Pat Starnes' Snippets: Mississippi

The Historic King Edward Hotel, a landmark to many local Jacksonians, is open once again after a major rehabilitation that began in 2008 and was completed in 2009.

Now known as the Hilton Garden Inn, the hotel has 186 hotel rooms and 64 luxury apartments, in addition to a coffee shop, restaurant, and lounge.

The King Edward Hotel is rich in history. The original structure was built in 1861 but was destroyed two years later during the Civil War. A second structure, built on the same site a few years later, became a popular meeting place for social and political affairs in the late 1880s to early 1920s.

In 1923, the second structure was demolished to make room for the 12-story building that occupies the space today. Although the King Edward Hotel was a meeting place for many political events, the hotel closed in 1967, and sat vacant for over 40 years.

The Hilton Garden Inn sits at the corner of Capitol and Mill Streets, across from the Amtrak Station in Downtown Jackson. Why not take a trip downtown and tour this facility or book a weekend stay?

Photos by Pat Starnes

Get ready for Rankin County's largest event, Brandon Day, to be held at Shiloh Park May 6-8, 2010. The outdoor festival will feature arts and crafts, carnival rides, food, fireworks, and day-long entertainment.

The headliner for this year's event is country music superstar Aaron Tippin, performing Saturday night. Also performing May 8 is Crossin' Dixon, a Mississippi country band.

Friday night's entertainment are two Christian groups -- Sidewalk Prophets and Addison Road.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the gate. For more information regarding Brandon Day, visit www.brandonday.org.

This event will be fun for the entire family. Hope to see you there!

OK, folks! It's time for the annual Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade and Sweet Potato Queens March in downtown Jackson MS! This event is so much fun and draws over 50,000 people (surely a conservative estimate) annually.

Mark your calendar...the date is Saturday, March 20 at 1 p.m. for the parade, but there are activities all weekend long that benefit Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital.

Enjoy some of the photos from last year's festivities, and have a wonderful St. Paddy's Day weekend!

It can't be good when your city is mentioned on the Weather Channel or the national news. A winter blast is predicted across the Deep South, especially along the I-20 corridor. The experts are predicting 1-3 inches of snow for Atlanta, Birmingham, Meridian and Jackson.

The south typically isn't prepared for snow, since we don't usually see accumulation. We don't know how to drive in the white stuff, and schools are usually closed if there is the slightest mention of snow in the forecast.

Snow has been the primary topic of conversation today, and it hasn't started to fall yet! But bring it on. I am ready. My pantry is stocked with the essentials...coffee, cream, sugar, Dr. Pepper, and chocolate. I bought a new magazine on the way home this afternoon. I have clean clothes, the plants are covered and the pipes are wrapped (I think). As long as it isn't too cold and we lose power, we'll be fine. But have your emergency plan ready, just in case.

An exciting new program is making funds available for Mississippi homebuyers to purchase bank owned foreclosures throughout the state. The program, "Home Buyer Advantage" hasn't received a lot of press, but it is a tremendous opportunity.

Don't confuse this program, which is funded by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) through Congress's Neighborhood Stabilization Program with the $8,000 Federal Tax Credit. They are two separate homebuyer incentive programs. And guess what? You could be eligible for BOTH credits!

The "Home Buyer Advantage" is designed to prevent neighborhood decline from having too many foreclosures. The requirements are relatively simple, but the highlights are as follows:

• The foreclosure you wish to purchase MUST BE your primary residence. This is not a program for investors.
• Current homeowners ARE eligible (as long as they occupy the foreclosed property).
• There are household income limits based on the county in which the property is located. For Madison, Rankin, and Hinds Counties, the income limit cannot exceed $47,650.
• Applicants must spend eight hours in a pre-purchase homebuyer education class (through a HUD-approved counselor).
• You must qualify for a mortgage.
• The purchase price of the property must be 1% BELOW the current appraised market value.
• The purchase price cannot exceed $238,000.

For further information, visit MS Home Corp or contact this Realtor.