Posts Tagged ‘Huntsville AL homes’

The Huntsville Spring Festival of Flowers is once again in full swing. With the wide array of flowers all showing off their best dressed blooms, this is one of the most looked forward to festivals in the area. Beginning March 31st thru April 30th Huntsville is proud to say this is one of the Southeast's Top 20 Tourist Attractions.

For those who are residents of Huntsville homes this is a special treat. The festival is held in the Botanical Gardens on Bob Wallace Avenue. The spring spectacular features tulips, dogwoods, azaleas and wildflowers galore. The beauty of the mixture of colors is one of the most beautiful sights of the festival. 

The Bonsai Show is scheduled for April 28th and 29th. This is also the grand opening days for the Ishii Bonsai Display Garden. The Huntsville, AL real estate companies in the area look forward to this special event. Reminding the areas residents of the huge Easter Egg Hunt with over 8,000 eggs hidden and waiting, the event is hosted by a DJ and snacks are served for the children.

The Spring Plant Sale is another event that everyone looks forward to with much excitement. For the members only there is a one day sale on April 16th and the public has a two day sale on the 17th and 18th.  This is looked on by those who own Huntsville homes as a harbinger of spring.

The flowers include houseplants, shrubs, trees, vegetables, roses, orchids and perennials. These are all plants that have been proven to grown in the northern Alabama area. There are also master gardeners on hand to test your soils pH level. Check out this great plant sale and the vendors who are available with accessories for your garden.

If you are into photography, the Wildflower Photography Workshop is essential. The instructors teach the basics of photographing nature and then out into the Botanical Garden for the real thing. This is one interesting workshop for amateurs and semi-professionals. A competition and exhibition is also held during the Spring Festival of Flowers.

This is a great time to see what some of the Huntsville, AL real estate owners have done with their lawns when it comes to planting the types of flowers featured at the Festival. Many of these flowers were purchased at past spring festivals. The abundance of color at this time of the year makes everything seem fresh and new.

If you have recently purchased one of the Huntsville homes in the area and need a few tips, the Garden Chat every weekday in April at noon will be where you want to go. The chat is held at Clementine's at the Garden. The information you gather here will be quite helpful with the plan for your own garden.

The public wants to know about orchids and how to grow these exotic looking plants. The Heart of Dixie Orchid Society meets every month on the third Monday. Their meetings are held at the Botanical Gardens and in preparation for their yearly Orchid sale they will be discussing different aspects of growing the orchid each month.

An all-around good time is what the Spring Festival of Flowers is all about. If you are not careful you just might learn something while you are there.

Please find below the updated summary of the Huntsville, AL Real Estate activity for the month of February 2009, versus the month of January.  As last month, this new layout shows the trend that each area of the Huntsville/Madison cities and suburbs are taking.  Although the number of days it is taking a seller to close on their property (up 3 days over January's and 5 days longer than December 2008), the list price to sale price is increasing, which makes it worth waiting those extra few days to sell.  Please take a look at the chart below and let me know if you have any questions.

HUNTSVILLE REAL ESTATE
MARKET STATISTICS ~ FEBRUARY 2009
# Existing Single Family Homes Sold This Month	Average List Price	Average Sold Price	Average Days on Market	List Price vs. Sale Price %
518	$201,587	$195,919	103	97.19%
Area	# of Sales in February '09	Avg Sales Price February '09	Avg Sales Price January '08	Trend
HSV CITY NW	22	$100,987	$121,062	DOWN
HSV CITY NE	18	$140,689	$146,925	DOWN
HSV CITY SW	35	$194,687	$167,918	UP
HSV CITY SE	33	$214,885	$266,730	DOWN
MAD CITY LIMITS	33	$274,171	$274,663	-
HSV CITY EAST	24	$267,965	$374,013	DOWN
MAD OUTSIDE CITY	29	$221,672	$218,574	UP
MAD CO NW	17	$136,652	$146,450	DOWN
MAD CO NE	40	$168,830	$170,637	DOWN
MAD CO SW	-	-	$152,000	-
MAD CO SE	6	$118,033	$105,450	UP

Here is a slideshow of some of the homes that sold over the past month:

Please bookmark this site for future market reports for the upcoming year.  You can also go to my previous blogs to see how the market has changed over the past year.

222 Legacy Park Drive

Welcome to this fabulous one owner custom built 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath pool home, including a three car side entry garage, and approximately 600 sqft unfinished floored walk out storage accessible through closet in master.

Formal living room, dining room and family room will be enjoyed by all. Hardwood and tile throughout except in bedrooms. You can just imagine your family taking advantage of the fun activities on the large 500 sqft deck and very private back yard in the coming months.  And next winter, enjoy the gas log fireplace...

Transferable Cook's Termite Bond.  Located within Legacy Park subdivision, this home is within Monrovia Middle & Monrovia Elementary school districts.

Note - Seller will provide a $4,000 Decor. Allowance at Closing too!  For more information on this or any other Huntsville Real Estate property, please contact me anytime.

