Bill Diebenow Properties

New construction has been gaining rapid popularity among buyers as homes for sale grow increasingly scarce. But with so many amenities and finish options to choose from, how do you know which features will return the most value for the money? Real estate tech company Dotloop recently spoke to homebuilding experts to get their input on how buyers can get the most bang for the buck. Here’s their top 10 list of trending, high-ROI new home features. Click here for the report.

Music City USA continues to be a juggernaut of growth. CBRE, where I started my career, published this linked article that highlights Greater Nashville’s flourishing economy. The continued expansion is matched by an outstanding labor pool to support the future workforce needs. Yet to complement the native workforce, thousands of people are flocking to Nashville each year. The author cites that Tennessee ranked No.1 on U-Haul’s 2020 Migration Trends report, recording the highest number of Americans moving here from out-of-state, many from the West Coast and northeastern cities.

Covering the Appraisal Gap in a red-hot real estate market. Are you familiar with this growing buyer practice? It is a key element to strengthen your over-asking offer. Sure, the seller welcomes your aggressive bid. But he/she also wants contractual assurance that you won’t be dragging both parties back to the negotiation table a couple weeks into the future. That very well could happen due to an appraisal contingency when the appraisal comes in low and the bank won’t be lending you the full amount you anticipated. Are you prepared to pay an additional amount in cash over the home's appraised value if the appraisal comes in less than the agreed-upon purchase price? That’s what some sellers are insisting on. In one recent and baffling scenario, my buyer client won the day when we actually lowered the above-asking offer by $50,000 but increased the cash cover by $30,000. It’s anticipated that this seller’s market will remain in place for several years, so let's get used to the...

Amazon.com Inc. has signed a lease for another distribution facility in Greater Nashville. The Nashville Business Journal counts this as Amazon's 14th facility in Middle Tennessee, pushing the retailer's total footprint in the region beyond 8 million square feet of industrial real estate. What this means of course for Greater Nashville...more jobs! Click here for the NBJ Amazon article.

Have you competed unsuccessfully against an all-cash offer? Still waiting for your sudden "wealth event" like money from IPO, sale of your company or cryptocurrency windfall? This CNN article gives insight into the extra $$$ required to competitively sweeten the deal and overcome the appeal of all cash and short close. Look into how you too may also go the route of an all-cash offer, without actual cash. Click CNN all-cash-home-buyers

What would you do (WWYD)? 3,000 employees at some of the country’s largest and most well-known companies were recently asked whether they would choose permanently working from home or receive a raise equivalent to $30,000/year. 64% took WFH over the cash. How about you? It has been reported that the pandemic accelerated remote work trends that would have taken years or even decades as people realized the benefits of cutting commute times or using the extra time for new hobbies or interests. But just like office culture isn’t for everyone, the linked article points out that working from home isn’t always easy, especially if your home is filled with other obligations and potential disruptions. If you’re hoping to continue working remotely moving forward ($30,000 richer or otherwise), click here to review 3 tips to improve your at-home work/life balance .

Question - For an income property investment do you prefer a single-family home or an attached property (condo or townhouse)? Let me know below. It is stunning that home prices posted their third straight double-digit increase in April 2021. In the linked article, CoreLogic research highlights how detached properties are rising in price faster than attached. Year-over-year appreciation of detached properties (14.7%) was more than double that of attached properties (7.2%). This blows historical averages out of the water. Using a 10-year period from 2011-2021, you could have counted on a 15% appreciation disparity that favors detached properties (not the current 100% lopsidedness). As we emerge from Covid, will prospective buyers continue to seek out more space or return to closer living quarters in urban centers and suburbs? Click for Summary , Click for Article .