everything else.  And that’s probably what makes him a great home inspector:  he’s able to see through the inconsequential crap to what really makes a home worthwhile.

Are you interested in booking Brad for your home inspection?  Please do!  You can make an appointment through Harold Sterling at (901) 725-9988.  Just remember, whoever you get to give your house the once-over, "for your protection, get a home inspection!"

Tuesday Tour - 2292 Evelyn

Wowza!  What a busy Tuesday!  On top of the usual sales meeting/caravan/luncheon shenanigans, my first edition of Mud Times shipped out over the weekend and landed in the mailboxes of all my fellow north-end Mud Islanders yesterday and I've been fielding all kinds of great phone calls and emails ever since.  Thanks for the overwhelmingly positive response, y'all!

I'm dead tired and I've just now been able to kick off my shoes and curl into the couch for a little R&R.  However, I couldn't let the sun go down on a Tuesday without giving you a little tour of one of the cutest little Cooper-Young houses I've ever seen.  My office toured this house maybe three or four weeks ago and we were all just oooh-ing and aaahhhh-ing over every little detail.  The decor, the layout, the fantastic cabinetry, the super-large lot, the floors, the patio, the curb appeal...did I mention the cabinetry?  This house has been lovingly renovated and cared for - from the smooth ceilings and the recessed lighting to the incredible kitchen and bath renovations complete with granite countertops and custom-built cabinets - it seems no detail has been overlooked.


2292 Evelyn

 
The whole house has been staged beautifully - minimal clutter; a calm, neutral decor; furniture arranged to showcase the generous size of all the rooms - and it starts as soon as you walk in the front door.  The neutral palette looks especially fresh because all the trim work has been painted a glossy, stark white (my favorite!).  The current owners, the Harrises, have arranged the front room as a dining area, which has this great painted-brick surround fireplace flanked by two arts-and-crafts style windows.  Keep moving through these marvelous dark-wood, accordion-folding french doors and you're in the heart of the house:  a warm and inviting living room that flows straight into the marvelous kitchen.  The bedrooms and two full baths are off the living room to the right with a laundry, cedar-lined storage, and pantry in the back.  And just out the back door you'll find a double-long lot that's fenced-in and shaded.  I know my words are failing to describe how adorable this place really is, so I'll let the pictures do the talking:




You see what I mean?  Really beautiful, thoughtful design throughout the house.  But what makes the house so special is the way the Harrises have married the modern upgrades with the early-twentieth century details - they still use the picture rail along the crown moulding, hanging their pictures from a length of piano wire; there are beautiful period glass and brass doorknobs throughout the house; and the arts-and-crafts style woodwork around all the doorways has been lovingly preserved.

This place is in a great location, too.  First, it's a part of Cooper-Young, a vibrant, walkable neighborhood full of amazing shops and bars and restaurants and home to one of the best fall festivals in the area.  Second, it's just down the street from the newly constructed Tiger Lane and the currently-under-construction Kroc Center of Memphis, a community center that's gonna be so much more than a community center.

Are you impressed yet?  You should be.  It's an incredibly handsome, move-in ready house in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Memphis.  Oh, and it's priced under $200,000 ($189,000 to be exact).  I'd love to show you why it's worth bragging about.  Of course, only one of you can have the house.  All of you can get those beautiful cabinets.  Just contact Spencer Harris at Premiere Contractors to see what he can do to make your place look this good.

Goodnight, y'all! 

Landscaping Debacle #19

Early in the season, before I had a chance to
maim or kill anything.

You know when you first learn to water-ski and you have to figure out the tension on the rope?  You know:  if you pull the rope too hard you'll end up being dragged face-down in the water; but if you don't pull hard enough your feet will end up being pulled out from under you.  That's exactly how I am with plants.  It's like this:  I start by over-zealously doting on my newly potted charges until they end up drowning in my love and attention.  So I back off a bit, only to find I'm not giving the TLC they require and they start looking parched and lifeless.  So I step up my efforts and end up smothering them again.  This goes on ad nauseum through the season.  By the time a new season rolls around, I usually can't wait to get my failed flora carcasses to the curb.  And it's really disappointing because I get so excited about changing out my seasonal pots at the beginning of each new season that I imagine Better Homes & Gardens stopping by and begging for a feature photo spread, marveling at what a welcome and inviting outdoor space I've created.  Disappointingly, they've never come a knockin'.

I LOVE this plant!

And then I discovered lantana.  Lantana is a virtually indestructible plant - it loves full sun, it tolerates drought-like conditions - and it just seems to bloom bigger and harder in the worst conditions, as if to say to Mother Nature, "Bring it."  I think it's classified as an annual; however, I've had folks tell me that if your winters aren't too harsh and you mulch lantana really well through the dormant season, it'll perform like a perennial and come back year after year.  I had such great success with the low, spreading variety with the bright, yellow blooms in my front beds last year that I went nuts with it this year.  I planted it everywhere - in my front beds, in my window boxes, in pots all around the front and back patios.  I didn't care about the lack of imagination; I was thrilled that everything would bloom brightly right on into the fall.

