Source; Nick Timiraos
In each of the last three years, home prices have increased in the spring and summer, when more people are buying homes, before giving back all of those gains and then some in the fall and winter, when activity cools.
But it is beginning to look like that might not happen this year, absent a major stumble for the economy.
Home prices in July were up by 3.8% from one year ago, the largest year-over-year jump in six years. Moreover, prices have shot up by 9.6% from February, when they registered their lowest levels of the housing downturn, according to CoreLogic data released Tuesday.
This adds evidence to the case that U.S. home prices may have hit bottom earlier this year. Even though prices will soften in the autumn, “we have a much better supply and demand dynamic” than in previous years, says Mark Fleming, chief economist at CoreLogic.
So when people say they believe home prices haven’t reached a bottom — that this year’s seasonal gains will be wiped away by January or February of next year — here’s the relevant question: Will home prices fall by 9.6% in the next six months?
Anything, of course, is possible. Home prices fell in the winter — what Mr. Fleming calls the “offseason” — in each of the last three years to record a new low. But they have not fallen by 9.6% in any six-month span since March 2009, which was when the U.S. economy was still in recession.
That’s the good news. Here’s the bad news: While the year-over-year comparisons look good right now, the economy — and workers’ wages — aren’t growing fast enough to justify this kind of increase on a sustained basis.
Instead, the snapback in home prices in the last six months is more an indication of how prices “over-shot” over the past year. Investors, sensing deals, began buying up Huntsville AL homes for sale . The most likely scenario for home prices over the next year is that they may rise, but not at the breakneck pace of the past few months (and they’ll fall on a relative basis in the coming months due to normal seasonal factors).
There are other serious headwinds. It’s still hard to get a mortgage, and many households have too much debt. Millions of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth. Millions more have enough equity to sell their house but not enough to make a down payment on their next house and pay a real-estate broker’s commission.
As we’ve written many times before, the strong rise in home prices this year owes as much to sharp declines in inventory as it does to demand-side improvement. Banks have been much slower to take back and list foreclosed properties, easing pressure on home prices but leaving a bloated “shadow inventory” of potential foreclosure Huntsville AL homes for sale .
Home Prices Have Hit Bottom These homes will weigh on markets for years, though there’s less evidence that they will be dumped on the market at once. While the shadow inventory may not lead to a big drop in prices that some have feared, it will probably keep a lid on future home-price gains.
Finally, lower mortgage rates have dramatically increased the purchasing power of today’s home buyers when compared to one year ago. Some real estate executives are nervous that demand isn’t stronger given today’s low mortgage rates, and they’re worried about what will happen if rates rise.
The bottom line: Don’t be surprised if the all-time low in home prices is in the rear-view mirror. But this doesn’t mean a full-on recovery is here, and there’s little evidence that the current pace of improvement can continue. For now, home prices appear to be bumping along a bottom.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
huntsville al mls housing outlook
Source; Daily Real Estate News; The Wall Street Journal / Nick Timiraos; REALTOR® Magazine / Brian Summerfield
4 Housing Issues to Watch in 2013
What does 2013 have in store for the housing market? With marked gains this year, housing experts expect the housing market to continue to gain momentum in the new year.
The Wall Street Journal recently offered up some chief housing issues likely to be important in the New Year. These include:
Inventories rise: To meet the increased demand, home builders are increasing production and more sellers may be more willing to test the market as housing prices increase.
Home prices spur demand: Huntsville AL MLS More buyers have urgency with home purchases as rents rise, housing values gain momentum, and mortgage rates remain low.
Credit remains tight: “While rising prices could serve as a tailwind, new regulations may lock in some of the defensive underwriting posture while impeding capital rules may lead banks to pare their lending footprint,” The Wall Street Journal predicts.
Broader economy dictates how far recovery goes: If unemployment decreases and the economy improves, many of the biggest challenges facing the housing market would likely fade, such as tight credit, the large number of underwater home owners, and a high rate of foreclosures.
“Any renewed weakness in job growth could put housing back into the stall that it found itself in between 2010 and 2011,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “The housing market is still fragile. ... If lawmakers can’t agree on a series of spending cuts and tax hikes to avert the ‘fiscal cliff,’ that could crimp demand or damage confidence.”
Home prices finally hit a bottom in 2012. So will 2013 be the year of recovery or relapse? Each day this week, we offered an area of focus for 2013. Here’s a recap of our earlier predictions, and the final installment:
1. The shadow inventory is shrinking. Banks could begin to increase the pace of foreclosed-property sales in markets with large backlogs, but they’re unlikely to deluge the market.
2. Rising prices could boost demand. Buyers now have something they haven’t had in the past few years—urgency. Rent and price gains are beginning to change consumer attitudes about home purchases.
3. Housing inventory should hit a bottom. Builders are ramping up new construction, and price gains could lead more would-be sellers to test the market.
4. Credit standards should stay tight. While rising prices could serve as a tailwind, new regulations may lock in some of the defensive underwriting posture while impeding capital rules may lead banks to pare their lending footprint.
Interactive: Hntsville AL MLS Housing inventory drops in November 5. Home prices should stay in positive territory next year, but everything ultimately depends on what happens in the economy. Job growth hasn’t been great, yet it has been strong enough to nudge the housing market forward. If it continues, the experience of the past year shows that the sector’s many challenges—tight credit, high levels of underwater borrowers, and elevated foreclosures—can be overcome.
To be sure, annual price gains of some phenomenal magnitude (see Phoenix, where prices are up 17%) aren’t sustainable unless incomes pick up. Instead, prices that have been rising in these hard-hit cities are more likely rebounding from extremely low levels—the result of housing having fallen far below its replacement costs—and recent gains should eventually level off at a more measured pace.
Any renewed weakness in job growth could put housing back into the stall that it found itself in between 2010 and 2011. The housing market is still fragile. Millions of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth, and millions more don’t have enough equity to make a down payment on another home.
If lawmakers can’t agree on a series of spending cuts and tax hikes to avert the “fiscal cliff,” that could crimp demand or damage confidence. There’s also still the potential for a renewed recession from the euro-zone crisis, or the prospect that short sales slide because Congress doesn’t extend a tax provision that allows borrowers to avoid paying taxes on forgiven mortgage debt.
The fiscal cliff talks will bring renewed scrutiny to the mortgage-interest deduction. Few expect a wholesale repeal of the deduction. More likely are compromises that cap overall deductions, that reduce the deduction for top earners, or that limit the deduction to interest on $500,000 in debt.
But absent a renewed recession or other unforeseen shocks, housing in 2013 looks poised to consolidate the gains of 2012. Huntsville AL MLS The Federal Reserve has made clear it will do what it can to be rates low. Homes are still at their most affordable levels in at least 15 years, based on traditional price-to-income and price-to-rent measures. And housing is expected to begin contributing more meaningfully to the economy
When we look back on 2012 a long time from now, it may be viewed as the first year of the recovery, the year in which real estate reversed its course and moved in a more positive direction.
With that in mind, here are 13 reasons — courtesy of Huntsville AL MLS REALTOR® Magazine’s online news — why real estate pros can look forward to next year:
1. There’s greater optimism about increasing home values.
2. More new households are forming.
3. Home shoppers are feeling a greater sense of urgency.
4. Home ownership remains a goal of members of the Millennial generation.
5. Foreclosure starts are falling to pre-housing-bust levels.
6. Interest rates should remain low through next year’s selling season.
7. Loan demand for home purchases is climbing.
8. More Americans say it’s a good time to sell.
9. The number of improving housing markets is going up.
10. Job creation is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the commercial sector.
11. Housing starts are picking up as builder confidence increases.
12. As housing values rise and equity returns, fewer home owners are underwater.
13. Real estate is contributing to an overall economic recovery.
That’s not to say there aren’t challenges. Huntsville AL MLS Lending remains tight, there’s a large foreclosure backlog, and regulatory challenges and the fiscal cliff loom ahead. But on balance, real estate appears to have a bright future in 2013.
4 Housing Issues to Watch in 2013
What does 2013 have in store for the housing market? With marked gains this year, housing experts expect the housing market to continue to gain momentum in the new year.
The Wall Street Journal recently offered up some chief housing issues likely to be important in the New Year. These include:
Inventories rise: To meet the increased demand, home builders are increasing production and more sellers may be more willing to test the market as housing prices increase.
Home prices spur demand: Huntsville AL MLS More buyers have urgency with home purchases as rents rise, housing values gain momentum, and mortgage rates remain low.
Credit remains tight: “While rising prices could serve as a tailwind, new regulations may lock in some of the defensive underwriting posture while impeding capital rules may lead banks to pare their lending footprint,” The Wall Street Journal predicts.
Broader economy dictates how far recovery goes: If unemployment decreases and the economy improves, many of the biggest challenges facing the housing market would likely fade, such as tight credit, the large number of underwater home owners, and a high rate of foreclosures.
“Any renewed weakness in job growth could put housing back into the stall that it found itself in between 2010 and 2011,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “The housing market is still fragile. ... If lawmakers can’t agree on a series of spending cuts and tax hikes to avert the ‘fiscal cliff,’ that could crimp demand or damage confidence.”
Home prices finally hit a bottom in 2012. So will 2013 be the year of recovery or relapse? Each day this week, we offered an area of focus for 2013. Here’s a recap of our earlier predictions, and the final installment:
1. The shadow inventory is shrinking. Banks could begin to increase the pace of foreclosed-property sales in markets with large backlogs, but they’re unlikely to deluge the market.
2. Rising prices could boost demand. Buyers now have something they haven’t had in the past few years—urgency. Rent and price gains are beginning to change consumer attitudes about home purchases.
3. Housing inventory should hit a bottom. Builders are ramping up new construction, and price gains could lead more would-be sellers to test the market.
4. Credit standards should stay tight. While rising prices could serve as a tailwind, new regulations may lock in some of the defensive underwriting posture while impeding capital rules may lead banks to pare their lending footprint.
Interactive: Hntsville AL MLS Housing inventory drops in November 5. Home prices should stay in positive territory next year, but everything ultimately depends on what happens in the economy. Job growth hasn’t been great, yet it has been strong enough to nudge the housing market forward. If it continues, the experience of the past year shows that the sector’s many challenges—tight credit, high levels of underwater borrowers, and elevated foreclosures—can be overcome.
To be sure, annual price gains of some phenomenal magnitude (see Phoenix, where prices are up 17%) aren’t sustainable unless incomes pick up. Instead, prices that have been rising in these hard-hit cities are more likely rebounding from extremely low levels—the result of housing having fallen far below its replacement costs—and recent gains should eventually level off at a more measured pace.
Any renewed weakness in job growth could put housing back into the stall that it found itself in between 2010 and 2011. The housing market is still fragile. Millions of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth, and millions more don’t have enough equity to make a down payment on another home.
If lawmakers can’t agree on a series of spending cuts and tax hikes to avert the “fiscal cliff,” that could crimp demand or damage confidence. There’s also still the potential for a renewed recession from the euro-zone crisis, or the prospect that short sales slide because Congress doesn’t extend a tax provision that allows borrowers to avoid paying taxes on forgiven mortgage debt.
The fiscal cliff talks will bring renewed scrutiny to the mortgage-interest deduction. Few expect a wholesale repeal of the deduction. More likely are compromises that cap overall deductions, that reduce the deduction for top earners, or that limit the deduction to interest on $500,000 in debt.
But absent a renewed recession or other unforeseen shocks, housing in 2013 looks poised to consolidate the gains of 2012. Huntsville AL MLS The Federal Reserve has made clear it will do what it can to be rates low. Homes are still at their most affordable levels in at least 15 years, based on traditional price-to-income and price-to-rent measures. And housing is expected to begin contributing more meaningfully to the economy
When we look back on 2012 a long time from now, it may be viewed as the first year of the recovery, the year in which real estate reversed its course and moved in a more positive direction.
