The weekly poll is confused about how it gets paid. Go vote and explain to it that it doesn’t.

This week’s topic is a product of my curiosity about the public’s general knowledge about how real estate agents get paid. The real estate industry isn’t known for its transparency and agents tend to be pretty tight lipped on the subject of their paychecks, so I’m itching to know how much the average Joe – or Josephine – knows about how my fellow agents and I get our green. And I’m not going to give any answers away here – I’ll save those for an upcoming post on the subject.

So what about you?  Do you know exactly how agents get paid or is the whole set up a mystery to you? Cast your vote and let me know.

Don’t let local real estate be a mystery to you.  Get the latest news on the Knoxville real estate market by subscribing to All Around KTown in a feed reader or by email today!

Welcome back, Watchers! This week on Knoxville Foreclosure Watch, active foreclosures were up for the first time in 3 weeks and pending and closed foreclosure listings were both slightly down. Not enough backward movement to be worried about, but it sure would be nice to have a double dose of good news this week. Oh wells.

In new listing news, old rivals 37914 & 37917 had the most with 4 each. They are now tied for 1st place for most new foreclosure listings so far this year.  Other zips with more than one new foreclosure listing included 37915, 37918, and 37920.

Over in closed listing news, 37912 had the most closed listings with 2, but 37918 is still in first place with 27 so far this year. Other zips with closed listings included 37806, 37849, 37920, 37921, and 37922.

Now for the breakdown -

Knox County Foreclosure Property Statistics as of 5/27/09 *

Current On-Market Listings - 192
Average Asking Price: $125,382
Median Asking Price: $79,900
Most Expensive New Listing: $280,000 (4 BR, 3 BA, 3100+ sq ft in Farragut)
Least Expensive New Listing: $18,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1400+ sq ft in East Knox)

Notable New Listings:

North: $84,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1200+ sq ft in North Hills area)

South: $89,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1700+ sq ft off Chapman Hwy)

East: $182,700 (3 BR, 2 BA, 2500 sq ft on 5 acres in Carter)

West: $154,999 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1800 sq ft off Northshore)

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Current Pending Sales -129
Average Asking Price – $97,614
Median Asking Price – $89,900

Closed Sales May 20, 2009- May 26, 2009 - 7
Average Asking Price – $108,129
Average Sales Price – $103,997
Median Sales Price – $99,857
Average Days on Market – 93

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 05/27/09 for Knox County single family residential properties only, and does not include condos or PUDS.

As always, if you need more information on any of these properties, just drop me a line.

If you’d like to receive new foreclosure listings automatically, send me an email with “Foreclosure List” in the subject line, and I’ll do the rest. I will totally not spam you. For reals.

Why take the chance of ever missing out on Foreclosure Watch? Make sure you get all your foreclosure goodness every week by subscribing to All Around K-Town today, either by RSS or email!

It’s Home Sales Report time! It’s Home Sales Report time!

We’re well into the spring buying and selling season, and last month I had predicted that sales numbers might be up this month due to all the activity I’ve been seeing as well as the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit and super low rates. Well, I was kind of wrong. It happens.

But don’t lose hope yet! While the actual number of sales is still down, there actually is some good news buried in the numbers this month, and it’s a lot more good news than we’ve seen in a long, long time.

So let  break down the April home sale numbers the only way that I know how — AAKT style –  and tell you all about it.

First let’s start with …OMG look at all this good  news!

Average sales price for 2 or less BR homes is (way) up.
Apr ‘08 – $90,900
Apr ‘09 – $123,800

And, of course, there’s the inevitable not-so-good news -

Median sales price for 2 or less BR homes is (slightly) down.
Apr ‘08 – $79,200
Apr ‘09 – $74,700

Average sales price for 3 BR homes is (way) down.
Apr ‘08 – $163,600
Apr ‘09 – $151,300

Median sales price for 3 BR homes is down.
Apr ‘08 – $149,000
Apr ‘09 – $139,600

Average condo sales price is down.
Apr ‘08 – $164,300
Apr ‘09 – $160,300

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Weeks heads out to West Knoxville to take another look at a a lovely mid-century neigborhood with a strong sense of community: West Hills.

Located just across from West Town Mall and only moments from I-40, West Hills is very conveniently located for shopping and commuting. The neighborhood is bounded by Kingston Pike to the South, Middlebrook Pike to the North, and spreads roughly from just east of Gallaher View to just west of Papermill.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Built primarily in the 1950s and 1960s, West Hills is a true mid-century neighborhood and has all the ranchers – many with modern lines – to prove it.  Unlike the majority of Knoxville, the entire area is fairly level. Couple that with some pretty big lots and you get some homes with very nice, large backyards.

