Tag Archives: kenny

One Word That Will Get You Everything You Want

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Keep in mind, this isn’t going to be a slam post by any means.
That’s not how I roll.

So there I was, using this snowy day as an excuse to stay home and feed my Facebook addiction when a complete stranger starts up a Facebook chat with me. Not sure how we’re friends, but that’s cool; I actually enjoy talking to strangers. I’ll spare you the entire discourse, but suffice it to say:

  • His first line (in place of “hello”) was “What kind of contacts do you have?“
  • His response to my confused reply was “I want to be a model. Do you know any famous people?“

The ensuing conversation was silly to say the least, but it got me thinking about how many of these type conversations I’ve encountered here in Music City. You know what I’m talking about…

“Hi. How are ya? What can you do for me? Anything? No? See ya later…”

Obviously, this is more of the exception than the rule, because from my experience most of the people in Nashville are sweet as sweet can be. However, we’ve each had our weird encounter with the shameless self-promoter, bless his or her heart.

So where am I going with this? Here is where:

What if you asked this question at the outset of every conversation:
“What can I do for you?”

Ask it internally. Ask it externally. I’m serious. What if, from this day forward, you focused on giving rather than receiving?

Tom Ziglar writes a wonderful blog based on his father Zig’s teaching. If you don’t know Zig Ziglar, he’s one of the most motivating people you could ever listen to. A few months back I read one of the most important quotes I’ve ever read from Zig:

“You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

There it is. The holy grail. The secret to networking and business success. Give, give, give and you won’t have to take. Give first and it’ll be given, right?

So, next time you’re having one of those mildly awkward yet highly necessary conversations at some networking event or social gathering, don’t obsess over what that other person has to offer you, your business, or your career.

Make a friend, be a friend, and build a relationship. Find a way to help your new buddy and they’ll find a way to help you. You won’t have to ask. It’ll just happen. If it doesn’t, the only thing that’s happened is you’ve injected a little more good will into the world.

Come from a place of contribution.
Give willingly and generously.
Live the Golden Rule.

There’s the secret. Now, go and be successful.

If you missed it, the ‘one word’ I was referring to is GIVE!!!

Photo Credit: Dominic

Great Places to Work/Write/Procrastinate in Nashville

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I love being a REALTOR.

Why?Because, although I do have an office, I never have to be there!

If I’m going to be on the computer searching for houses, writing emails, designing marketing, or crafting these witty blog posts, what difference does it make where that computer is located.

Hooray for my 13-inch ultra-portable MacBook Pro…

Here’s where I like to park the ‘ol laptop and get down to the nitty gritty:

1. Frothy Monkey
@frothymonkey
http://www.frothymonkeynashville.com/
You may have guessed it. That’s where I am right now. I took this picture on the way in. I love the Frothy Monkey because it’s very relaxed and very homey (the warm,cozy homey… not that clown from In Living Color)
Damon Wayans shoutout.

The coffee’s great, the atmosphere is inviting, and there’s plenty of workspace. Excellent spot to get some things done and have a friendly conversation or two with your neighbor.


2. Ugly Mugs
@uglymugs
www.uglymugsnashville.com/

Tucked nicely into a corner of Eastland Avenue, Ugly Mugs has a cool charm to it that you can only experience if you stop on by. Large overhead garage doors and concrete floors give this cozy java hut a nifty industrial vibe that manages to stay friendly.

I’ve met some great East Nashvillians in Ugly Mugs. The shop’s vibe matches the hip, young, trendy flair of its surrounding neighborhood. If you want to feel what East Nashville is all about, spend an hour or two on one of the uber-comfortable couches in Ugly Mugs.

3. Provence Breads and Cafe

Not a whole lot to it. This is a simple little shop right at the corner of Hill Center across from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. They’ve got some great bread, as the name would imply. They’ve also got some tasty baked goodies and sandwiches. Little pricey, but I’m usually just in it for the coffee. If you can snag a spot in the back, it’s pretty quiet. The front is a little too open for my taste. On warmer days, the patio in front of Provence is perfect.

4. Panera
@panera
www.panerabread.com/
Who’s getting ready to shoot me for recommending a corporate joint? Well, fire away. I’m not a big fan of the 30-minute time limit during peak hours, but Panera’s always got room for me and it’s pretty convenient to both my home and office. I like the shops in Green Hills and Brentwood.

Panera’s also a great place to grab a quick and easy lunch. I love meeting friends and associates there to catch up because the environment is very unassuming. You can have a light, casual chat without the implied intimacy of a quiet, cozy coffee shop.

5. You Tell Me

Don’t call me lazy. I want to know where your favorite place to read, write, study, work, etc. is. I’ve left a few of Nashville’s gems off the list, because these are the ones I frequent the most. Tell me all about your favorite joint and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Who Are You and Why Are You Here?

