Valentine Kid Crafts from your Nashville Realtor

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids

 

 

This blog is coming to you from Nicole Killgore, Adam’s wife. As many of you know I am a pinterest, crafty, cricut, arts junkie! We recently had Liam’s 3rd birthday party and I enjoyed making everything from homemade Legos gummies to homemade soaps and the cutest gift bags!! Valentine’s Day is all about love-and not just between couples! Kids love to get in on the action and creating fun Valentine’s crafts to share is a great way to let them have a good time and make something they can give to friends and family to show their love on this special day. Here are a few easy and fun Valentine’s Day crafts for little ones.

 

Tissue Paper Flowers

 

Flowers may be overpriced on Valentine’s Day, but these easy to make tissue paper ones won’t be-and they will never die, either! Take green pipe cleaners and some sheets of tissue paper in different colors. Cut the tissue paper into squares. Layer the different colored pieces of tissue paper so that the corners all point in different directions. Then insert a green pipe cleaner through the center and carefully scrunch the paper up to make a flower. Bend the top of the pipe cleaner in the center of the flower to hold it in place. You can make a whole bouquet, or hand them out one at a time as special Valentine’s gifts! These would make great teacher, daycare, or friend gifts! I love tissue paper and always make some type of flower or décor with it for my parties. Check your local Michaels for clearance tissue paper too.  My Murfreesboro TN store always has a great clearance section in the back of the store.

 

Valentine Mailboxes

 

Your kids need a place to keep all those Valentines from friends and family, and a unique Valentine mailbox is the perfect choice. Start with a shoebox-the smaller ones that kids’ shoes come in are a great size.  So, be sure to put them aside the next time you buy shoes! Pick up a couple of rolls of wrapping paper in Valentine’s Day themed colors like pink and red, or anything featuring hearts or flowers. Cover the exterior of the box in wrapping paper, and cut a small hole for cards to slip through. Then let your kids decorate any way they want-with stickers, glitter, markers, or crayons! Finish it off by adding their name so their Valentines will be delivered to the right place. So Fun, and definitely a fun way to collect all of those love notes!

 

Lollipop Bouquets

 

Create a tasty bouquet that are as pretty to look at as flowers but tastes a lot better! Turn a Styrofoam cup upside down, and let your kids decorate it with Valentine’s colors, heart stickers, and anything else you can think of. Then help them to carefully insert the sticks of a variety of colored lollipops into the base of the cup, creating a beautiful bouquet.

 

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to spend the day with the little ones you love most, creating these easy and fun crafts. The memory of the time spent together will mean as much as the beautiful Valentine crafts you create.

 

Please let me know which of these Valentine crafts your family does, and how it turned out!

 

Happy Love Day,

Nicole Killgore

 

 

1st Time Home Buyer guide! How much will my monthly Mortgage be in Middle TN

As your Nashville TN Benchmark Realty agent, I enjoy working with 1st Time Home Buyers!  What’s more exciting than going through the process of being a 1st time home buyer!!!  The question I get asked most is…..What will my monthly payment be on my Nashville home??  Most of the time it is less than what my client is paying in rent on their rental home or apartment in Nashville, or surrounding areas. It is important you look at your finances, money coming in, bills going out, and have an understanding of your mortgage.

Calculating Your Monthly  Mortgage Payments

One of the most important factors to consider when buying a new home in Nashville TN, is affordability. As a general rule, mortgage payments should not exceed 25-30 percent of your monthly take-home pay. The best way to know what you can afford is to determine the possible payment range by comparing the price of the home with other monthly expenses.

Figure Out How Much You Can To Borrow for your home.

The Nashville TN and surrounding Middle TN real estate market is booming!  It is a great time to invest in a property in Middle TN.  Your first step to calculating your monthly mortgage payment is knowing how much you want to borrow. This can be determined by subtracting your down payment amount from the purchase price of the home, which will give you the amount that you will need to request from a lender. If you do not have any money to put down we can look at other financing options with a zero down payments.

Mortgage Rates for your Nashville TN Property

Rates can change daily!

The next step is to determine the current interest rates for the purchase of a home. Rates vary and may change often, so check with your lender for current rates. It’s worth noting that the interest rates you receive will, in part, be based on your credit history. This means that knowing your FICO score and credit rating will give you a good idea as to how your interest rates will be calculated.  My team and I have a list of local lenders that I can put you in touch with.  If you don’t have perfect credit that is OK too!  We have lenders who can work with everyone and develop a plan to get you a loan too.

Choose Your Loan Term on your Middle TN Home

Your monthly mortgage payments will be determined by a number of factors, including the term of your loan. If you were to borrow $250,000 for your Nashville TN property, your monthly payments would be less with a 30-year mortgage than with a 15-year mortgage. The reason is because it would take larger monthly payments to get the loan paid off quicker, which is why you will need to select a loan term before calculating your payments. The longer your loan term, the lower your payment will be, but usually the more interest you will be paying.  A lot of loans have zero penalty for early payoffs, extra payments monthly and helping you getting the principal down sooner and faster.

Additional Costs To Consider

Your total mortgage payment will include  taxes, homeowner’s insurance and possibly even private mortgage insurance (PMI) if you provide less than 20 percent down and your loan requires it. Your Nashville lender will help you and  explain the details  and determine what is best for your personal loan.

Just The Facts & Figures on your new Nashville TN Home

Now that you know how much you need to borrow, have chosen your loan term and are familiar with the current interest rates, it’s time to calculate your payment. Our local Middle Tennessee lenders will help you calculate what the exact monthly payment will be and we get to start looking for you a NEW HOME!

