Thinking about renting instead of buying a  home? You might want to take a look at the chart below. It’s a real eye opener. Interest rates are LOW and the cost of renting appears to be going UP. Obviously, now is a great time to buy a home.  With a home, you are not throwing away your money – you are investing.

Yet another dilemma – should you buy a new home or a resale? This one is easy for me. I don’t know about you, but I do not have the time or the resources to repair what may be wrong with a resale.  How do you know what you are really purchasing? What’s behind those walls?  Yuck – what has been on that carpet?!  Upon discovery of defects in a resale, the cost of repair/replacing can be quite expensive and time consuming.

A new home has so many advantages, especially if you choose the right builder. A reputable new home builder will take away the worry of surprise defects. Check into the builder’s warranty program. Do they offer an in-house warranty, or do they outsource? What are the terms, conditions, and time period? Do your research and ask questions! The answers are there. Yes, renting does take away the cost of repairs and upkeep. But aren’t you paying for it anyway? Each monthly payment goes to someone else. You have no equity.  And with a new home – you have no surprises.

Click here for more reasons to buy a NEW home.

Bridget W. Thompson is the Marketing Director for The Jones Company of  TN

How many years have you worked in new home industry? 13 years New Homes, 3 years General Real Estate

How long have you been with Jones?  10 years

Why did you choose this business?  Honestly, it chose me. My degree is in Advertising / Marketing and I had training in college as a graphic designer. I saw a job in the newspaper for a graphic designer for Crye-Leike, Realtors. That was my first job in marketing.               

How did you end up in this industry?  I left Crye-Leike 3 years later to work at an engineering firm (most boring job I ever had!) and then learned of an opportunity from my previous manager at Crye-Leike, about a Marketing Coordinator position with David Weekley Homes. I went to the interview – and met Richard Chapman, who was then the Division President of David Weekley Homes in Nashville. I worked there for 3 years – handling the marketing for two divisions – Nashville and Atlanta.  Then Richard retired.  I moved to Atlanta, and didn’t want to stay there because I missed my family and friends, so I moved back to Nashville and got married. Not too long after that, I discovered that I was pregnant, and I didn’t know how I would do all the travelling (Atlanta & Houston).  Then someone told me that Richard was getting back into the industry…and  working for The Jones Company as Division President.  He hired me, and I have been with Jones since 2001.  Honestly, I saw it as God’s answer to my prayers!  I could work for the manager I enjoyed working with, and not have to travel!

Where are you originally from?   Murfreesboro, TN    

Name of College:  Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

Degree Received: Bachelor of Science

Major: Advertising with Marketing & Psychology Minors

Describe your past work experiences.  Please include what you were doing before The Jones Company:  Worked for David Weekley Homes as a Marketing Coordinator – handling the marketing for their Nashville and Atlanta divisions.  Before that I worked for Crye-Leike, Realtors, in their Marketing Department, under Donna Brown, who was the Marketing Director at the time.  I learned a lot from Donna!  Before that, while I was in high school & college, I worked in retail (jewelry) sales for 9 years – with Finley Fine Jewelry, Jay B. Rudolph, and (first real job) The Gold Rush in Murfreesboro.  I have always had a job since I turned 16…sometimes 2-3 jobs at a time!            

Why did you want to work for Jones? I wanted to work with Richard Chapman again. I felt like it was the perfect place for me to be.  

What is your personal philosophy that guides your work? (i.e., A job worth doing is worth doing right.)   #1 – Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – Col 3:17   (In other words, I want to do my best in everything I do – because we are expected by God to strive for excellence and to give Him the glory.  I don’t always hit the mark, but I do my best.)   #2 – Never, ever stop LEARNING. It is the key to growth.   #3 – Don’t get discouraged by your mistakes, and don’t rest on your accomplishments.

What motivates you or what personal fulfillment do you get out of your job?   I always say that my job couldn’t be more perfect for me – because I am kind of wired strange – in that I am both a right and left brained thinker.  So, there are elements to my job that are very “left brained” or creative (advertising, copy writing, design, merchandising) but there are also elements to my job that are very “right brained” or analytical (budgeting, analyzing data) and I love it all!  Also, I get to do a great mix of both office work, and more “hands on” work out in the communities, and work with people.  My best days are days that I feel like I have contributed something to the common good (or the team as a whole)!

