Your Guide to Living In Greater Birmingham

Brian Bought His First Home With Zero Down Payment

Here’s a quick note to let you know how we can help anyone you might refer to us.

Brian had just finished an internship and graduated college. He accepted an engineering position at a local firm. This meant that he was going from almost no income to a very significant increase, yet he had no cash to buy his first home. So, he was looking to move into the area, buy his first home, and needed purchase it with zero down payment.

We looked far and wide to find the perfect home opportunity for him and we located the perfect one. Since we knew he would be unable to buy a home with a large down payment, we were able to negotiate a contract rolling his closing costs into his mortgage. Today Brian is in a lovely three bedroom home, off a tree-lined street, in a quiet neighborhood.

      Who’s the next person you know who is looking to buy a home with zero to little money down? Be sure to give us a call to discuss how we can let them know about our services. Thank You!

Trussville Real Estate Market Statistics 2007 Year In Review

With this being the end of the year, I chose this month to do a Year in Review.

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Hoover Area to know the stats. 

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next. 

2007
Listed Properties: 824
Average Price: $285,491
Median Range: $259,900 

2006
Listed Properties: 1005
Average Price: $274,874
Median Price: $249,900 

 

2007
Sold Properties: 424
Average Price: $260,371
Median Price: $234,950
Average Days on Market: 116 

2006
Sold Properties: 624

Average Price: $246,958

Median Price: $232,000

Average Days on Market: 90 

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Hoover area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask. 

*Note these steps are accurate as of 1/11/08 according to Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS. 

Is It Time For a New Year/New Attitude?

 Do you sometimes hear a negative attitude coming out of your mouth, and wish it weren’t so?

Can anything be done about a negative attitude?  In other words, can you change?  Of course you can.  If you’re in need of a New Attitude for the New Year, here are some thoughts to keep in mind:
 

• Attitudes are not something we’re born with – they’re created, which means they can be recreated as well.
 

• Attitudes are infectious.  Try spending time around people who have good attitudes and who make you feel good.  When you’re around a positive person you feel energized – not drained.
 

• Start your day on a positive note.  It might feel phony at first, but it will become second nature if you keep at it.  Change your clock radio to upbeat music instead of the news, give someone a small compliment as soon as you get to work, perform a random act of kindness for someone you know – or a complete stranger.
 

• Greet people like you’re genuinely happy to see them – and then think of reasons why you are genuinely happy to see them.
 

• Instead of heading straight for defensive mode and expecting the worst out of others, reverse the process and try expecting the best out of everyone.
 

• Don’t be so hard on yourself.  Throw your perfectionism out.  It won’t do you a bit of good since you’re essentially setting yourself up for failure.  Repeat after me:  No one is perfect.
 

Our best wishes for a positively great 2008!

Hoover Real Estate Market Statistics 2007 Year In Review

With this being the end of the year, I chose this month to do a Year in Review.

 I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Hoover Area to know the stats.    

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.   

2007

Listed Properties: 996
Average Price: $335,817
Median Range: $295,000 

2006

 Listed Properties: 1,520
Average Price: $347,253
Median Price: $301,300 

2007

Sold Properties: 1,423
Average Price: $354068
Median Price: $310,000
Average Days on Market: 93 

2006

 Sold Properties: 1,573
Average Price: $345,327
Median Price: $301,000
Average Days on Market: 84 

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Hoover area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

To see how much your Hoover Home may be worth visit HooverHomePrices.com, or to search all of the homes for sale in Hoover and all its communities visit HooverHomeSearch.com

Learn more about Hoover at Hoover Alabama Real Estate Guide and Community Tour, an earlier post giving a brief history and video of the Hoover area.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 1/11/08 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

Home Contracts Values Increase for Birmingham Area

Over the past few months, the Birmingham area, like much of the United States, has seen a slowing or decreasing in the value of home building contracts. Most of the decreases are based on comparisons to 2006 data which was the best year ever for the real estate market in sales numbers, volume, and dollars.

According to an article in the Birmingham News, by Dawn Kent, Home Contract Values Increased In November.

The article noted that in previous months there had been a sharp decline in contract values:

* August 2007 was down 9% from last year.

* September 2007 was down 46% from last year

* October 2007 was down 36% from last year

* November 2007 was UP 21% from last year

While December data has not come out yet, we do know that from January - November we are down 22% from last year as a whole. So, seeing this increase for the month is a good thing.

According to the executive vice-president of the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders, Bart Fletcher, "It bodes well for what home builders think the spring is going to be like... Homes that are beginning construction now are going to be completed in early to mid-spring, and that's typically the time we see people are coming out of the winter doldrums, interested in looking at new homes." He also believes that 2008 is going to be a good year for builders.

