Wild in the Woods! - An Awesome Twenty-Four Hour Party
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Flavors of Chattanooga, Things to Do in Chattanooga
By Stephanie Arnold, Transaction Specialist
Wild in the Woods is a Festival held once a year in June at the Franklin Farm in Wildwood, GA, a quick 15 minute drive
from Downtown Chattanooga. It’s something that I make sure to put down on my calendar each year as a favorite Summer activity. Wild in the Woods starts at about noon on a Saturday and lasts until the sun comes up the next morning. It is a FREE sponsored event with all proceeds going toward charity. Last weekend was the big event and it was the best ever.
This year there were four bands including: Crawfish Gordon, Convertibull, Headlining , and Chad Yates. Greek games are played all day long with a Bikini contest wrapping up the pre-concert festivities. Between the bands, swimming in the pool, slip-n-slide, bar-b-que, games, and camping, there’s plenty to do with the 3,000+ attendees. I highly recommend that you put this event on your schedule for next Summer - it’s nothing but a great time!!
You can go to www.WildintheWoods.com to see more information and plenty of pictures (the group picture above are my friends with me in the middle from the 2007 festival). Wild in the Woods is just another great example of why Chattanooga - The Scenic City - is the greatest place to live in the world. Check it out. 
| Currently No Comments »
Eleven Tips on Getting Your Home Ready for “Showtime”
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, For Home Sellers, Home Maintenance
By David Israel, Business Manager
In past blogs I frequently talked about the importance of the ”first impression” factor to potential buyers who are looking to purchase a home - hopefully yours. Always remember and never forget, “You only have one opportunity to make a first impression!” Below you will find some great tips for getting your home ready for showings to potential buyers and their agents. There are two major areas to address, inside and outside; both are equally important.
INSIDE - CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! - Have the carpet shampooed; wax the floors; wash the walls, windows, blinds, drapes and lighting fixtures. Consider engaging a cleaning service - they will certainly get the heavy work done and your house will sparkle.
1. Kitchen and Bathrooms - Clear off counter tops, just leave items neccessary to cook and little else. The goal is to 
maximize the available counter space. Clean the stove, refrigerator and microwave. Both of these rooms should be gleaming. If the bathroom is unsightly, have the tub re-caulked and remove mineral deposits and grime from the shower walls.
2. Primary Storage Area - Like the garage, its time has come to be liberated. Remember, you can do it now and benefit with a more attractive home on the market, or you can do it several months from now, in the process of moving when there is no advantage. Do it now!
3. Repairs - Identify and repair dripping faucets, sticking or creaking doors, etc. When buyers see areas of disrepair they begin to wonder whether there may be other unseen problems and move on to another home.
4. Closets - Remove out of season clothing. Organize your shoes and clothing (pants together, shirts in color order, dresses in length sizes), this may sound corny, but when buyers open a closet door, they don’t want to be distracted by disorganization. Remove all clutter from cabinets and closets.
| Currently 3 Comments »
Volkswagen Coming to Chattanooga!
Categories: Chattanooga Market Conditions, Chattanooga Real Estate News
By Andy Hodes, Realtor
Chattanooga has been chosen over two other sites for a new VW Plant that will begin operation in 2011, announced 
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (See below the full articles below from the Associated Press as well as Volkswagen’s announcement.) The new assembly plant will bring 2,000+ new jobs and over $1 Billion dollars in initial capital investments to our city plus lots of excitement to Chattanooga (more than you can believe). As well, additional investments and more jobs will be created through the ancillary plants that will supply VW’s main plant as it builds 150,000 vehicles a year in the Scenic City.
VW taps Tennessee for new US production site from Associated Press
Media Release from VW Group of America
This story started years ago when Hamilton County and the City of Chattanooga jointly purchased large tracts of land from the Federal government that previously housed a 9,000 acre army ammunition plant that manufactured ammunition for the war effort going back almost to World War I. Native Chattanoogans call it the “Volunteer Site” since we remember that the ammunition plant was called the Volunteer Plant after Tennessee’s nickname, the Volunteer State.
