There’s no need to spend money on an expensive vacation during the fall break.  Stay in town and experience a Scavenger “Hunt”sville!

During the week of October 4-8, the Downtown Forty-Seven will be presenting Museum Madness. Mention the phrase “Museum Madness” to receive 25% off each museum admission. The more hunts you complete, the more chances you have to WIN!

Start your Scavenger Hunt at any of the participating downtown museums: Harrison Brothers, the Historic Huntsville Depot, the Museum of Art, EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, the Alabama Constitution Village, and the Historic Weeden House Museum.

Museum Day is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Media in which participating museums across the country open their doors for free to anyone presenting a Museum Day Ticket.

A Museum Day Ticket provides free admission to one person, plus a guest.

• One ticket per household

• A ticket will gain entry in only one museum and only participating museums

• Only an official Museum Day ticket is eligible for free entry.

This year Sci-Quest Science Center is participating in Museum Day scheduled for this Saturday, September 25.  Sci-Quest is a hands-on science center with more than 100 permanent, interactive exhibits in seven different subject areas. Sci-Quest’s exhibits are designed to engage, educate and entertain.

For homeowners getting ready to put their Huntsville homes on the market, here are a few stunningly-easy tips to help get your home sold faster and maybe even for more money.

Keep in mind that your prospective buyers will most likely be viewing several Huntsville homes on the same day as your showing. The emotional elements you include will have a profound impact on their memory, and will make your home standout when they review what they’ve seen with their agents at day’s end.

Preparing your home for the perfect showing is essential and comprises three basic elements that will make your home sparkle.

Atmosphere

• Soft classical music
• Simmering potpourri
• Bake an apple pie in the oven.  Or, if you have a bread machine, bake bread.
• Well-lit rooms and inviting indirect lighting
• Air conditioning or heating set at a comfortable temperature

Decorations
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Alabama has ranked #1 in the nation for improved student performance. Read the article from AL.com:

HUNTSVILLE, AL — Schools throughout the area are still waiting to find out how they fared on Advanced Placement tests, which on Monday Gov. Bob Riley announced had put Alabama first in the nation in improved student performance.

Statewide, students showed a 17.7 percent increase in the number of students scoring a passing grade on AP tests. The state also showed significant improvement in the total number of students taking the tests, as well as the number of minority students participating, and their scores.

In a news release from his office, Riley said that the state’s success is because of its partnership A+ College Ready initiative and its commitment to funding the ACCESS Distance Learning initiative.

“These results speak for themselves,” Riley said. “The innovations we have made in Alabama schools are resulting in more participation and higher achievement in AP courses. That means more Alabama students have the opportunities they deserve, no matter where they live.”

Malissa Valdes, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Education, said data has not yet been disseminated beyond the state levels. The data comes from the College Board, which administers AP tests at all schools across the nation.

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When considering a remodeling job for your Huntsville home for sale in an effort to increase value, it’s hard to decide what should be done. Well, this isn’t exactly true.  If your carpet is old, matted and outdated, for instance, you might want to start there. Grungy wooden kitchen cabinets? That’s another starting place.

However, if your Huntsville home for sale is in darn good condition (if you do say so yourself) and you’re not being noticed by buyers, you just might be asking, “What can I do to improve?”

Well, for frustrated, confused homeowners, there is good news. You don’t have to guess. Twenty-two years ago, Remodeling magazine, with cooperation from REALTOR® Magazine, began publishing an annual “Cost vs. Value Report.” This report covers 33 possible home remodeling projects over 80 cities.

The recouped cost for many of these projects has been slowly declining since 2006 or, in some cases, rapidly dropping. However, the recently released 2009-10 Cost vs. Value Report for home remodeling shows some surprising increases.

If you just look at the trends from 2008-09 to 2009-10, you might think any type of addition or change would be a waste of money. When looking over the report, though, pay attention to the recouped cost. For instance, a little red arrow says a wooden deck addition is dropping in resale value, while the recouped cost is still 80.6%. Not bad in a hard buyer’s market.

