Posts Tagged ‘Huntsville 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.

There's no better time than today to boast about the great reasons why buying and living within the Huntsville, AL real estate area is the best decision you are going to make!

Below is a list of this great city's accomplishments and recognitions over the past year - from one of America's leading greenist cities to one of the top ten cities for job growth.

	Huntsville named one the South’s leading cities for Defense Jobs February 2009
	The City of Huntsville receives Standard & Poor’s highest possible “AAA” bond rating for strength of the local economy January 2009
	Huntsville named one of 10 Great Cities for Salary Growth January 2009
	Madison County named the country’s Best Place to Live to weather the economy November 2008
	Huntsville named one of the Top 50 Best Places to raise children in the U.S. November 2008
	Huntsville named one of the Top 5 locations in the U.S. for aerospace companies October/November 2008
	Huntsville named one of America’s Top 5 Cities for Job Opportunities September 2008
	Huntsville named one of the Top 5 Best Performing Cities in the Country September 2008
	Huntsville named the #1 Mid-market in the South August 2008
	Huntsville named one of America’s Top 5 Mid-Sized Cities for Doing Business July 2008
	Huntsville is one of the country’s Top 10 Technology Cities, ranking 3rd in the country for concentration of technology workers June 2008
	Huntsville named one of the country’s Top 10 Places to Live May 2008
	Huntsville named one of America’s Leading Greenest Cities”. -Popular Science, March 2008 March 2008

For more information on why buying a Huntsville, AL home should be in your future plans, please call me anytime.  I've got over a dozen EXCELLENT reasons why I'd love to talk to you more about!

A down payment is going to be advantageous in more ways than one. The down payment will qualify you for a loan and the more you can afford to put down on one of the Huntsville homes you are interested in purchasing, the less you will pay in payments.

There are many programs available for first time as well as current owners of Huntsville homes. Some types are government programs and private companies with down payment plans to help you purchase the Huntsville, AL real estate you are looking to buy.

There are basically two programs run by the government to help you purchase a home if you do not have a lot of money to put down. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is one option. A 3% down payment is all that is required if you qualify through their program. The active military and veterans of the military can qualify through the Veteran’s Administration for a home-loan guarantee program. This will allow them to buy their Huntsville homes with no down payment.

Some states have grant money and low interest loans which can be used for down payments. However, qualifying for these loans can be nearly impossible. If you qualify for a loan, you are probably above the income limit to qualify for the down payment assistance.

There are private organizations that offer down payment assistance. Nehemiah and AmeriDream are the most well known. The problem with this is the seller has to be willing to contribute a sum of money from the sale to their organization. This is where the companies get the money to help people with down payments.

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.

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. 

Below is an updated summary of the Huntsville, AL Real Estate activity for the month of November, versus the month of October.  This new layout shows the trend that each area of the Huntsville/Madison cities and suburbs are taking, which, in the majority of areas, are moving in a positive direction.

HUNTSVILLE REAL ESTATE
MARKET STATISTICS ~ NOVEMBER 2008
# Existing Single Family Homes Sold This Month	Average List Price	Average Sold Price	Average Days on Market	List Price vs. Sale Price %
438	$175,890	$169,146	93	96.17%
Area	# of Sales in November '08	Avg Sales Price November '08	Avg Sales Price October '08	Trend
HSV CITY NW	28	$130,574	$117,809	UP
HSV CITY NE	8	$158,588	$126,393	UP
HSV CITY SW	34	$171,548	$141,572	UP
HSV CITY SE	23	$278,754	$287,777	DOWN
MAD CITY LIMITS	31	$272,066	$239,996	UP
HSV CITY EAST	14	$354,906	$293,718	UP
MAD OUTSIDE CITY	28	$220,681	$206,725	UP
MAD CO NW	9	$116,744	$174,887	DOWN
MAD CO NE	31	$211,386	$167,873	UP
MAD CO SW	1	$152,400	-	UP
MAD CO SE	2	$61,725	$129,750	DOWN

The month saw another slip in the number of sales, however, this is indicative for the time of year and I expect to see the number of sales to increase again in a few months time.  The sales price versus list price is still very healthy, with 96.17% of the list price being paid on average for each home.  Both the sales price and list price of the average home sold last month also jumped up from $161,700 in October to $169,146 in November.

Taking a look at the area with the most activity (Southwest Huntsville), many buyers are taking advantage of the newer subdivisions, including Lake Forest.  Five of the 34 Huntsville homes sold in this area were within this brand new subdivision, ranging in sales price from $246,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath 3,126 square foot home, to $400,000 for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3,370 pool home.  This subdivision also includes a clubhouse, community pool and tennis courts for the residents to take advantage of during the warmer months.  Lake Forest is a gated community with a 30-acre lake, several parks and walking trails and is just moments away from downtown Huntsville and all that it has to offer you and your family.

For more information on this, or any other community with the Huntsville/Madison area, please feel free to call or email me. 

There are many options available to the prospective home buyer when it comes to down payments. The Huntsville, AL real estate you buy will be much more affordable with a down payment. If you just use a little ingenuity you will find there are several options to come up with a down payment.

 

The first thing that you can do is have a certain amount deducted from your paycheck each payday and put this in a savings account. Next, a family member or a good friend could give you a gift of cash. If you have something of value such as a boat or a motorcycle, sell it. What is more important to you - having your own Huntsville, AL real estate or owning a motorcycle? Many people own stocks and bonds. These can be cashed in to raise money for your down payment.

 

If you get a refund at tax time, use this money to put towards your down payment. Borrow from your 401(k) as long as it is feasible to put it back. If not, take money out but remember it will be subject to taxes and early withdrawal penalties. Doe someone owe you money? If so, this would be a good time to collect. If your employer is pleased with the work you do a bonus would be a great cash raiser.

 

When purchasing Huntsville, AL real estate the money you put down will allow you to have instant equity in your home. Having a good down payment will also help with the amount you have to borrow to purchase the home. Less money needed will allow you to shop around to an array of lenders rather than a few.

Many Huntsville real estate agents have been involved in short sales. But, what exactly do short sales involve?

 

Short sales are basically when the lender agrees to accept less than the property is worth to sell it quickly. Most lenders, however, do not want to conduct short sales. The truth is, not every property will be eligible for a short sale nor will the sellers. While some Huntsville homes have been sold this way, here are a few reasons a short sale would not be possible for all prospective buyers:

 

1. The bank that owns the property may think the price being offered is too low.
2. Everything that should be in the package for the short sale may not be there.
3. If sellers do not qualify for a short sale this is one reason the bank will turn down offers from buyers.
4. The buyers may not pass the scrutiny of the bank that holds the mortgage.
5. The bank may not be the one holding the loan any longer.

If you are thinking of buying Huntsville real estate using the short sale method these factors will be discussed in more detail in my next blog.