‘News’

Charlie’s Blog – July 17th

Friday, July 17th, 2009

What Does the Federal Tax Credit Mean to You?

  1. Any home that is purchased in 2009 is eligible.
  2. The 2009 tax credit is up to $8,000 (10% of purchase price not to exceed $8,000).
  3. First time home buyers are eligible or homebuyers who have not owned a home in the previous 3 years.
  4. Maximum income is $75,000 for a single, $150,000 for married couple filing jointly.
  5. Home must be owner-occupied-may be a condo or townhome.
  6. There is no repayment for the tax credit in the future.
  7. If your tax credit exceeds your 2009 obligation, this excess will be carried forward to a 2010 tax credit.
  8. Is it complicated to apply for? There is no pre-purchase authorization. You simply claim the credit on IRS form 1040 via a new form 5405 attached to your 1040.

We are happy to walk you through the process and find your dream home. Our boutique real estate agency of veteran professionals, having an average of 18 years experience each, has been selling real estate in the consistently progressing Chattanooga and North Georgia market for 81 years. The present mood and feel of the economy is upbeat, positive and progressive. Supply in homes and condominiums is exceptional and demand remains strong. Chattanooga feels good about itself and it shows all over town. Because of our reasonable average sales prices ($141,000 entire MLS metro area), the incredible beauty of this mountain/valley/river location, low property taxes and lack of state income taxes, the market for those out-of-the-area buyers remains alright as well as there being good local demand. We are in a growing economy in which Volkswagen is building a major new facility and a major new chemical production plant is locating in the area. The French plant Alston is relocating 350 nuclear engineers to its downtown Chattanooga plant.

We at Herman Walldorf and Company have it all for you. I invite your call so I can put you in touch with one of our professionals. We are internationally connected, being longtime members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and luxury home specialists who can even have properties shown to you in another city. We can also sell your property, therefore, in any market across the world for you -call and we’ll explain that, too.

Chattanooga Area Seeing Investments from Overseas Increasing!

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

6 percent of Tennessee workers are employed by foreign based companies vs 4.2 percent as the national average. In Hamilton County (Chattanooga metro area) and Bradley County (Cleveland/Chattanooga) over the past 4 years, several companies from Germany and France have located here.

The billion dollar VW assembly plant with 2,500 new jobs and the billion dollar polysilican plant in Cleveland by Wacker Chemical based in Munich are both under construction and anticipating a greater investment than originally planned. Many ancillary and suppliers’ firms will locate in the region, too, as a result. Other major local employers with foreign owners include T-Mobile, Abitibibowater, BASF and Alstom Power.

These projects in southeast Tennessee are some of only a handful of billion-dollar foreign deals in the entire United States recently.

While workers today are glad to have a job, the new U.S. based subsidiaries of foreign-based companies pay above average wages which is also a benefit to the local economy. Additionally, we will become a more globally savvy community with the foreign investment and management teams in and out of the city.

Now is an exceptional time to purchase a home prior to an expected influx of population whereby we should bypass Knoxville’s population soon to be the third largest city in Tennessee, behind only Nashville and Memphis.

Our boutique real estate agency of veteran professionals, having an average of 18 years experience each, has been selling real estate in the consistently progressing Chattanooga and North Georgia market for 81 years. The present mood and feel of the economy is upbeat, positive and progressive. Supply in homes and condominiums is exceptional and demand remains strong. Chattanooga feels good about itself and it shows all over town. Because of our reasonable average sales prices ($141,000 entire MLS metro area), the incredible beauty of this mountain/valley/river location, low property taxes and lack of state income taxes, the market for those out-of-the-area buyers remains alright as well as there being good local demand. We are in a growing economy in which Volkswagen is building a major new facility and a major new chemical production plant is locating in the area. The French plant Alston is relocating 350 nuclear engineers to its downtown Chattanooga plant.