With that in mind, here are 13 reasons — courtesy of Huntsville AL MLS REALTOR® Magazine’s online news — why real estate pros can look forward to next year:
1. There’s greater optimism about increasing home values.
2. More new households are forming.
3. Home shoppers are feeling a greater sense of urgency.
4. Home ownership remains a goal of members of the Millennial generation.
5. Foreclosure starts are falling to pre-housing-bust levels.
6. Interest rates should remain low through next year’s selling season.
7. Loan demand for home purchases is climbing.
8. More Americans say it’s a good time to sell.
9. The number of improving housing markets is going up.
10. Job creation is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the commercial sector.
11. Housing starts are picking up as builder confidence increases.
12. As housing values rise and equity returns, fewer home owners are underwater.
13. Real estate is contributing to an overall economic recovery.
That’s not to say there aren’t challenges. Huntsville AL MLS Lending remains tight, there’s a large foreclosure backlog, and regulatory challenges and the fiscal cliff loom ahead. But on balance, real estate appears to have a bright future in 2013.
Huntsville AL MLS; Huntsville Alabama real estate;
Huntsville AL MLS; Huntsville AL homes for sale
We work with a number of out of state investors and hope that we can develop a working relationship with you as well. One of our functions for our clients is educating them on the local market. As I mentioned it is difficult to find multifamily property in decent areas that is fairly priced.
We work with a number of out of state investors and hope that we can develop a working relationship with you as well. One of our functions for our clients is educating them on the local market. As I mentioned it is difficult to find multifamily property in decent areas that is fairly priced.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
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Huntsville AL real estate . I wanted to say hello and thank you again for helping us find our dream home!
Everything is falling into place and most rooms are complete with the exception of the office. We put the chandelier you gave us in the dining room and it gives just the right touch! You're gonna have to stop by and see how the house is shaping up. I hope everything is well on your end. Take care!
Everything is falling into place and most rooms are complete with the exception of the office. We put the chandelier you gave us in the dining room and it gives just the right touch! You're gonna have to stop by and see how the house is shaping up. I hope everything is well on your end. Take care!
HUNTSVILLE-INVESTMENT-PROPERTY-REAL-ESTATE Huntsville MLS
HUNTSVILLE-INVESTMENT-PROPERTY-REAL-ESTATE Huntsville MLS
" Phil is the best realtor in Huntsville. I have nothing but good to say about him and his company"
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" Phil is the best realtor in Huntsville. I have nothing but good to say about him and his company"
Tsung Wen Chen
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Huntsville Al homes for sale, You might find it hard to use Huntsville's public acess MLS, especially if you dont know where to get started. We can help without any cost or obligation to you by setting up automated Huntsville homes for sale searches . Just let us know what you are looking for. When a new listing hits the market, you will be among the first to see it.
Skewed Huntsville homes for sale search results
Source; Real Geeks
How You're Helping Zillow and Trulia to Outrank You
Making it to the first page of Google is no easy feat. You can optimize your site, make sure your content is of the highest quality, and adhere to Google's standards, and still never make it for one reason or another. Usually, it's a matter of other sites simply doing something better than you. Maybe they've built more backlinks. Maybe they're better at marketing. That's the nature of any business—fair competition. But what if you were unknowingly helping another site to outrank you?
Sadly, this is the case for many independent real estate agents out there. You think you're doing everything right, and even going above and beyond, but you're still getting beaten by larger brands. It may be that you're contributing to their success, and your lack of visibility. How? Through a simple device called a widget, which uses your website to drive traffic and boost the rankings of two major names in the real estate space, Zillow and Trulia.
Predatory Linking Practices
Those two sites need no introduction. You know who they are. You may also know that try as you might, you can't overtake them in the SERPs. In fact, the longer they're around, the further your site seems to fall in the results. Maybe you even thought you'd try to take advantage of their name recognition, and add one, two, or a few of their widgets to your site. Little did you know that by doing so, you were giving Zillow and Trulia even more firepower to outrank your site.
It's a brilliant scheme, really. Both sites provide a full range of widgets for agents to use on their independent real estate sites. These widgets offer a wide range of features including mortgage calculators, maps, photo slideshows, home value estimators, and even a contact form. What site can't benefit from a widget, right? And by offering tools like maps and mortgage calculators, you're just helping your customers find even more information than might normally be available via IDX.
The problem is, the minute you put one of those widgets on your site, you are agreeing to help a competitor rank better than you, and to drive traffic to their site. Let's take a closer look at one of the widgets provided by Zillow—the home value estimator.
To get the widget, you first fill out a simple form with a default address. You'll naturally want to fill this out before placing the form on your site so that the code generated is for your city and not the default, Whittier neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minn.—unless, of course, you're located in Minneapolis. For the purposes of this example, we'll use San Antonio, TX:
Just copy the generated code and paste it into your site and voilà! You can offer your customers a home value estimator tool. Now let's examine that code. Most of it is pretty standard, all meant to create the field a potential customer would fill out in order to find out how much their home, or a home they want to buy, is worth. But at the very end is where it gets interesting. The last portion of the code reads as follows:
Homes for Sale in San Antonio
This tiny bit of code contains three areas of concern:
The Backlink
The home value estmator form widget, like every other widget Zillow offers, contains a link back to Zillow.com. It's right at the beginning: http://www.zillow.com/san-antonio-tx/, and you’ll see that link appears at the bottom of the widget you install on your site, just under where users are prompted to enter an address. Well, you think, that's only right considering they're providing me with this free widget. One little link won't hurt anything.
But there's something you must understand. A link coming into a site—more commonly called a backlink—gives that site a boost in authority and rank. The more backlinks a site has, the better it looks to Google and the other search engines.
The logic behind it is that few people, if anyone, will link to a poor quality site. So the more people linking to a site, the higher quality it must be, and Google moves it up in the SERPs. Unfortunately, it's flawed logic, because some companies, like Zillow, have found ways to create their own backlinks by including them in little widgets like this.
Multiply that one backlink in your one widget by the thousands of other real estate agents who are using these widgets on thousands of sites. Every backlink is a boost to Zillow's rank, and an anchor on independent agents' sites competing to be found.
The Inclusion of the City
As an independent real estate agent, you most likely work in a relatively small area, whether it's the little town you live in, or the San Antonio metro area, which is small relative to the country. But sites like Zillow and Trulia are accessible to anyone anywhere in the country, including those people who may be moving to your local area.
By including a backlink to its own listings in your city, Zillow is basically horning in on your local search action. And it's not just the link itself, but the text that is linked, which is called anchor text. When this text is optimized, it helps to target specific searches. In this backlink, the optimized anchor text is: "Homes for sale in San Antonio," meaning it's meant to target people searching for that specific item with those specific words. Per Google's own Keyword Research tool, approximately 880 people search for the exact phrase "Homes for sale in San Antonio" every month:
So first, you've helped boost Zillow's position in the SERPs so that it's ranking well above your local San Antonio website. Then you gave them optimized anchor text to help their site pop up when someone searches for "Homes for sale in San Antonio," which has a decent search volume, especially for such a localized area. But there's one more thing that should concern you, if not just outright make you angry.
Microformat Data Markup
Take another look at that code, and pay special attention to this one little bit: San Antonio The first part of it tells a search engine like Google that a certain parameter is being identified as a region—in this case, San Antonio. Google loves microformats.
When Google finds a microformat attached to a link like this, it may respond by displaying a bit more information in the snippet, which is the descriptive bit of information that follows each link in a SERP. Using this particular microformat may prompt Google to display a map alongside the search result, thereby drawing the searcher's eye, and further encouraging them to click the link.
So even if your site appeared directly below Zillow on the SERP for "Homes for sale in San Antonio," (and incidentally, as of this writing, Zillow ranks #3 in Google for that search phrase after homes.com and trulia.com), it's more likely that the person searching will click on Zillow's result because there's a colorful map attached to it, drowning out your small, text-only link.
By now, you should be suitably upset that you have been helping your competitors boost their rankings above yours. In fact, you may be angry enough that you think, Forget them! I'll just use the widget, but I'm going to remove that bit of code that will include the backlink! Not so fast.
Take another look at that screenshot of the widget code generation form. You'll notice just below the code is a line that says, "By using this widget, you agree to the Terms of Use." On the Terms of Use page are the rules for using Zillow's widget:
Pay close attention to numbers 2, 6, and 7. Number 2 says you may not modify the widget, which includes removing that last bit of code that creates a backlink to Zillow.com. More importantly, it says you can't prevent the search engines from "scoring the link," which basically means counting it toward Zillow's authority and ranking. Essentially, by using this widget and accepting these terms of service, you are agreeing to boost Zillow in the SERPs.
Number 6 says Zillow can, at any time, change the content returned by the widget you place on your site, so at some point, your customers may not get the information they're looking for. And by agreeing to number 7, you're allowing Zillow to monitor your site to make sure you're in compliance with these terms, so if you thought you'd go ahead and adjust that code anyway, they basically tell you they're watching for that.
Think about this for a moment—how often do you really read the terms of service for anything? Be honest. Before you download software, make a purchase from iTunes, or install a widget on your site, do you take the time to read the rules? If you're like most people, the answer is no. You're in a hurry. You don't have time. You just want to install the widget and get on with your business. Zillow is counting on that.
Trulia also offers widgets, and also requires you to agree to terms of service. All their widgets also include backlinks, so by using them, you're helping Trulia to outrank you in the search engine results.
The next question in your mind is most likely, How can they do this? Isn't it against Google guidelines or something?
The short answer is no, but as with many things related to the Internet and Google, the full answer isn't quite that simple.
Widget Spam
Way back in 2008, Matt Cutts, who heads up Google's webspam team, gave an interview, and wrote a post on the Google Webmaster Central Blog, in which he discussed widget spam.
In the interview, Cutts explained Google's stance on widget spam. If a link in the widget is hidden, it's spam. If the link goes to a third-party site that is completely irrelevant to the widget's purpose, or to the site that provided the widget, it's spam. Zillow does neither of these things. Their widget links are clearly visible, they go back to Zillow, and they're relevant to the widget's purpose.
Here's where it gets tricky. In the Webmaster Central post, Cutts said:
...I discourage people from putting keyword-rich anchortext [sic] into their widgets...
By including phrases like "Homes for sale in San Antonio," Zillow is most definitely using keyword-rich anchor text in their widgets. Granted, it's relevant, but by not including any reference to "Zillow," the possibility exists that visitors to your site may assume that link will take them to more local listings from your site. Instead, they'll be sent to Zillow. The anchor text is potentially misleading.
Is that a lot of assumption? Sure. But the best way to prevent incorrect assumptions is to be transparent in what you're doing, and Zillow's widgets, while not completely in the spam camp, are still toeing that line, and leaving room for interpretation by not being totally transparent.
Your Options
The first and best action you can take is to immediately and completely remove any Zillow and Trulia widgets from your independent real estate website.
Need a widget? You can find tons of free ones that don't link to your competitors. Want to offer a mortgage calculator to your customers? Talk to a developer about creating a custom, branded one for you.
You may incur some expense, but how much money do you think you're losing by sending your customers to the two 800-pound gorillas in the real estate space rather than offering your customers your own tools and information?
As for Zillow and Trulia, and their predatory linking practices, it will be up to Google to decide whether the two sites have violated the search engine's rules. In the meantime, they'll do just fine without your help.
Homes For Sale In Huntsville Alabama
Search the huntsville al mls for homes for sale in huntsville al at www. Homesforsalehuntsville. Net. No registration required. Request automated real estate search. Get the market value of your property. Rental homes and property management service.
How You're Helping Zillow and Trulia to Outrank You
Making it to the first page of Google is no easy feat. You can optimize your site, make sure your content is of the highest quality, and adhere to Google's standards, and still never make it for one reason or another. Usually, it's a matter of other sites simply doing something better than you. Maybe they've built more backlinks. Maybe they're better at marketing. That's the nature of any business—fair competition. But what if you were unknowingly helping another site to outrank you?
Sadly, this is the case for many independent real estate agents out there. You think you're doing everything right, and even going above and beyond, but you're still getting beaten by larger brands. It may be that you're contributing to their success, and your lack of visibility. How? Through a simple device called a widget, which uses your website to drive traffic and boost the rankings of two major names in the real estate space, Zillow and Trulia.
Predatory Linking Practices
Those two sites need no introduction. You know who they are. You may also know that try as you might, you can't overtake them in the SERPs. In fact, the longer they're around, the further your site seems to fall in the results. Maybe you even thought you'd try to take advantage of their name recognition, and add one, two, or a few of their widgets to your site. Little did you know that by doing so, you were giving Zillow and Trulia even more firepower to outrank your site.