With U.S. home prices hitting an average of a 21 year decline, a national index announced that there are several cities and town within North Alabama that are moving in the other direction.

Our neighboring city, Decatur, was at the top of the list of U.S. cities where real estate values are still appreciating, and Huntsville AL homes also made it's name known high on the list too.

Sellers here are feeling fortunate to be living in such a rare housing market, compared to most other states throughout the nation. And even with the incomprehensible economy our country is struggling in, a government housing report still lists Decatur as the number one city in the country in terms of homes gaining value. That's quite the talk of the town around here; during the course of the past year, real estate values in Decatur have increased more than 6.5 percent. When comparing that to other cities, that have seen over 20 (or more) percent decrease, North Alabama homeowners are feeling mighty privileged. With BRAC and the lower cost of living in this area, Huntsville real estate and the surrounding areas (like Decatur) are still seen as a great place to live.

Please find below the updated summary of the Huntsville, AL Real Estate activity for the month of January 2009, versus the month of December.  As last month, this new layout shows the trend that each area of the Huntsville/Madison cities and suburbs are taking.  The trend this month shows a more optimistic upturn to the market in most areas, which is great news for sellers.  This time of year (the middle of winter) tends to be a slower season for the real estate market, which shows in the smaller number of sales during this first month of the new year.  Please take a look at the chart below and let me know if you have any questions.

 

HUNTSVILLE REAL ESTATE
MARKET STATISTICS ~ JANUARY 2009
# Existing Single Family Homes         Sold This Month	Average List Price	Average Sold Price	Average Days on Market	List Price vs. Sale Price %
447	$214,229	$207,178	100	96.71%
Area	# of Sales in January  '09	Avg Sales Price January  '09	Avg Sales Price December '08	Trend
HSV CITY NW	27	$121,062	$128,320	DOWN
HSV CITY NE	12	$146,925	$122,723	UP
HSV CITY SW	30	$167,918	$160,989	UP
HSV CITY SE	22	$266,730	$188,798	UP
MAD CITY LIMITS	36	$274,663	$236,389	UP
HSV CITY EAST	16	$374,013	$292,364	UP
MAD OUTSIDE CITY	35	$218,574	$215,503	UP
MAD CO NW	19	$146,450	$153,214	DOWN
MAD CO NE	32	$170,637	$178,613	DOWN
MAD CO SW	1	$152,000	$149,273	UP
MAD CO SE	2	$105,450	$146,333	DOWN

Please bookmark this site for future market reports for the upcoming year.  You can also go to my previous blogs to see how the market has changed over the past year. 

 

Below is an updated summary of the Huntsville, AL Real Estate activity for the month of December, versus the month of November.  This new layout shows the trend that each area of the Huntsville/Madison cities and suburbs are taking.  This trend this month shows an obvious downturn to the market in most areas, which is great news for buyers.  Many people look to move during this time of year, and here is another great reason why!  Take a look at the chart below and let me know if you have any questions.

HUNTSVILLE REAL ESTATE
MARKET STATISTICS ~ DECEMBER 2008
# Existing Single Family Homes         Sold This Month	Average List Price	Average Sold Price	Average Days on Market	List Price vs. Sale Price %
522	$159,899	$153,549	98	96.03%
Area	# of Sales in December '08	Avg Sales Price December '08	Avg Sales Price November '08	Trend
HSV CITY NW	38	$128,320	$130,574	DOWN
HSV CITY NE	13	$122,723	$158,588	DOWN
HSV CITY SW	41	$160,959	$171,548	DOWN
HSV CITY SE	22	$188,798	$278,754	DOWN
MAD CITY LIMITS	42	$236,389	$272,066	DOWN
HSV CITY EAST	13	$292,364	$354,906	DOWN
MAD OUTSIDE CITY	41	$215,503	$220,681	DOWN
MAD CO NW	21	$153,214	$116,744	UP
MAD CO NE	45	$178,613	$211,386	DOWN
MAD CO SW	2	$149,273	$152,400	DOWN
MAD CO SE	3	$146,333	$61,725	UP

Please bookmark this site for future market reports for the upcoming year.  You can also go to my previous blogs to see how the market has changed over the past year. 

This Doll House is better than move in condition!  With almost 1,200 square feet of living area, three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and super clean, all you'll need to do is to pack and move right in!

This Huntsville, AL home (located within Harselle) listed for $99,900, is very convenient to I-65 with many amenities, shopping and restaurants within close vicinity.  The property also is on just under 1 acre of land with the back yard being fenced - ready for your pets and/or children to enjoy. 

Here are the dimensions of each of the rooms within this Huntsville home:

Living Room - 16 x 13

Kitchen - 17 x 10

Breakfast Area - 10 x 8

Master Bedroom - 13 x 13

Second Bedroom - 11 x 10

Third Bedroom - 11 x 10

Please contact me if you would like any additional information on this great Huntsville home located within the Spark/Brewer School District, or would like to set up an appointment to view this home.