We at Herman Walldorf and Company have it all for you. I invite your call so I can put you in touch with one of our professionals. We are internationally connected, being longtime members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and luxury home specialists who can even have properties shown to you in another city. We can also sell your property, therefore, in any market across the world for you -call and we’ll explain that, too.

Realty Times Update July 2009

Monday, July 6th, 2009

July Update: What You, the Buying and Selling Public, Look For When Choosing An Agent

Recently, the National Association of Realtors accomplished a survey among those buying a home and those selling nationally. Nearly…
read more …

To see all of Charlie’s Realty Times articles click here.

Another 230 Jobs Announced

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Gestamp Corp. to build $90M Plant.  VW Supplier to build Enterprise South Plant.

Gestamp Corp., which unveiled plans to build a $90 million plant and employ at least 230 people within three years at the Tyner site, is paying for the land, unlike Volkswagen.

Mayor Ron Littlefield said Gestamp, which will supply structural components for the new midsized sedan VW plans to build at its nearby plant, is paying about $35,000 an acre for a 49.7-acre tract, or about $1.74 million.

Gestamp’s new facility will go up near the intersection of Hickory Valley Road and Discovery Drive, close to the Hamilton County Schools offices and VW’s $1billion plant.

Trevor Hamilton, vice president of economic development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said Gestamp is the first of the tier one suppliers to come to the area.  Tier one companies typically need to be close to an auto assembly plant because of the key parts they produce.

Mr. Hamilton said Chattanooga continues to land companies and jobs despite the challenging economic environment.  With Gestamp, Volkswagen, Chattem, Alstom, Arch Plastics, and Dixie Industries, more than 2,800 jobs have been recruited in the region, he said.

read more …

Wacker Chemical Finds a New Home

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

The announcement Thursday that Wacker Chemical Corp. will build a $1 billion plant near the Hiwassee Industrial Park in Charleston in northern Bradley County is wonderful news for the county, the region, and the state.  It is the third $1 billion industrial investment announced in Tennessee in the past eight months and the second by a German firm in Southeast Tennessee in the same period.

read more …

IVC US, Inc. will invest $70 million, create jobs in Dalton

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

IVCS US, Inc. US operations of the Belguim-based IVC Group, has chosen Dalton for its first US-based manufacturing operation with plans to begin production in 2011 on the longest vinyl line in the world.  The firm will invest some $70 million to construct a new 520,000 square foot facility that will produce 5,000 sheet miles of vinyl floor coverings each year.  The company will also create 115 new jobs.

Read More . . .

SIAG Schaaf Acquires Aerisyn, Adds 120 New Jobs

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Tennessee and Chattanooga officials applauded the announcement by Rudiger Schaff,CEO of German-based SIAG Schaaf Industrie Aktiengesellschaft, that his company has acquired Aerisyn, a manufacturer of wind turbine towers which is located in Chattanooga.  In addition to acquiring the Aerisyn facility, SIAG Schaaf is investing $3 million and plans to create 120 new jobs.

Read More . . .

Charlie’s Blog – June 22

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

What you, the buying and selling public, look for when choosing an agent:

Recently, the national Association of Realtors accomplished a survey among those buying a home and those selling nationally.

Nearly three out of ten cited honesty and trustworthiness as the most important factor in choosing an agent! More than two out of ten said the reputation of an agent was an important factor. Together, these two factors of honesty/truthfulness and reputation were considered most important for half of home buyers and sellers.

(more…)

Chattem Expansion Represents $35.5 million Investment

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Chattem, Inc., a leading marketer and manufacturer of branded consumer products, has announced plans for an expansion that will represent an investment of $35.5 million in real and personal property and will create up to 70  new jobs.

Read More . . .

Columbus McKinnon Plans $5.5 Million Expansion

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Columbus McKinnon Corporation, a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of material handling products, has announced plans to invest $5.5 million to expand its Chattanooga specialty forging and assembly operations (also known as Dixie Industries).  Over the next three years, the company plans that approximately 120 jobs will be added to the current employment level, doubling the number of Dixie Industries employees in Chattanooga.

Read More . . .