It's a brilliant scheme, really. Both sites provide a full range of widgets for agents to use on their independent real estate sites. These widgets offer a wide range of features including mortgage calculators, maps, photo slideshows, home value estimators, and even a contact form. What site can't benefit from a widget, right? And by offering tools like maps and mortgage calculators, you're just helping your customers find even more information than might normally be available via IDX.
The problem is, the minute you put one of those widgets on your site, you are agreeing to help a competitor rank better than you, and to drive traffic to their site. Let's take a closer look at one of the widgets provided by Zillow—the home value estimator.
To get the widget, you first fill out a simple form with a default address. You'll naturally want to fill this out before placing the form on your site so that the code generated is for your city and not the default, Whittier neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minn.—unless, of course, you're located in Minneapolis. For the purposes of this example, we'll use San Antonio, TX:
Just copy the generated code and paste it into your site and voilà! You can offer your customers a home value estimator tool. Now let's examine that code. Most of it is pretty standard, all meant to create the field a potential customer would fill out in order to find out how much their home, or a home they want to buy, is worth. But at the very end is where it gets interesting. The last portion of the code reads as follows:
Homes for Sale in San Antonio
This tiny bit of code contains three areas of concern:
The Backlink
The home value estmator form widget, like every other widget Zillow offers, contains a link back to Zillow.com. It's right at the beginning: http://www.zillow.com/san-antonio-tx/, and you’ll see that link appears at the bottom of the widget you install on your site, just under where users are prompted to enter an address. Well, you think, that's only right considering they're providing me with this free widget. One little link won't hurt anything.
But there's something you must understand. A link coming into a site—more commonly called a backlink—gives that site a boost in authority and rank. The more backlinks a site has, the better it looks to Google and the other search engines.
The logic behind it is that few people, if anyone, will link to a poor quality site. So the more people linking to a site, the higher quality it must be, and Google moves it up in the SERPs. Unfortunately, it's flawed logic, because some companies, like Zillow, have found ways to create their own backlinks by including them in little widgets like this.
Multiply that one backlink in your one widget by the thousands of other real estate agents who are using these widgets on thousands of sites. Every backlink is a boost to Zillow's rank, and an anchor on independent agents' sites competing to be found.
The Inclusion of the City
As an independent real estate agent, you most likely work in a relatively small area, whether it's the little town you live in, or the San Antonio metro area, which is small relative to the country. But sites like Zillow and Trulia are accessible to anyone anywhere in the country, including those people who may be moving to your local area.
By including a backlink to its own listings in your city, Zillow is basically horning in on your local search action. And it's not just the link itself, but the text that is linked, which is called anchor text. When this text is optimized, it helps to target specific searches. In this backlink, the optimized anchor text is: "Homes for sale in San Antonio," meaning it's meant to target people searching for that specific item with those specific words. Per Google's own Keyword Research tool, approximately 880 people search for the exact phrase "Homes for sale in San Antonio" every month:
So first, you've helped boost Zillow's position in the SERPs so that it's ranking well above your local San Antonio website. Then you gave them optimized anchor text to help their site pop up when someone searches for "Homes for sale in San Antonio," which has a decent search volume, especially for such a localized area. But there's one more thing that should concern you, if not just outright make you angry.
Microformat Data Markup
Take another look at that code, and pay special attention to this one little bit: San Antonio The first part of it tells a search engine like Google that a certain parameter is being identified as a region—in this case, San Antonio. Google loves microformats.
When Google finds a microformat attached to a link like this, it may respond by displaying a bit more information in the snippet, which is the descriptive bit of information that follows each link in a SERP. Using this particular microformat may prompt Google to display a map alongside the search result, thereby drawing the searcher's eye, and further encouraging them to click the link.
So even if your site appeared directly below Zillow on the SERP for "Homes for sale in San Antonio," (and incidentally, as of this writing, Zillow ranks #3 in Google for that search phrase after homes.com and trulia.com), it's more likely that the person searching will click on Zillow's result because there's a colorful map attached to it, drowning out your small, text-only link.
By now, you should be suitably upset that you have been helping your competitors boost their rankings above yours. In fact, you may be angry enough that you think, Forget them! I'll just use the widget, but I'm going to remove that bit of code that will include the backlink! Not so fast.
Take another look at that screenshot of the widget code generation form. You'll notice just below the code is a line that says, "By using this widget, you agree to the Terms of Use." On the Terms of Use page are the rules for using Zillow's widget:
Pay close attention to numbers 2, 6, and 7. Number 2 says you may not modify the widget, which includes removing that last bit of code that creates a backlink to Zillow.com. More importantly, it says you can't prevent the search engines from "scoring the link," which basically means counting it toward Zillow's authority and ranking. Essentially, by using this widget and accepting these terms of service, you are agreeing to boost Zillow in the SERPs.
Number 6 says Zillow can, at any time, change the content returned by the widget you place on your site, so at some point, your customers may not get the information they're looking for. And by agreeing to number 7, you're allowing Zillow to monitor your site to make sure you're in compliance with these terms, so if you thought you'd go ahead and adjust that code anyway, they basically tell you they're watching for that.
Think about this for a moment—how often do you really read the terms of service for anything? Be honest. Before you download software, make a purchase from iTunes, or install a widget on your site, do you take the time to read the rules? If you're like most people, the answer is no. You're in a hurry. You don't have time. You just want to install the widget and get on with your business. Zillow is counting on that.
Trulia also offers widgets, and also requires you to agree to terms of service. All their widgets also include backlinks, so by using them, you're helping Trulia to outrank you in the search engine results.
The next question in your mind is most likely, How can they do this? Isn't it against Google guidelines or something?
The short answer is no, but as with many things related to the Internet and Google, the full answer isn't quite that simple.
Widget Spam
Way back in 2008, Matt Cutts, who heads up Google's webspam team, gave an interview, and wrote a post on the Google Webmaster Central Blog, in which he discussed widget spam.
In the interview, Cutts explained Google's stance on widget spam. If a link in the widget is hidden, it's spam. If the link goes to a third-party site that is completely irrelevant to the widget's purpose, or to the site that provided the widget, it's spam. Zillow does neither of these things. Their widget links are clearly visible, they go back to Zillow, and they're relevant to the widget's purpose.
Here's where it gets tricky. In the Webmaster Central post, Cutts said:
...I discourage people from putting keyword-rich anchortext [sic] into their widgets...
By including phrases like "Homes for sale in San Antonio," Zillow is most definitely using keyword-rich anchor text in their widgets. Granted, it's relevant, but by not including any reference to "Zillow," the possibility exists that visitors to your site may assume that link will take them to more local listings from your site. Instead, they'll be sent to Zillow. The anchor text is potentially misleading.
Is that a lot of assumption? Sure. But the best way to prevent incorrect assumptions is to be transparent in what you're doing, and Zillow's widgets, while not completely in the spam camp, are still toeing that line, and leaving room for interpretation by not being totally transparent.
Your Options
The first and best action you can take is to immediately and completely remove any Zillow and Trulia widgets from your independent real estate website.
Need a widget? You can find tons of free ones that don't link to your competitors. Want to offer a mortgage calculator to your customers? Talk to a developer about creating a custom, branded one for you.
You may incur some expense, but how much money do you think you're losing by sending your customers to the two 800-pound gorillas in the real estate space rather than offering your customers your own tools and information?
As for Zillow and Trulia, and their predatory linking practices, it will be up to Google to decide whether the two sites have violated the search engine's rules. In the meantime, they'll do just fine without your help.
Homes For Sale In Huntsville Alabama
Search the huntsville al mls for homes for sale in huntsville al at www. Homesforsalehuntsville. Net. No registration required. Request automated real estate search. Get the market value of your property. Rental homes and property management service.
Huntsville AL MLS SEARCH PORTAL. No Registration Required
Huntsville AL MLS SEARCH PORTAL
. No Registration Required We can set up searches on age, size, schools, brick verses frame construction, one story verses two story and a many other features. Just let us know as much as possible about what you are looking for in a home and we can set up the searches for you.
. No Registration Required We can set up searches on age, size, schools, brick verses frame construction, one story verses two story and a many other features. Just let us know as much as possible about what you are looking for in a home and we can set up the searches for you.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Huntsville AL MLS SEARCH PORTAL. No Registration Required
Huntsville AL MLS SEARCH PORTAL. No Registration Required
If you need help searching the Huntsville MLS. Please let us know. We can set up more detailed searches than what the MLS allows the public and can set up automated Huntsville MLS searches for you. Just follow the links or shoot us an email at philipwinburn@mchsi.com and let us know what you are looking for.
At a minimum, we need your price range, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need and the locations that you would consider.
If you need help searching the Huntsville MLS. Please let us know. We can set up more detailed searches than what the MLS allows the public and can set up automated Huntsville MLS searches for you. Just follow the links or shoot us an email at philipwinburn@mchsi.com and let us know what you are looking for.
At a minimum, we need your price range, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need and the locations that you would consider.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Homes of Huntsville; Adding new spouse to deed
Under Alabama state law the spouse automatically has half ownership of the homestead property so you don't have to take any action.
September 24th, 2012 10:15 AM
Under Alabama state law the spouse automatically has half ownership of the homestead property so you don't have to take any action. If you do want to add your spouse on the homes of huntsville deed just call the Madison County Probate Judge's office. There is a form to fill out and they will need to see your marriage certificate.
http://madisoncountyal.gov/probate/contact.shtml
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Homes of huntsville; lender guidelines tightened
Fannie Mae changes program guidelines October 20, 2012!
Tired of change? We understand! However, we want to make you aware of any changes that could affect your business. There are two Conventional outlets: Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae has announced changes to their underwriting system (DU 9.0) over the weekend of October 20th. Most approvals will be similar to the ones that are in the current system, DU 8.3. There are some differences, which are:
Condos: Some of the highlights are reportedly, "Limited Review for Condominiums is going to be maxed at 80% (currently at 90%) What is a condo review? A Limited Review Process is intended to be used on "spot loan" basis, meaning lenders can originate loans that arise through the ordinary course of business.
Expanded Approval:The biggest change, in my opinion, is that Expanded Approvals (EA), with the exception of DU Refi Plus, will be retiring. Expanded Approvals use to be in levels of I, II, and III (1, 2, & 3). The number let the underwriter know what kind of expanded risk the file was. Unfortunately, these will be going away.
ARMs and Rate and Term Refinances:
The maximum LTV to be allowed for financing will be DECREASED on ARMS and Rate & Term Refinances. Currently you can finance up to 97%.
For example: Sales Price: $100,000, loan amount can be up to: $97,000 (with certain parameters, including credit score and debt to income.) They will be decreasing this to 90%! The new max loan amount in the same scenario will be: $90,000.
ARM- adjustable Rate Mortgage
Rate & Term Refinance: Just lowering the interest rate, not paying off any debt other than the mortgage. Rate & Term refinances were prevalent before DU Refi plus. Many Americans do not have loans owned by Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae, therefore they would HAVE to do a Rate & Term Refinance or go with a government program, if the criteria allowed.
Self Employed Borrowers: Most real estate agents are self employed borrowers! Fannie Mae's new release will require self employed borrowers to produce 2 years of 1040's (currently allows for 1 year.) Most investors currently require the 2 years anyway so...... maybe not that big of a change.
Basically, Fannie has tightened underwriting standards based on performance data.
INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... One of the key things remaining to be done to achieve a housing market recovery is a return to appreciating prices. Many observers feel prices have stabilized nationally and now we're seeing the first signs of some increases. A national real estate website reports the asking prices for homes for sale were up in August for the seventh month in a row. This put them UP 2.3% versus a year ago, the largest year-over-year gain since the housing downturn began.Excluding foreclosures, asking prices Huntsville AL MLS were UP 3.8% nationally for the year. This means they're rising at a faster rate than wages, so affordability is no longer on the increase. The price gains are broadly based, showing up in 68 of the 100 largest metros tracked. Many feel a big reason for the improved housing market is the reduced inventory of homes for sale. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), inventory fell nationally 23.8% from a year ago July, to 6.4 months.
huntsville houses We can assist you in finding area houses that will meet your needs and price range.You can search the entire Huntsville MLS for houses on your own without having to register.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Homes of huntsville, huntsville al mls, huntsville houses
Homes of HUntsville; National home prices have posted some of their strongest gains this year in nearly six years.