If you don’t want to look at the report, I understand – it’s a lot of numbers. So, I’ve summarized some of the important bits for you:

Recouped cost of 75% or above
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The official opening of an exhibit honoring the legacy of Coach Louis Crews is today, Wednesday, September 8, 2010, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the State Black Archives.   Louis Crews Classic is considered a historic marker of the 100th anniversary of football at Alabama A&M.

Louis Crews was a legendary coach for AAMU with a 93-53-3 record during 16 seasons. He became the ‘winningest’ coach in AAMU football history. Crews was undefeated in the much-touted 1963 season and was 50-10 in his first seven seasons at AAMU. The 21,000-seat Louis Crews Stadium opened in 1996. Crews died on January 20, 2005.

Friday, September 10th

The Official Louis Crews Concert – MAZE ft. Frankie Beverly
Friday, September 10, 2010 at 8pm
Student Tickets $15 (Must have Valid ID at the gate)
General Admission $30
Reserved Seating $45
VIP $55 (Will have seating available directly in front of stage)
Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster, A&M Ticket Office and James Records and Tapes.

Saturday, September 11th

Louis Crews Classic Football Game
Central State vs Alabama A&M University (purchase tickets at Ticketmaster or the A&M Ticket Office)
Kickoff is at 6pm

Huntsville Homes For Sale:

360 Little Lones Road, Huntsville AL 35811
MLS# 511619

The stress of a long day will melt away when you drive up to this charming all brick home with its wide front porch. Here you can relax with a cold drink and enjoy the mature trees offering a park-like setting. The huge Great Room with cozy fireplace, vaulted ceiling and wood flooring is the perfect place for entertaining both family and friends. The Dining Room will accommodate your largest dinner parties. The Master Bedroom is private and relaxing and the secondary Bedrooms are both spacious and bright. The huge backyard is fenced for privacy and can be enjoyed from the deck. There is plenty of space for outdoor entertaining and for the kids to play! This desirable ranch is just minutes to town for easy commuting! Make it your home today!

Learn more about 360 Little Lones Road and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com.

Search all Huntsville real estate and homes for sale.

Huntsville Real Estate For Sale: 87 Jay Drive Madison, Al 35758

Beautiful custom home loaded with features and amenities situated next to a gorgeous community lake. As you enter the elegant foyer with a custom rounded ceiling you will know you have entered a home thriving with thoughtful design. Arched cased entries welcome you to the exquisite formal rooms with crown molding and large bright windows. Imagine all the delicious meals you can create in this stunning designer kitchen. Flourishing with gorgeous cabinets, granite counters and upgraded appliances cooking is sure to be a pleasure. A charming breakfast room is the perfect place to start your day with a bay window overlooking the beautiful backyard and lake. A spacious family room with soaring ceilings and a cozy fireplace will make this a favorite room for your family. Need a little down time? Step into the finished basement boasting a media room and recreation area plus easy access to the outdoors. An incredible master suite with 12 ft. vaulted ceiling and a luxurious master bathroom provides a soothing oasis of special conveniences and comforts at days end. The additional three bedrooms are ready for your family featuring vaulted ceilings and crown moldings. A huge office provides all the luxuries of working from home. Need to get away? Just step out on the upper level deck and submerge yourself in unsurpassed park like views. Grab a good book and mosey out to the gazebo persuading you to unwind; with captivating views. It’s a place one could happily linger throughout the day. You will never want to vacation as paradise is right in your own backyard. Conveniently located in the heart of Madison this beauty is ready for move-in.

MLS#882024

Learn more about 87 Jay Drive and other Huntsville real estate by visiting MoveToHuntsville.com.
Search all Huntsville real estate and homes for sale.

There were 1,572 Madison County & Huntsville foreclosure homes for sale with 100 new foreclosures in July 2010. One in every 1,415 housing units received a foreclosure filing in July. The average sales price of a Madison County AL home was $210,690 and the average foreclosure sales price was $180,698, a $29,992 savings, according to RealtyTrac.com.

Madison County & Huntsville Foreclosure Activity and Home Price Index

The Madison County and Huntsville price appreciation remained level in July with 100 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

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