Huntsville Real Estate Blog

Happy New Year, Huntsville!  I hope everyone enjoyed a very happy holiday season.  Along with resolutions to keep, leftover cookies to eat, and trees to un-trim, the new year brings us the start of tax season.  Often times just the thought of getting organized enough to start the paperwork can be overwhelming.

This article from BankRate.com details 7 steps to help get you ready to file your 2007 taxes.  I’ve listed the steps below, but please check out the article for more helpful hints!

• Prepare for the arrival of your records (designate an envelope or folder to store all of the records you’ll receive in the mail)
• Track down social security numbers (make sure you have the correct SSN’s for everyone in your family)
• Find your forms (if you are not filing electronically, download the necessary forms or pick them up at a post office)
• Decide how you want to do your taxes (Do-it-yourself or hire a pro?  Paper and pen or computer software?)
• Consider electronic filing (find out if you qualify for Free File!)
• Use direct deposit (it may not be as exciting as receiving that refund check in the mail, but it’ll save you a trip to the bank!)
• Don’t panic!

I’d like to add my own advice: if you bought or sold a home in 2007, pull out those closing documents and start making copies!  You will need to provide proof of your purchase or sale (usually a closing statement will suffice), along with any loans that were taken out or paid off in 2007.  If you have lost any of these important documents, contact your Realtor who can help you track them down.

If 2008 is going to be the year for you to invest in a home of your own, please visit MoveToHuntsville.com and begin searching Huntsville AL real estate here.  You may also call me at 256-508-0211.

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Happy New Year, Huntsville!  I hope that everybody enjoyed a very happy holiday season and that 2008 is off to a great start for you.

The National Association of Realtors has published its predictions for the 2008 housing market, and the data looks positive so far.  Most noteworthy is the trend toward improving existing home sales. 

Lawrence Yun, senior NAR economist, said “Now that mortgage conditions have improved, some postponed activity should turn up in existing-home sales over the next couple of months, and I expect sales at fairly stable to slightly higher levels.” 

Existing home sales are expected to rise to $5.7 million in 2008 – making it the fifth highest year on record.  Existing home prices, which declined 1.9% to a median of $217,600 in 2007, are expected to go back up about .3% in 2008.  As Yun noted late in 2007 “even with a modest decline in the national aggregate price this year, it’s important to keep in mind that nearly two-thirds of the metro areas in the US are showing price increases … the apparent disparity results from fewer sales in high-cost areas, so a change in the mix is dragging down the national median home price.”

To find out the latest trends in Huntsville AL real estate, please call me at 256-508-0211 or visit MoveToHuntsville.com.  To begin searching for Huntsville AL homes, please use my complimentary MLS search.

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