September 12th, 2012 6:32 PM
Source; Realtor Magazine
Housing Progresses, But Has it Recovered? Daily Real Estate News Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Home prices have posted some of their strongest gains this year in nearly six years. But while prices have likely hit bottom, the public shouldn’t confuse that with a full recovery. A lot more still has to happen to get to that point, analysts say. For one, inventories of homes for-sale need to reach more normal levels. The number of homes for sale are at an eight-year lows, The Wall Street Journal reports. Prices are rising in many areas but it’s because “there are more buyers chasing fewer homes and fewer distressed homes, such as foreclosures,” The Wall Street Journal reports. Also, millions of home owners are underwater, owing more on their mortgage than their home is currently worth, which is preventing them from trading up and moving to a new home. Home prices have been increasing at the fastest rate in markets that have some of the highest number of underwater home owners because so few homes are for sale, according to The Wall Street Journal. “While low inventories have helped firm up prices, they could also soon lead to year-over-year declines in sales volumes because there aren't enough homes on the market to sustain the current sales pace,” The Wall Street Journal reports. Other challenges the housing market still faces on its road to recovery include the stringent lending standards that are preventing many potential buyers from qualifying for a loan. Also, a large overhang of distressed mortgages has the potential to cause foreclosures to rise. Furthermore, if high unemployment across the country continues, it will putoff rising home prices. Source: “Housing on Mend, but Full Recovery Is Far Off,” The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 9, 2012) Huntsville Houses We can assist you in finding area houses that will meet your needs and price range.You can search the entire Huntsville MLS for houses on your own without having to register.
Source; Realtor Magazine
Number of Improving Housing Markets Grows Daily Real Estate News Tuesday, September 11, 2012 The number of metro areas showing signs of real estate market improvement expand in September, rising from 80 to 99 metro areas, according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index. "This solid growth is an encouraging sign that housing continues on a slow but steady recovery path that is gradually advancing from one local market to the next," says Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders. The index identifies metro areas that have shown improvement in housing permits, employment, and home prices for at least six consecutive months. This month, the markets added to the list include Tucson, Ariz., Jacksonville, Fla., Springfield, Ill., Greenville, N.C., and Bend, Ore., among others. "More metros across the country are experiencing a sustained uptick in house prices, employment, and new building activity as rising consumer confidence in local market conditions pushes more people to consider a new-home purchase," says NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. Huntsville AL MLS
########
NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI)
Permits
Growth
Prices
Growth
Employment
Growth
Trough
From
Trough
From
Trough
From
MSA
Date
Trough
Date
Trough
Date
Trough
1
Fayetteville, AR
04/30/09
3.3%
03/31/11
6.5%
09/30/09
4.9%
2
Jonesboro, AR
02/28/11
2.0%
01/31/10
4.8%
06/30/09
2.3%
3
Little Rock, AR*
04/30/11
2.8%
02/28/11
1.6%
02/28/10
1.6%
4
Phoenix, AZ
03/31/09
4.3%
06/30/11
13.6%
09/30/10
4.3%
5
Prescott, AZ
08/31/10
6.1%
06/30/11
5.7%
11/30/11
2.1%
6
Tucson, AZ*
06/30/11
5.1%
09/30/11
3.7%
06/30/11
1.0%
7
Yuma, AZ*
08/31/11
6.3%
09/30/11
2.5%
12/31/11
1.9%
8
Hanford, CA
08/31/11
16.0%
07/31/11
2.3%
12/31/10
8.6%
9
Sacramento, CA*
06/30/11
7.1%
10/31/11
2.4%
07/31/11
2.8%
10
Boulder, CO
11/30/09
11.0%
01/31/11
4.6%
03/31/10
6.3%
11
Fort Collins, CO*
03/31/09
6.5%
12/31/10
5.6%
09/30/09
5.1%
12
Greeley, CO*
01/31/09
2.3%
02/28/11
8.4%
12/31/09
6.5%
13
Washington, DC
01/31/09
1.1%
01/31/11
2.5%
02/28/10
3.8%
14
Cape Coral, FL
03/31/09
4.6%
02/28/11
12.7%
01/31/10
3.9%
15
Crestview, FL*
03/31/09
2.7%
05/31/11
4.3%
03/31/10
3.6%
16
Deltona, FL
04/30/09
1.1%
03/31/11
10.2%
12/31/10
1.0%
17
Jacksonville, FL*
04/30/09
1.7%
01/31/11
0.2%
03/31/10
1.9%
18
Lakeland, FL*
01/31/11
3.1%
06/30/11
0.3%
01/31/12
1.9%
19
Miami, FL
04/30/09
4.3%
09/30/11
5.6%
01/31/10
2.8%
20
North Port, FL
05/31/09
5.0%
03/31/11
2.9%
12/31/10
1.6%
21
Orlando, FL
05/31/09
3.6%
04/30/11
3.3%
12/31/09
3.2%
22
Palm Bay, FL
04/30/09
2.0%
04/30/11
6.4%
12/31/11
1.3%
23
Pensacola, FL
05/31/09
2.9%
05/31/11
3.1%
12/31/09
2.2%
24
Punta Gorda, FL*
01/31/09
1.2%
02/28/11
5.2%
06/30/09
5.5%
25
Sebastian, FL*
10/31/09
2.1%
10/31/11
13.4%
02/28/10
2.3%
26
Tampa, FL
02/28/09
2.1%
03/31/11
8.2%
01/31/10
4.3%
27
Ames, IA
07/31/10
3.8%
02/28/11
2.3%
01/31/10
7.3%
28
Des Moines, IA*
02/28/09
3.7%
12/31/10
1.1%
08/31/10
2.2%
29
Iowa City, IA
05/31/10
3.5%
01/31/10
0.6%
12/31/09
2.5%
30
Sioux City, IA*
12/31/08
2.1%
05/31/11
1.2%
06/30/11
4.2%
31
Boise City, ID
03/31/09
3.9%
04/30/11
8.4%
06/30/10
3.9%
32
Springfield, IL*
01/31/12
0.5%
11/30/10
1.6%
04/30/09
1.4%
33
Bloomington, IN
09/30/11
4.6%
12/31/10
6.8%
12/31/08
2.5%
34
Columbus, IN
01/31/10
4.8%
08/31/11
3.6%
07/31/09
20.6%
35
Evansville, IN
03/31/09
1.8%
04/30/11
1.4%
07/31/09
4.2%
36
Muncie, IN
04/30/11
5.4%
02/28/10
2.2%
05/31/11
2.3%
37
Terre Haute, IN
02/28/11
1.1%
08/31/11
2.4%
12/31/11
1.9%
38
Houma, LA
03/31/10
1.8%
07/31/11
2.2%
06/30/11
7.2%
39
Lafayette, LA*
02/28/09
1.6%
10/31/11
1.5%
01/31/10
14.2%
40
Monroe, LA
03/31/09
2.2%
05/31/10
2.2%
09/30/09
0.8%
41
Barnstable Town, MA*
04/30/11
2.1%
06/30/11
1.4%
08/31/11
3.9%
42
Bay City, MI
08/31/10
3.5%
02/28/11
6.5%
07/31/09
3.6%
43
Detroit, MI
04/30/09
8.2%
03/31/11
6.5%
06/30/09
5.5%
44
Grand Rapids, MI
04/30/09
2.0%
02/28/11
5.8%
07/31/09
6.8%
45
Jackson, MI*
11/30/11
13.1%
02/28/11
3.2%
03/31/10
6.4%
46
Monroe, MI
03/31/09
1.9%
02/28/11
8.5%
10/31/09
4.1%
47
St. Cloud, MN
11/30/11
4.0%
03/31/11
1.0%
02/28/10
6.2%
48
Columbia, MO
11/30/08
1.9%
01/31/11
2.5%
08/31/09
3.6%
49
Jefferson City, MO
09/30/10
2.1%
04/30/11
2.5%
03/31/11
1.2%
50
Joplin, MO
12/31/10
6.5%
02/28/11
7.0%
01/31/10
7.3%
51
Kansas City, MO
03/31/09
3.2%
02/28/11
3.7%
03/31/10
1.9%
52
St. Joseph, MO
02/28/10
0.4%
03/31/11
7.2%
01/31/10
10.3%
53
Jackson, MS
03/31/09
2.1%
01/31/11
2.6%
01/31/10
2.2%
54
Greenville, NC*
08/31/10
2.5%
02/28/11
0.9%
08/31/11
1.2%
55
Jacksonville, NC
01/31/09
2.2%
09/30/11
1.4%
12/31/07
3.9%
56
Bismarck, ND
03/31/09
18.9%
01/31/10
15.2%
12/31/07
11.8%
57
Fargo, ND
04/30/09
3.9%
03/31/11
2.1%
04/30/09
7.5%
58
Grand Forks, ND
03/31/09
3.7%
12/31/10
8.8%
04/30/09
3.0%
59
Lincoln, NE
12/31/08
1.8%
01/31/11
2.5%
12/31/09
3.9%
60
Vineland, NJ
06/30/11
1.6%
03/31/11
2.9%
06/30/11
1.4%
61
Syracuse, NY
08/31/11
2.5%
02/28/11
1.9%
08/31/10
0.9%
62
Utica, NY*
12/31/11
7.9%
11/30/10
1.7%
08/31/11
2.6%
63
Canton, OH
11/30/11
9.3%
01/31/11
6.0%
10/31/09
8.0%
64
Columbus, OH
07/31/11
3.4%
02/28/11
4.7%
12/31/09
4.4%
65
Sandusky, OH
10/31/09
1.7%
03/31/11
5.1%
12/31/09
8.8%
66
Springfield, OH
01/31/11
6.8%
02/28/11
2.2%
01/31/10
5.2%
67
Lawton, OK*
01/31/12
4.3%
10/31/11
3.0%
12/31/11
1.0%
68
Tulsa, OK
02/28/11
2.0%
02/28/11
4.6%
02/28/11
3.4%
69
Bend, OR*
02/28/09
4.4%
06/30/11
1.1%
06/30/11
0.5%
70
Altoona, PA*
01/31/12
47.4%
05/31/10
3.5%
02/28/10
0.2%
71
Erie, PA
04/30/11
8.0%
02/28/11
1.4%
01/31/10
9.9%
72
Pittsburgh, PA
02/28/09
1.8%
01/31/10
5.7%
02/28/10
4.9%
73
Greenville, SC
09/30/10
3.0%
12/31/10
1.9%
09/30/09
3.6%
74
Rapid City, SD*
11/30/11
7.9%
03/31/11
1.4%
02/28/10
2.5%
75
Clarksville, TN
05/31/08
0.9%
02/28/11
2.3%
03/31/09
5.7%
76
Cleveland, TN*
01/31/09
0.8%
11/30/10
2.9%
01/31/12
2.9%
77
Knoxville, TN
10/31/11
2.0%
02/28/11
2.5%
08/31/09
6.7%
78
Amarillo, TX*
10/31/08
1.3%
11/30/10
0.8%
04/30/10
5.7%
79
Austin, TX
07/31/11
4.3%
01/31/11
6.5%
09/30/09
8.0%
80
College Station, TX*
10/31/10
2.6%
09/30/10
2.7%
01/31/08
6.4%
81
Dallas, TX
03/31/09
1.6%
02/28/11
4.7%
12/31/09
5.4%
82
Houston, TX
04/30/09
1.3%
08/31/11
6.6%
12/31/09
7.5%
83
Laredo, TX
12/31/08
1.1%
04/30/10
5.8%
09/30/09
9.6%
84
Lubbock, TX
09/30/11
7.0%
09/30/11
0.9%
09/30/10
4.4%
85
McAllen, TX
01/31/09
0.6%
11/30/10
1.5%
12/31/07
4.8%
86
Midland, TX
04/30/09
3.9%
01/31/10
19.3%
08/31/09
18.9%
87
Odessa, TX
02/28/09
19.8%
10/31/10
11.3%
08/31/09
23.9%
88
San Angelo, TX
12/31/10
3.4%
04/30/11
10.2%
06/30/09
7.1%
89
San Antonio, TX
04/30/11
1.3%
12/31/10
4.6%
09/30/09
4.2%
90
Texarkana, TX
08/31/11
14.6%
01/31/10
0.6%
10/31/09
8.6%
91
Victoria, TX
09/30/10
5.0%
02/28/11
11.9%
11/30/09
5.6%
92
Waco, TX*
04/30/09
1.7%
01/31/10
3.9%
01/31/12
1.8%
93
St. George, UT
03/31/09
4.1%
05/31/11
7.2%
12/31/09
3.3%
94
Charlottesville, VA*
04/30/09
0.2%
08/31/11
0.3%
01/31/10
4.2%
95
Kennewick, WA*
03/31/09
3.0%
10/31/11
2.9%
12/31/07
8.5%
96
Mount Vernon, WA*
11/30/11
5.7%
10/31/11
0.6%
02/28/10
2.1%
97
Huntington, WV*
01/31/09
2.1%
03/31/10
6.8%
06/30/11
2.0%
98
Casper, WY
06/30/11
8.9%
01/31/10
4.4%
12/31/09
10.5%
99
Cheyenne, WY
12/31/08
3.6%
11/30/10
4.9%
01/31/10
5.3%
* New this month
DROPPED this month
Gadsden, AL
Dover, DE
Hinesville, GA
Rome, GA
Warner Robins, GA
Bowling Green, KY
Springfield, MA
Saginaw, MI
Burlington, NC
Goldsboro, NC
Florence, SC
Parkersburg, WV
Notice for 2013 HAAR Huntsville AL MLS Director Nominations The Nominating Committee of the Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS will meet on Tuesday, October 4, 2012 from 1:30PM - 2:30PM (directly following the membership meeting) so that members may appear before them to offer nominations. More info to follow. HAAR Bylaws Article XI. Officers and Directors, Section 5A. - Election of Officers and Directors. Please contact Sid Pugh, Nominating Committee Chair (Sid@pughgroup.com) or Christina Hearne at HAAR (Christina@hbrmls.com) if you have any questions regarding this notice. There are 7 Director positions to be filled. Below are your Directors serving through 2013: Cindy Allen Lori Carter Betty Hughes Steven Lamar Zelda Lanza Clif Miller Michael Rosenblum Robert Simons Rod Weaver Ex Officio (2 Past presidents): Valerie Miles Bill Ward
5 Strong Performing Housing Markets Daily Real Estate News Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Several real estate markets are showing signs of recovery, with median home prices and sales rising. But which homes of Huntsville markets are showing some of the strongest signs of recovery? 24/7 Wall St. recently evaluated home price changes for the year ending in July, foreclosure data, the unemployment rate, and other factors to help determine which housing markets are performing some of the strongest. The states that emerged on top of the list are: 1. Arizona Home price change in the last year year: +16.6% Median home price: $248,229 2. Idaho Home price change in the last year: +10% Median home price: $85,000 3. Utah Home price change in the last year: +9.3% Median home price: $129,000 4. South Dakota Home price change in the last year: +8.3% Median home price: $101,700 5. Colorado Home price change in the last year: +7.3% Median home price: $240,000