Mountain Brook Real Estate Market Statistics Year In Review

With this being the end of the year, I chose this month to do a Year in Review. 

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Mountain Brook Area to know the stats. 

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

2007
Listed Properties: 571
Average Price: $739,973
Median Range: $553,200 

2006
Listed Properties: 566
Average Price: $738,612
Median Price: $554,250 

2007
Sold Properties: 307
Average Price: $675,596
Median Price: $529,000
Average Days on Market: 102 

2006
Sold Properties: 282
Average Price: $660,474
Median Price: $547,250
Average Days on Market: 79 

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Mountain Brook area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask. 

* Note these stats are accurate as of 1/11/08 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS. 

Subprime Is The 2007 Word of the Year

According to Forbes.com an AP story by Sophia Tareen, `Subprime' Is Linguists' Word of Year.

Goodness! I guess the Mortgage Meltdown of 2007 has filtered its way down to the American Dialect Society. Who, according to the article, was "founded in 1889, comprises linguists, grammarians, historians and scholars, among others. The society began choosing words of the year in 1990 for fun, not in an official capacity to induct words into the English language."

So, who did Subprime beat out for this award? How about, "Facebook," "green," "Googleganger" and "waterboarding." Some of those seem a bit more significant, but as influential right now? Who knows...

Something I found interesting was that according to Closenow.com, Subprime means "Credit with higher risk characteristics, such as bankruptcy or collection accounts." But, if you break apart, according to Wayne Glowka, the "prefix "sub" translates roughly to "below the standard," while "prime" means something close to "the best." So, according to Glowka, the word really means "far below the best."

With that in mind, let's just say that I hope the subprime mortgage mess of 2007 doesn't bring us a subprime 2008.

Vestavia Real Estate Market Statistics Year In Review

With this being the end of the year, I chose this month to do a Year in Review.        

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Vestavia Area to know the stats.    

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next. 

2007

Listed Properties: 902
Average Price: $477,663
Median Range: $370,000 

2006

 Listed Properties: 870
Average Price: $462,732
Median Price: $349,763 

2007

Sold Properties: 494
Average Price: $430,586
Median Price: $345,000
Average Days on Market: 94 

2006

 Sold Properties: 477
Average Price: $403,963
Median Price: $331,000
Average Days on Market: 86   

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Vestavia area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

To see how much your Vestavia Home may be worth or to search all of the homes for sale in Vestavia and all its communities visit VestaviaHomeSearch.com

Learn more about Vestavia at Vestavia Hills Alabma Real Estate Guide and Community Tour, an earlier post giving a brief history and video of the Vestavia Hills area. 

*Note these stats are accurate as of 1/11/08 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

Birmingham Area Non-Profits

I have begun having some contact with several of the Birmingham Area Non-profits. Birmingham and its surrounding areas have a tremendous amount of them. A lot of hard work goes in to sustaining them and funding them so that their "mission" can be accomplished. I know this because I have seen so many of you in action, have spoken to a number of founders and volunteers, and because I began my "working life" at an inner-city non-profit here in the Birmingham area.

For this, I applaud each and every one of them. Over these next few weeks, I will be spotlighting a couple of them, and I feel compelled to continue this as a regular part of both of our blogs.

As part of this spotlight, I will give you the opportunity to share your "mission," what your are trying to accomplish, ways you can be contacted, and ways one might be able to contribute whether it be by time or any other means.

So, here's the invitation Birmingham Area Non Profits, please either contact me via email or via a comment on this blog. I will look forward to talking to, meeting, and sharing your vision.

We both know that Birmingham and its surrounding areas are very generous in their time and resources. Sometimes, though, they just don't know where to focus their efforts. My goal, by doing this, is to put our some arrows that will point the way to a place where they can have a shared vision and a shared purpose. When this happens, great things are sure to follow.

Hopefully, through a combined effort, we can bring more attention and support to what you are trying to accomplish.

I wish you all great success and accomplishment throughout this new year and beyond!

Homewood Real Estate Market Statistics Year In Review

With this being the end of the year, I chose this month to do a Now and Then: Year in Review. 

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Homewood Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

2007
Listed Properties: 871
Average Price: $355,157
Median Range: $287,900 

2006
Listed Properties: 836
Average Price: $368,340
Median Price: $299,900 

2007
Sold Properties: 374
Average Price: $309,796
Median Price: $258,450
Average Days on Market: 99 

2006
Sold Properties: 367
Average Price: $322,824
Median Price: $263,100
Average Days on Market: 72 

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Homewood area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

* Note these stats are accurate as of 1/11/08 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.