The Weekly Poll Is Up

This week's poll is up in the top left corner of the page. You know the spot.

We're only a week away from the 4th of July and I thought it would be a good time to look at home ownership as a part of the American dream. As recently as 2002, President Bush was quoted as saying, “Owning a home lies at the heart of the American dream." But a lot has happened in the last 6 years that might make some people think otherwise.

There was an interesting op-ed on the subject recently in the New York Times in which the author claimed that the idea of home ownership is so ingrained in us as a nation, it even affects our policy making and causes us to look at renters as second-class citizens. The author goes on to say that we need to "drop our obsession with homeownership and try to level the playing field that, at the moment, is hugely tilted against renting."

Whether or not we are truly obsessed, there are still plenty of people, myself included, who still think the benefits of homeownership outweigh the downsides.

So what do you think? Is home ownership something you consider as American as baseball and apple pie? Are Americans too obsessed with the idea of owning a home? Will all of the chaos in the housing market start to change our perception of renting vs. owning? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

And hey - have a safe and happy 4th of July!

The Weekly Poll Is Up

This week's poll is patiently waiting for you on the upper left hand corner of the page. Don't make it sit there all alone - go ahead and cast your vote!

This week's topic is rising gas prices how they will affect the housing market. A lot of people in other areas are already moving closer to work or moving to more walkable communities in order to pay less at the pump. Do you think Knoxville home buyers will follow suit? Would you change where you live now in order to save money on gas?

And while subscribing to All Around K-Town may not save you money on gas, it will definitely save you from being out of the loop on the Knoxville real estate market. Following me on Twitter is equally helpful.

This Week's Poll Is Up

Although a little late this week, the weekly poll is finally up and ready. To cast your vote, simply direct your mouse to the upper left hand section of the blog and click away.

This week's topic is home magazines - you know the ones that you get for free at Kroger and Food City? Home sellers certainly want their homes advertised in them and Realtors definitely spend a lot of money to do so , but in this day and age, when everyone and their mother has an online home search, are they still effective, and if so, who do you think they benefit?

And out of curiosity, have any of you out there actually either a) found a home you wound up buying in one of these books, or b) sold your home as a direct result of an advertisement in one? If so, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

This Week's Poll Is Up

The weekly poll is ready and waiting for your voting pleasure - you know where to find it. This week's topic goes out to those of you who take the time to read my humble blog: what is your living situation? Are a renter, homeowner, or something else entirely? Cast your vote and/or let your voice be heard in the comments.

Whether you rent, own, or even rent to own, you can still subscribe to All Around KTown or follow me on Twitter - no credit check required.

This Week's Poll Is Up

This week's poll is up on the blog's upper-left corner. You know the spot I'm talkin' about.

The topic this week is trust. Trust is incredibly important in a real estate transaction, and yet I constantly meet people who say they don't (or didn't) trust their Realtor. What's up with that?

So my question is this: did you trust the last real estate agent you worked with? If not, why did you stay with them through the transaction? I'd love to hear about any juicy details in the comments.

And remember, even if you don't trust your Realtor, you can trust that subscribing to All Around Ktown is a smart move. Following me on Twitter is an equally wise decision.

Weekly Poll

This week's poll is ready for your voting enjoyment on the top left and this week's topic is the state of the Knoxville housing market.

Nationally, some people say the housing bust is over and others say it's not.

I don't know about other places, but here in K-Town, I've been seeing a ton of activity in the real estate market over the last few months. Granted, it's totally crazy activity (super low-ball offers, deals pieced together MacGyver style with little more than paper clips & chewing gum, financing that would fall over if you breathed hard on it, etc), but after the dead silence that was August - December, 2007, I'll take any activity I can get my hands on.

What do you think? Is the Knoxville market chugging along like the little engine that could or is it seriously derailed?

Weekly Poll

This week's poll is up (on the left side up at the top), and it involves a topic very near and dear to my heart: open houses. This article says they're on the way out, but I'm not so sure. Open houses have been around for a long time for some pretty substantial reasons: buyers like to go to them, sellers like for agents to hold them, agents like to get prospects from them, and sometimes someone even buys the house because of them. What do you think?

After you vote, you may still feel the need to click on things. Subscribing to this site or following me on Twitter are both good ways to satisfy that craving.

Weekly Poll + Super Special Bonus Question

This week's poll is up for you to enjoy at the top left of the page.

And as an extra special bonus this week, I'm asking you guys to answer another, more open-ended, question:

If you could live anywhere in Knoxville, where would it be? A part of town? A specific house? A certain neighborhood? Maybe just a really nice street? Tell me all about where and why in the comments.

And don't forget that while subscribing to All Around K-Town is both fun and free, following me on Twitter is equally cheap and enjoyable.

This Week's Poll

The new weekly poll is available for your voting pleasure. Look for it in the upper left hand corner.

And please don't leave without subscribing. That's just not nice.

Weekly Poll Is Up

In it's favorite place, over there at the top left.

And while the price of gas is getting ridiculously expensive, don't forget that subscribing to All Around K-Town is still absolutely free!

Weekly Poll is Up

This week's poll is up and once again I'm curious about all you guys who take the time to visit my humble blog. What part of town do you call home - North, South, East, West, Downtown? Hang your hat in a neighboring county or a completely different part of the world? Let me know about it in the comments.

And remember - subscribing to All Around K-Town is the best way to stay in the know on the Knoxville real estate market no matter where you live. Try it, you might like it.

Weekly Poll

This week's poll is up in its usual spot on the top left. All Around K-Town is still in it's cyber-infancy, but it's growing & changing every day. I'd love to know what you'd like to see more of in the future. Did I miss something you're dying for? Let me know if the comments section below.

This Week's Poll is Up

As usual, it's to your left over there.

This week's question is in honor of my super fun week spent trying to work a foreclosure sale and a suprise short sale (as in, "Suprise! We haven't paid our mortgage in months!).

This Week's Poll: Who's to Blame for the Mortgage Meltdown?

This week's poll is up. Please to enjoy to your left over there.

And yes, I'm totally phoning it in this weekend.