West Hills also has a very strong sense of community. The West Hills Community Association has been going strong for over 30 years its members continue to work to protect the the quality of life of all West Hills residents.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Living in West Hills is good if you’re into retail therapy: it’s located less than a mile from West Town Mall and all of it’s surrounding stores, including Borders, Old Navy, Kohl’s and Bed, Bath and Beyond. For grocery shopping, try the Food City off of Morrel Rd or the Bearden Kroger on Kingston Pike.

Once you’re done shopping, you can go home to play.  The West Hills YMCA is located just on the edge of the West Hills neighborhood on N. Winston Rd, within walking distance of many homes. If outdoor activity is more your style, The West Hills Park is also located just off of N. Winston Rd and includes the 1.9 mile Jean Teague Greenway.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Hungry West Hills residents have no shortage of restaurant choices.  Knoxville mainstays Copper Cellar and Cappucinos are close by and are always good bets. If you’re in the mood for something with a more international flair, you can try Stir Fry Cafe or Tomo Japansese Restaurant

So if you’re looking for something a little bit older on a nice size lot in a convenient West location, West Hills might be just what you’re looking for.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s West Hills by the numbers-

West Hills*

Current On-Market Listings - 21
Average Asking Price: $239,981
Median Asking Price: $210,000
Average Sq. Footage: 2255
Most Expensive: $749,000 (4 BR, 3 BA, 5200+ sq ft on 7 acres)
Least Expensive: $125,000 (2 BR, 1 BA, 1200+ sq ft tri-level)
Middle of the Road: $239,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 2100+ sq ft rancher)

Current Pending Sales -2
Average Asking Price: $138,500
Median Asking Price: NA

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2009 – 5
Average Sales Price – $160,250
Median Sales Price – $159,900
Average Days on Market – 122

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2008 – 5
Average Sales Price – $187,060
Median Sales Price – $199,900
Average Days on Market – 75

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 5/25/09 for West Hills proper and does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos or PUDS.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current West Hills Listings” or “New West Hills Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Absolutely no spam included.

Know of a neighborhood that is NOTW-worthy? Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here one day soon.

The weekly poll is trying to stay cool. Go vote and fan it a little.

This week’s topic has to do with your thermostat and where you set it in the summer when you’re at home. I asked more or less the same question last winter and now that the mercury is rising, I’m wondering how cool is cool enough when it comes to you staying comfortable during the hot summer months.

So what about you?  Do you tough it out at 80 in the summer or could your house double as a meat locker? Cast your vote and let me know.

You may sweat the heat, but you never have to sweat where to get the latest news on the Knoxville real estate market – subscribe to All Around KTown in a feed reader or by email today!

photo credit: Jared Zimmerman

Hey there, Watchers! This week on Knoxville Foreclosure Watch, active & pending  foreclosure listings  were both down while closed listings stayed exactly the same.  Overall, I’d say it looks like these babies are still moving pretty well given the current market conditions.

In new listing news, 37914 had the most this week with 4 total. Other zips with more than one new foreclosure listing included 37721, 37918, 37920, and 37921. Even without having any new ones this week, 37917 is still in the lead with 65 new foreclosure listings so far this year.

37918 had the most closed listings with 2, which put it back first place for most closed foreclosure listings so far this year with 26. Other zips with closed listings included 37909, 37912, 37918, 37921, 37923, 37932, 37934, and 37938.

Now for the breakdown -

Knox County Foreclosure Property Statistics as of 5/20/09 *

Current On-Market Listings - 185
Average Asking Price: $126,595
Median Asking Price: $79,900
Most Expensive New Listing: $325,000 (4 BR, 2.5 BA, 2900 sq ft on 2.5 acres in Gibbs)
Least Expensive New Listing: $16,000 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1200+ sq ft on Riverside Dr)

Notable New Listings:

North: $155,000 (3 BR, 2.5 BA, 2000+ sq ft near East Town)

South: $27,500 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1200 sq ft off Chapman Hwy)

East: $47,500 (4 BR, 2 BA, 1700 sq ft off Rutledge Pike)

West: $187,450 (4 BR, 2.5 BA, 2400+ sq ft off Lovell Rd)

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Current Pending Sales -134
Average Asking Price – $98,364
Median Asking Price – $97,912

Closed Sales May 13, 2009- May 19, 2009 - 9
Average Asking Price – $111,233
Average Sales Price – $103,997
Median Sales Price – $80,000
Average Days on Market – 39

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 05/20/09 for Knox County single family residential properties only, and does not include condos or PUDS.

As always, if you need more information on any of these properties, just drop me a line.

