By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 29, 2009
Fortune Small Business has named Huntsville the No.1 medium-sized city to grow a business in the “Best Places to Launch” feature appearing in the magazine’s November issue.
Orion Propulsion and its president, Tim Pickens, is featured in the article, with Pickens discussing the growth of his company that specializes in rocket-engine testing and manufacturing. “I couldn’t ask for a better community for doing what I want to do, and that’s developing a space company,” Pickens said in the article.
The ”Best Places to Launch” feature is based on the findings of a study by the Kauffman Foundation and the magazine showing which small, medium and large U.S. cities scored the highest based on per capita income, hourly wages, workforce quality, crimes rates, taxes and foreclosures. The study is available on the CNNMoney.com Web site.
Huntsville/Madison County Market Statistics
Huntsville and Madison County saw an decrease of 5% in sold listings when compared to August 2009. The average sales price decreased by 1% to $189,447. The average price per square foot increased by 3%. And the average list price decreased by 1%. While homes were on the market an average of 6 days more than August 2009.
Date
Sold
Listings
Average
List Price
Average
Sale Price
Percent
SP/LP
Average
DOM
Average
Price
SqFt
Sept 2009
380
$194,721
$189,447
97.80%
74
$90
Aug 2009
399
$195,979
$191,617
98.20%
68
$87
This is a great time to consider buying or a home in Huntsville or Madison AL. Housing affordability is at an all-time high, interest rates are at near record lows and now first-time buyers can use their $8,000 tax credit towards a down payment.
Don’t hesitate and lose out. Give me a call and learn how you can take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers.
For more information about Huntsville AL real estate, please visit MoveToHuntsville.com or call me at 256-508-0211.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 27, 2009
With rising Huntsville real estate sales, many people looking to invest are starting to wonder if Real Estate Investment Trustsare once again a potential opportunity. Home sales have gone up for the past six months in a row, homebuilding price indexes are rising and investors are turning optimistic. Is it really a good time, though?
What are REITs?
REITs are Real Estate Investment Trusts. These trusts invest in property then sell shares to people or businesses. If the REITs make a profit, that profit is split between shareholders as dividends. Many investment trusts cover a full portfolio of Huntsville real estate and other real property, rather than just one property. In the past, they’ve been incredibly popular because they trade like stock and dividend yields are normally at the top of the market.
Not All REITs Are Created Equal
It’s important to remember that real estate investment trusts come in different shapes and sizes. As well, REITs report rental income, rather than sales, as revenue. Keeping rental income in mind, it becomes obvious REITS with long-term leases and high occupancy rates are generally better than others to invest in. Also, the higher the occupancy, the easier it is to raise rental rates (although this is probably not good business at this time due to the current real estate market).
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 23, 2009
If you’re looking at one of the many Huntsville homes for sale (and especially when reading about buying a home), you’ve probably already read articles that ask, “How much house can you afford?” and “Can you really afford the mortgage for a new home?” From beginning to end, to get a good estimate, you’ll need to figure monthly payments, loan qualification guidelines, closing costs and much more. Frankly, all those calculations can set your head to reeling.
To cut down on some of the frustration, save a few trees from the paper you’d use up and help give you a better guestimate, I’ve decided to go looking for the best real estate calculators I could find on the Net. Here are my top 3 picks I’ve come across:
#3. Real Estate Calculator Suite – This product seems to be an excellent choice for anyone, whether you’re a homebuyer, seller or even, yes, a real estate agent like me. Sixteen different real estate and mortgage calculators can help you figure out refinancing costs, amortization schedules – even whether it’s better to rent or buy one the [city] homes for sale. Although it’s $40.00, which might seem rather expensive to many, it could more than make up for the time you’d spend staring at a sheet of paper and numbers. To top it all off, it even includes a home inspection form and to do list for movers, tying your buying or selling experience up nicely.
#2. Yahoo! Real Estate Calculators – You can’t beat a search engine for information, and the Yahoo! Real Estate really does a thorough job in collecting a fantastic amount of calculators. Budgeting and finance, mortgage refinancing, deciding fixed or adjustable rate mortgages and more are all available on this one page. The major upside as compared to the Real Estate Calculator Suite is that it’s free.
#1. CNNMoney.com – CNN isn’t a worldwide news network for nothing, and they’ve taken their complete coverage to calculators. On one page, you have over thirty calculators to figure out everything. Compare costs of living for any area, figure out how much house you can afford, calculate the gain or loss on your home and more. As a bonus, it’s all free, too.
I ranked CNNMoney.com as the top due to the amazing amount of information you can gain in one place. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t try one of the others, or even all three. If you want one of the Huntsville homes for sale, get to calculating, get informed and see what you can accomplish.
Or, you can contact me, and I’ll do the figuring for you. Call me at 256-508-0211 Direct, 800-803-0053 Toll Free or email me at mike@movetohuntsville for more information.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 20, 2009
There’s at least one good thing about the drop in the dollar and it’s boosting the real estate market. Many high-end Europeans are now looking toward the U.S. for a vacation home or permanent resident, and that could mean big hope for your Huntsville home for sale. However, this also means a different way of selling.
Stage a Benefit No open house for high-end buyers. Host an event instead – maybe even a benefit dinner for a worthy charity. Let people come and view the property, but give them an avenue to mix and mingle as well. In addition, they get to see how the house handles a bunch of guests.
Showcase a Chef If you have a gourmet kitchen (or two), check with chefs that would like to showcase their cooking abilities. This creates an entire “house-buying” experience for your guests. Again, they see what that featured kitchen can handles as well as being able to enjoy the culinary arts of a professional chef.