Monday, September 10, 2012
Homes of huntsville sales up 3.6%; Huntsville al mls
September 10th, 2012 7:22 PM
SOURCE; ACRE
Homes of Huntsville; Alabama home sales during July 2012 up 3.6 percent from 2011. July new home sales in Alabama's five metro markets, representing approximately seventy percent of all statewide transactions, experienced a 17.5 percent decrease from the prior month. Sixty percent of metro areas have experienced YTD increase in new home sales compared to 2011 with Montgomery (up 24%) posting the best results followed by Tuscaloosa (18%) and Birmingham (15%). YTD new home sales have declined in Mobile (down 22%) and Huntsville (down 6%). Demand: In July, Alabama new home sales were outperformed by the US market which reflected an increase of 25.3 percent from July 2011 and up 3.6 percent from the prior month, according to the US Census Bureau & HUD. The release also reported that the results from the South region were up 9.7 percent from July 2011 but 1.6 percent down from last month. View full sizeAL YTD residential building permits up 4.1% from 2011. Infograph courtesy of ACRE. All rights reserved. Supply: Statewide new construction inventory has declined by approximately 13 percent from last July which is consistent with US trend (down 14%). All metro markets have experienced reductions in inventory since July 2011. Birmingham (down 19%), Mobile (-17%) and Huntsville (-9%) led the state in inventory reduction. Alabama's metro markets in July reflect 4.8 months of new home supply, an increase from 4.6 months of supply in July 2011 and down from 4.1 months from June 2012. According to the US Census Bureau, the US inventory of new homes for sale decreased to 142,000 homes or 4.6 months' supply, also a big improvement from 6.7 months of supply in July 2011 (down 31%). Pricing: Alabama's metro market's median new home sales price in July was $221,886, a decrease of 2.2 percent from last month and an increase of 2.4% when compared to July 2011. New Home Pipeline: July statewide housing starts decreased by 2.5 percent from the prior month and decreased 1.8 percent from July 2011. YTD housing starts are up 3.4%. July statewide building permits were down 3.4 percent from the prior month and 6.2 percent from July 2011. YTD building permits are up 4.1%. Residential Construction Employment: According to the Alabama Dept. of Industrial Relations, statewide residential construction employment was up 1.1 percent (700 jobs) to 61,400 from last month but remains down 6.9 percent or 4,600 workers from July 2011. Local Results: 9 out of the 27 home builder associations (33 - up from 30% in prior month) reported gains in building permits from the prior month (June 2012) while 9 associations (33% - down from 37%) reported gains in housing starts. As the market transitions into the third quarter of 2012, statistical volatility is anticipated. Real estate sales are seasonal and third quarter sales typically begin to gradually decline from the prior "sales peak" second quarter. Through July, seventy-two percent (18 of 25) of the local housing markets have experienced year-to-date (ytd) sales growth from 2011 and that is welcome news for Alabama consumers as well our state's real estate community. On the other hand, continued anemic US job creation/economic growth, strict underwriting standards, uncertainty of election (ie 2013 tax policy) and the global economic slowdown top the list of concerns that market watchers cite as elements that could possibly impact the fragile housing recovery. For other Alabama real estate resources & news, please visit our website and our ACRE blog. The ACRE New Construction Monthly Report is work product stemming from our partnership with the Home Builder's Association of Alabama Foundation. About ACRE. ACRE was founded in 1996 by the Alabama Real Estate Commission, the Alabama Association of REALTORS and the Office of the Dean, UA Culverhouse College of Commerce. ACRE is not a state-funded entity, rather its operates in part because of the goodwill & generosity of our statewide ACRE Partners.
SOURCE; HAAR
Agent Advertising Remarks for ListHub Advertising Remarks are now appearing when entering or changing a listing. in the Huntsville AL MLS. There is some confusion regarding this new field. Below is an explanation of where the different Remarks fields appear: Agent Remarks: These remarks appear on any Agent Report option and are not viewable by anyone but NALMLS member agents. Customer/Public Remarks: These remarks appear on any Customer Report option and travel to Huntsville AL MLS www.valleymls.com, www.realtor.com, and all other Broker/Agent IDX sites. Agent Advertising Remarks: These homes of Huntsville remarks only travel on listings sent to ListHub. ListHub is a portal that distributes our Active Listings (IDX format) to over 90 third party advertising sites such as Zillow and Trulia. You are encouraged to enter your contact information at the beginning of these remarks and then complete with public remarks. WHY do we have this field? As you are aware, your contact information gets really buried on these sites, and agents that pay to advertise get their contact information displayed up front, thus you lose leads! Currently, of the 8000+ active listings in NALMLS, only 1122 active listing have advertising remarks filled in. We cannot start sending Advertising Remarks to ListHub until a reasonable amount of listings contain this field because remarks will be totally blank on these sites. Please take a few minutes and enter information on all of your active listings.
"RISK MANAGEMENT" AND "FORMS" CE CLASSES The following Continuing Education (CE) classes will be offered on Saturday, September 22nd: Risk Management (required)....3 hours of CE credit..9-12 am.....Instructor: Walt Hennessee Forms (elective).......................3 hours of CE credit..1-4 pm.......Instructor: Walt Hennessee There have been many requests to offer these classes during the week, so..... Risk Management (required) will be offered on Tuesday, Sept. 25th, from 5:30PM til 8:30PM, Forms will be offered on Thurs. 27th, from 5:30PM til 8:30PM. The classes will be held at the Rise School of Real Estate located at 3603 Memorial Pkwy SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 (Next to Robin Rents). Parking is available at the back of the building. Cost is $25 (cash or check) for each class....there is no charge for the fun we have. Space is limited, so call (256) 656-3325 to reserve your seat. If you do not want or need the CEs, you are welcome to attend either class at no charge. This is a good opportunity for new agents to be exposed the the Risks associated with our profession and the "tools of our trade", Forms.
SOURCE; ACRE
Homes of Huntsville; Alabama home sales during July 2012 up 3.6 percent from 2011. July new home sales in Alabama's five metro markets, representing approximately seventy percent of all statewide transactions, experienced a 17.5 percent decrease from the prior month. Sixty percent of metro areas have experienced YTD increase in new home sales compared to 2011 with Montgomery (up 24%) posting the best results followed by Tuscaloosa (18%) and Birmingham (15%). YTD new home sales have declined in Mobile (down 22%) and Huntsville (down 6%). Demand: In July, Alabama new home sales were outperformed by the US market which reflected an increase of 25.3 percent from July 2011 and up 3.6 percent from the prior month, according to the US Census Bureau & HUD. The release also reported that the results from the South region were up 9.7 percent from July 2011 but 1.6 percent down from last month. View full sizeAL YTD residential building permits up 4.1% from 2011. Infograph courtesy of ACRE. All rights reserved. Supply: Statewide new construction inventory has declined by approximately 13 percent from last July which is consistent with US trend (down 14%). All metro markets have experienced reductions in inventory since July 2011. Birmingham (down 19%), Mobile (-17%) and Huntsville (-9%) led the state in inventory reduction. Alabama's metro markets in July reflect 4.8 months of new home supply, an increase from 4.6 months of supply in July 2011 and down from 4.1 months from June 2012. According to the US Census Bureau, the US inventory of new homes for sale decreased to 142,000 homes or 4.6 months' supply, also a big improvement from 6.7 months of supply in July 2011 (down 31%). Pricing: Alabama's metro market's median new home sales price in July was $221,886, a decrease of 2.2 percent from last month and an increase of 2.4% when compared to July 2011. New Home Pipeline: July statewide housing starts decreased by 2.5 percent from the prior month and decreased 1.8 percent from July 2011. YTD housing starts are up 3.4%. July statewide building permits were down 3.4 percent from the prior month and 6.2 percent from July 2011. YTD building permits are up 4.1%. Residential Construction Employment: According to the Alabama Dept. of Industrial Relations, statewide residential construction employment was up 1.1 percent (700 jobs) to 61,400 from last month but remains down 6.9 percent or 4,600 workers from July 2011. Local Results: 9 out of the 27 home builder associations (33 - up from 30% in prior month) reported gains in building permits from the prior month (June 2012) while 9 associations (33% - down from 37%) reported gains in housing starts. As the market transitions into the third quarter of 2012, statistical volatility is anticipated. Real estate sales are seasonal and third quarter sales typically begin to gradually decline from the prior "sales peak" second quarter. Through July, seventy-two percent (18 of 25) of the local housing markets have experienced year-to-date (ytd) sales growth from 2011 and that is welcome news for Alabama consumers as well our state's real estate community. On the other hand, continued anemic US job creation/economic growth, strict underwriting standards, uncertainty of election (ie 2013 tax policy) and the global economic slowdown top the list of concerns that market watchers cite as elements that could possibly impact the fragile housing recovery. For other Alabama real estate resources & news, please visit our website and our ACRE blog. The ACRE New Construction Monthly Report is work product stemming from our partnership with the Home Builder's Association of Alabama Foundation. About ACRE. ACRE was founded in 1996 by the Alabama Real Estate Commission, the Alabama Association of REALTORS and the Office of the Dean, UA Culverhouse College of Commerce. ACRE is not a state-funded entity, rather its operates in part because of the goodwill & generosity of our statewide ACRE Partners.
