Spring Cleaning

Keep the mop out and try to recall where you put the broom, its almost spring time here in East Tennessee and that means the housing  market should be picking up! So if your house is on the market or you have been toying with the idea of selling your house, now is the best time! Lets get to work! 

My son took this picture last summer when we visited the Biltmore

Now is a great time to check, and address the following issues.  Remember, staying on top of maintenance issues really does save time and money.

Check the gutter systems on your home.  Loose, leaking and obstructed gutters, or downspouts that don’t flow freely away from your home, can lead to water in the basement or crawl space.  And, rainwater flowing over the gutters can let water get behind the siding and into your home!

While you’re at it, inspect for low areas around your foundation and throughout your yard.  Any low areas should be filled in to allow for proper drainage away from the foundation.  Don’t forget, when you apply mulch to the planting beds, be sure not to build up so high that mulch or soil comes in contact with the siding of the home.  Mulch or soil that is too high can lead to excessive moisture coming in contact with your home and that dampness can cause deterioration of the structure.  These conditions may also result with water entering the home.

Chuck and I with our long time friends The Rody's  at the Biltmore. 

Caulking windows, doors and trim work, as well as any exposed cracks in concrete surfaces keeps the damaging effects of water from creating expensive future repairs.  Properly caulking all cracks and penetrations found on your home can also be helpful in reducing drafts and energy loss.

If the surface of your deck doesn’t “bead” water after a rain, it’s time to apply a good sealant.  Today’s sealants offer good UV protection and prevent water from prematurely weathering the wood to the point of replacement.  Sealants come in many attractive color tints that can add to the beauty of your deck.  Remember, a thorough pressure washing of the deck will provide the greatest benefits prior to applying stains or sealants. And, while you’re at it, pressure washing the remnants of winter off your house will really make it stand out!

Another picture taken by my son! 

And don’t forget that spring tune-up on the air conditioner!  A tune-up can assure the optimum efficiency your system can deliver, and the cool air flowing!

I love planting colorful flowers, it really gets me excited about this new season! What do you guys do to get your house ready for spring time? 

* I got this post in an email and wanted to share with you! Have an amazing weekend. 

History of Knoxville Part 1

Thinking about moving to Knoxville? Do you already live in Knoxville? What do you know about Knoxville other than that apparently we bleed orange and Pat Summit is the best thing since sliced bread? If you are like me that is probably where your knowledge of K-town ends. This makes me sad considering how amazing this town is and how it has captured my heart! This is part one in my a history of Knoxville blog. 

Early 

The first humans to form substantial settlements in what is now Knoxville arrived during the Woodland period  One of the oldest man-made structures in Knoxville is a burial mound constructed during the early Mississippian period. The mound is located on the University of Tennessee campus.

By the 18th century, the Cherokee had become the dominant tribe in the East Tennessee region, although they were consistently at war with the Creeks and Shawnee. The Cherokee people called the Knoxville area kuwanda'talun'yi, which means "Mulberry Place. Most Cherokee habitation in the area was concentrated in the Overhill settlements along the Little Tennessee River, southwest of Knoxville.

The first Euro-American traders and explorers arrived in the Tennessee Valley in the late 17th century, although there is significant evidence that Hernando de Soto visited the Bussell Island site in 1540. The first major recorded Euro-American presence in the Knoxville area was the Henry Timberlake expedition, which passed through the confluence of the Holston and French Broad into the Tennessee River in December 1761. Timberlake, who was en route to the Overhill settlements along the Little Tennessee River, recalled being pleasantly surprised by the deep waters of the Tennessee after having struggled down the relatively shallow Holston for several weeks.

Settlement

The Home of James White in Downtown Knoxville 

The end of the French and Indian War and confusion brought about by the American Revolution led to a drastic increase in Euro-American settlement west of the Appalachians. By the 1780s, Euro-American settlers were already established in the Holston and French Broad valleys. The U.S. Congress ordered all illegal settlers out of the valley in 1785, but with little success. As settlers continued to trickle into Cherokee lands, tensions between the settlers and the Cherokee rose steadily.

