photo credit: minxlj

The weekly poll is up to its ears in house projects. Go vote and lend it a hand.

This week’s poll topic has to do with houses and how much work you’re willing to do to the ones you buy. It’s high buying season out there right now, and I’m working with all different kinds of buyers: first timers, 2nd timers, old timers, and possibly last timers. And all of them have a different level of “work” they’re willing to do to a home, ranging from “complete remodel” to “not a darn thing.”

So what about you? Are you looking for something that’s move-in ready? Or are you willing to get some sweat equity goin’ if the price is right? Cast your vote and let me know!

Spend your extra time working on your fixer upper, not on searching for information on the Knoxville real estate market. Just have it delivered straight to your feed reader or inbox by subscribing to All Around KTown today!

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that 2010 has started out with quite a bang —  I honestly can’t say that I’ve ever been this busy in the first quarter. And I love being busy, trust me. The (not so) bad news is that I’m a little late in getting you the January 2010 Home Sales Report numbers from the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors. To make up for it, I’m putting together a special chart post that will (hopefully) be coming up later this week. Stay tuned!

There’s also some good news and bad news to report on the national and local home sales. The bad news is that nationally, sales of previously owned homes were down 7.2% in January. Boo. The good news is that national sales were still up 11% this January from January ‘09. And the even better news is that 0verall Knoxville home sales were up 18% last month over January ‘09.  Can I get an amen?

While this might not signal the bottom of this roller coaster ride we’ve been on for well over two years, it’s certainly not a bad way to start off 2010.

So, what else happened in Knoxville home sales last month? Well, here’s the skinny on Knoxville area home sales in January, broken down for you , as always, AAKT style. Enjoy!

I love, love, love me some good news! Here’s a lot of it -

Median sales price for 4+ BR homes is (slightly) up.
Jan ‘09 – $227,500
Jan ‘10 – $229,000

Average sales price for 2 or less BR homes is (slightly)  up.
Jan ‘09 – $76,100
Jan ‘10 – $77,300

Median sales price for 2 or less BR homes is (slightly) up.
Jan ‘09 – $64,000
Jan ‘10 – $66,500

Total number of condo units sold is (slightly) up.
Jan ‘09 – 39
Jan ‘10 – 46

And then there’s that not-so-good news. I gotta break that down too -

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads south across the Henley Street bridge to revisit a nice little community on the Dogwood Trail: Colonial Village.

Colonial Village is a Dogwood Trail community located just off Chapman Highway, and just across the way from Lake Forest. The Colonial Village Neighborhood Association’s website details the history of the area:

The area of the 6000 block of Chapman Highway, was a part of the original 200 acre farm of Samuel A McCall (1856-1934). The new highway, went through the middle of his property. This proved to be disastrous for Mr. McCall. On October 28, 1934, while attempting to cross the new road to get to his barn to feed his livestock, he was struck by an automobile and died later that evening at Ft. Sanders Hospital…

…The rural area did not stay vacant for long. Progress came and commercial development was flourishing along this main route. The residential development became fast growing into a beautiful little neighborhood and eventually with four churches, (Meridian Baptist Church, Colonial Heights Methodist Church, South Knoxville Church of God and Moorland Heights Baptist Church) one elementary school (Mooreland Heights School) and one city park. The park, named for the former Knoxville city councilman for our district, is the Gary Underwood Park and Greenway and is located on Moore Road. At this same park is the Ras P. Neal Soccer Field and the South Knoxville Optimist Club Building, which serves as the voting precinct for the 27th Ward. However, just on the edge of our district is a second park, and that is the 26 acre Charter Doyle Park, that in 1984, was donated to the city and county by former long-time Superintendent of Knox County Schools, Mildred Doyle. This parcel of land was part of a land grant issued for his service to his country, to Pvt. John Doyle, Mildred’s Revolutionary War patriot ancestor. He is buried in a family cemetery on the hill in a fenced area of the park.

The popular Butterfly Lake, our area fishing hole, was the result of a series of sink holes that are along the south side of Colonial Road. In the early days, is referred to as McCall’s Pond, but today is frequently called the Duck Pond…

…By the late 1950’s, the Chapman Highway Dogwood Trail was etched into the neighborhood by the city traffic engineers. The problem of folks being able to take the scenic tour without a guide, was solved with an ingenuous plan of painting the street with white markings on the pavement. The only change in that plan is what it is now painted pink.

The website has an interesting old photo showing the area before it was completely developed. There are also several present day photos highlighting the lovely scenery that earned the neighborhood a spot on Knoxville’s Dogwood Trail.

Homes in Colonial Village were mostly built during the 1940s and 1950s and ranchers and cottages abound, with the occasional traditional 2 story or split level thrown in the mix.