SOURCE; HAAR
Agent Advertising Remarks for ListHub Advertising Remarks are now appearing when entering or changing a listing. in the Huntsville AL MLS. There is some confusion regarding this new field. Below is an explanation of where the different Remarks fields appear: Agent Remarks: These remarks appear on any Agent Report option and are not viewable by anyone but NALMLS member agents. Customer/Public Remarks: These remarks appear on any Customer Report option and travel to Huntsville AL MLS www.valleymls.com, www.realtor.com, and all other Broker/Agent IDX sites. Agent Advertising Remarks: These homes of Huntsville remarks only travel on listings sent to ListHub. ListHub is a portal that distributes our Active Listings (IDX format) to over 90 third party advertising sites such as Zillow and Trulia. You are encouraged to enter your contact information at the beginning of these remarks and then complete with public remarks. WHY do we have this field? As you are aware, your contact information gets really buried on these sites, and agents that pay to advertise get their contact information displayed up front, thus you lose leads! Currently, of the 8000+ active listings in NALMLS, only 1122 active listing have advertising remarks filled in. We cannot start sending Advertising Remarks to ListHub until a reasonable amount of listings contain this field because remarks will be totally blank on these sites. Please take a few minutes and enter information on all of your active listings.
"RISK MANAGEMENT" AND "FORMS" CE CLASSES The following Continuing Education (CE) classes will be offered on Saturday, September 22nd: Risk Management (required)....3 hours of CE credit..9-12 am.....Instructor: Walt Hennessee Forms (elective).......................3 hours of CE credit..1-4 pm.......Instructor: Walt Hennessee There have been many requests to offer these classes during the week, so..... Risk Management (required) will be offered on Tuesday, Sept. 25th, from 5:30PM til 8:30PM, Forms will be offered on Thurs. 27th, from 5:30PM til 8:30PM. The classes will be held at the Rise School of Real Estate located at 3603 Memorial Pkwy SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 (Next to Robin Rents). Parking is available at the back of the building. Cost is $25 (cash or check) for each class....there is no charge for the fun we have. Space is limited, so call (256) 656-3325 to reserve your seat. If you do not want or need the CEs, you are welcome to attend either class at no charge. This is a good opportunity for new agents to be exposed the the Risks associated with our profession and the "tools of our trade", Forms.
Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, Property Management
Rental homes of Huntsville property management Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, Property Management
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Homes of Huntsville; HUntsville AL MLS
Investment homes of Huntsville; In general my preference for investment property is single family homes that will rent in the $800 - $1300 range, located in neighborhoods with good schools and with consistent appreciation.
September 9th, 2012 8:54 PM
In general my preference for investment property is single family homes of huntsvillethat will rent in the $800 - $1300 range, located in neighborhoods with good schools and with consistent appreciation. While the cash flow of single family homes is not what multifamily properties advertise (often they cash flow on paper and in theory only) single family properties are much more liquid, have better appreciation and are much easier to manage.
The link below is to all the available multifamily properties in the Huntsville area. On a quick review, I see the same old properties that are usually posted but not selling. Most are in horrible areas where it is impossible to find decent tenants. The others are grossly overpriced. There are a few properties listed that we managed several years ago and dropped management of because it was so difficult to find decent tenants and the owners refused to maintain the properties. Most decent multifamily property either never reach the MLS or sell very quickly. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719206457 I do know of one unique multifamily property on Montesano Mountain, just east of our downtown and medical districts. It is not on the market but the owners would sell. We picked up management of the property three years ago. It has out of area owners and had been poorly managed by a local realtor for several years. There were serious maintanance issues and the rents were grossly under market levels. Over time we have taken care of the deferred maintenance and raised rents to market levels. We put the units on the market for sale last year and they went under contract in the remarkably short time of two weeks. The purchaser did his inspections and we waited for over 60 days for the appraisal. The appraiser used comparables from areas that were very bad, unsafe neighborhoods and not at all realistic comparisons. The appraisal came in extremely low. The buyers agent wanted us to drop the price to the appraised amount and became very angry when seller refused. The particular realtor that was representing the buyer has a very poor reputation for honest business practice and my belief is that she influenced the appraisal. The sellers were frustrated because we had taken the property off market for so long waiting on the purchaser and decided to wait until market conditions improved to re-list the property. The link below is to the old listing. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719206477 These are older units. We are adding central heat and air to one unit but the rest have wall heaters and widow air conditioners. The location is excellent, in a highly sought after area with excellent schools. If the property does interest you, we can provide more detail. The owners will probably take a good bit less than the list price. Right now Huntsville is still in a decidedly buyers market. There is far too much available inventory and some builders are struggling. I am aware do a few builders that have gone out of business. Our market is however showing signs of recovery and as the 4,700 projected new military jobs begin to be filled starting this spring and summer, our market will become more balanced. Since you have the wherewithal to pay cash for properties, you will be at a distinct additional advantage in negotiations. Once you acquire properties, you might consider taking out mortgages on them and reinvesting the loan proceeds into additional properties. Financing costs and lender requirements on "refinance" loans are much less than that of acquisition loans. Leveraging is a powerful wealth building tool. As mentioned in my first email, Madison followed by select areas of west Huntsville and northeast Madison County are my favorite areas to direct investors.Since you are just starting to get your bearings in the Huntsville real estate market, a review of areas to consider might be in order. Prospective tenants (and prospective buyers on an eventual resale) will consider the commute time to their work, the quality of the schools and then the quality of the neighborhood and the amenities of the specific property. Most of our area's larger employers that will grow from the incoming jobs with BRAC, are located on Redstone Arsenal in the southwest quadrant of Huntsville and immediately to the north of Redstone Arsenal in Cummings Research Park. Just west of Redstone Arsenal is the Huntsville International Airport. There are a few employers with campuses adjacent to the airport. The airport has two runways, both aligned south to north so properties in the flight path should be avoided.
Areas that are close to this concentration of employers are Madison and parts of west Huntsville. There are neighborhoods located in the city of Huntsville just west of Redstone Arsenal that have very good long term growth records and future growth potential. There is a lot of growth in this area of upscale homes. The schools in the area had seen some decline but there is a new school in the final stages of construction that will serve the area. I have spoken with parents of children who attend the school and they are happy with it. Another area I like is close-in northeast Madison County. I-565 goes to the edge of Huntsville to this area. There are plans to extend the interstate another 3 miles, eliminating traffic lights that are now at the end of the interstate. There are also plans for a large shopping, restaurant and entertainment complex at the edge if the city near the interstate. Site preparation had already been done for the complex when the economy took a downturn and the construction projects were delayed. The schools are good in this area and there is a lot of residential and retail growth. Commutes are moderate. The area also has a natural beauty with open space, mountains, rivers and lakes. Our family moved from the city two years ago to this area and we have been very pleased with the area.
The link below is to available properties in the Huntsville AL MLS in Madison that might be prospects. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719206509 Using the Collinwood neighborhood as an example again. The link below is to recent Huntsville AL MLS rental data. All of the properties are managed by our firm. You will see that rents are in the $1,100 to $1,250 range. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719213240 The link below is to Homes of Huntsville for sale in the area just west of Redstone Arsenal. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719213614 The link below is to candidate properties in northeast Madison County. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4719213632 If you are at the point of being ready to focus in on a particular area or price range please let me know. I can start to send properties for you to review. Once we start to focus in on a particular property we will provide a market analysis, listing history and estimated rental values. We can make an onsite visit and provide our impressions of the and forward additional, detailed photos. Will you be able to make visit to view the properties? If you like, we can provide references of out of state investor clients. We have several on the west coast and one who is still in Hawaii I believe .
On 114 BURWELLSPRING; Here are the comps. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=4718964979 The average sold price was $87 psf with a range of $83 to almost $90 psf. The average days on market was very high for our market at 198 days. Part of the high DOM might be new construction posted at the start of construction. At the average sold price of $87 psf you house would be at around $154,000. At a sale of $154,000 and assuming standard broker fees, costs, a possible $1,500 seller contribution to purchaser closing costs and a possible $500 in repairs after home inspection, you would net around $142,000. This assumes your taxes are escrowed.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Homes of Huntsville; Homestead
Homes of Huntsville; Where to file homestead
Saturday, September 08 · Edit
Homes of Huntsville; Where to claim homestead exemption September 8th, 2012 5:10 PM
I'm surprised your closing attorney of agent didn't cover this but you can take your deed to the courthouse or an annex to file for homestead exemption. From your house the courthouse would be the closest. If there is not a parking spot on the square park in the lower level of the parking garage on the southwest corner of the square. The entrance is on Fountain Circle just under where the red car is parked at the link below. Park at a meter and enter the courthouse on the west side. The officer at the metal detector will direct you to the license department. If there is a line walk past it. (The link will be for car tag renewals.) Once in the department present you deed, sign a form and you are done. I saw in the MLS you closed in April so you should have your deed by now. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=courthouse+square,+huntsville,+al+35801&hl=en&ll=34.728901,-86.585532&spn=0.001312,0.002637&hq=courthouse+square,&hnear=Huntsville,+Alabama+35801&t=h&z=19 There is also an annex at the Parkway City Mall at the back side on the north end downstairs. It's tucked away in a corner and hard to find.
I hope this helps. Many of my clients like to keep up with Huntsville AL MLS activity in their neighborhood. I set up a notification for you of any new listings / sales or changes to existing listings. If you prefer not to receive the updates, just unsubscribe at the link at the bottom of each email.
The link below is to a summary of all Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 09/01/11. The average sold price was $70 per square foot so it looks like you got a great deal on your Homes of Huntsville purchase. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116335019
I also like to review early loan payoff on your homes of Huntsville and how to save thousands of dollars in mortgage interest with my clients. You should have received a loan amortization with your loan package. Take a look at it. The first 15 years of your loan most of the monthly payment goes towards interest. The first five years it's almost all interest. If you can make any additional payment it's the best return you can get of anything you can do with your money.
Homes of Huntsville; Where to file homestead. Homes of Huntsville; Where to file homestead.
homes of huntsville; huntsville al mls market comparables
Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS market comparables (Homes of Huntsville; Market value comparables
September 8th, 2012 11:59 AM
There was not a listing of the house.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536261
The link below is to Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 06/01/09.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536306
There are 14 active listings and 3 contingent sales. There were 14 sales at an average $96 per square foot with a range of $85 to $102 psf. The average days on market were moderate at 70 days and a range of 10 to 205 days.
While the large number of active listings is a concern, the numbers certainly look better.
The active listings and comparable sales of homes of Huntsville are owner occupied. They will be easy to show and the owner-occupants and builders are motivated to make the homes as attractive as possible. Keeping them staged, clutter to a minimum and spotlessly clean. With a tenant occupied house, the tenant may not be motivated to keep the property in pristine showing condition and in some cases doesn't want to move. Also, Alabama state law requires the tenant's permission to enter a rented home except in the case of emergency. If the tenant doesn't give permission to enter the property the landlord must post a two-day notice on the home's door, giving the date and time that the landlord or prospective buyer will be at the property. It has been my experience that buyer's and buyer's agents rarely schedule showings two days in advance. Properties on the market must be readily available for showings on short notice. I have even had tenants refuse entry into the property after I posted the two-day notice and was standing at the front door with buyers at my back. According to our attorney, we had no recourse.
While I don't have the number of active investor clients as three years ago, I do know of a couple of investors who might consider purchasing with a tenant in place.
The house might need some freshening up prior to going on market. Landscaping, interior paint, carpet cleaning and possibly replacement are all standard items to consider when putting any homes of Huntsville on the market.
The link below is to the other homes listed for for $184,900 / $96 psf.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536323
The link below is to Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 06/01/09.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536329
The sold data doesn't look as good as Fawn Forest with an average sold price of $71 psf but with a wider range of $49 to $95 psf. The pending average looks better at $94 psf but a range of $87 to $99 psf. Keep in mind that these were the list prices, we wont know the contract price until after closing. Looking at the prices on the active listings is not encouraging.
September 8th, 2012 11:59 AM
There was not a listing of the house.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536261
The link below is to Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 06/01/09.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536306
There are 14 active listings and 3 contingent sales. There were 14 sales at an average $96 per square foot with a range of $85 to $102 psf. The average days on market were moderate at 70 days and a range of 10 to 205 days.
While the large number of active listings is a concern, the numbers certainly look better.