Host a Private Tour If your Huntsville home for sale has beautiful gardens and a large landscape, add a private concert or tour of the gardens. A wine cellar and large sitting rooms can turn the event into a stylish wine tasting event.
The biggest trick in attracting high-end buyers is showing off the house’s best features. If the event is hosted at night, you can show how attractive the home is with an overall “candlelight” appearance. You might even go so far as to set the time for when the sky is at it’s best and frames the home just right.
First impressions are everything, so pull out all the stops. Don’t let any great feature go undiscovered, from indoor swimming pools to music rooms and manly dens. Let your Huntsville home for sale shine!
If you’re getting ready to put a high-end home on the market, I can help. Contact me for more information or visit MoveToHuntsville.com.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 14, 2009
Many putting up their home for sale on the Huntsville market don’t have a lot of available cash to spruce it up. While staging houses is a definite plus, it costs, as does many of the other suggested “to-dos.” Here are a few cheap, easy ways to make your home look more inviting to buyers:
1. Put up your personal stuff Not every buyer looking at a home for sale in Huntsville appreciates the fact that someone still lives there. Putting away the following things can help the buyers’ see themselves in the home:
your pet’s things (toys, litter box, bowls)
your medications, toothbrushes and toilet accessories
putting up out-of-season clothes or clothes you don’t wear very often to make your closets look bigger
taking one piece of furniture out of your bedroom
packing up the small appliances in your kitchen
taking out all but four chairs in your dining room, as well as extra table leaves
3. Touch on the trends Chances are that some of the buyers are paying attention to celebrity trends. Feng shui is a big one, and you can do your part with just a few touches:
add a fresh bowl of fruit to the kitchen
put a comfortable couch or chair on the east side of your living room or den
put a green welcome mat on your porch to symbolize opportunity
get rid of reds
Whether you see or feel a difference doesn’t matter. Keep in mind that you’re trying to appeal to potential buyers of your home for sale in Huntsville, not make the home more livable for you. If it helps, pretend that you’re the buyer, seeing the house for the first time.
If you’re trying to get your home ready to sell, I can help. Contact me for more information.
Welcome to your new home with its relaxing front porch and manicured front yard. You will have plenty of room to entertain in your great room or cozy up by the fireplace on chilly evenings with your family. Like the rest of your new home the formal dining area boasts high ceilings, hardwood floors, crown molding, and chair rail. You will enjoy cooking in this well designed kitchen. Overlooking the spacious backyard, the generously sized eat-in kitchen area is set in a bay window which floods the area with natural light. The king sized master suite is the perfect place to unwind after a long day at work. Pamper yourself in the master bathroom featuring dual vanities and tile floors. There are two other bedrooms and a bathroom which is conveniently located in the hall, providing plenty of space for overnight guest or children. Step out onto the patio to enjoy the oversized backyard perfect for hosting your next cookout. This property is perfect with its mature trees and no neighbors to the back. Come on out and take a look you are sure to be pleased.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 8, 2009
Are you looking to buy new construction? Many people are, but just as many aren’t aware that their newly built Huntsville real estatecomes with options and add-ons. In addition, they see a handsome price on new construction and think they’ve stepped into an unbelievable deal, not understanding that the price they’re looking at is for “bare bones.”
Here are just a few of the options and upgradesyou might want to have your real estate agent talk about with your chosen builder:
Flooring – The “standard” for flooring is cheap carpet and thin padding. If you’re going for hardwood floors, you also may not get what you envision. An important thing to keep in mind is that most builders make their money on the upgrades and options. While they may offer upgrades for high quality flooring, it may actually be cheaper for you to buy it yourself and not through the builder. Do your research and either have your real estate agent try to negotiate down to a price closer to what it would cost you, or have the builder use the cheapest material possible and ask them not to glue or tack it down.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 5, 2009
Driving down the streets of the city, you’ll see a lot of Huntsville homes for sale. What you’ll also see, however, are homes for rent. What’s the difference? Why did these people decide to rent out their home? Why did that homeowner become a landlord?
There are a lot of reasons for renting out your home, rather than adding it to the list of Huntsville homes for sale:
1. The competitive factor - The current housing market is great for homebuyers, but not so great for home sellers. With so many homes to choose from, your property has to stand out from the rest to get sold. Sometimes, it could take months, or even years, to sell your house. During that time, renting can be a good way to make the house profitable.
2. Belief that the area will grow – Many people need to move out of their first house because it doesn’t have enough room for their growing family. However, they think the area has a lot of potential and will be growing. It then becomes a real estate investment. They may want to sell later, but not during the real estate slump.
3. Not sure if they want to sell the home – Another set of landlords have moved to a new city and job, but aren’t sure whether they’ll like it or not. Renting is a way to cover the cost of the house. This is a “just in case” prospect, and works well for many.
4. More money – Especially with the housing slump, some landlords have been able to make more money renting than selling their house. Because housing prices are currently very low, many owners have found renting their home more profitable than selling it for a lower value.
If you’re trying to determine if you should sell or rent your home, I can help. Contact me for more information.
By: Huntsville Real Estate Expert Mike Manosky On October 2, 2009
Some buyers would much rather have a brand spankin’ new Huntsville home - fresh, clean and untouched. Does this describe you? Then read on and learn some of the guidelines for getting the best deal on your dream home.
Be on the lookout for disreputable builders…
Reputation is everything for a builder. Ask for recommendations from people you know, but also do your research. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Talk to people in the same development about their experiences with the builder. Look over the homes in the early construction phase to see what type of materials and quality of workmanship they provide in areas such as the foundation and plumbing.
Use your own agent…
Although a builder might offer the use of an agent, keep in mind that the agent is the builder’s. They aren’t looking out for your best interests. Hiring a buyer’s agent will give you someone who represents you and your best interests.
