The Realtor Lindsey Xie

03/09/2024

Boro Bowl

09/18/2023

Hello handsome 🤩

07/14/2023

Her Home, Her Life
I showed a home yesterday.
I believe the owners are a couple of senior citizens.
Before we visited the place, I searched on the tax records and discovered they bought an apartment in a Manor community two years ago.
However, on the property condition disclosure form, they stated they occupy this home.
The home is really neat and clean.
This cardboard box sat on the top of the closet, and a tote bag and toys piled in the garage.

07/08/2023

For Sale, New Home, Never lived.

11/26/2022

stir fry thai Basil with chicken

09/22/2022

Everyone has noticed inflation, I don't have to talk more about how much the living cost had increased.
I pulled this chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to show the historical data of CPI.
The red line is the CPI, the blue line is specifically for energy, and the green line includes housing/rent.
Clearly, last year's CPI was drove up by energy and housing/rent, but this year, the green line dropped. which means the housing price growth is below the other consuming products price.

09/16/2022

今天我刷到别人和房东打交道的内容，把我十几年前的噩梦都勾起来了。 我在美国这么多年，没遇到一家有操守的房东。我的英语水平，法律知识，也是通过跟房东斗争的过程中练出来的。 （出于对我隐私的保护目的，我不想详细说出具体是哪座大学城，以及哪一家地产公司。但是内容完全真实。） 十几年前，我们住在美中的一个大学城。当地一家地产公司几乎垄断了学校四周租房的房源。不去他家租房，就没地方住了。 那家地产公司在Google Review上全是差评，大家都说退房拿不回来押金。 他们的租约也非常霸道，粉刷费和common area maintenance fee写到租约中，等于逼迫我们从押金中交这类钱。 根据我们州的法律，租客的押金只能用在清洁，修复损坏，或者抵扣拖欠的租金债上。这种明显抵触法律的条款不应该执行。 但是我们没办法，需要找地方住，知道面对无良房东也得签约。 房东也明白，主要租客都来自大学。学生毕业后各奔东西，没时间回来打官司，就愈发有恃无恐。 从申请那天起，我便处处提防，尽量避免被对方抓住把柄，到解约的时候，押金自然没拿回来，但是房东还试图再charge我其他明目，都被我有理有据地挡回去去了，我避免了更大的损失。 今年，也就是毕业后十年，针对我们旧房东的集体诉讼（class action）尘埃落定：当年被贪污租金的租客集体状告房东租约中的霸王条款，租客胜诉，我们每家收到一百多美元的赔偿。 前文说了，我的房东是大学城臭名昭著的地产管理公司，垄断了房源。 他家租约都是霸王条款，比如租约里就写明，搬出时收粉刷费，清洁费，维护费等等。如果按照租约的计算方式，扣光一个月的押金都不够支付这些费用。 房客只需要维护干净，安全；房东对房屋修葺负责。 对抗法律的合约条款本身就没有效力，但是如果我想申诉，就得去法庭。因为他们是垄断，我需要找地方住，还是签约了。 入住之后，我拍了好些照片，将房屋本有的缺陷都拍下来，比如哪里生锈，哪里墙壁鼓包翘皮，全都取证，一式两份，双方存档。 同时房东也给我一个check list，让我检查马桶啊，淋浴啊这类是否正常工作，也一式两份，双方保存。 七月份入住，因为房东太缠了，我一直都没搬家，就想着多一事不如少一事，每年renew lease，就不再牵扯押金的问题。住了好多年，到五月份毕业，需要提前终止合约。 房东可不会念在我住了好多年的份上同意我提前两个月终止lease。告诉我，如果即便提前搬走，也需要付房租到租约结束。 我跟房东商量，如果我能找到人接手这套房子，是否可以解约？ 房东同意了，解约条件是： 1、有人接手，我付房租直到新房客搬进来。 2、我再支付一百多的提前终止罚金。 挺幸运的，一周多的时间，就找到了新人接手。 当然我跟人家提前说清楚了，房东不是我，一切租赁都和房东谈。 到了退房前，我反复要求房东来跟我做final walk through。 打了好几次电话，他们先是推脱，说夏天太忙，人手安排不开，又找各种借口。 我说我电话录音了，我要求你来你不来的话，你就放弃了一切damage追偿的权利。 他们才派了个人来。我们两个人一起检查房子，最后他给我一个清单，说地毯上有污渍，墙哪里脏了等等。 我们在那套房子里住了好几年，房子脏了一点都算正常损耗，不是我故意造成的。 Anyway，我们搬家是因为我先生先找到工作，我留下了他新公司的地址，email给房东，告诉他further communication都通过email走。 我把我这端的手续做得严密，最终还是有了成效。 搬走一个月，收到房东的email，说浴帘杆被我们拿走了，要收我们二十多块钱，同时因为xx要再收多少钱。 扣除押金后，我还欠他一百多块。他要求我在xx前付清。 他给我制造了一笔债务，可以因为我失联而上报给信用记录公司，我就成了欠债的人！ 如果我想主张他租房合约中的条款不合法，我就需要回到当地法院提起诉讼。来回的成本都抵不上押金。 押金我认命了，不能再多出钱。 但是我对浴帘杆一点印象都没有，在那里住了好多年，我以为那是我买的，房东说那是房子自带的。 我就去翻几年前入住时的check in list，果然，那是房子带的。等于我偷了房东的财产。 那我也不理亏。 我写信说：我不是intentional took your property，但是你们final walk through的时候应该指出来这些事情。that is what the final walk through for, to reach a mutual agreement about the condition.......

今天我刷到别人和房东打交道的内容，把我十几年前的噩梦都勾起来了。 我在美国这么多年，没遇到一家有操守的房东。我的英语水平，法律知识，也是通过跟房东斗争的过程中练出来的。 （出于对我隐私的保护目的，我不想....

09/01/2022

Housing Market Report in Great Nashville Area, TN, August 2022.Clearly, most sellers didn't get their asking price.

Housing Market Report in Nashville, TN, August 2022.Clearly, most sellers didn’t get their asking price.

08/14/2022

I went to two open houses today. They were built in the 50s. The owner renovated them before listing.
The interior of the first house is really modern. The listing agent told me the owner did all the work by themselves,which is quite impressive.
I saw an old school water heater in the second house(pic 3). They said back then, they put the water heater in the kitchen, so it is near the sink, we wouldn't have to drain that much cold water. I hope modern homes can consider more about energy efficiency.
The owners of both houses are retired. Hope they can take advantage of the housing market.

08/07/2022

I use this cord cover to hide ugly cord. I bought them from LOWE'S. Recently, I realized shopping from traditional retail stores is more efficient than shopping online. I searched for hours on Amazon, and it was still quite confusing. Then I thought,they must also carry this kind of product in store, so I went to lowes. They display the products in different sizes and colors together, so it only took me a few minutes to make the decision.