Prepare to be...disappointed.

But I failed.  Again.  I made a few rookie mistakes:  In mid-July, on probably the hottest day on record, I decided to move the lantana from my front beds to the north side of my house because they were getting too tall.  I dug a new flowerbed, mixed up a great dirt cocktail of peat moss, garden soil, and sand, and put those puppies in the ground.  Problem is, they sat waiting on their new home in full sun, withering in the heat.  I babied them for weeks, and they looked like they were on the mend, but I'm thinking the big problem is that they're not getting enough sun.  Of course, if I'd stopped to think about it, putting them on the north side of the house if they require full sun wasn't a brilliant move.  If I want to save them, I really should move them to the south side when it cools off a bit, but digging that bed was really hard work and I'm not sure I want to tackle that again.  I screwed up one of the window boxes, too.  I missed a day or two of watering a few weeks ago and now the lantana has up and died.  Even thought lantanas are drought resistant, window boxes don't hold water at all, so regular watering for anything planted above ground is paramount.

Last fall, right after I set out the pumpkins
and mums.  That pretty gardenia on the
right?  Killed it.

But I can redeem myself!  It's mid-September, which means it's time to start thinking of landscaping for fall!  I know I'll kill a mum or two and probably drown some pansies, but I'm not gonna let that slow me down.  There's just too many good things that come with fussing over the landscaping:  it improves your home's and your community's property values; it inspires your neighbors to follow suit and look after their own property; it's a really effective way to freshen up your home's exterior without spending a fortune; any mishaps can be great learning experiences that over time make you a master gardener (okay, that might be a stretch); and it's excellent exercise.  Remember when I said improvements focused near the entry are usually money well spent?  Something as simple as an easy-to-care-for potted plant just outside the front door couldn't be a cheaper or more effective way to freshen up your front patio a bit, especially in my neighborhood, where these houses can start to run together after a block or two.  That little something extra really makes a difference.  Heck, even just getting out and weeding your flowerbeds can be a really therapeutic exercise that gives your house a nice little lift (and I know your neighbors will be appreciative).

In the mean time, if you're looking for me, I'll be spending my Saturdays at the Memphis Farmers' Market, fawning over decorative pumpkins and gourds, yellow and orange mums, and bright purple pansies.  Bring it!

You should get to know David Umsted

So I've shown you some pretty incredible houses and I've tipped you off on some great happenings around town and I've even advised you on a well-worth-it home improvement project.  You're welcome.  Please, it's the least I could do, really.  But here's where I think the blog might be most valuable to you guys.  Today I'd like to start a regular feature I'm going to call "You should get to know..."  These posts are about folks I know (or folks I'm excited to get to know) that have something to do with the real estate world.  Whether it's lenders or inspectors or designers, I'm going to use this space to give you a glimpse into the lives of these professionals, what they do, and how they can be of service to you.  I know, I know.  It's a pretty great idea.
I spent yesterday afternoon chatting it up with one of my favorite lenders, David Umsted of Merchants & Planters Bank.  David is the Vice President of the Home Loans Divison at M&P Bank.  He's been in the business since 2002, closing over $110 million in mortgage volume (!), so he's already a seasoned veteran in the biz.  Remember the salad days at the beginning of the 21st century?  He does, too.  Remember how things got crazy over the past couple of years?  Yep, so does he.  And now that we're (hopefully) heading into a recovery period, David is still helping folks secure and stay in the house that's right for them (please note that I didn't say the house of their dreams - he and I both agree that might have been where some of the craziness all began).  He was kind enough to sit down with me and answer some questions and help demystify what so many folks think is a painful, complicated process.

This guy knows what he's doing.

Me:  What should folks do before they consult with a lender?
David:  When you're ready to buy, before you even start looking for a house, start saving for a down payment.  Those 100% loans are practically non-existent and it's likely you'll need at least 3.5% of the purchase price of your home to secure a loan for purchase.  It's also smart to save above and beyond that figure:  prospective homeowners often don't think about needing reserves in case the air conditioning goes out or the garage door quits on you.  I recommend having at least 3 to 6 months living expenses in savings.  Ultimately, lenders are looking to make sure you have three things:

1. Income to support your debts and your mortgage - the formula here is to make sure your total debts (mortgage, car payment, student loans, etc.) don't exceed 45% of your gross income
2. The required down payment for the loan program and several months' worth of living expenses beyond that in savings
3. Good credit score - you want 740 and above for the best rates

And if you're grappling with bad credit issues, remember it takes a long time to get there and it'll take a long time to recover.  Beware credit repair companies!  There is no quick fix for paying your bills on time.

