Gorgeous home in pristine condition! As soon as you enter the spectacular two story foyer with gleaming wood floors you will be amazed at the attention to detail. All dressed up? The formal living and dining rooms are perfect for formal gatherings. Entertain southern style in the massive family room featuring triple windows and a cozy corner fireplace. Do you love to cook but wish the clean up was easier? No worries, in this designer kitchen you can have the best of both worlds with everything you need to create a buffet of culinary masterpieces. The kitchen features a tile backsplash, work-island, wood floors, smooth-top range, breakfast bar and abundance of beautiful cabinets. Wait need more space? Check out the supersize pantry. You can fit all the extras in here. The lovely informal dining space with wood floors and triple window is perfect for enjoying family dinners. No need to worry about those stairs as the master suite with private entry is on the first level. Take time for yourself in the master’s glamour bath with separate shower, raised vanities, and a luxurious whirlpool tub. Shuffle the crowd upstairs to the 26 X 14 recreation room. Additional bedrooms generously sized for a growing family. When you need to get the work done, just close the door to the private study upstairs. Time to relax just grab your coffee and newspaper rain or shine step outside into the awesome screened porch. Fantastic fully fenced backyard! Storage, storage everywhere! Hurry this beauty will not last long! Call today for a private showing.
When you first start talking about buying Huntsville homes for sale, you’ll hear “Oh, you should get pre-qualified first,” or “you should get pre-approved first.” So who’s right? What’s the difference between the two? Is there any difference at all?
Pre-qualified Loans
Before shopping for Huntsville homes for sale, you want to look at lenders. Not all mortgage lenders are created equal. Especially now, with the rocky economic times, you have to be especially careful who you get your mortgage through. When you find a lender you’re comfortable with, you have two choices: start shopping for houses or get pre-qualified for a loan.
Pre-qualification for a loan is based on the best estimate of the loan officer, not “set-in-stone,” verified facts. The officer believes, because of the information you tell them, that you have good credit and can financially afford a specific loan amount. For this reason, because it isn’t verified, pre-qualification doesn’t hold as much weight with buyers. As well, you could still end up wasting a lot of time looking at houses you can’t afford.
Pre-approved Loans
The second step in getting a mortgage loan is pre-approval. With pre-approval, the lender has received verification that, yes, you are credit worthy and yes, you can afford up to a specific loan amount.
Pre-approval not only gives the seller the idea that you’re a good prospect, but it also helps you out while looking for a home:
You’ve listed your property. You’ve spent your weekends with people traipsing through your home. You’ve done everything you can and your Huntsville real estate is still sitting on the market while others around you are selling. Why won’t your home sell?
You’ve cleaned your home—you think. Let’s examine a few areas many people overlook:
Did you stuff all your stuff in cabinets thinking no one will be bold enough to open cabinets and look inside? Hum… maybe. Maybe not. Lots of people open drawers, cabinets, and definitely will look in closets, so don’t stash all your stuff in closets. Besides being untidy it is likely that overstuffed closets will fall out in an avalanche when an unsuspecting buyer happens to peek.
Are there dirty dishes stacked up, clothes in the laundry baskets, or used towels all over the bathroom? Just because you have to live in your Huntsville real estate until you sell it doesn’t mean it looks good to your buyers. The ‘lived in’ look only makes your home look comfortable when friends and family visit, not prospective buyers.
Does your loving pet adore your visitors? Even the most well-behaved dog or cat may be a distraction. Not everybody is a pet lover, and even if they are they don’t want to have to deal with your pets while viewing a home. Have your dogs and cats in their crates when buyers come to see your Huntsville real estate listing. (more…)
Most articles across the Net that focus on finding a real estate agent tell you what to look for to find a good one. What if you already have one, though? How can you tell if your Huntsville real estate agent is the one that caused previous clients X, Y and Z to have never-ending nightmares? What if they’re related to the Wicked Witch of the West and, horror of horrors, you don’t know?
It’s enough to give a person the terrors, even though Halloween is already past. In the interest of helping you have a good experience (thus raising the reputation of agents everywhere), here are three things you can do if your Huntsville real estate agent starts giving you the heebie jeebies:
1. Find out if they’ve had any training since real estate school. Although it depends on the state, most agents have to complete a three- to six-week period of schooling. If they pass the real estate licensing exam they find a broker, sign a form, sign up with some real estate associations and are immediately moved into the echelons of “real estate professional.” That’s it.
If your agent hasn’t had any more training than that, there’s a high probability they don’t know everything they need to know to give you the professional help you need. Real estate school can only teach so much, especially in three to six weeks.
Spectacular views in paradise! Gorgeous custom builder’s personal home situated on 5 acres is ready for your family to take pleasure in. When you are done gawking at the scenery come in and take a look. The gleaming wood floors will welcome you into this immaculate home. A dining room fit for royalty with rich colors, wainscoting and 10ft ceilings allows for dinner parties will be on the grand scale. Think of all the culinary masterpieces you can create in the designer kitchen with all the bells and whistles. Entertaining will be delightful as the floor plan flows nicely with the kitchen, family room and outdoors! Invite the whole family as there is room for everyone in the impressive great room with lots of windows and great views. Chilly nights are perfect time to just snuggle up with your sweetie by the gas fireplace. If you are looking for mom and dad they are in their suite listening to music from the built in speakers under the stunning 10ft double trey ceiling with the recessed lighting on dim! Take time for yourself in this sweet bathroom with whirlpool tub, dual vanities and walk-in closet. The additional two bedrooms are very spacious. Bonus room with built in speakers, large closet and a 3/4 bathroom gives you everything you need to work, sleep or play. Grab your fishing pole and head to the stocked pond with fountain. You will not want to miss this opportunity to own your own piece of dreamland. Just bring the family. The rest is already here. 18 additional acres available, plus 3500 sqft workshop also available.
