News - Friday, April 29, 2016

Selling homes is what Derek and Becky English do every day. Becky chose to become a Realtor in 1997 after being exposed to the business through an employer. Derek’s decision to become a real estate agent three years ago was made more out of necessity: he and his wife were going to grow their family, and their schedules were going to require greater flexibility.

Attorney Mark Litchford, a director at the law firm Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison in Chattanooga, has completed the Advanced Plaintiff Strategies for Automobile Injuries training at the National Business Institute.

The training focused on advanced strategies in negotiating resolutions on complicated subrogation issues and maximizing compensation for automobile victims. Additionally, the seminar provided advanced strategies for deposing medical providers and introduced sophisticated mediation techniques that have been successful in resolving cases.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals has restructured how it assigns cases to panels, providing more rotation of judges on cases from different parts of the state.

All cases before the Court of Appeals are considered by panels of three judges. Under the new approach, cases that are submitted on briefs without oral argument will be assigned to a panel that consists of one judge from each of the three grand divisions – east, middle and west. For oral argument cases, judges will sit at least once a year in all three sections.

Things have come a long way from the days when Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Lee was the only female attorney in her county. However, there’s still a lot of opportunity for women to grow their role in the legal profession overall.

Tax Freedom Day, which typically occurs in late April, according to the Tax Foundation, is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay off its total tax bill for the year. So you may want to use this opportunity to determine if you can liberate yourself from some investment-related taxes in the future.

COUNSEL. Have you razed many houses since you’ve worked for the city?

WITNESS. No, sir, but I’ve sure tore down a lot of them.

For the above and some of the following items I am indebted to Bill McFarland, longtime court reporter in and around these parts. The italicized portions of this column represent actual courtroom dialogue, as spoken in a nearby courthouse:

Chattanooga Realtor Bekah Cochran and the Bekah Cochran Team will host a free first-time homebuyer’s workshop Thursday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Keller Williams Realty, located at 202 Manufacturers Road.

“There’s a lot of contradictory information on the Internet about real estate today, from do-it-yourself blogs to market information that doesn’t apply to your market,” says Cochran. “[We want] ... to educate home buyers on what to expect when they make the plunge, from correct market analysis to choosing a lender and beyond.”

After selling real estate for 10 years, I’ve seen many different home feature trends. In the ’80s, there were brass fixtures and wallpaper. In the late ’50s and early ’60s, Pepto-Bismol pink and baby blue tile were popular. I’ve even seen gold speckled mirrors from the ’70s. Many things that were popular then are not so popular today.

The East Brainerd office of Keller Williams Realty held its annual awards dinner on Feb. 26. Honors for 2015 went to the top agents, teams, and groups in several categories.

The top three individual agents in terms of sales volume were Gail Jenkins, Kim Raulston, and Kelly Carter. The top three teams were the Donnette Moore Team, the Craig Group, and the Ryan King Team. The top three groups were The Evans Group, The Dixon Team, and the Lea Team.

John Spetz has joined RE/MAX Properties as the newest member of its sales team. Spetz brings over 12 years of real estate experience to the office.

A Michigan native, Spetz moved to Chattanooga in 1978. He received a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Spetz is a retired teacher and wrestling coach.

Starter homes are no longer just a place to stay for a few years before you move into your “real” house. Today’s first-time buyers are putting a lot more time and research into choosing the perfect home – one that will meet their needs for a long time.

No one was celebrating a birthday, but the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR) was still bursting with balloons last Friday.

The occasion: Open House Weekend, during which Realtors showcased more than 250 listings throughout the Chattanooga area. GCAR gave each agent two white and two blue balloons for each home they planned to display. 

The Chattanooga Mortgage Bankers Association (CMBA) held its annual awards luncheon at the Mountain City Club Friday, March 18. During the event, the CMBA installed its new board and recognized its top producers.

The criteria for the production awards were as follows: Gold, $10 million; Platinum, $15 million; and Diamond, $20 million. The winners were:

After seeing “The Jungle Book,”  I had the sunshiny, bounce-in-your-step feeling you get when you see a good Disney movie, especially when a catchy pop song plays over the end credits. But even as I bounced, I could feel a proverbial pebble in my shoe letting me know the film has its faults.

Mayor Andy Berke on Monday delivered his third State of the City Address to a crowd of more than 700 people, speaking out strongly against the violence Chattanooga has experienced over the last two weeks and pledging that the City will do everything in its power to bring those responsible to justice.

The Nightfall Concert Series will open its 29th season on Friday, May 6, with a performance by Seattle-based Afro-pop and funk band, Polyrhythics. Produced by Chattanooga Presents, the series of 15 free Friday night concerts will once again be held at Miller Plaza in downtown Chattanooga.

Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy’s will open its sixth Tennessee location in Chattanooga at 2271 Gunbarrel Road this June.

“We’re excited to become part of the Chattanooga community,” said Christine Bailey, owner and operator of the local Chuy’s. “The Chuy’s experience is one we hope Chattanoogans will embrace.”

Herman Walldorf Commercial Real Estate last week announced the addition of two new tenants at Southside Centre, the redevelopment project underway at 1700 Broad St. in Chattanooga’s Southside.

Dr. Charles “Chip” Crump and Dr. John Tapp, both internal medicine physicians of Parkridge Medical Group Diagnostic Center (PMGDC), and Dr. Michael C. Patterson, DDS of Chattanooga Family Dental Center will open offices at Southside Centre this summer. 

Saturday, April 30,1966

Construction of a $2 million, 12-story luxury apartment on a site adjacent to Bright School is under way, S.L. Probasco, Jr., president, and T.A. Lupton, Jr., secretary, of the Future Chattanooga Development Corp. announced. Known as the Continental Apartments, the ultra-modern building will contain 136 units. The development will be owned jointly by Future Chattanooga Development Corp. and four Lexington, Ky., developers: J.W. Davis, Jr.; C.B. McEachin; Robert T. Mayes; and Rex B. Martin.

Saturday, April 29, 1916

A well-known citizen, Clement Clay Shelton, died today. He founded the Shelton Flour Mills and was the first man south of the Ohio River to build an exclusive roller mill system. He is survived by his wife and son, C. Lee Shelton. Mrs. Shelton is seriously ill, so private funeral services will be held.

The first part of this month was a busy food month. There were two receptions at my church that I helped plan and prepare the food for; there was a baby shower, a trip to the Pulaski Tech Culinary Arts and Hospitality Institute on I-30 in south Little Rock, and the Taste of Little Rock at UALR honoring Bob and Peggy Denman. It seems like all I did was cook or eat. But don’t misunderstand – I am not complaining!

We are planning on selling the old homestead soon, which has got KM on a purging mission. I think she feels the Spirit moving her, like Elwood, she seems to be “on a mission from God.” And right in the eye of this storm is yours truly.