Me:  How should folks pick a lender?
David:  Definitely shop around for good rates and to compare closing costs.  It really doesn't matter if you get the best rate if your closing costs end up being $15,000.  Look for experience, knowledge and closing volume.  Lending rules can change on a daily basis, so it's important to work with someone who knows what's going on.  Also, be sure and ask how long it will take to process the loan.  A lot of lending institutions are backed-up with new home loans, foreclosures, and refinances and could take up to 90 days to close.  A lot of sellers may not be willing to wait on buyers who take 3 months or more to seal the deal. (Author's note:  I asked David to clarify a common questions borrowers have.  Some folks are afraid to shop around because they think each time a lender pulls their credit, it's a ding and pulls down their score.  David says 4 or 5 mortgage inquiries in one week roughly equals one ding.  So, no real penalty for being savvy, y'all!)

Me:  What should people expect when they work with a lender?
David:  First, there's an initial consultation where we figure out what type of monthly payment fits into the overall budget for the prospective buyer.  This makes the entire buying process so much easier:  knowing what you can afford before you go house-hunting saves the buyer, the agent, and the lender a lot of grief.  (Author's note:  AMEN!)  Then, when the buyer writes an acceptable offer, here at Merchants & Planters they should expect a 30-day process from then until closing.  Unlike some other loan institutions, we have an in-house underwriter and we've got the staff to make sure we're not overwhelmed processing other loan applications and refinancings, so that gives us a bit of an advantage.  Also, buyers should expect to pay for an appraisal (approximately $450) during this loan-processing period.  The appraisal is a requirement, but it protects the buyer and the lender, making sure the house is at least worth what they're paying for it.  When it's all said and done, I usually attend the closing with my client.  Most of what we do is over the phone or via email, so it's nice to put a face with a name.  The closing can be kind of intimidating, so I'm there to explain any figures the closing attorney may put in front of my client that they don't understand.  Getting those house keys for the first time is pretty exciting and I like to be there to show my support for all they've been through to get there.

He was trying to work and I kept asking questions...

Me:  What lending trends do you expect to see in the near future?
David:  I think rates will continue to stay at all-time lows for a bit longer, or at least until we see unemployment numbers improve.  In many cases, the interest rate is more important than home prices.  Think about it:  a rate increase of 2% could have a bigger impact on a buyer's overall costs than a housing price increase of 2%.  I also think there will continue to be conservative lending qualifications.  That's a good thing, though!  Having to clear more hurdles than just having a pulse will protect buyers in the long run.  And it's unlikely there will be a return to the days of kooky, patchwork lending.  Those 80-20, 90-10 days are behind us.  Lenders want buyers to have some skin in the game to help offset some of the risk of foreclosure.  However, if you are financially ready to buy a house, there is no doubt that right now is a great time to purchase because of the combination of really low rates and pricing discounts some sellers are offering.

Me:  Any great horror stories?
David:  We often re-pull credit throughout the loan process just to make sure everything's on the up-and-up.  Once, after qualifying, a guy bought a plane!  We found a new monthly payment of $2,000 on his credit report!  That could have thrown his debt-to-income ratio out of whack, big time.  I think we ended up closing the loan, though; he made a lot of money and could actually afford the plane, but it was a last minute hoop we had to jump through.  Oh, and always be up front and honest with your lender about any financial changes.  We always call to re-verify employment on the day of closing.  Once, we called only to discover our client had been laid off a week or two before.  He played it off like it was no big deal, but we couldn't close the loan.  You have to have income!  If he had been up-front with us when it happened, he might have been able to get his earnest money back.  As it was, a lot of people were left disappointed that day.

Me:  What are some common misconceptions out there?
David:  Despite what the media would have you believe, banks are still lending!  You don't need 30, 40% to buy a house.  When it comes to refinancing (a LOT of our business these days), you don't have to go with who currently holds your mortgage.  You can start the entire process over, just like you're buying a house for the first time:  shop around for the best rates, compare closing costs, look for lender-compatability, and check on the timeline.  Also, some folks think you need to have paid off all your credit card debt before you can qualify for a home loan.  That's simply not true.  I mean, having a big gap between your outstanding credit and your overall line of credit is key to your credit score so definitely work on that, but you don't have to eliminate all of your debt.  Oh, and I can't fix anyone's credit.  For borderline cases I can often give advice and we can retry in a month or so; but otherwise, there's no magic bullet.

