Nashville Tennessee Living

Zooperbowl Sunday February 5, 2012 at the Nashville Zoo!

Long before the Super Bowl starts on Sunday evening, there's time to take the whole family to the Nashville Zoo for some air and exercise!This annual event allows the family, especially the kids, to get some great time together before everyone parks in front of the TV for the evening.

To encourage you, the zoo is offering half price tickets for everyone, all day Sunday February 5, 2012.

Zooperbowl, what could be more fun?

2012 Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville

Nashville offers the largest show of Antiques, combined with Garden, in the nation! Enjoy this great show February 10-12 at the Nashville Convention Center.

The Antiques and Garden Show has over 150 booths of Antiques and Horticulture booths, along with actual Landscaped Gardens. The show offers lectures by national and international experts in their fields of Antiques and Gardens. The Antiques and Garden show, in it's 22nd year, will provide the opportunity to see spectacular gardens and view or purchase beautiful Antiques.

Friday and Saturday 10am to 7pm

Sunday 11am to 5pm

The Antiques and Garden Show Purchase Tickets

Meet 'n 3 Friday February 3, 2012 at Nashville Farmers Market!

What's a Meet 'n 3 you ask?I'll tell you that it's NOT that Southern Meat 'n 3 eatery where you pick out some piece of meat and 3 side dishes!

No, this is where you get to Meet Local Artists, Local Food Trucks and listen to Local Music all at the Nashville Farmers Market!

There will be over 20 Local Artists and Crafters selling everything from Photography, Fine Art, Sculpture, Jewelry, Furniture and More. All produced locally. Then choose from 10 of your favorite Food Trucks or sample a little from all of them.

Lightening 100, Nashville's Independent Radio will be there along with other local artists and bands.

It's going to be a great evening.

Friday February 3, 2012 6 to 9pm Meet 'n 3 at the Nashville Farmers Market! Be there!

Country Music Half Marathon It's not too late to Start Training!

Team Rio is still accepting runners to train for the Country Music half Marathon in April of 2012! Each Saturday we meet at a different location and do a Group Run. The team is made up of all different levels of Runners, Walkers and those that Run/Walk! So if you're a beginner, or experienced, there's a place for you!

Team Rio raises money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee finds mentors for at risk children in Middle Tennessee. The organization is Volunteer and Donor driven. They match Children in need with positive Adult Role models. Their goal is to change a child's perspective for a better future.

Diamond Rio has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1996 and are National Spokespersons for the organization.

This is the 8th year for Team Rio. We have trained with their Team Rio for 5 years and love the support they provide through the trainers and other incentives. Each member of the team agrees to raise $300. Raising money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee is an easy way to give back.

Join us Saturday January 28th at Fleet Feet in Brentwood at 8am for a quick run.

Donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Join the Team!

937 Patio Drive 

Nashville TN Real Estate - Absolutely Adorable!

$74,900

The one Bedroom one Bath condo has many updates.

The great room is open to the kitchen giving it an open airy feel. Wood burning Fireplace shows off the vaulted ceilings.

The bathroom has been gutted and redone changing the combo tub and shower to a wonderful walk-in tiled shower that's sure to please anyone!

Fenced backyard and great landscaping. The association cuts the yard except inside the fenced area.

The 937 Patio Drive location is great! 5 minutes to Nashville International Airport and 10-15 minutes to downtown.

Nashville's Real Estate Trends looking better for 2012

Real Estate trends for the Nashville area for the winter of 2011/12 are certainly looking better than the past few years.

There are a number of different factors that could end up driving potential buyers into the market during the first half of 2012. Mortgage rates are low, apartments in Nashville are experiencing record high rental rates and most of all, the local housing market seems to finally be taking steady strides towards a recovery.

December 2011 closings were up 18.2 percent from the same period in 2010. There were 1,773 closings this past December compared to 1,500 in December 2010, reports the Greater Nashville Association of REALTORS. Closings increased in residential, multifamily and farms/land/lots categories.

Only in condominiums did the number drop. As December closed out, the number of pending sales stood at 1,652, compared to 1,273 for the end of December 2010.

Prices are lower than a year ago, despite a drop in available inventory, indicating many opportunities for buyers in the greater Nashville area Real Estate market. The median price for a residential property was $168,500, down from $174,500 the prior year. For condominiums, the median price was $140,062, up slightly from $140,000 recorded the previous year.