If you’re looking for an affordable, community-minded neighborhood with gorgeous scenery that is convenient to UT and downtown, you might consider giving Colonial Village a closer look.

Here’s Colonial Village by the numbers -

Colonial Village*

Current On-Market Listings – 6
Average Asking Price: $103,100
Average Square Footage: 1122
Most Expensive: $114,900 (3 BR, 1.5 BA, 1300+ sq ft cottage)
Least Expensive: $89,900 (2 BR, 1 Ba, 900+ sq ft foreclosure)

Middle of the Road: $97,500 (2 BR, 1 BA, 1200+ sq ft basement ranch)

Current Pending Sales – 0
Asking Price:  NA
Details: NA

Closed Sales – 4th Quarter 2009 – 3
Average Asking Price – $86,600
Average Sales Price – $84,334
Median Sales Price – $100,001
Average Sq Ft – 1243
Average Days on Market – 101

Closed Sales – 4th Quarter 2008 – 3
Average Asking Price – $121,267
Average Sales Price – $112,567
Median Sales Price – $106,000
Average Days on Market – 108

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 2/22/10 does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS, 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 Colonial Village Listings” or “New Colonial Village Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. No spam or sales pitches, scout’s honor.

Thanks to those of you who have given me great ideas for upcoming Neighborhoods of the Week. Want to join in on the fun? Make your suggestions in the comments.

photo credit: Grahambones

The weekly poll smells something funny. Go vote and help it figure out what it is.

This week’s poll topic has to do with something I’ve seen my fair share of: smelly houses. Just like a bad case of halitosis can ruin your crush on that dreamy guy or beautiful girl, bad smells can kill a potential sale of home.  A picture may be worth a thousand words, but iff the MLS had a scratch and sniff feature, it would certainly be worth a lot of saved gas for me and a lot of saved time and high hopes for my clients . I can’t tell you how many homes I’ve seen that look nice on the outside – and probably on the inside too -, but that smell so funky (think cat pee, smoke, mold, dirty diapers, “my grandma’s house”) my clients can’t stay inside long enough or can’t concentrate enough to even know if they like them or not. And yes, air fresheners can help, but I can tell you from experience that if you put Tropical Hawaiian plug-ins in a  house that smells like cat pee and don’t do anything else, you will have a house that smells like Tropical Hawaiian Cat Pee.

But enough about what I think about smelly houses. What about you? Would you buy a house that smelled like smoke? Like mold? Like Tropical Hawaiian Cat Pee?  Cast your vote and let me know!

You don’t have to spend a lot of time online sniffing out the latest news on the Knoxville real estate market. Just have it delivered straight to your feed reader or inbox by subscribing to All Around KTown today!

This week we’re revisiting a Neighborhood of Neighborhood of the Weeks Gone By that is just north of downtown and which is steeped in history and rich in architecture:historic Fourth & Gill.

Located just east of Broadway about a mile or so north of downtown, Fourth & Gill is one of Knoxville’s oldest “streetcar suburbs” and is full of many styles of historic homes. From the Fourth & Gill neighborhood website:

Historic Fourth & Gill is an excellent example of the neighborhoods that flourished in Knoxville during the last quarter of the 19th Century…

…The architectural styles present in the Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District are a good representation of the residential architecture popular in America between the 1880’s and the 1940’s…The Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District features over 280 residential structures, including single family houses, duplexes, and apartment buildings. The district also contains one school and three churches. The houses are primarily of frame construction, with large porches and complex rooflines. Most of the masonry veneer and load bearing construction occurred in the 20th Century. Although a number of different styles exist in the Fourth and Gill Historic Overlay District, the majority are Queen Anne and Craftsmen styles.

Many of the houses were designed by some of Knoxville’s most notable architects, including George F. Barber and Joseph Bauman…Historically the area was made up of a varied group of people. Professionals and laborers, families and transients, blacks and whites all lived in close proximity to one another. The neighborhood was home to merchants, mayors and a governor, Robert L. Taylor…

…Within the last two decades the neighborhood has begun to reclaim much of its former glory. The district’s name reflects this effort, being derived from the location of a converted house that serves as the neighborhood center. Owners who could foresee the positive social value of cooperative inner city living have attractively restored many distressed properties to comfortable, modern standards. The Historic Fourth and Gill Neighborhood has a proud past and an equally illustrious future.

Fourth & Gill is just a hop, skip and a jump from downtown and the UT campus and is (normally) easily accessible by I-40 or Broadway.

It is a very walkable neighborhood, with sidewalks on just about every street. Veggies and organic foodies, can even walk to theThree Rivers Market, a whole foods co-op, located just across the way on Broadway.