Learn more about 434 Banyon Road and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com. Search all Huntsville real estate and homes for sale.
There were 1,476 Madison County & Huntsville foreclosure homes for sale with 70 new foreclosures in January 2010. 1 in every 1,974 housing units received a foreclosure filing in January. The average sales price of a Madison County AL home was $195,766 and the average foreclosure sales price was $166,282, a $29,485 savings, according to RealtyTrac.com.
Madison County & Huntsville Foreclosure Activity and Home Price Index
The Madison County and Huntsville price appreciation dropped 0.04% in January with 70 new foreclosure homes.
Madison County AL foreclosure activity is based on the total number of properties that receive foreclosure filings – default notice, foreclosure auction notice or repossession notice – each month. Home price appreciation is based on month-over-month percentage change of the Home Price Index. The Home Price Index is calculated from home sales records.
Huntsville has ranked second in Moody’s Economy’s latest report on expected employment growth. Read the Huntsville Times report:
HUNTSVILLE — Huntsville was ranked second out of 387 metro areas – and Mobile was No. 4 – in Moody’s Economy’s latest report on expected employment growth.
The Huntsville economy is beginning to recover from the recession, bolstered by the federal economic stimulus, the increased demand for durable goods and the ongoing relocation of federal and military jobs resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision, according to Martin Soler Garcia, an assistant economist for Moody’s Economy.com.
In his analysis, Garcia predicts employment in Huntsville will grow 2.5 percent this year and 4.3 percent, 4.8 percent and 4.4 percent for the following three years. Personal income will increase by 3.1 percent this year, and grow by 5.4 percent, 7.3 percent and 7.1 percent over the following three years, according to the report.
Garcia forecasts the Huntsville area jobless rate, which in December was 8.1 percent for the Huntsville metro area, which includes Limestone County, will be 9.1 percent this year, then 8.2 percent in 2011, 6.5 percent in 2012 and 5.7 percent in 2013. The Madison County jobless rate was 7.7 percent in December.
Other Alabama communities’ rankings in anticipated employment growth were Auburn-Opelika area, No. 23; Montgomery, 29; Birmingham-Hoover area, 53; and Tuscaloosa, 61.
Don’t miss this terrific full brick ranch nestled on private treed cul-de-sac lot. With over .75 acres and fully fenced you will have a lots of outdoor fun. Sit back and enjoy the view from your covered front porch. Step inside on the gleaming wood floors of the entry. Spend time with family listening to music or watching a show with surround sound in the large great room featuring trey ceilings, recessed lighting and easy access to the backyard. Whip up your favorite dishes in the kitchen. Then serve it up in the sunny breakfast area. When you are ready to call it a day, immerse yourself in the master suite with all the comforts you deserve. Two additional bedrooms are well portioned for your growing family. Keep that laundry organized in the separate laundry area. Call us today for a private showing of this immaculate ranch in peaceful setting.
Learn more about 102 Silver Poplar Place and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com. Search all Huntsville real estate and homes for sale.
Home sales surged in the fourth quarter of 2009 with many areas seeing double digit gains according to the National Association of Realtors. Total existing-home sales (single-family and condo) jumped 13.9 percent above the third quarter and 27.2 percent above the fourth quarter of 2008. Distressed property sales accounted for 32 percent of the fourth quarter transactions, down from 37 percent from 2008.
Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said the first-time home buyer tax credit, combined with record low interest rates, played a dominant role in fourth quarter sales. Yun went on to say, “With inventory levels trending down over the past 18 months, we expect broadly balanced housing market conditions in much of the country by late spring with more areas showing higher prices.”
Take a look at how Huntsville real estate sales statistics in January 2010 compared to January 2009.
Madison County/Huntsville Real Estate Sales Statistics
Huntsville and Madison County saw a decrease of 14% in sold listings when compared to January 2009. The average sales price decreased by 7% to $189,639. The average price per square foot decreased by 1% when compared with January 2009. And the average list price decreased by 7%, while homes were on the market an average of 12 days less than January 2009.
Date
Sold Listings
Average List Price
Average Sale Price
Percent SP/LP
Average DOM
Average Price Sqft
Jan 2010
220
$195,999
$189,639
96.89%
84
$85
Jan 2009
256
$210,712
$204,312
97.21%
96
$84
For more information about Huntsville real estate, please visit MoveToHuntsville.com or call me at 256-508-0211.
Picking a Huntsville real estate agent is a big decision. Buying a home isn’t something most people do on a regular basis and rarely do they know agents personally or have one on retainer like they may have a lawyer for regular business purposes.
If your job doesn’t entail a lot of property transactions you might feel like a fish out of water when looking around for a Huntsville real estate agent. Fortunately, deciding on the right one isn’t as hard as you might think.
Real Estate Agents Are People Too
That’s right, they have the same qualities you would think of in any other individual you might do business with. So, finding an agent really comes down to measuring many of the same values you’d use to choose another business associate.