The metropolitan areas that do not have codes inspections by city or county officials get to be quite challenging for home inspectors, as the prevailing building code is… Well there ain’t one. These areas are real “Bubba’s delights” as builders and other tradesmen can get away with real slip-shod, “willy-nilly” workmanship. The past few days I have been working in the bordering counties where there are no codes departments or inspections other than electrical – thank goodness. The finished product (term used very loosely here) provided by this ‘good ol’ boy’ network of builders and unhandymen is enough to scare the living daylights out of even the bravest of souls. Even scarier are that many of these properties do not have a home inspection before closing. The result is that the seller ... 08/20/2008

It is not unusual to deal with nervous clients and sometimes-nervous real estate agents especially if it has been awhile since they have had a deal come across the table. Yesterday was no exception as I was working a double dipper. It seemed as if almost every 5 minutes or so, either the agent or the buyer would ask. “Have you found anything yet?” I must say, that for the most part, everything was cool with this 6 year-old property prior to taking the obligatory crawl into the under-floor area. Generally speaking, it is not unusual to see issues in the crawl space, as it is not a place where codes officials, builders, home owners or superintendents go. It seems as if only tradesmen (I use the term loosely here) and home inspectors venture to go into the final frontier that I call the “b... 08/01/2008

Wah Who!!,    Friday Night from 6:30pm to 9:30pm there will be live music for everyone to enjoy.  Sponsored by Main Street.  Murfreesboro's Organization to revitalize the town square and surrounding area.  Bring your lawn chair, local restaraunts are available for food or bring your own.  Just come out and enjoy the community.  Everyone and all ages will enjoy.  Main Street presents Friday Night Live, a free summer concert series, held the first Friday of each month from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. Y'all Come Out Now, Hear!  07/28/2008

Calling all Murfreesboro Agents!!  Saturday August 2 at Old Fort Park there will be a gathering to give back to the community, Family Day.  People from all over the county and organizations will come together to give less priviledged children (all school ages) back packs filled with school supplies.  We have a drop off at Keller Williams, on St. Andrews Dr.  There are list in the local stores as to what each grade needs. Just make sure that the back packs are labeled with the right grade.  Thanks, I look forward to seeing all my fellow realtors there. ackpack is labeled as to the appropriate age.  Hope to see some of my fellow realtors there.   07/24/2008

Enjoy the great parks of Middle Tennessee They are great relaxing fun and, with the price of gas, can make great local trips. Barfield Crescent Park is a 430-acre community park located at 697 Barfield Crescent Road in the southern area of Murfreesboro   Please stop by: http://www.agent-of-choice.com & click on "Featured Parks"   Paul LaLiberte, Broker------ Middle Tennessee's agent of choice   Leading the way for residential & commercial real estate   Crye-Leike Commercial 599 Sam Ridley Parkway West    Suite 104 Smyrna, TN  37167 (615) 243-9852 Cell (615) 223-8550 Office   >Free Reports, 1000s of Homes to View 07/05/2008

  (THE WENTWORTH PLAN) 3 BD - 3.5 BA HOME IN NORTH MURFREESBORO, SPACIOUS KITCHEN, VAULTED CEILINGS IN DINING, LIVING RM, AND MASTER. TILED FOYER, LG BONUS, UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, CONVIENENT TO I-840 AND I-24. DON'T MISS THIS GORGEOUS HOME!! http://www.idxre.com/idx/cpropertydetail.cfm?cid=13739&bid=0&cpid=1360836&ff=1 05/13/2008

Rutherford County PAWS Animal Shelter Murfreesboro Tennessee 37128 (615) 898-7740 press 5 -- Fax (615) 898-7994 Open Mon - Fri -- Noon till 6pm Open Saturday --11am till 2pm Closed Sundays & Holidays Animal: Dog Breed: Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler[Mix] Sex: Female Age: Baby Size: Small ID: A036967 ID#A036967 I am a female, black and brown Australian Cattle Dog mix. The shelter thinks I am about 4 months old. I have been at the shelter since Apr 28, 2008.  Animals at the shelter have a limited time.  Please take the time to view the information on this animal and other animals that are currently at the shelter to see if they would be a good fit for your next pet.   05/12/2008