The active listings and comparable sales of homes of Huntsville are owner occupied. They will be easy to show and the owner-occupants and builders are motivated to make the homes as attractive as possible. Keeping them staged, clutter to a minimum and spotlessly clean. With a tenant occupied house, the tenant may not be motivated to keep the property in pristine showing condition and in some cases doesn't want to move. Also, Alabama state law requires the tenant's permission to enter a rented home except in the case of emergency. If the tenant doesn't give permission to enter the property the landlord must post a two-day notice on the home's door, giving the date and time that the landlord or prospective buyer will be at the property. It has been my experience that buyer's and buyer's agents rarely schedule showings two days in advance. Properties on the market must be readily available for showings on short notice. I have even had tenants refuse entry into the property after I posted the two-day notice and was standing at the front door with buyers at my back. According to our attorney, we had no recourse.
While I don't have the number of active investor clients as three years ago, I do know of a couple of investors who might consider purchasing with a tenant in place.
The house might need some freshening up prior to going on market. Landscaping, interior paint, carpet cleaning and possibly replacement are all standard items to consider when putting any homes of Huntsville on the market.
The link below is to the other homes listed for for $184,900 / $96 psf.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536323
The link below is to Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 06/01/09.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7111536329
The sold data doesn't look as good as Fawn Forest with an average sold price of $71 psf but with a wider range of $49 to $95 psf. The pending average looks better at $94 psf but a range of $87 to $99 psf. Keep in mind that these were the list prices, we wont know the contract price until after closing. Looking at the prices on the active listings is not encouraging.
Homes of Huntsville, Huntsville AL MLS
Investment homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS research
Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS Source You Magazine
You may have heard rumblings in the news lately about something called Quantitative Easing, or QE3 for short. If you're in the market to buy or refinance a home, this is one story to follow. Read on to learn why.
What is Quantitative Easing?Quantitative Easing is the concept of the Fed becoming a buyer of Treasuries and Bonds to try and stimulate the economy. Oftentimes, the Fed does Quantitative Easing when they are hoping to achieve the following things:
To create inflation and avoid a deflationary economy
To lower the unemployment rate
To boost Stock prices
Keep in mind that one of the consequences of Quantitative Easing is that the US Dollar will weaken. This makes US exports more affordable abroad, as well as makes imports appear relatively more expensive. This will help large multi-national companies???which have a large influence on the economy and the major Stock market indices???thus stimulating our economy and hopefully our Labor Market, which continues to struggle.
What Happened During the Last Round of Quantitative Easing (QE2)?It's important to understand that home loan rates are tied to Mortgage Bonds, and when Bonds improve, home loan rates typically move lower. History has shown that Bonds and home loan rates typically improve in anticipation of Quantitative Easing, but then worsen once the official announcement is made. Think about the old investing adage: "Buy on the rumor, and sell on the news."
In a speech delivered on August 27, 2010 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Fed Chairmen Ben Bernanke mentioned that QE2 may be coming, saying, "I believe that additional purchases of longer-term securities, should the FOMC choose to undertake them, would be effective in further easing financial conditions." But the Fed didn't take action and begin QE2 until November of that year. Bonds and home loan rates enjoyed a nice rally until the actual official announcement was made.
However, once QE2 officially began in November 2010, we saw a big move higher in Stocks. By the time QE2 concluded in June 2011, the S&P 500 had risen 19%. And when investors moved their money into Stocks during this time, Bonds and home loan rates suffered as a result.
The Bottom LineOn August 31st of this year, Bernanke was back in Jackson Hole, Wyoming delivering another Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy. While he did not commit to another round of Quantitative Easing or QE3, he hinted that one was possible.
If rumors of QE3 continue to swirl, we should continue to see great home loan rates leading up to any actual announcement.
But if the Fed decides to move forward with QE3 and Stocks rally like they did during QE2, the Stock rally could come at the expense of the Bond markets???which would in turn push home loan rates higher.
The great news is that home loan rates remain near historic lows, making now a great time to purchase or refinance a home. If you have any questions about your personal situation, or if you're wondering how you can take advantage of today's low rates, contact the person who supplied you with this month's issue of YOU Magazine. Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS Source Gary Thomas, 2012 NAR President-Elect
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Republican National Convention along with 2012 NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong and 2012 Vice President and Liaison to Government Affairs Scott Louser in Tampa, Florida. While everyone was nervous about Hurricane Isaac hitting during the convention, it didn???t dampen the enthusiasm for our message that Homeownership Matters to America!
The convention was an outstanding opportunity for REALTORS?? to meet and talk with GOP elected-officials and candidates about the important role that real estate plays in our economy.
We also saw how important it is for REALTORS?? to get involved in the political process. The week before the convention when the platform was being drafted, the committee overlooked including language about protecting the mortgage interest deduction (MID). Shirley Wiseman and April Newland, both REALTORS?? who were on the platform committee, for language that explicitly puts Republicans on record pledging protection of the MID, although it first gives a nod to the party???s priority to seek comprehensive tax reform. If that doesn???t pass, protecting the MID is paramount. It is an excellent example of REALTORS?? being at the right place at the right time.
The Real Estate Roundtable also hosted a panel discussion on the importance of a strong real estate market to creating a robust economic recovery. There were representatives from commercial, hospitality, multifamily, and architects to make the case. I had the opportunity to represent REALTORS??. Homes of Huntsville Our good friend and former REALTOR??, Senator Johnny Isakson was also a member of the panel. We talked about the importance of maintaining federal incentives for homeownership and ensuring that market-stifling high down payments are not the result of a narrow definition of provisions in the Dodd-Frank law. Huntsville AL MLS We all advocated for a broad definition of these provision, just as Congress intended. Senator Isakson was outstanding on the issue since he was involved in writing the language. The Real Estate Round Table will sponsor the same panel at the DNC convention, and 2012 NAR First Vice President Steve Brown will be representing REALTORS??. If you have a chance, Overall it was a remarkable experience, and I was proud to see our REALTOR?? involvement pay off at such a crucial moment.
Gary Thomas, 2012 NAR President-Elect
54 Responses to REALTOR?? Party Storms Grand Old Party huntsville al mls, Homes of Huntsville
The ???Grand-ol-Gop??? has a habit of feathering their own nest, ( and the ones who tag along with them ) without much regard for much of anything/anyone else.
Taxes are too complicated. It???s easy to get lost in the tax deduction trap. Let???s see???.You pay the govenment $1 in taxes and they give you 25 cents back as a deduction? Sounds like a good deal for the government. They gain 75 cents every time and you lose 75 cents every time.
Why would you need any deduction if there was NO tax in the first place? Now that???s TAX reform!
As I read this post, what jumped out to me was exactly the concern noted by Dick ??? Sep 5 ??? I really am starting to wonder what is the GOP ???vision??? for the future of this country. I beginning to suspect there is no ???vision??? ??? just mantra ??? (1) no tax and (2) no government ??? except to dictate to females.
Carl Halessays:
I personally think the importance of MID is very much overblown. First, there are many home buyers who do not pay any income taxes; secondly the difference in what they would pay without the deduction is not that great except for the very high income individuals. Most decisipons to buy are NOT based on MID>
Tags: homes of huntsville; huntsville al mls
Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS Source You Magazine
You may have heard rumblings in the news lately about something called Quantitative Easing, or QE3 for short. If you're in the market to buy or refinance a home, this is one story to follow. Read on to learn why.
What is Quantitative Easing?Quantitative Easing is the concept of the Fed becoming a buyer of Treasuries and Bonds to try and stimulate the economy. Oftentimes, the Fed does Quantitative Easing when they are hoping to achieve the following things:
To create inflation and avoid a deflationary economy
To lower the unemployment rate
To boost Stock prices
Keep in mind that one of the consequences of Quantitative Easing is that the US Dollar will weaken. This makes US exports more affordable abroad, as well as makes imports appear relatively more expensive. This will help large multi-national companies???which have a large influence on the economy and the major Stock market indices???thus stimulating our economy and hopefully our Labor Market, which continues to struggle.
What Happened During the Last Round of Quantitative Easing (QE2)?It's important to understand that home loan rates are tied to Mortgage Bonds, and when Bonds improve, home loan rates typically move lower. History has shown that Bonds and home loan rates typically improve in anticipation of Quantitative Easing, but then worsen once the official announcement is made. Think about the old investing adage: "Buy on the rumor, and sell on the news."
In a speech delivered on August 27, 2010 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Fed Chairmen Ben Bernanke mentioned that QE2 may be coming, saying, "I believe that additional purchases of longer-term securities, should the FOMC choose to undertake them, would be effective in further easing financial conditions." But the Fed didn't take action and begin QE2 until November of that year. Bonds and home loan rates enjoyed a nice rally until the actual official announcement was made.
However, once QE2 officially began in November 2010, we saw a big move higher in Stocks. By the time QE2 concluded in June 2011, the S&P 500 had risen 19%. And when investors moved their money into Stocks during this time, Bonds and home loan rates suffered as a result.
The Bottom LineOn August 31st of this year, Bernanke was back in Jackson Hole, Wyoming delivering another Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy. While he did not commit to another round of Quantitative Easing or QE3, he hinted that one was possible.
If rumors of QE3 continue to swirl, we should continue to see great home loan rates leading up to any actual announcement.
But if the Fed decides to move forward with QE3 and Stocks rally like they did during QE2, the Stock rally could come at the expense of the Bond markets???which would in turn push home loan rates higher.
The great news is that home loan rates remain near historic lows, making now a great time to purchase or refinance a home. If you have any questions about your personal situation, or if you're wondering how you can take advantage of today's low rates, contact the person who supplied you with this month's issue of YOU Magazine. Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville AL MLS Source Gary Thomas, 2012 NAR President-Elect
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Republican National Convention along with 2012 NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong and 2012 Vice President and Liaison to Government Affairs Scott Louser in Tampa, Florida. While everyone was nervous about Hurricane Isaac hitting during the convention, it didn???t dampen the enthusiasm for our message that Homeownership Matters to America!
The convention was an outstanding opportunity for REALTORS?? to meet and talk with GOP elected-officials and candidates about the important role that real estate plays in our economy.
We also saw how important it is for REALTORS?? to get involved in the political process. The week before the convention when the platform was being drafted, the committee overlooked including language about protecting the mortgage interest deduction (MID). Shirley Wiseman and April Newland, both REALTORS?? who were on the platform committee, for language that explicitly puts Republicans on record pledging protection of the MID, although it first gives a nod to the party???s priority to seek comprehensive tax reform. If that doesn???t pass, protecting the MID is paramount. It is an excellent example of REALTORS?? being at the right place at the right time.
The Real Estate Roundtable also hosted a panel discussion on the importance of a strong real estate market to creating a robust economic recovery. There were representatives from commercial, hospitality, multifamily, and architects to make the case. I had the opportunity to represent REALTORS??. Homes of Huntsville Our good friend and former REALTOR??, Senator Johnny Isakson was also a member of the panel. We talked about the importance of maintaining federal incentives for homeownership and ensuring that market-stifling high down payments are not the result of a narrow definition of provisions in the Dodd-Frank law. Huntsville AL MLS We all advocated for a broad definition of these provision, just as Congress intended. Senator Isakson was outstanding on the issue since he was involved in writing the language. The Real Estate Round Table will sponsor the same panel at the DNC convention, and 2012 NAR First Vice President Steve Brown will be representing REALTORS??. If you have a chance, Overall it was a remarkable experience, and I was proud to see our REALTOR?? involvement pay off at such a crucial moment.
Gary Thomas, 2012 NAR President-Elect
54 Responses to REALTOR?? Party Storms Grand Old Party huntsville al mls, Homes of Huntsville
The ???Grand-ol-Gop??? has a habit of feathering their own nest, ( and the ones who tag along with them ) without much regard for much of anything/anyone else.
Taxes are too complicated. It???s easy to get lost in the tax deduction trap. Let???s see???.You pay the govenment $1 in taxes and they give you 25 cents back as a deduction? Sounds like a good deal for the government. They gain 75 cents every time and you lose 75 cents every time.
Why would you need any deduction if there was NO tax in the first place? Now that???s TAX reform!
As I read this post, what jumped out to me was exactly the concern noted by Dick ??? Sep 5 ??? I really am starting to wonder what is the GOP ???vision??? for the future of this country. I beginning to suspect there is no ???vision??? ??? just mantra ??? (1) no tax and (2) no government ??? except to dictate to females.