If you’d like to receive new foreclosure listings automatically, send me an email with “Foreclosure List” in the subject line, and I’ll do the rest. No spam here, folks.

Why take the chance of ever missing out on Foreclosure Watch? Make sure you get all your foreclosure goodness every week by subscribing to All Around K-Town today, either by RSS or email!

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads north of downtown to revisit a historic and well-hidden neighborhood: North Hills.

Located between Old North Knox and Fountain City, North Hills is bordered by Cecil Avenue to the south, Whittle Springs Road to the west, Washington Pike to the north and Prosser Road to the east.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

The neighborhood was developed in the late 1920s, and at that time was one of the largest communities in Knoxville, covering 185 acres. It was also considered one of the most prominent and several famous Knoxvillians, including Cas Walker and Patricia Neal, have called North Hills home. The area features many charming homes with unique architectural styles, including Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, and Colonial Revival.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

North Hills is quite walkable and the neighborhood is defined by its main thoroughfare, North Hills Boulevard, which has a large, tree-lined median. Residents can also take a stroll on the .4 mile North Hills Greenway or just laze the day away in North Hills Park, which features picnic tables, a playground and a gazebo.

Gardeners will also feel right at home  in North Hills:  The North Hills Gardening Club, which was formed in 1935, is still alive and kicking, and is responsible for planting many of the numerous trees and flowers found throughout the neighborhood.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

North Hills is easily accessible by the 1-40 or 1-640 Broadway exits. and is very convenient to downtown and a brief drive down Broadway will get you to Gay Street, Market Square or the Old City is no time flat. It’s also a short drive to Fountain City and the Knoxville Center (East Town) Mall area.

So if you’re looking for something in a historic neighborhood that’s a little off the beaten path and reasonably priced, why not take a gander at North Hills.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Here’s North Hills by the numbers -

North Hills*

Current On-Market Listings – 9
Average Asking Price: $150,375
Median Asking Price: $159,900
Average Square Footage: 1769
Most Expensive: $198,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1900 sq ft built in ‘38)
Least Expensive: $98,900 (2 BR, 1 BA, 1000+ sq ft ranch)
Middle of the Road: $127,777 (3 BR, 1 BA, 1900 sq ft basement ranch)

Current Pending Sales - 1
Asking Price: $102,500
Details:  3 BR, 2 BA, 1200 sq ft new construction

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2008- 5
Average Asking Price – $145,900
Average Sales Price – $141,730
Median Sales Price – $153,000
Average Square Feet – 1605
Average Days on Market -89

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2009- 3
Average Asking Price – $116,900
Average Sales Price – $112,667
Median Sales Price – $128,000
Average Square Feet – 1570
Average Days on Market – 139

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 5/18/09 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current North Hills Listings” or “New North Hills Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. No spam allowed.

Know of a neighborhood that is NOTW-worthy? Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here one day soon.

Special thanks to AAKT’s resident photographer, Robert Stockdale, for the great shots of Broadacres. If you would like to learn more about Robert’s work, please visit his website.

The weekly poll is worried about burglars. Go vote and put it’s mind at ease.

This week’s poll question has to do with your home and whether or not you worry about it being broken into. I don’t know if it’s the economy, a sign of the times or just a run of bad luck, but it seems like everywhere I turn these days, I’m hearing about home burglaries. A few of my friends have recently been burglarized and there have been a few recent break-ins in my very own neighborhood. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s scary stuff.

So what about you? Do you worry about your home being broken into? If so, have you taken extra measures to make your home more secure? Or are you the type who just refuses to live in fear of crime and criminals?

You may be afraid of crime, but you never having to worry about getting the latest news on the Knoxville real estate market – just subscribe to All Around KTown by RSS or email today!

If you have a suggestion for future Weekly Poll questions, let me know about it.

photo credit: timsamoff

Howdy-ho, Watchers! This week on Knoxville Foreclosure Watch, active foreclosure listings continued their downward trend, pendings climbed back up a bit and closings were back down in the normal “not the end of the month” range.”  All in all, it was a fairly quiet week in Foreclosure Land.

There were 13 new foreclosure listings and once again 37917 had the most with 3. The only other zip with more than one new listing was 37918 with 2.

37917 had the most closed listings with 4, putting it back in first place for most closed foreclosure listings so far this year. Other zips with closed listings included 37912, 37914, 37915, 37918, and 37931.