Buying your 1st home in Middle Tennessee will be one of the biggest investments you have made and I will help guide you through this process, educate and answer any questions you have!   Now is the time to invest and get a piece of Nashville TN!  I work closely with my lenders and make sure my real estate clients are taken care from the beginning to the closing!  You will not just be a home buyer, but will be part of my real estate family and that is why, thankfully, I have been practicing Real Estate in Nashville and Middle TN for over 14 years!

Are you a 1st Time Home Buyer??? Start your process now. Call, email , or text me and let’s get this ball rolling!  I have an information packet with everything you need to be prepared and educated.  Let me know if I should email or mail it to you.  It’s time for you to stop throwing money away on rent and have your own piece of Middle Tennessee!

Thanks,

Adam Killgore

Benchmark Realty

The Doug Austin Team

c: 615.429.0597

o: 615.371.1544

Adam@ReloNashville.com

www.ReloNashville.com

 

Buying a Home in Nashville is Cheaper than Renting!!

 

The Real Estate Housing Market in Nashville is a great investment.

Here are some interesting FACTS***

 

The average 2-3 bedroom home in Nashville is around $200,000, and with the interest rates on home loans as low as 2.8% on a 15 year loan, your mortgage payment could be as low as half of what you are paying in rent.

 

The average family renting, in and around Nashville TN, is dumping on average from $1,500/ month up to $5,000/month.

That could potentially be $60,000 for one year of rent which would make for a great down payment on your OWN home!!

 

When you are a homeowner, you also get tax perks.  Each year, homeowners can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes from their income.

 

Not only does owning a home bring more value to you as an individual, it is one of the safest investments available.  Experts believe that home prices will continue to rise for the next few years and are predicting Nashville TN to grow by 1 million more people in the next 20 years. On average, Nashville property values are believed to increase by 11%-18% in just the next 3 years. That is a great return on your investment.  As Nashville continues to grow and develop, it will also raise the value of not only Nashville properties, but for the surrounding counties of Middle Tennessee.  I have seen this in the last 15 years of real estate, especially in areas of Brentwood, Nolensville, Franklin, Arrington, Murfreesboro, and Mount Juliet TN.

 

This is the time to BUY your home in Middle Tennessee.  The 1st step in finding your dream home is finding a realtor to help guide you!  I’m here to help you and make sure you’re taken care of.  Call me today and I will walk you through this exciting experience of becoming a homeowner.

If you know anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Middle Tennessee, send them my way, I promise I will make sure they are in great hands.

 

Thank you,

Adam Killgore

The Doug Austin Team

Benchmark Realty, LLC

c:615-429-0597

o:615-371-1544

1st Time Home Buyers guide! Understanding the Loan Process in Nashville TN

The 1st step in buying your dream home is getting the mortgage and financing process started.

 

If you are new to home financing, you may be a little confused by some of the common terms that are used in the process. These common terms will help simplify getting your home loan and ensure you understand what stage you are at and what comes next.

 

Getting A Loan

 

Pre-Qualification: This is a term that means you have been provided an estimate of what sort of loan you can expect to obtain based on your credit score and what’s currently available. It doesn’t guarantee you a loan or any loan terms.

 

Pre-Approval: This means that you have actually applied for a mortgage and the loan has been approved. Your approval is usually good for a certain time period during which you are guaranteed the terms of the loan.

 

Locked In: This is a term that means you have been promised a certain interest rate for a certain time period, usually 30 days.

 

Basics Of Loans

 

Principal: This is the amount that is owed on the loan, the actual amount financed excluding interest.

 

Interest Rate: This is the amount of interest, expressed as a percentage, that you will be paying on your loan.

 

APR (Annual Percentage Rate): Often confused with the interest rate, the APR is actually the yearly cost of financing the loan amount.

 

Term: This is the length of time over which the loan will be repaid.

 

Amortization: Paying off a large loan (mortgage) over a specified period of time.

 

Points: This is an amount of money that a buyer can choose to pay to the lender in order to get a lower interest rate. A point equals one percent of the loan amount. This is usually paid at closing in order to get a lower rate.

 

Completing The Process

 

Closing: ,This is the point at which the loan is complete and the terms become active. At closing everything will be signed and completed.

 

Closing Costs: Fees and other costs that must be paid at the time the loan closes in order to make the terms active.

 

Loan Funding: This is the time at which the lender actual provides the funds requested in the loan.

 

These are some of the most common terms you will hear as you go through the process of obtaining a mortgage. Be sure to talk to your broker or loan officer if you have any questions regarding these or any other terms you come across; this will ensure you feel in control of the process and are entering your mortgage agreement with full understanding of the terms.  My Team and I have honorable and trustworthy Brokers that would love to help you!

Please email, call or text me today and I will send you a list of admirable local Middle Tennessee Brokers.

 

Thanks,

Adam Killgore

Benchmark Realty

Doug Austin Team

615.429.0597

Adam@ReloNashville.com

www.ReloNashville.com

 

Documents needed to start your Loan Application for a Mortgage in Nashville TN

documents for loan processYou want to find your DREAM home?  The best place to start is by getting pre-approved for your home mortgage loan. The Nashville market is booming and by getting pre approved you will be in a much better place for negotiaton.  Nashville sellers are looking for the strongest offers and don’t want to wait for a buyer to get financing.

 

 

 

 

To get a pre approval you will need the following documents

Driver License

Current Paycheck Stubs

Bank Statement

2 Previous Years of Tax Returns

W2’s and or 1099’s

 

This is it, its so EASY!!!  By providing these documents your Mortgage Broker will be able to let you know what your pre approved for.

Get your Mortgage process started TODAY!!! So I can find your New HOME!

 

If you are ready to find out what you are approved for get in touch with one of my preffered lenders.

I have a list of lenders I can share with you, email me @ adamkillgore@gmail.com

 

 

 

Thanks,

Adam Killgore