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Direct question? Yup.

I’ve been thinking about my blog lately and I realized that those are the two most important questions I can be asking about you, my readers.

Who are  you?

Maybe you live in Nashville.
Maybe you don’t.
Maybe you’re interested in real estate.
Maybe you’re not.
Maybe you just happen to think I’m a cool dude.
Maybe you’re crazy.

Whoever you are, I want to write about things that matter to you. Therein lies the dilemma…

Solution:

1 pound of riffing on any and all topics from Apple Computers to Zig Ziglarisms.
1/2 cup of local Nashville information.
1 tablespoon of national stuff – News, Trends, Politics, and so on…
Top it off with a little dash of real estate information.
If you’re a buyer or seller, you can find plenty of that type of info on my site.
I won’t beat you up with it in my blog anymore than I already have.

Now that we’ve covered the audience issue…
why exactly are YOU reading THIS blog?

We can come back to the cool dude idea, because it strokes my ego, but I digress…

Here’s the meat of it:

I’d like to think you’re here because I write about interesting things that matter to you. If you want more, tell me. If you want less, speak up. My only worth as a REALTOR, consultant, writer, or friend is directly derived from my value to  you.

Tell me what you think makes me valuable to you, and I’ll do that.

So there you have it; my new vision for this blog.

(Subscribe Here!!!)Let’s take this little ride together…(Subscribe Here!!!)
…and see if we can’t learn a little something from each other along the way.

Comment away.

Photo Credits:Marco Belluci, Seattle Miles

Never Bought a House Before? Don't Be Scared!

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So you’re thinking about buying something that costs way more money than you think you’ll ever see in one place at one time. On top of that, you plan on borrowing the money and paying for it for the next 30 years! Scary, right?

It doesn’t have to be!

Get some help. Do some homework. Buying a house, done right, will turn out to be one of the smartest decisions you ever make.

Let’s look at the first issue; cost.

Yes, a house can represent a significant amount of cash, especially to someone young who has yet to reach their full income potential. The reality is that you don’t have to pay that all at once. In the vast majority of first time home purchases, you never end up paying all that money for your first house.

You put as much money down as is comfortable and required by your lender, mortgage the rest, and pay monthly (just like rent.) Except, mortgage payments (minus interest) apply directly to the equity in your home. The magic word here is equity.

Equity = (how much your house is worth) – (how much you owe on it)

Think about that. Instead of paying rent to a landlord so that you can live in an apartment, you pay a mortgage that increases the equity you have in your home. (aka, you KEEP some of that money.) It works just like a savings account. You build up this equity in your home that you can either borrow against or apply to the purchase of your next home.

Not to mention, the home will appreciate in value (about 3-5% average but possibly much more) over time, which will only add to the equity you have in your home.

Get it? You buy a house now, pay on it over the next 5 years, then use the equity you’ve built in it to purchase a bigger, nicer, prettier house in a better neighborhood and repeat the process. Play it right and you end up with your dream house on a lake 20 years down the road.

One last thing, I can’t forget to mention the first time home buyer tax credit. Get a contract on your house by April 30th and close by June 30th and you get a free $8000 check from the government. Put that money back into your house and that’s another $8000 of instant equity!

We’ve touched on that second issue, but let’s revisit the concern over a 30-year mortgage payment.

You’re committing to this monthly payment for the next 30 years. That can be a little daunting, but let’s think about it.You buy your first house. Are you really planning on staying there for the next 30 years? Maybe, but no one really does.

5 years later (on average), it’s time to move on to the next best thing. You sell the house and pay off the old mortgage. Thus, removing that 30-year elephant you had on your back.

Sure, you’ll probably have to finance the next home purchase, but at this point you’ll have more money to put down and, hopefully, a much higher income than you did when you were in your early twenties. Maybe this time you can afford a 15-year home loan.

Maybe you still have to go with 30. Here’s a little trick:

Make one extra payment each year towards the principle of your home loan and you can reduce the term of your loan by 7+ years.

No. That’s not a magic trick. It’s real. It has to do with the way interest capitalizes on your loan. Make extra payments and you’ll find yourself in a beautiful place.

All that said, first time home buyer, your logical brain should be resting easily. However, your emotional brain, the one that rules the world, probably isn’t convinced.

Call or email me and we’ll talk about what your best options are and how you can set yourself up for a bright financial future.

No, I won’t try to sell you anything.

Good luck! I’m only a phone call away if you need some help. I love helping people get on the right track.

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Trouble Might Be Brewing For The Second Half of 2010

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As we all know, interest rates have been holding pretty low for a while now. Part of that is due to the Fed’s low key rates. The other part is due to the Fed’s strategy to purchase mortgage backed securities on the secondary market.

