Real Estate Blog

Great staging is so important to the home selling process. If you want to sell your home quick, a little bit of effort can go a long way. Check out our top 5 tips for staging your home:

1. Banish the Clutter

One of the most important parts of home staging is decluttering and organizing. Having too many items filling a room makes your space look small and chaotic. One creative way to declutter is to try your hand at the 12-12-12 Challenge. Every day up until the home is officially on the market, make it your mission to locate 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate and 12 items to be returned to their proper home. By completing this challenge, you’ve quickly organized 36 things in your home without it feeling as much like drudgery. Try to…

You have your closing date scheduled, and it’s almost time to sell your place or get the keys to your new home! Here’s a few things to expect as you’re making your way to the closing table:

Be Adaptable

Even though the date has been scheduled, there are often delays that are out of yours or your Realtor’s control. With your paperwork filtering through the hands of the lender, the underwriters and/or the closing attorney, there are many opportunities for hiccups along the way. Although this can be inconvenient with scheduling your move, be sure to have a back-up plan of a place to stay and know the cancellation policy of your moving company in the event that there’s a slight delay in your closing day.

What to Bring

Your title company,…

Check out our list of upcoming Chattanooga area events, happening locally from Friday, January 29 to Friday, February 5.

Friday, January 29 - Sunday, February 7

A Bear Called Paddington Live on Stage

When: Specific times available online
Where: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street
Cost: $10

Anyone familiar with Paddington—who was found in Paddington Station by the Browns and adopted by them—will welcome this play. These stories have been favorites with children for years and this series of "playlet" versions of some of his most notorious adventures have been woven together to make a play that will delight young audiences everywhere. A delightful introduction to theater for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, but it will be enjoyed by all…

Most home buyers don’t realize that one of the best tools for staying organized while finding the perfect home is right in their back pocket—their smartphone. Here are five of our favorite apps for the home search process and beyond: 

AroundMe

Platform: iOS, Android
Cost: Free

You found a house that has good potential…but is it within walking distance to places you need? The AroundMe app quickly identifies where you are to show you a complete list of nearby businesses and attractions, including the distance from your current location. Search for the nearest grocery store, restaurant bank/ATM, bar, coffee shop, gas station, hospital, hotel, movie theater, restaurant, etc. and view every listing on a map.

Keller-Williams Realty Home Search…

Chattanooga is amazing for so many reasons, but one of our personal favorites is the city’s friendliness to our four-legged friends. Oliver, our little 5-pound ball of fluff, is like family to us—which means we love to take him with us while we explore the city! If you’re looking for places that are dog friendly, we’ve got you covered.

Shopping

Nooga Paws
313 Manufacturers Rd., Suite 111

This is our favorite local stop for all of our dog’s needs from homemade treats and specialized food to bowties and new toys. The best part of this shop, beyond it being dog-friendly, is that it specializes in natural dog care. If you’re like us, you want the best for your pup, and we love that NoogaPaws offers all-natural choices so we know exactly what kind…

Check out our list of upcoming Chattanooga area events, happening locally from Friday, January 22 to Friday, January 29.

Saturday, January 23

The Chattery Presents: Introduction to Improv Comedy!

When: 2-4 p.m.
Where: Jazzanooga Arts SPACE, 431 E MLK Blvd.
Cost: $5 - $10

Improvisation, or improv, is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a game, scene or story are made up in the moment. Improv is more than just making it up on the spot, however—there are a set of rules and guidelines to adhere to. Participants will learn the basic rules through practicing games and simple scenes. This class is open to anyone aged 13 or older. For more information, visit thechattery.org.

Tuesday, January 26

YOUR Yoga Body

You may have lived in Chattanooga your whole life, but do you know everything about your city? Here are a few Chattanooga facts that most visitors, and maybe even some locals, might not know: 

1. Chattanooga was home to first patented miniature golf course, Tom Thumb Golf on Lookout Mountain. It was created in 1927 by Rock City Gardens founder Garnet Carter to attract traffic to the creator’s hotel.

2. The Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Training School is world renowned for training hang gliding pilot hopefuls. People from all over the world come to learn there, and the school graduates more pilots than any other school in the world. 

3. The city is home to Tennessee’s largest mall—Hamilton Place Mall.

4. The Glen Miller Orchestra won…

For the first time in nearly a decade, America’s interest rates have seen an increase. 

The rate hike is a small one—with the Federal Reserve raising rates on December 17, 2015 from a range of 0% to 0.25% to a range of 0.25% to 0.5%—but will have an impact on many new home buyers. 

Although the increase isn’t a welcomed change for investors and home buyers, it’s a good indicator of the economy healing and becoming stronger since the Great Recession. Thankfully the unemployment rate is now at 5%, as opposed to 10% in 2009 during the worst of the job crisis. Now that more than 12 million jobs have been added since the recession and wages are finally beginning to creep upward, the economy is looking much better than it has the last few years. 

…

Even before finishing the last of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, the Torgerson house was already decked out in holiday decor with classic Christmas radio playing on a constant loop. 

Because we love Christmas so much, we’ve scoped out all of the best Chattanooga has to offer for holiday fun and have brought it all together for you to enjoy throughout the month of December! Here are our favorite local destinations to enjoy a very merry Chattanooga Christmas: 

Where to…See the best Christmas lights

Rock City Gardens’ Enchanted Garden of Lights
When: Now through January 2, 6-9 p.m. (Closed on Christmas Eve)
Where: Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750

Head high atop Lookout Mountain to the award winning, 21st annual light…

Live in a piece of local history at the Old Graysville Grist Mill! This beautiful Ringgold, Georgia property is a perfect option for a residence, restaurant, bed and breakfast, or retail space. 

Originally built in 1849, the mill was burned during the Civil War and then rebuilt. It continued to operate as a grist mill until the 1950s until it was rebuilt and served as a residence from 1987-1993. 

Located on 24.8 acres, this historic property is accessible via a private suspension bridge with a half mile of scenic frontage on the Chickamauga Creek, as well as a railroad track. Enjoy spectacular views of your own 8-foot waterfall! Enjoy endless possibilities that include rooftop dining, lazy river, canoe, fishing, paddle boarding and at this…