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Posts Tagged ‘Memphis’

House In Memphis

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Are you searching for a house in Memphis? Finding that perfect loan does not have to be a difficult task. You have many options to get a mortgage loan if you are living in Memphis. Basically there are 3 methods available to you. You can visit a local bank, a local mortgage broker or apply online.

While during good times builders tend to be in a non-negotiating mood, with bloated inventories now is the perfect time to find a spiffy new house and make an offer. Your realtor can check days on market and the number of vacant units. If both are high then the builder is paying interest every month and you’ve got a good chance on getting a great deal. New construction can be great in that you will generally get a decent warranty for a year on the property and also that you have a fairly uniform development.

Buyers are also waiting on buying upper end houses; especially greater than $400,000. This has created a pricing quandary as no one really knows what the upper end is worth anymore. This can make your buying process more difficult. You can get a great deal; however, it’s hard to predict if you are dealing with a motivated seller before you make an offer.

The listing price for some will be a starting point, but others really don’t like to dicker. Memphis has traditionally been a low negotiation town. I’ve always been a proponent of leaving yourself some room to negotiate, but some people have a significant amount of emotional investment in sticking to their asking price. It never hurts to make an offer, though, just be prepared for some extra shopping time and with the reward of potentially a really great deal.

The other major consideration created by the low appreciation of the Memphis market is mortgage balances. Having little or no equity in the property and faced with the necessity of paying a six percent commission, it can be very tough to convince someone to pay ready cash to close the deal. That’s if they even have ready cash. The true market price of a residence can take a back seat to facing reality of a lowered standard of living to pay back the shortage on a loan.

Due to the tax credit and general residual need the lower than $200,000 dollar market is still quite vibrant. This spectrum in Memphis also represents the first time home buying couple and is usually competitive with equivalent rentals in about the same price range. Due to a national preference for buying attributable to both a culture of customization and tax advantages, there should always be a steady flow of buyers in this price range. Demand may be pent-up for awhile but it should never go away and won’t be lost.

Some house transactions are being permanently lost during the recession. People who desire to upgrade have wisely decided that caution should be used when changing. Buying a house has considerable costs and should not be undertaken lightly.

Memphis Themed Furniture

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Memphis furniture is not exactly furniture itself and certainly doesn’t refer to the city of the same name. Memphis is actually a group of designers named The Memphis Group. Although they had many different names for their work it is often called Memphis themed furniture. They were much known for their illogical, avant garde, erratic, and anti-establishment look. Bright colors and bad taste were just one part of this look, as it was more loosely described as post modernism by trying to break away from the International trend that was around at that time.

The group composed of Italian designers created highly influential products in the 1980s. Basically, they disagreed with the conformist approach to furniture and wanted to challenge the fact that furniture had to follow a certain shape, color, or texture. In the 1970s, there was a great deal of black and minimalist furniture and they wanted to break the mold by making shocking and vibrant pieces. Although controversial, they were certainly ground breaking at the time.

The Memphis Group drew their inspiration from Art Deco, Pop Art and futuristic themes. The furniture they designed was outrageous to say the least. Very straight lines and geometric designs made the furniture a piece of art. Laminates covered most of the furniture making it uncomfortable to sit on, but beautiful to look at. The material was cheap, making it affordable for people to add a piece to their home, although it rarely matched with anything.

The group considered it their duty to fill the world with furniture like any other. They wanted it to be known as the “ultimate fruit salad” of furniture. Pieces were made without any regard to culture or seriousness. The pieces they produced were whimsical and stark in comparison to “normal” furniture. Pieces such as a book case with almost vertical lines instead of horizontal, and teapots made of freight trains were just the tip of the iceberg with this group. Crazy sideboards and bonker beds were all the rage.

Many designers put the group down saying Memphis furniture would never last. They said that it was a fad that would eventually wear out as any furniture design except for traditional. Furniture makers were right. The Memphis Group dissolved in 1988, but left a huge impact on future furniture designs and graphic designs. Fabrics and furniture alike had been changed forever with more people going with brighter colors, and a more modern appearance. Memphis themed furniture is definite of the take it or leave it variety, but it certainly moved the design world away from the boring International look of the time.