Well, good things don’t last forever.

The Fed is set to reevaluate it’s strategy at the end of the first quarter. All signs point to the end of that securities purchasing program.

When that happens, the rise will begin. The government can’t continue to hold rates down forever; they’ve got to start making some money of their own. Unfortunately, historic trends show that when rates drop, they tend to creep towards the bottom and then linger there for a little while. However, when they rise, they tend to do it suddenly and dramatically.

Remember: A 1% rise in interest rates can reduce your buying power by 11%!

Check out two of my previous posts below for a little more information as well as some math to show how much waiting can cost you.

Low Interest Rates on Their Way Out
Why Now is a Great Time to Look For a Home

To compound the effects of rising interest rates, we’re also faced with the looming deadline for the First Time and Move Up Home Buyer Tax Credits. These incentives are on their way out quickly. If you don’t have an offer in by April 30th, you miss out on a lot of free money.

All that said, if you have any interest in purchasing or selling a home in the next year, now is the time to take action.

Starting in June, it might be tough times getting in or getting out of a house.

Rising rates, steady inflation, and a lack of government incentives might force you to have to postpone your sale or purchase by a year or more if you let this time-line slip away.

Think about it.

Kenny Silva
Real Estate Consultant

Silva Real Estate Group
www.thesilvagroup.net

Cell:(615)336-6638
Office:(615)425-3600
Fax:(615)690-8721
Email:kenny@thesilvagroup.net
Facebook:http://bit.ly/7ZU3cI
Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/kennysilva
LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/in/silvareg
WordPress:http://silvareg.wordpress.com

Keller Williams Realty
30 Burton Hills Blvd Suite 175
Nashville, TN 37215

10 Steps to Home Ownership – Step 10:What’s Next?

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Welcome to the last in my series of 10 blog posts. Thank you for sticking with me for the past week and a half. I hope that by the bottom of this page, you will be completely prepared to go out there and purchase a home! Previous post: Step 9: Closing.

Step 10: What’s next?

So you’ve completed all the steps up to this point. You found a Realtor, you found a home, you made an offer, you signed all the paperwork, you closed, and now you’ve gotten the keys to a house that you can now call yours. What else could be left for you to do???

Well, first off, you want to find a safe place for all those papers you received copies of at closing. They are all extremely important when it comes time to do your taxes. Later on, they’ll figure into the home-selling process as well.

At closing, you should have figured out the status of all the utilities on the home. They need to be paid up to the closing date by the owners of the home. After that, you should make sure to transfer them all to your name to avoid any service interruptions.

About two weeks after closing, call your local property records office to ensure that the new deed has been recorded and there is an official record of your ownership interest in the home.

When sellers vacate a property, they don’t exactly scrub it down for you. After closing, the house will be ready for you to go in, clean it out, remodel it, paint it, etc. The sky is the limit!

From here, what you do with your home is completely up to you. Be sure to keep all of the proper insurance coverage up to date so you’re covered in the event of fire, theft, flood, earthquake, and so on…

Thank you so much for sticking around. I hope that this series provided some useful information for those new to the home buying process.

Happy house hunting. Let me know if I can help!!

The Shiny New Gadget – When the Novelty Wears Off, How Does Your Wallet Feel?

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With this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in full swing, my blog reader is jam-packed with updates from Gizmodo about the next best thing.

3D HDTVs, 3D camcorders, tablet PCs, digital book readers, and so on…

These things all sound amazing and let me tell you, I’m usually the first guy to jump on the band wagon.

But…

I walk out into my living room, look at my 46-inch Sony Bravia, and am reminded about the short obsolescence cycle of any exciting new piece of technology. I bought this bad boy about 2 years ago when they were all the rage. It was my breathtaking new centerpiece and everybody loved it.

And today? …It’s a dinosaur!!

Almost immediately, my state of the art, top of the line television set was dethroned and replaced with the next best thing. Now, I can’t go to Best Buy without seeing my current model priced at about half of what I got it for!

Take a tip from me, don’t jump on that band wagon just yet. Don’t rush out and buy one of those new 52″ 240 Hz Bravias right this second. Let the new thing become yesterday’s thing and reap the benefits of the accompanying price drop.

Think about it.

Kenny Silva
Real Estate Consultant

Silva Real Estate Group
www.thesilvagroup.net

Cell:(615)336-6638
Office:(615)425-3600
Fax:(615)690-8721
Email:kenny@thesilvagroup.net
Facebook:http://bit.ly/7ZU3cI
Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/kennysilva
LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/in/silvareg
WordPress:http://silvareg.wordpress.com

Keller Williams Realty
30 Burton Hills Blvd Suite 175
Nashville, TN 37215