Total inventory in all categories at the end of 2011 stood at 17,216, down from 19,411 a year ago. For residential properties, the inventory stands at 10,574, down from 12,146. Condominium availability is as 1,447, down from 1,799. Multifamily stocks are at 308 available, down from 370. The number of farm/land/lots presently available is at 4,887, down from 5,096.

Distressed properties decreased as part of the resale market total for January. Distressed sales include foreclosures and short sales. There were 44 price increases as opposed to 549 decreases from December to January.

What is especially significant is that 2011 was the first year since 2006 that showed an increase in closings from the prior year. This is especially significant considering that there are no tax-credit incentives or stimulus funds available, as was the case in 2010.

These figures, along with the fact that December was the sixth consecutive month of increase home sales, are reason for optimism that Nashville’s housing market may have turned the corner in this recession. 2012 should be a good year for real estate if trends continue.

Although prices are down, there are indications that they are stabilizing. This means that the market will remain competitive for sellers.

Thank you Lillian Swift, Guest Writer

Lillian Swift is a creative writer from Northern Arizona University. As an aspiring writer, she specializes in writing about travel destinations and tourism.

Dolly Parton and Gaylord Opryland to build a Snow and Water Park

That's right Dolly has teamed up with those who own the Opryland Hotel to create a new Water and Snow Park. This will be the first of it's kind in the United States. In addition, they will incorporate the ever present Music of Music City to this Theme Park!

There has been much regret since the closing of the Opryland Theme park over 10 years ago. Gaylord has purchased land on the other side of Briley Parkway along Pennington Bend.

The 114 acre site is expected to draw tourists from across the country as well as entertain those already visiting Music City.

The Water and Snow Park is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2014. Dolly Parton has already enjoyed wonderful success with her Dollywood in East Tennessee. Now joined with another great entertaining company, Gaylord Opryland we can only hope for another wonderful Theme Park.

Urban Chickens come to Nashville!

This Week Metro Council of Nashville TN voted to allow people living in Residential zoning districts to raise Hens in their backyards. For an annual $25 permit fee, residents will be allowed to keep 2, 4, or 6 hens, depending on the size of their property. Chickens will not be allowed in the front yards and no Roosters are permitted.

Urban Chicken Advocates of Nashville has worked for Two Years to make this happen. Julie Simpson, who founded UCAN and lives in West Meade said that she "and about two dozen other core members plan to apply for permits immediately".

A "sunset" provision was written into the bill allowing for a review in two years. Eight of the 35 Council areas were exempted through an amendment that was added. Those districts included Hermitage, 6 southeastern areas in the county and one west Nashville district.

District 31, represented by Fabian Bedne opted out immediately because they are already struggling to sell their homes and felt that having neighbors with chickens could make it that much more difficult.

So other than these 8 districts, you can put up your coop and look forward to Fresh Eggs in the morning.

We recommend that if you live in a PUD with a homeowners Association that you check with the board before the neighbors hear the clucking in the morning.

If you don't like the Weather in Tennessee, wait a few minutes. It'll change!

This morning I ran with my good friend Susan over at the Warner Parks.

We've started training for the Country Music half Marathon.

The weather and our schedules were difficult this week so we decided to get a few miles in this morning before the weekend. It was 47 degrees and misting lightly. It was a great run. We love the hills there at Warner Park. They make you work hard.

By noon today, the temperature had dropped to 33 degrees.

A few minutes ago I looked out my back window and it looked like a blizzard! I tried to get a good picture of it but it was really hard to see the snow blowing.

The dullness of the picture is actually the snow! Like they say in Middle Tennessee: If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes. It'll change. :)

Recycle your Christmas Trees in Nashville TN

Many of you still have that Christmas Tree at your house and are wondering what to do with it. Metro's Brush pick-up is months away. Good news.

Again this year, Metro Parks has set up locations throughout the city where you can drop off those LIVE Christmas trees. The Following Parks will take the trees, free of decorations and lights:

Cane Ridge, Cedar Hill, Edwin Warner, Elmington, Joelton, Richland, Sevier, Two Rivers, and Whitfield

The Christmas Tree Drop Off program will continue until February 17, 2012.