Here’s Fourth & Gill by the numbers-

Historic Fourth & Gill*

Current On-Market Listings – 10
Average Asking Price: $208,530
Median Asking Price: $169,902
Average Square Footage: 2021

Most Expensive: $399,900 (4 BR, 3 BA, 3200+ sq ft on Gratz)
Least Expensive: $127,900 (2 BR, 1 BA, 900+ sq ft on Gill)

Middle of the Road: $189,000 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1900+ sq ft on Luttrell)

Current Pending Sales -3
Average Asking Price: $239,100
Median Asking Price: $239,900

Closed Sales – 4th Quarter 2009 – 2
Average Sales Price – $152,250
Median Sales Price – NA
Average Sq Ft – 2267
Average Days on Market – 245

Closed Sales – 4th Quarter 2008 – 3
Average Sales Price – $182,000
Median Sales Price – $165,000
Average Sq Ft – 2208
Average Days on Market -77

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 02/15/09 does not include adjacent subdivisions, condos, PUDS, or multi-family units.

For even more info on Fourth & Gill, check out my Fourth & Gill neighborhood guide over at Knoxify. It’s chock full of neighborhood goodness!

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 Fourth & Gill Listings” or “New Fourth & Gill Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. Spam ain’t part of the deal.

Know of a corner of Knoxville that would make a great Neighborhood of the Week?  Let me know about it and you might just see it featured here soon.

photo credit: ansik

The weekly poll is helping me celebrate my blogiversary. Go vote and join in the festivities!

Yes, it’s true, All Around KTown turns 2 this week! And it’s been another wonderful year both online and off. I’ve had a lot of very cool opportunities, gotten to meet a lot of new folks, gotten some very nice compliments, even got to be on TV a few times, and also sold the heck out of some houses. What more could a blogging Realtor ask for?

Best of all, you’re all still coming here (or checking in via feed reader or email) and reading about Knoxville real estate. You’re the best! This past year, you’ve been most interested in:

1. Downtown Knoxville condos and lofts.
2. The Brownlow School lofts.
3. Lane Kiffin’s (now former) neighborhood.
4. The $8,000 new home buyer tax credit.
5. How to learn to love split foyers (a surprise hit, this one, and one of the first posts I ever wrote).

Which leads me back to this week’s poll topic. Now that I know what you liked from the year that was, I’m curious about what you would you like to see more of on AAKT in the year to come. More neighborhood information? More market condition updates? More foreclosure info? More write-ups on interesting — or just plain expensive — properties around K-Town? Or maybe just more bells and whistles like charts or video? Cast your vote and let me know! And if you have a hankering for something I didn’t put in the poll, leave a comment and let me know all about it.

Don’t wait another year — sign up today to get the latest news on the Knoxville real estate market delivered straight to your feed reader or inbox today!

This week Neighborhood of the Week heads south down Alcoa Highway to revisit one of my personal favorite Knoxville ‘hoods: Lakemoor Hills.

Just a few miles south of campus off of Alcoa Highway, Lakemoor Hills is sometimes  referred to as  “South Sequoyah” due to its location across the river from Sequoyah Hills.

With over 250 homes, many with lake frontage, lake views, or ample acreage, Lakemoor Hills is definitely a nice place to call home. Most of the homes in the neighborhood were built in the 60s and 70s and include ranchers as well as many contemporary multi-levels, including some Barber McMurray designed homes.

There are also some newer construction homes, most notably on lots with river frontage.

So if you’re looking for something convenient to downtown, UT and Bearden that has beautiful scenery and plenty of room to breathe, Lakemoor Hills might just have it.

Here’s Lakemoor Hills by the numbers -

Lakemoor Hills*

Current On-Market Listings – 9
Average Asking Price: $378,244
Median Asking Price: $329,900
Average Square Footage: 3480
Most Expensive Listing: $799,900 (5 BR, 4.5 BA, 5800+ sq ft on 1.8 acres with lake frontage)
Least Expensive Listing: $179,900 (3 BR, 2 BA, 1700 sq ft rancher built in 1950)

Middle of the Road: $329,900 (3 BR, 2.5 BA, 2800+ sq ft contemporary on 1.4 acres)

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

Closed Sales 2009 – 4
Average List Price – $302,400
Average Sales Price – $296,200
Median Sales Price – $224,950
Average Square Feet – 2753
Average Days on Market – 87

Closed Sales 2008 – 9
Average List Price – $451,944
Average Sales Price – $426,640
Median Sales Price – $380,000
Average Square Feet – 3724
Average Days on Market – 104

*Data taken from KAARMLS on 2/08/10 for Lakemoor 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 Lakemoor Hills Listings” or “New Lakemoor Hills Listings” in the subject line and I’ll take care of the rest. And no, I won’t spam you.

Do you live in a great Knoxville neighborhood you’d like to share with the world? Tell me about it and you might just see it featured here one day soon.