Officials with SafeHarbor Holding, LLC, developer of the Bible Park USA have committed to developing the Park in a way that is both "sustainable and carbon-friendly," according to Armon Bar-Tur, the Park's developer. Developers said in a release today that the geothermal energy used to heat and cool the Park to the significant green space that surrounds it, the grass pavers that replace traditional asphalt in parking areas, and an aggressive recycling program inside the Park will make the development a model of environmental responsibility for Rutherford County and indeed all tourist attractions. "We are committed to ensuring the Park itself, from the ground up through our daily operations once we are open, is designed and managed in a way that has virtually no impact on the environment... 05/12/2008

  A petition may make it much harder for the developers of the Bible Park USA to get their development approved. The petition, signed by landowners of property surrounding the 282 acres where developers hope to build the Bible theme park, has been submitted to the Rutherford County Planning Department. If validated, that petition would require that a proposed rezoning of the land be approved by two-thirds of Rutherford County Commissioners rather than by a simple majority. The 21 member commission is set to vote on the rezoning Thursday. In order to force the two-thirds vote, the petition would have to be signed by 20 percent of all owners of land adjacent to the property being rezoned, according to County Attorney Jim Cope. County officials are currently reviewing the petition in order... 05/12/2008

Some Blackman residents in favor of the proposed Bible Park USA gathered Thursday to talk about the positive aspects of the park.   Blackman residents in favor of the proposed Bible Park USA gathered Thursday to talk about the positive aspects of the park. About 40 people met at the Blackman Community Club to discuss the good things the park could bring to Rutherford County. "There has been so much negative information and inaccurate information about the park," said Donald McDonald, one of the organizers of the event. He said that in the year or so developers have been talking to the public about the project, many changes and improvements have been made to the plan, including buffering for the park, a dedicated entrance to keep traffic off local roads and lighting that won't light up t... 05/09/2008

From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 10, Boro Book Warehouse will accept monetary donations and Wish List items for Rutherford County's Pet and Animal Welfare Services, P.A.W.S Every person who makes a donation will receive a free book ($25 value). Bring the whole family and meet Sunny, the P.A.W.S. dog, enjoy live music, and support the furry friends that need a home.From noon to 5 p.m., Rutherford County P.A.W.S. representatives will be on hand to distribute information about spay/neutering pets, micro-chipping, and general information about pets available for adoption.From 2 to 3 p.m., live music will be presented by local band Flight of the Might.This event is free and open to the public. All donations are very much appreciated.Wish List items include: food/water dishes, food (dry a... 05/05/2008

Main Street's JazzFest is more than just a concert, it's an event! It's a place to people-watch, eat, drink, shop, mingle, relax, soak in the rays, and of course, hear some of the best contemporary live jazz. Admission to JazzFest is Free, and all are welcome.The Main StageSaturday, May 3rd From 11 AM - 7:30 PM11:00 - Rutherford All County High School Jazz Band 12:00 - MTSU Jazz Ensemble I 1:30 - Joe Johnson 3:00 - Jeff Hall 4:30 - Jamie Simmons Sextet 6:00 - U.S. Army Ground Forces Jazz Guardians 7:30 - Nicholas Payton (Trumpet) Fresh off from playing the New Orleans Jazz Festival the week prior. The Kroger StageSaturday, May 3rd From 11 AM - 5 PM11:00 - Central Middle School 11:45 - Siegel Middle School 12:30 - Smyrna Middle School 1:15 - Hillwood High School 2:00 - Tennessee School f... 05/03/2008

The Smyrna A.M. reported this morning that StoneCrest Medical Center announced last week a $150,000 grant to the Primary Care & Hope Clinic in Murfreesboro - $50,000 of which will be utilized to provide direct patient care to the uninsured, with the remaining $100,000 to be used for sponsorship of the new facility's waiting room and other medical equipment and furnishings within the clinic, according to a press release.Primary Care & Hope Clinic is a community-supported health care organization that provides primary care to the working uninsured and medically underserved adults and children of Rutherford County. It has been in existence since 1992 with the mission of providing accessible medical care for at-risk populations within the local community and provided over 20,000 primary car... 05/03/2008