Now for the breakdown -

Knox County Foreclosure Property Statistics as of 5/13/09 *

Current On-Market Listings - 183
Average Asking Price: $124,014
Median Asking Price: $79,900
Most Expensive New Listing: $249,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1800+ sq ft on 6+ acres in Gibbs)
Least Expensive New Listing: $29,900 (2 BR, 1 BA, 800 sq ft in South Knox)

Notable New Listings:

North: $169,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1800+ sq ft in Fountain City)

South: This week’s least expensive listing was the only new south Knox listing!

East: $64,900 (5 BR, 2 BA, 2400+ sq ft off Cherry St)

West: $229,900 (4 BR, 3 BA, 4200+ sq ft in Karns)

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Current Pending Sales -142
Average Asking Price – $98,364
Median Asking Price – $89,450

Closed Sales April 29, 2009- May 05, 2009 - 9
Average Asking Price – $62,411
Average Sales Price – $58,567
Median Sales Price – $41,900
Average Days on Market – 46

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 05/13/09 for Knox County single family residential properties only, and does not include condos or PUDS.

As always, if you need more information on any of these properties, just drop me a line.

If you’d like to receive new foreclosure listings automatically, send me an email with “Foreclosure List” in the subject line, and I’ll do the rest. I’m a blogger and a Realtor, not a spammer.

Why take the chance of ever missing out on Foreclosure Watch? Make sure you get all your foreclosure goodness every week by subscribing to All Around K-Town today, either by RSS or email!

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

This week Neighborhood of the Week goes just west of Papermill to visit a cozy little neighborhood tucked back behind Kingston Pike: Deane Hill.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Bordered by Kingston Pike to the north, Deane Hill Dr to the west and Morrell Rd to the south, Deane Hill – or Deane Hill Estates – is named after Thomas Jellis Deane, owner of  the Appalachian Marble Co. as well the farmland that the neighborhood was developed on. The subdivision and the now defunct Deane Hill Country Club were developed on Mr. Deane’s farmland after his death in 1944. Today the neighborhood is one of the Dogwoods Arts Festival’s Garden By-Ways.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Deane Hill is a mid-century neighborhood, with most of the homes dating from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Like nearby West Hills, there are quite a few good examples of mid-century modern homes throughout, including several ranchers and quite a few split levels.

Residents of Deane Hill don’t have to go far to shop: West Town Mall is just a few minutes drive to the west, while the Bearden area boutiques are just a few minutes to the east. And if reading is more their speed, they can walk to the West Knoxville branch of the Knox County Public Library that’s located on the northern edge of the neighborhood, just on the corner of Kingston Pike and Golf Club.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

There is also no shortage of nearby eateries. Hungry Deane Hillers can drive the short distance east to Bearden Hill to eat Italian at Bravo or enjoy a hibatchi style meal at Wasabi. Or they can head just a few minutes to the west to enjoy long time Knoxville favorites Copper Cellar and Cappucinos.

And if they’re looking to work some of that food off, Deane Hill residents can head on over to the Deane Hill Recreation Center, located just up Deane Hill Dr toward the mall. The rec center is a public City of Knoxville facility and features a weight room, indoor basketball court, tennis court, soccer field and bridge center.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Deane Hill is centrally located in West Knoxville and is easily accessible via Kingston Pike and I-40.

So if you’re looking for a mid-century home in awell kept neighborhood that’s convenient to just about everything, you might want to take closer look at Deane Hill.

© 2008 Robert Stockdale Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Special thanks to AAKT’s resident photographer, Robert Stockdale, for the great shots of Deane Hill. If you would like to learn more about Robert’s work, please visit his website.

Here’s Deane Hill by the numbers -

Deane Hill*

Current On-Market Listings – 2
Average Asking Price: $226,400
Median Asking Price: NA

Average square footage: 2525

Most Expensive: $269,900 (3 BR, 4 BA, 3400 sq ft basement ranch built in ‘62)

Least Expensive: $182,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1600+ sq ft ranch built in ‘56)

Current Pending Sales - 0
Average Asking Price – NA
Median Asking Price – NA

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2009- 2
Average Asking Price – $302,900
Average Sales Price – $257,500
Median Sales Price – NA
Days on Market -52

Closed Sales – 1st Quarter 2008- 2
Average Asking Price – $284,900
Average Sales Price – $251,000
Median Sales Price  NA
Days on Market – 143

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 05/20/08 does not include condos, PUDS, adjacent neighborhoods or multi-family units.

As always, if you want any more information about any of these properties, or if you’d like to check one of them out in person, just give me a shout.

If you would like to receive a full list of properties for sale in this neighborhood, or if you would like to be notified of new listings, send me an email with either “Current Deane Hill Listings” or “New Deane Hill Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam is so 2008.

Think your neighborhood has what it takes to be a NOTW? Let me know about it and you might just see it here in the coming weeks.