Me:  Anything else you want our readers to know?
David:  Getting a home loan isn't nearly as hard as folks might think it is.  It's not a painful, scary ordeal, especially when you've got a professional guiding you through the process.  Remember, buying a home is a big decision!  Do your homework and be financially prepared.
~
Big, big thanks to David for answering all my questions.  I also learned something else about David I didn't know:  he's in a band!  David, his brother, his dad, and a cousin play as The Archives and have written and recorded original stuff (he describes their tunes as Beatles-y, pop-y fare) and have played locally at the P&H, the downtown Flying Saucer, and the Delta Fair.  If you see them playing at your favorite local haunt, be sure and give them a listen.

Do you want to talk to David about a home loan or refinance?  Do you have any other questions about the process?  He'd love to hear from you!  Just shoot him an email at David.Umsted@MPBankHomeLoans.com or give him a call at (901) 746-5311.

Tuesday Tour - 215 Kimbrough

Yay, it's Tuesday and what a good one it is!  After the sales meeting we had SIX (!) new in-house listings to tour and our luncheon was at a gorgeous pocket listing (that means it's a secret, y'all!) that my broker, Linda Sowell, and her assistants, Jeanie Henson & Katie Lambert, hosted.  Oh, you wanna know what we ate?  Mini pimiento cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, shrimp salad, fantastic BLT's, rave-able potato salad (Jeanie said the recipe came from the Kwik Check on Madison!), and a cute little platter of cookies and brownies that featured melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies with a little dollop of chocolate ganache.

Sorry.  I completely got off topic there for a minute.  Anyway, because it's Tuesday, YOU get to peek into one of Memphis' wonderful homes, too!  Today, we're going to check out this marvelous home on Kimbrough built in 1925 in Central Gardens.  Absolutely beautiful, no?



215 Kimbrough



I didn't whimper. I actually squealed.

I hosted an Open House here this weekend and absolutely fell in love with it.  Remember how I said one day I'd live in Central Gardens?  If today were the day, THIS would be the house!  It's got this beautiful, classic façade from the outside, but not too showy.  No, it's an understated place really.  And in fact, there's this sweet, humble quality to the entire home.  Don't get me wrong, it's grand in all the right places.  It's just so...perfect.  Yes, that's the word.  It's perfect.  In fact, I think I whimpered a little when I opened the front door to see slim, French doors in front of me!  I adore French doors!  You pass right through a little entry and into a wonderful stucco-walled living room that extends all the way to the brick, covered patio and perfect little yard beyond.  There's this great staircase with a landing that has two extensions - one comes off into the living room; the other turns back into the kitchen area.  I just love that the current owners have kept the decor really classic and light.  I'm sure it's in part due to staging (sounds like a good blog post topic!) but whatever the reason, the decor doesn't overwhelm the house.  And the architectural details are just heavenly - beautiful woodwork, radiator-bench window seats, dark green glazed tile around the gas fireplace, beautiful light fixtures, plantation shutters, gleaming wood floors, glass knobs on the doors, built-in China cabinets and bookshelves...  Really wonderful little details to swoon over throughout the place.

Great, big ol' living room!

Come on in! I've made pie!

 There's a really inviting quality to the kitchen.  There have been some updates and they're all supremely tasteful - a gorgeous kind of cream and black and brown marble-y textured granite countertop, classic creamy white cabinets with dark hardware, and that wonderful neutral paint is used throughout the house.  Those dark wood floors that I just adore extend into the kitchen and the current owners have one of those great butcher-block islands that serves as a wonderful casual dining spot.  There's also a little nook just off the kitchen that was probably intended as a little breakfast room, but with the formal dining room and the island seating, more tables and chairs would just be redundant so the current owners are smartly using it as a little sitting area, perfect for smooshing into the couch with yer coffee and the morning paper (or Red Bull and iPhone, if that's how you roll).



Picturesque, no?

 Oh gosh, what else?  There's a cute little half bath downstairs just beyond the kitchen, the basement has been built out and is the perfect little gym spot, all the bedrooms are upstairs and have so much wonderful natural light (the huge master suite has a full bath, walk-thru closet, laundry, and sun room; the guest rooms share a bath and boast nice closet space), you can walk right out the back and onto a little brick patio surrounded by lovely mature landscaping, there's a two car garage with attached guest suite (that little building is the PERFECT place to show off your can-do skills!), a little front patio that's completely private behind mature shrubbery, and the parking is all gated.  Whew!  What a great list!

Oh, and even though he doesn't come with the house, the place is currently being guarded by one of the most fabulous dogs I've ever met, Stan.  He was such a great host, walking me from room to room, staying by my side in case I needed any assistance (or if the urge to pet him overcame me).



Stan.  Best guarddog ever.

I'm telling you, I took my time and took great pictures and they're all lovely, but they just don't do the place justice.  I really want you to see it in person so you can fawn over it like I did.  If this house has self-esteem issues after my visit, there really is no hope.