Accordig to the Daily News Journal (DNJ), "Thanks to Atmos Energy Operations of Tennessee and the Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity, Dorothy Hammond is the proud owner of a new home. The local Habitat chapter dedicated its 76th home in the county Thursday afternoon, with the sponsorship of the home being funded by Atmos Energy.Not only did Atmos Energy sponsor the home at 614 Reid Ave. in Murfreesboro, but the company also provided the majority of the volunteers who built the home. Hammond also put in a number of sweat equity hours on her home and has said many times: "It is very important to me that I am at the site when volunteers are there. I want to make sure that the volunteers know how much receiving a home means to me." Atmos Energy serves approximately 128,000 residential, ... 05/03/2008

 COPPERAnimal: Dog Breed: Beagle[Mix] Sex: Male Age: Adult Size: Medium ID: A036925 This weeks PAWS PET OF THE WEEK is Cooper.  He is a Beagle Mix (adult) male medium sized and has been fixed.  He is available for adoption at the Rutherford County PAWS animal Shelter.  His ID # is A036925.  If you are interested in adoption the shelter can be reached at 615.898-7740.From: Rutherford County P.A.W.S. More About COPPERThis pet has been altered. My Contact InfoRutherford County P.A.W.S. Murfreesboro, TNPhone: (615) 898-7740 04/30/2008

According to The Daily News Journal, " Months into their third special census this decade, Murfreesboro and La Vergne each have heard from less people than they did five years ago. La Vergne set a goal of 27,000, while Murfreesboro expected to hear from close to 100,000 residents. By Monday evening, La Vergne had 21,500 responses and Murfreesboro had 75,695, compared to the 2003 counts of 23,863 and 78,083, respectively."Many people just aren't answering the door or are otherwise avoiding the census workers. Many feel it's an intrusion on their privacy and just refuse," said La Vergne spokeswoman Angie Mayes, adding that the city's deadline to report its population count to the state is Monday. "I wanted to get to 27,000 people. Not sure it's going to happen in a week." Smyrna is also w... 04/30/2008

According to todays Daily News Journal, "The Rutherford County Industrial Development Board accepted a non-binding memorandum of understanding this morning between the county and the Bible Park developer for the financing of the proposed theme park. Under the memorandum, property tax from the park and a 5 percent privilege tax on sales made inside the park would go to pay down bonds for the development.The plan doesn't allow for the developers to receive any tax revenue generated outside the park as the developer had originally proposed. All sales tax revenue, including from the park, would go to the county.The plan would still have to be approved by the Rutherford County Commission. The memorandum had not been on the IDB's agenda, but was considered as other business. The Daily News Jo... 04/30/2008

According to The Daily News Journal, "Longtime friends remembered former Murfreesboro Mayor Joe B. Jackson, 87, who died Tuesday afternoon at Middle Tennessee Medical Center, as a dedicated personal friend and as a friend to the city. "He is one of the best friends I ever had," said Willard Peery, fighting back the emotion as he spoke. Peery said he visited Jackson at the hospital, where the former mayor's health had been declining for the past two or three days.I guess we first met when we moved to Murfreesboro at St. Mark's United Methodist Church," said Peery. "He was in the roofing business and I was in general construction. We did a lot of projects together." The two were also golfers. "He was the better golfer," said Peery. "He was a competitor. He found a way to beat me." Peery g... 04/23/2008

According to a recent article by bankrate.com, the average home buyer still can't afford a home within their means.  I really enjoyed the article and wanted to share it with all of you.One of the worst things about today's real estate market is that there doesn't seem to be any silver lining in that big black cloud. Normally, you'd think dramatically falling prices would make homeownership possible for more moderate-income families. But even with homes more affordable, the median price in many markets is still out of reach for a median-income family, according to "Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America," a study by the Center for Housing Policy, or CHP, in Washington, D.C.Comparing housing costs in 210 metropolitan areas with the wages earned by workers in 60 occ... 04/22/2008

"As Earth Day arrives today, Rutherford County needs a reminder that we have many environmental situations to deal with on a daily basis. They can't be put off for another generation or they will only be compounded.As home to the state's largest landfill, Middle Point, in Walter Hill just north of Murfreesboro, as well as the county's old landfill one hill over, Rutherford County must maintain a close watch over its water supply, Stones River East Fork, which meanders nearby toward Percy Priest Lake. Monitoring the river's quality is up to Allied Waste, which owns the landfill, and the state Department of Environment and Conservation, as well as the Rutherford County Commission and Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department, whose water treatment plant sits just upstream of the landfill. I... 04/22/2008