Christmas Campaign with Buddy Blue Bag

Franklin—Buddy Blue Bag wants all Franklin residents to have a Blue Christmas this season and will be educating citizens, in local retailers, via social media and on the big screen at the Franklin Theatre! Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for the Franklin Solid Waste Department and much of the trash people throw away could easily be recycled in the City’s Blue Bag Curbside Recycling program.

“Currently 44 percent of residents are participating in the blue bag program,” said Solid Waste Director Becky Caldwell. “The City recently conducted an online survey to learn why some of the residents were not recycling and one of the main reasons for not participating was residents felt the bags were too expensive and they did not know where to find the bags. So we are launching Operation Blue Christmas to educate residents.”

Beginning the end of this week, a Buddy Bluebag display will be featured at many local retailers. “We need to reach shoppers where the bags are sold,” said Communications Manager Milissa Reierson. “The bags are located on the trash bag aisle of most local grocers and hardware stores including big box retailers. More importantly the bags usually cost the same as trash bags and residents will end up using far fewer trash bags if they choose to recycle.” The blue bags are picked up once a week, the same day as a resident’s trash collection day.

Christmas Buddy will also be making his debut at the Franklin Theatre December 21, 22 and 23. Theatre goers attending the holiday movies will get some holiday recycling tips with a slide on the big screen. For more information on what is accepted in the City of Franklin Blue Bag Curbside recycling program, go to www.franklintn.gov/bluebag.

Source:  http://www.franklintn.gov/index.aspx?page=25&recordid=1188&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

Be comfortable in a properly insulated New Jones Home.

Peder and Joe demonstrate how The Jones Company properly installs insulation in your New Home. Click here.

 Insulation Installation – The Jones Company overlaps and staples the wall insulation to ensure that there is no air leakage. We also seal the joints of the wood with caulk, as well.  Many builders simply shove the insulation between the studs, and don’t overlap and staple the paper.

A bit of History…

The U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”[2]

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Alvin King the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11 to honor all veterans. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.[3]

Source Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_day

Happy Veterans day! Thank you to all who have served our country!

Hey Joe!  

What are you doing with those Stairs?

Episode 18 – Behind the Walls of a Jones Company Home

Episode 19 – Behind the Walls of a Jones Company Home

There’s always something fun going on in Historic Downtown Franklin!

The 28th Annual Pumpkinfest presented by Bank of America is 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, with more than 75 arts and crafts vendors, a children’s activity area on 3rd Ave. S., Five Points stage, Sister Cities’ Great Pumpkin, Franklin Tomorrow Chili Cook-off and more.

Held in conjunction with Pumpkinfest is the second annual Franklin Battle of the BBQ presented by Heineken. For more information, please see www.franklinsbattleofthebbq.com

And there’s a night-time cemetery tour in Downtown Franklin with the “Grave Matters: The Stories Behind the Stones” tours Saturday night, Oct. 29, at the Old City Cemetery and Rest Haven Cemetery from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, see http://www.franklinonfoot.com

The street festival of Pumpkinfest is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Franklin’s Main Street from First  to Fifth Avenues. The fun continues until 9 p.m. on Main Street from 4th to 5th Avenues, with children’s activities and booths closing at 6 p.m.

Read more:   http://www.historicfranklin.com/events/pumpkinfest

How many years have you worked in new home industry? 16     

How long have you been with Jones?  Since January 2006   

Why did you choose this business?  I have a passion for construction and specifically homebuilding.  This started when I was a very small child and I loved working with my hands building things.              

How did you end up in this industry? A guidance counselor in high school suggested I look into construction management rather than simply being a carpenter and a pig farmer.  One thing led to the next and here I am in homebuilding.