| Currently 1 Comment »
3 Tips on Better Gas Mileage
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Things to Do in Chattanooga
By David Israel, Business Manager
Is your tank running on empty? If you answered this question yes, you probably are not getting the best gas mileage you can get today in Chattanooga. I recently read a blog article, which I can’t remember where, and I 
was amazed by some of the tips that were provided on getting better gas mileage with just a few minor changes to the way we fill our gas tanks. I have actually spoken to several people who had no clue, like me, on ways to save money and increase gas mileage. When driving down the road these days, the prices of gasoline can really scare us and we wait until the last minute to fill up to get the best price, not always the best answer. Here are some great tips to better mileage
1. Don’t let your gas tank get below half full! You might say, well what will that do for me, well in the heat of the summer the gas in your tank actually evaporates. The more gas you have in your tank the more gas you are actually able to use. If you have more gas in your tank, you will get better gas mileage. You also won’t be hit with a $50-$70 hit at one time. Spread they payment out over time, filling a tank that is half full will cost you $30-$45 instead.
| Currently 2 Comments »
Celebrate the 4th of July in Chattanooga
Categories: Chattanooga Community Events, Things to Do in Chattanooga
By David Israel, Business Manager
On behalf of Andy Hodes and The Scenic City Team, we would like to thank our troops, both past and present for defending this great country and giving us the opportunity to celebrate our Independence Day!
There are tons of celebrations going on around town, and we wanted to share a few of them with you.
Tuesday, July 2, 2008 - Lake Winnepesauka - 10 pm, synchronized to music with finale to Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.
Wednesday, July 3, 2008 - Pops on the River at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga - an outdoor musical concert, will be held from 8:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., concluding with a patriotic fireworks finale over the Tennessee River. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy a picnic during this concert and fireworks display. Food, beer and non-alcoholic drink concessions will be available on site. A rain date for the concert is scheduled for Sunday, July 6th. Coolidge Park will be closing to vehicular traffic at 4:30 PM on the day of the show. Attendees are encouraged to park in UNUM parking lots between 4th and 5th Streets at no charge, where, beginning at 6 PM, busses will transport passengers across the river, unloading near the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
Friday, July 4, 2008 - Soddy Daisy 4th of July Festival and Celebration - Billed as one of the Tennessee Valley’s largest 4th of July festivals and firework shows, the Soddy-Daisy/North Hamilton County Chamber Council and the City of Soddy-Daisy Annual 4th of July Festival & Celebration will be held on Friday, July 4 at Soddy Lake. This family-themed event is free and begins at 9 a.m. and continues until the City’s grand fireworks show at dark. Bring a blanket, a cooler and picnic lunch and relax under the big tent listening to local musicians playing a wide variety of rock, country, Christian contemporary, gospel and bluegrass music.
| Currently No Comments »
“Soak up the Sun” in Chattanooga - Pool Safety First
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Home Maintenance, Things to Do in Chattanooga
By David Israel, Business Manager
As you listen to and follow Cheryl Crowe’s advice, “Soak up the Sun”, don’t forget to pay attention to the kids in the Pool. Today there are more pool accidents than ever before. In Chattanooga, not every home has a pool like where I grew up in Florida, but there are many private and community pools. There is no better way to spend the summer than by the pool and safety must be the highest priority.
I recently read an article on Pool Fence.com that talked about safety and gave some pretty scary statistics, so I thought I would take the time to share them with you since I love spending time in the pool at my friend’s home in Chattanooga. Here is a study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that investigated child drowning incidents. It indicated that SUPERVISION CAN AND DOES FAIL.
| Currently No Comments »
Bernanke Stirs Up Inflation Fears
Categories: Chattanooga Market Conditions, Chattanooga Real Estate News, Mortgage and Finance
By Angel Sherlin
Usually the monthly Employment report is the main event of the week, but Fed Chief Bernanke stole the show. Following the theme of other Fed officials in recent weeks, Bernanke focused on inflation risks in multiple speeches, and his comments were unexpectedly direct. According to him, inflation expectations are a “significant concern.” He explained that the decline in the value of the dollar and the increase in the cost of energy were adding to inflationary pressures. Inflation is negative for mortgage investors, and mortgage rates rose for the fourth straight week due to increased concern.
At the end of a volatile week, investors were closely watching Friday’s important Employment report. The headline number came in right on target, with a loss of -49K jobs in May. The big surprise came from the change in the Unemployment Rate. Expected to rise slightly to 5.1% from 5.0% in April, it instead jumped to 5.5%, the highest level since October 2004. Economists attributed the spike to an unusually large influx of young adults entering the labor force to find summer jobs, so the reaction in the mortgage market was modest.
ALSO NOTABLE:
* In May, the Unemployment Rate showed the largest monthly increase since February 1986
* The Bank of England and the European Central Bank both held rates steady
* The Fed’s Lacker suggested that the programs put in place to ease the credit crunch may encourage excessive risk taking
* Oil prices declined as low as $122 per barrel, but then rose again to record levels near $135 per barrel
| Currently 1 Comment »
