The kitchen in your Huntsville home offers multiple ways to improve energy efficiency.  It can be challenging to have versatility, style, comfort and design while still being energy efficient.  The good news is that small changes can be easy to make, without breaking your redecorating budget.

• Use the appropriate cooking utensils in your kitchen.  Most electric stoves are equipped with two small burners, and two large ones.  Make sure that you are using your small pans on the small burners, and large pans on the larger burners.  Using a small pan on a large burner wastes energy, adds heat to kitchen, and may cause the handles to warp on the pans if they become too hot.  Place lids on your pots and pans when they are on the stove, this will conserve the heat and decrease the workload on your cooling system.
  
• Repair dripping sink faucets in the kitchen.  You can replace the faucet in your Huntsville home inexpensively.  A few drips on a constant basis adds up to gallons of wasted water.  Replacing the faucet can substantially decrease the amount of water you use.
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Huntsville Real Estate For Sale:228 Mountain Creek Drive Madison, Al 35757

MLS# 322567

Gorgeous home with big surprises! From the rocking chair front porch to the patio outback this home has something for everyone to enjoy. A well appointed kitchen with tile floors and refaced cabinets is sure to please the cook in your family. Informal dining area and breakfast bar are perfect for serving larger crowds. And the breakfast area has easy access to the beautiful backyard. Spacious great room with gorgeous floors, vaulted ceiling, triple windows and wood-burning fireplace offers everything you need to be a top entertainer. You’ll appreciate the master suite with volume ceiling, dual vanities and tile flooring. Privacy awaits you on the patio overlooking the meticulously landscaped and tree lined property. Additional two bedrooms are sized generously for your growing family. The one car garage allows for ample storage. This adorable home will not last long. Call us today for a private showing.

Learn more about 228 Mountain Creek Drive and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com.

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Huntsville Real Estate For Sale: 155 Emory Drive Harvest, AL 35749

MLS#322391

This sprawling ranch on beautifully landscaped grounds is ready for her next family to call home. As you walk up to this beauty you will notice attention to detail went into everything inside and out. When entering, you will see an entry with columns and gleaming wood floors leading you to a massive living area. Crown molding accenting the volume ceilings in the great room and lots of windows for natural light make this a comfortable place to entertain.  Cozy corner fireplace with recessed lighting creates the perfect ambiance for any occasion. If you are the cook, you will love that you are centrally located to all the action. The well appointed kitchen with gorgeous cabinets, abundance of counter space, smooth top range, breakfast bar and tile floors extending to the sunny breakfast nook with bay windows is a nice place to start the day. A large master suite with volume ceilings, pleasant views and plush carpets is sure to please mom and dad. A glamour master bathroom with two walk-in closets, dual vanities, linen closet, separate shower and a whirlpool tub is just waiting to pamper you. An additional two bedrooms are generously sized and share a bath with dual vanities. Bonus room, teen suite or man cave, you call it because with a walk-in closet and private bath this room can be anything your heart desires. You will never need to worry about storage as the two car garage is ample in size. The real gem is outback under the cover porch overlooking professionally landscaped yard with plenty of patio space for outdoor entertaining. Gardens are lined in stone and brick with winding concrete paths all backing up to a private wooded area.  Spring time is here where everything is new again, are you ready for a fresh start? Call us today to see this immaculate all brick home.

Learn more about 155 Emory Drive  and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com.

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In 2009, Moody’s Economy.com ranked Huntsville an impressive #2 for employment and job growth prospects. Now Huntsville has broken through to the #1 spot of the 378 metropolitan areas reviewed! Auburn-Opelika is  ranked second nationally by Moody’s, with Phenix City-Columbus, Ga. (seventh), Mobile (12th) and Montgomery (22nd) also faring well.

To quote from the Moody’s article:

“It’s extremely significant,” Joe Vallely, Huntsville’s economic development director, said Tuesday. “Anytime you get a No. 1 ranking nationwide by a respected firm like that, it’s big. They don’t just give those puppies out.”

An Economist story titled “Alabama’s small cities are poised for recovery,” mentions Cummings Research Park, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, AEgis Technologies, which created the three-dimensional models of Vancouver that NBC used in last month’s Olympic broadcasts, and CFD Research, a defense firm researching insect-mounted cameras and glucose-based batteries.

“Eat your heart out, Birmingham,” the article concludes.

Huntsville’s previous Moody’s Economy.com accolades were partly based on the continuing relocation of 4,700 military jobs from suburban Washington. Assistant economist Martin Soler Garcia, who studies the city for Moody’s, could not be reached Tuesday to talk about the latest review.