Where are you originally from?   Iowa      

Name of College: University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio

Degree Received: Bachelor of Science – Construction Management; Associate of Science – Civil & Construction Engineering

Major: Construction Management       

Describe your past work experiences.  Please include what you were doing before The Jones Company:  I started out in January of 2006 as an Area Construction Manager handling the construction and warranty portion of the business.  I am the “licensed general contractor” for the TJC and thoroughly enjoy new home construction.  In 2009 our Division President Richard Chapman asked me to start managing the sales team in lieu of the construction team.  So I went out and got my real estate license and put on a suit instead of my blue jeans and boots.  What a change for me – my wife hardly recognized me the first week.  It is a pleasure working with general Realtors and our entire sales team as we promote the incredible Jones Company. Before TJC I worked for Centex Homes in Dallas, Texas.  I started out as a builder and worked my way up to a area manager position handling sales and construction for the high end condominium division called City Homes where we specialized in downtown re-development in Dallas and Fort Worth.
 During my college years I worked for a commercial general contractor MAC Construction as a superintendent for four years.  This was a great learning opportunity for me to understand the difference between commercial construction and residential home building.  It helped make my decision that homebuilding truly is my passion.            

Why did you want to work for Jones? I wanted to get a way from the “public” builder mentality where they worried more about the stock price and cared NOTHING about the value of their homes or the quality of construction presented for their customer.   

Describe your best experience or nicest compliment received from a homeowner.  The best experience I have ever had was when I built a home for Chris Snyder in Allen, Texas.  He met with me at the pre-construction meeting and explained that he did not want to see the house during construction, talk to me during the process, or even conduct a new home presentation.  He simply said when the house is 100% finished call me and I will close and move in.  His explanation was that he doesn’t get to see how his car , computer, furniture, etc. is built so why should he see how his home is built.  Nor did he like having his customers watching over his back while he was working on their product.  He simply asked me “Are you a building professional?  If so, then build me a home that I will be satisfied with.”  I diligently focused on the construction of his home and once it was finished he moved in.  Amazingly he NEVER even had a single warranty item.  I spoke with him about five years after his purchase and he was still raving about his home and how it was exactly what he wanted.   

 What is your personal philosophy that guides your work? (i.e., A job worth doing is worth doing right.)   Hard work combined with a lot of fun!  Constantly learning something new and focusing on building value for the customer.

I promised more episodes, so here you go…

Thanks Joe and Peder for demonstrating how The Jones Company builds a Smart home!

 Episode 7 - http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveJonesdotcom#p/u/6/fvUpJV9AQbg

Hometown Hero

Pictured, from left to right, John Besser, Richard Chapman, Darrell Waltrip and Steve Lewis

Richard Chapman, CEO of The Jones Company, was honored on Tuesday, August 30th at the Darrell Waltrip Automotive Honda Showroom as the Hometown Hero for the month of September. He was joined by Darrell Waltrip, the DWA staff, and representatives from Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County.
 
For years, Chapman has revealed his heart for service and his vast influence on others to do the same, directly influencing and encouraging his coworkers, friends, and family to serve in their community.
 
At present, Chapman is the CEO of The Jones Company, as well as the Vice President of the Board at Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County. On the Board since 2008, he has served as the chairman of the Construction Committee and will serve as President beginning a two year term in January of 2012. Since 2004, The Jones Company has partnered with Crye-Leike Realtors to build a total of six homes for Habitat. Chapman has also been a leader in making the homes National Green Building certified and Energy Star certified.
 
Behind the scenes, he has improved the training and number of Crew Leaders who volunteer to work on the build site each weekend, encouraging those who lead their team of volunteers. Since Richard’s involvement, 30 new Crew Leaders have been added. He hardly ever misses a home dedication to the deserving families and continuously serves as an advocate for Habitat in his community.
 
“Richard has been a strong supporter of Habitat not only personally but as a leader at The Jones Company,” says Executive Director of Habitat Williamson, John Besser. “This recognition is a small part of Richard’s continual behind the scene support of the Habitat’s mission.”
 
On behalf of Richard, the $500 donation from Darrell Waltrip Automotive went toward Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County.

Source: https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:1406593.7200937531/rid:d53535e2b5f90cbf7b1daee1f53a40a4