James White 

In 1786, James White, a Revolutionary War officer, and his friend James Connor built White's Fort near the mouth of First Creek, on land White had purchased three years earlier. In 1790, White's son-in-law, Charles McClung surveyed White's holdings between First Creek and Second Creek for the establishment of a town.The waterfront was set aside for a town common. Two lots were set aside for a church and graveyard (First Presbyterian Church, founded 1792). Four lots were set aside for a school. That school was eventually chartered as Blount College and it served as the starting point for the University of Tennessee, which uses Blount College's founding date of 1794, as its own. . Also in 1790, President George Washington appointed North Carolina surveyor William Blount governor of the newly created Territory South of the River Ohio.

William Blount 

One of Blount's first tasks was to meet with the Cherokee and establish territorial boundaries and resolve the issue of illegal settlers. This he accomplished almost immediately with the Treaty of Holston, which was negotiated and signed at White's Fort in 1791. Blount originally wanted to place the territorial capital at the confluence of the Clinch River and Tennessee River (now Kingston), but when the Cherokee refused to cede this land, Blount chose White's Fort, which McClung had surveyed the previous year. Blount named the new capital Knoxville after Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who at the time was Blount's immediate superior.

Problems immediately arose from the Holston Treaty. Blount believed that he had "purchased" much of what is now East Tennessee when the treaty was signed in 1791. However, the terms of the treaty came under dispute, culminating in continued violence on both sides. When the government invited the Cherokee's chief Hanging Maw for negotiations in 1793, Knoxville settlers attacked the Cherokee against orders, killing the chief's wife. Peace was renegotiated in 1794.

This is just the start there will be more found for you next week! I've already learned so much!

These are not my facts I found these here . 

Showing - Father of the Bride

 Welcome Home! 

This famous, traditional colonial home features hardwood floors, fireplaces, and expansive floor plans. There are five bedrooms including a master suite with walk-in closet, three bathrooms, chef's kitchen, large windows throughout, and a not-too-common full basement. The backyard is private and highlights the patio and arbor that were "built for the movie," according to the listing.

If only Steve Martin would move we would have a better shot of the dinning room! 

this is a little bit better? (aside from the obvious screen shot!) 

This is the living room as you can clearly tell, it is right across the hall from the dinning room. It is decorated very 1990's but you can always redecorate when you move in! 

Another living room shot... redone for the wedding.... of course! 

The master bedroom.... sorry this is the best shot I could get... Clearly they don't have an amazing assistant to take the perfect picture for them! 

 This house comes complete with swans in the master bath! (Ok, so maybe not, but I do love that bath and adore the hardwood floors!) 

This is the Back yard! I love that back deck! Makes me want to go outside and cook some steaks on the grill.... to bad its forty degrees outside and the beginning of March! 

List Price $ 1.35 Million 

This is just to make you laugh! 

I do not have this house listed this is just something I have done for fun! Also these are not my pictures...  I google searched Father of the Bride! 

The Best Of Knoxville

Hi Everyone,

Metro Pulse does this really fun thing every year, where they take votes on the Best of Everything/One in Knoxville. It's pretty cool, if you live in Knoxville you should vote!

This being said we are pretty proud of the work we do here in The Bailey Office at Coldwellbanker Wallace and Wallace, so here comes the part of the post where I shamelessly beg you to go and vote for Vickie Bailey as Realtor of the Year (its under the Home and Garden tab).

5 Reason to Vote for Vickie 

1. She works harder than anyone I have ever met. She never stops trying to help her customers and other Realtor's.  (If you email her at 3 in the morning she will respond at 3:05, this has happened before!)

2. She has been Coldwell Bankers #1 agent in Tennessee two years in a row. (So she's sorta a big deal!)

3. She has been selling Real Estate for 10 years!

4. She loves her job!

5.  She cares. She understands buying a house is a huge thing and she wants to make that process as easy as possible.

I know you guys don't care as much about my mother as I do, but it would mean the world to us for her to be acknowledged for all the work she does. We are so proud of her in everything she does we just want her to see that all her hard work has not gone unseen... Please vote! Its a fun way to give feedback to Knoxville and its small businesses!    

Thanks,

Bee Bailey  

VOTE HERE