Steve A. Thomas
Realtor, Associate Broker, ABR, e-Pro
RE/MAX Huntsville/Madison
Cellular: (256) 694-HOME (4663)
Toll Free: (800) 239-4749 Ext. 4945
Fax: (256) 533-1555
E-mail: mail@SteveAThomas.com
Web sites: http://HuntsvilleAreaHomes.com
http://HuntsvilleHomeSales.com
http://HuntsvilleHomeInfo.com

When it comes to moving, many people gripe about all the hassles that come along with doing just that – moving ALL that STUFF!  I would be one of those people too - you are not alone!  And then there are those that consider renovating their homes to accommodate their change of lifestyle, growing families, or other life changes that beg either a home makeover or a move.

 

Another reason for a home renovation would be that your home is dated and just not built for today's family’s needs or desires.  When selling Huntsville, Alabama homes, you must always consider what is attractive to potential buyers and not necessarily you.

 

Whatever your reason, here are some tips on what you should think about before getting out the saws and the two by fours:

 

• Have Your Home Inspected

          Making the right decision(s) about where to spend your money is imperative.  By having your home inspected, this will give you the information you need to make the best decisions.

 

• Budget Upfront

           And then add on another 10% to your figure as a safety net.  There is also renovation loans that may give you more money to invest into your home.

 

• Keep It Green

            While shopping, choose energy-efficient options wherever possible, and you end the future Huntsville, AL home owner(s) of your house will save for years to come.

 

• Stay Consistent

            If you are adding on to your existing Huntsville, AL homes, make sure you are keeping within the same theme or style as the rest of your home.

 

There are many other suggestions when considering renovating and I would be happy to discuss these with you at your convenience.  You can also view my website to see other Huntsville, AL homes that are currently for sale and maybe even get some ideas on other people’s home layouts. 

If you have been toying with the idea of buying your first Huntsville, AL home, or looking to move up or size down, making the final decision is always a complex one.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when making your decision as to whether or not you are ready to buy:

 

1.  Have you been paying close attention to the housing market both within your neighborhood and in the surrounding areas? If you're dreaming about your perfect home, but have no idea what it'll cost you, it's definitely time to do your research.  Spend some quality time to become familiar with the market and how much Huntsville, Alabama homes are selling for currently.

 

2.  Your monthly mortgage payment, according to Freddie Mac, should be less or equal to a percentage of your income (somewhere around 20% of your gross monthly income).  Based on this amount, you'll be able to determine how much of a home you can afford.  So, put pen to paper and figure out what the magic number is, keeping in mind also that you’re debt should not be more than about 40% of your gross income (debt being credit card bills, car loans, housing expenses, alimony and child support) as this is what is also taken into consideration when determining how much you can borrow.

 

3.  Now is not the time to make any major purchases, particularly a vehicle.  Doing so will prove to make it harder for you to get a loan and could also lower the amount you will be approved for.

 

4.  Assess what additional expenses will come with owning your next or new Huntsville, AL home.  This includes homeowners insurance, maintenance costs, and utility bills.

 

5.  Make sure your credit is in good to excellent shape.  Examining your financial status, which will include going through your credit report with a fine tooth comb, will be an excellent move before applying for your next loan.  You can get a free copy of your credit report every year by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.

 

After looking at these items, and feel as if you are ready to move now, you should probably know you will need to move quickly if you’re desired home is one that is in an area and price range that is extremely popular.  Huntsville, Alamaba homes that are priced correctly sell very quickly.  To view all of the Huntsville, AL area homes currently for sale, please visit my website and let me know if you see anything you would like to view personally.

The Huntsville Times reported on Wednesday of this week that four people in Huntsville, Alabama were sent to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning.  It has been suggested that the carbon monoxide was leaking from an improperly ventilated hot water heater, which apparently nearly killed these individuals.  So I thought it was the perfect time to discuss exactly what carbon monoxide is and how you can protect your family against something like this happening to you and them.

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicates that carbon monoxide, or CO, is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and/or death.  CO can be found not only within combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars and trucks, but also appliances within your Huntsville, Alabama home including gas ranges, stoves, water heaters, and washers/dryers.  The CO from these sources can build up within the home and can affect the people and animals when they unconsciously breathe it in.

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.  Extreme levels of CO inhalation can cause loss of consciousness and death.  Because CO poisoning can often mimic other illnesses, such as the flu, CO poisoning can be difficult to diagnose.  Each year more than 500 Americans die from  CO poisoning.  Here's how you can prevent having your family adversely affected by CO poisoning:

~ hire a qualified serviceman to check heating systems, water heater and any other gas, oil and/or coal burning appliances within your home each year;

~ do not use portable flameless chemical heaters within your Huntsville, AL home;

~ when purchasing gas equipment, buy only equipment carrying the seal of a national testing agency, such as the American Gas Association;

~ install a battery operated CO detector in your home, and each time you change the time on your clocks (each spring and fall) check or replace the battery.

For more information on Carbon Monoxide safety, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm.  I hope this information was helpful and maybe make a difference in somebody's future well-being.