Vallely said job-growth rankings, which are widely reported in the financial media, can “spur renewed interest” from companies that have flirted with moving to the Rocket City and help validate the decision of those that are already here.

There were 1,443 Madison County & Huntsville foreclosure homes for sale with 173 new foreclosures in February 2010. 1 in every 817 housing units received a foreclosure filing in February. The average sales price of a Madison County AL home was $177,755 and the average foreclosure sales price was $146,741, a $31,104 savings, according to RealtyTrac.com.

Madison County & Huntsville Foreclosure Activity and Home Price Index

The Madison County and Huntsville price appreciation dropped 1.01% in February with 173 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.

Madison County & Huntsville Foreclosure Geographical Comparison

Madison County & Huntsville foreclosure activity was 0.12% lower than national statistics and 0,01% higher than state figures.

Madison County & Huntsville Foreclosure Activity by Month

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Few things sound better than paying off a thirty-year Huntsville real estate mortgage early.  Not only will you be free of mortgage payments, you could also save thousands of dollars in interest payments over the life of the loan.  Here are four ideas to help you pay off your mortgage early:

1. Apply any windfall monies you receive to your mortgage balance.  Be sure to indicate that this is an extra payment and should be applied exclusively to your principle.
2. Make bi-weekly mortgage payments.  Making exactly one-half payment every two weeks will add up to a total of twenty-six half payments per year.  Or, thirteen whole payments each year instead of twelve.  That’s the secret to paying off a Huntsville  real estate mortgage early with bi-weekly payments.  The interest rate itself isn’t reduced, but the amount of money you pay in interest on the principal is.
3. Overpay a fixed amount every month.  By sending in an extra fixed amount as an additional principal payment every month, you’ll reduce the length of time it takes you to pay off your mortgage. By sending in a fixed amount every month, you can easily automate this process.
4. Use a prepayment calculator to figure out other ways to pay your mortgage off early.  The free prepayment calculators available on the internet can also help you determine how quickly you can become mortgage free.

Before implementing any of these methods to pay off your Huntsville real estate mortgage early, contact your mortgage lender to find out if you’ll be incurring any additional fees.  It’s also a good idea to ask your mortgage lender if there are any specific instructions you need to follow to be sure your payments are processed correctly.

Thinking about buying a home that you can pay off quickly?  Call me now at 800-803-0053, 256-508-0211 or email me at mike@movetohuntsville.com for more information.

2009 was a rough stretch for many Huntsville home sellers and buyers, but new reports hint at possible stabilization in the housing market that may prove beneficial for everyone. As 2009 rolled to a close and 2010 opened into a new year, economic and real estate reports poured out good news, but bad news wasn’t far behind. For each positive note, there is always that unavoidable “but”:

• Mortgage rates are holding steady below 5%, thanks to government intervention. Thanks to the low rates, more people are buying and refinancing. However, the downside is that banks are more reluctant to refinance or loan. This leaves many, who want to buy a Huntsville home, with the inability to do so. Ironic that, in a buyer’s market, it’s the banks with all the selling power.

The other “but” is that the Federal Reserve program providing the low mortgage rates is set to expire in March. Rates could very well double shortly after, which is highly likely to drop the number of interested buyers. A drop in buyer numbers will only further shift the supply/demand ratio.

• As of December 10, 2009, the number of foreclosures in a month had dropped 16%, nationwide. The home buyer tax credit expansion, foreclosure prevention programs and loan modification programs have helped, as well as state mandated financing programs. As great as that is, there were still over 300,000 foreclosures in November, 2009, which is 18% higher than November, 2008.

• Home prices are “firming,” showing improvement over five consecutive months. Although the rise is considered mild, fewer homeowners are underwater, where they owe more mortgage than their house is worth. Because housing prices are improving, home sellers are more confident in the listing prices they’ve set.

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Huntsville Real Estate For Sale: 162 Bridgefield Road, Madison, AL 35758

MLS# 320681

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.

Learn more about 162 Bridgefield Road and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com.

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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 already know how much home you can afford.

• You already know that you’re qualified to buy any home you look at that falls within your verified loan amount.

• You have better negotiating power with the seller (who may be more willing to accept less than list price knowing that you are already pre-approved).

• The closing period can happen faster, narrowing the typical 30-day period to less than three weeks.

In short, when looking at Huntsville homes for sale, it’s better to be pre-approved, but you can’t get pre-approved for a mortgage without being pre-qualified.  So do yourself (and your new home) a favor and do both.

Need help selecting a mortgage lender?  I can help. Call me at800-803-0053, 256-508-0211 or email me at mike@movetohuntsville.com for more information.

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.
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