Carl Halessays:
I personally think the importance of MID is very much overblown. First, there are many home buyers who do not pay any income taxes; secondly the difference in what they would pay without the deduction is not that great except for the very high income individuals. Most decisipons to buy are NOT based on MID>
Tags: homes of huntsville; huntsville al mls
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Homes of huntsville; Huntsville AL mls
Homes of Huntsville; we generally don't see a substantial increase in sales price on homes with pools verses those that don't
September 5th, 2012 1:30 PM
The square footage of the house you asked about at the link below is 2,583. (Note the third section of the Huntsville AL MLS listing at the left hand side.) It is listed as 11 - 15 years old. ( Last section of the listing at the top left.) http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116318196 The link below is to the Google satellite image and interactive street view. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=112+RADISSON+LANE,+MADISON,+AL+35758&hl=en&ll=34.7446,-86.752451&spn=0.000359,0.000659&hnear=112+Radisson+Ln,+Madison,+Alabama+35758&t=h&z=21
The links below are to data on the schools that server the home; http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AL/schools/0000802097/school.aspx http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AL/schools/0000801798/school.aspx http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AL/schools/0000800831/school.aspx This cycle the house has been on market since 06/07/12. There have been three price reductions. The seller listed the house for sale in 2009 - 2010 as well at $254,900. The link below is to the archived listing where the owner purchased the house in 2004 at $208,700 with his seller paying $3,000 of his closing. Assuming normal fees, transaction costs and a $3,000 seller contribution to purchaser closing costs, seller's break even point on a sale is in the $212,000 range. The house is occupied. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116318205 The house is listed at $83 per square foot. They link below is to a summary of Huntsville AL MLS activity of homes of huntsville in the neighborhood since 09/01/11. Of the two sales, the average sold price was $88 per square foot. Note that both of the sales were of smaller one story homes. Larger and two story homes in teh same neighborhood will trend a lower per square foot sales price than smaller one story homes. While the homes does have a pool, we generally don't see a substantial increase in sales price on homes with pools verses those that don't. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116318214
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Homes of huntsville, bank owned homes
Homes of Huntsville; It doesn't make sense for BOA to just leave a house empty but they are one of the worst lenders to get a response from.
September 4th, 2012 9:10 PM
I was able to find some old listings in the Huntsville AL MLS for 100 Lisa Ann at the link below. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116312390 Looking in the Madison County Tax records I couldn't find a 100 Lisa Michelle but did find 100 Lisa Ann, The records at the link below show GARY DEGISO as the owner.
On 7/19/06 Mr. DEGISO took out a first and second mortgage for $89,200 and $16,725 for a total of $105,925. In 2006 it was possible to purchase with no money down using a first and second mortgage. http://probate.co.madison.al.us/LoadImage.aspx?sk=20060719000478870&format=PDF&ref=a642e1e8-fe6e-41eb-bc01-cbf20a0c8549 http://probate.co.madison.al.us/LoadImage.aspx?sk=20060719000478860&format=PDF&ref=a642e1e8-fe6e-41eb-bc01-cbf20a0c8549 Countrywide Mortgage was purchased by Bank of America. I have attempted to contact Bank of America before about foreclosed homes that they own. Their response has always been that we would have to wait until the house is listed for sale with one of their approved realtors. The said that once they are ready to list a house for sale, the listing would be randomly placed with one of their preferred realtors. I went through the application process to become one of their preferred realtors but never received a response. All we can do on this property is wait. Eventually BOA will put it on the market for sale but it could be months. I know it doesn't make sense for BOA to just leave a house empty but they are one of the worst lenders to get a response from. I couple of years ago I had a buyer that wanted to make an offer on one of their bank owned homes. I spent several days, talked to several people and they didn't even have a record of it in their system.
Huntsville homes for sale - Huntsville Alabama MLS search, Homes of Huntsville Automated Real Estate Search, HomeValue and Real Estate Market Updates, Huntsville Alabama area Rental Homes, Property Management.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Homes of huntsville, huntsville al mls
Homes of Huntsville; Huntsville MLS research
September 1st, 2012 3:40 PM
The link below is to a summary of all Huntsville AL MLS activity in the neighborhood since 08/01/11. It does include frame homes in the older part of the neighborhood that aren't the best comparison. All three of the sales were of the older frame homes. The average sold price was $95 per square foot with a range of $52 to $94 per square foot. There are two pending sales; 110 MOLLY BETTE DRIVE is an older house and was listed at $44 per square foot. It went on the market on 05/03/12 and went under contract in just four days on 05/07/12. The house wasn't a foreclosure. Even if it was in poor condition, someone got a great deal. 120 LISA MICHELLE DRIVE is a better comparison, it was listed at $98 per square foot. We won't know the sales price on these houses until after closing. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7122216306078
The link below is to the listing where the current owner bought the house in 2009 for $124,000 / $93 per square foot. His break even point on a sale assuming he paid $3,000 of a purchaser's closing costs would be in the $133,000 / $99 per square foot range. While the owner may have an interest in selling,
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=711632358406091
The link below is to all the 3+ bedroom 2+ bath listings of homes of Huntsville I could find in south Huntsville from $80,000 to $110,000. There were several listings in SANDHURST PARK, AUTUMN RIDGE and GREEN COVE MEADOWS. Some homes in these three adjacent neighborhoods are well maintained but others are not. It's hard to say if the the neighborhood is in decline or not. As best I can tell it's a relatively stable neighborhood considering what real estate in general has been doing.
Click on the photos for more pictures and on the address' for a map of the approximate location. At the top right of the map, click in hybrid for a satellite image. (The icon may not be on the exact house.)
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=71163060925845846
The Huntsville homes for sale at 110 CAMERON ROAD and 11223 SUN CREST DRIVE caught my eye. We Would have to be VERY cautious on The home at 11223 SUN CREST DRIVE, the sloped lot and hillside location will make it prone to foundation and water runoff problems as well as elevated radon levels.
110 CAMERON ROAD is a bank owned house and has been on the market since just 08/29/12. The link below is to the listing where is sold in 2002 for $117,000.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116306112584573
The link below is to a summary of MLS activity in the neighborhood, HAYS LAND ESTATES since 08/01/11. At $45 per square foot the house seems to be aggressively priced.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=711630611268545
The link below is to the Google satellite image and street view of the house. Zoom out a bit and you can see it's about 500' from Memorial Parkway and on the main entry to the neighborhood. Its located behind Mikes Merchandise and Haysland Square shopping center with just one house in-between. There will be some traffic on the street and traffic noise from the Parkway.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=110+CAMERON+ROAD,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35802&hl=en&ll=34.65013,-86.569553&spn=0.000509,0.001318&hnear=110+Cameron+Rd+SW,+Huntsville,+Alabama+35802&t=h&z=20
11223 SUN CREST DRIVE has been on the market since 04/26/12. It was listed at $129,800 originally and has had two price reductions to the present $89,900. The link below is to the listing where the current owner bought the house as a foreclosure at $54,000 / $33 per square foot on 12/16/2011. From just the photos it's hard to tell but it doesn't look like the seller did anything to the interior since his purchase. The patio with curbs does look new and was probably build for rainwater diversion. Again we would need to be vary careful to have the house inspected for foundation problems and elevated radon.
http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=711630610258458
The link below is to the Google street view of the house.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=11223+SUNCREST+DRIVE,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35803&hl=en&ll=34.635847,-86.555585&spn=0.000004,0.002637&hnear=11223+Suncrest+Dr+SE,+Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama+35803&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=34.635824,-86.55562&panoid=C2Qby6TfoWj1OIw1tOiZ6w&cbp=12,73.63,,0,0
The link below is to the Google satellite image. The house is across the street from the A icon.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=11223+SUNCREST+DRIVE,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35803&hl=en&ll=34.635865,-86.555614&spn=0.001017,0.002637&sll=34.635823,-86.55562&sspn=0.001026,0.002637&t=h&hnear=11223+Suncrest+Dr+SE,+Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama+35803&z=19
116078
The link below is to the listing where the current owner bought the house in 2009 for $124,000 / $93 per square foot. His break even point on a sale assuming he paid $3,000 of a purchaser's closing costs would be in the $133,000 / $99 per square foot range. While the owner may have an interest in selling, I don't think he would be willing to take a loss. I will let you know what he says. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=711630235846091 The link below is to all the 3+ bedroom 2+ bath listings I could find in south Huntsville from $80,000 to $110,000. There were several listings in SANDHURST PARK, AUTUMN RIDGE and GREEN COVE MEADOWS. Some homes in these three adjacent neighborhoods are well maintained but others are not. It's hard to say if the the neighborhood is in decline or not. As best I can tell it's a relatively stable neighborhood considering what real estate in general has been doing. Click on the photos for more pictures and on the address' for a map of the approximate location. At the top right of the map, click in hybrid for a satellite image. (The icon may not be on the exact house.) http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=71163235806096 The homes at 110 CAMERON ROAD and 11223 SUN CREST DRIVE caught my eye. We Would have to be VERY cautious on The home at 11223 SUN CREST DRIVE, the sloped lot and hillside location will make it prone to foundation and water runoff problems as well as elevated radon levels. 110 CAMERON ROAD is a bank owned house and has been on the market since just 08/29/12. The link below is to the listing where is sold in 2002 for $117,000. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116306113 The link below is to a summary of MLS activity in the neighborhood, HAYS LAND ESTATES since 08/01/11. At $45 per square foot the house seems to be aggressively priced. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116323506115 The link below is to the Google satellite image and street view of the house. Zoom out a bit and you can see it's about 500' from Memorial Parkway and on the main entry to the neighborhood. Its located behind Mikes Merchandise and Haysland Square shopping center with just one house in-between. There will be some traffic on the street and traffic noise from the Parkway. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=110+CAMERON+ROAD,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35802&hl=en&ll=34.65013,-86.569553&spn=0.000509,0.001318&hnear=110+Cameron+Rd+SW,+Huntsville,+Alabama+35802&t=h&z=20 11223 SUN CREST DRIVE has been on the market since 04/26/12. It was listed at $129,800 originally and has had two price reductions to the present $89,900. The link below is to the listing where the current owner bought the house as a foreclosure at $54,000 / $33 per square foot on 12/16/2011. From just the photos it's hard to tell but it doesn't look like the seller did anything to the interior since his purchase. The patio with curbs does look new and was probably build for rainwater diversion. Again we would need to be vary careful to have the house inspected for foundation problems and elevated radon. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116235306108 The link below is to the Google street view of the house. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=11223+SUNCREST+DRIVE,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35803&hl=en&ll=34.635847,-86.555585&spn=0.000004,0.002637&hnear=11223+Suncrest+Dr+SE,+Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama+35803&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=34.635824,-86.55562&panoid=C2Qby6TfoWj1OIw1tOiZ6w&cbp=12,73.63,,0,0 The link below is to the Google satellite image. The house is across the street from the A icon. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=11223+SUNCREST+DRIVE,+HUNTSVILLE,+AL+35803&hl=en&ll=34.635865,-86.555614&spn=0.001017,0.002637&sll=34.635823,-86.55562&sspn=0.001026,0.002637&t=h&hnear=11223+Suncrest+Dr+SE,+Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama+35803&z=19
We can assist you in finding area Huntsville Houses that will meet your needs and price range.You can search the entire Huntsville MLS for houses on your own without having to register.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Homes of Huntsville, Huntsville AL MLS
Homes of Huntsville: While I like the Wheeler area for future growth, the schools and traffic are points of concern
August 30th, 2012 3:00 PM
While I like the Wheeler area for future growth, the schools and traffic are points of concern. If I was looking for a house to live in and had k - 8 children I would look elsewhere. As a long term investment the area should be fine. It will however take a year or two for the schools to improve and for the road improvements. In 2003 - 2004 James Williams Elementary lost a great, long term principle and the school began to decline. The Huntsville school system also hired the school system superintendent that was replaced last year. This previous superintendant was a horrible failure. The school system went into debt and test scores in many schools dropped. Last year the city hired Casey Wardynski as the new superintendant. He found some serious problems in the system including fraud and nepotism. After firing a lot of personnel the school system now has a multi-million dollar surplus. While some area schools will never be good, the Wheeler area is experiencing so much growth of upscale homes I believe that the schools will eventually become some of the better in Huntsville. I pointed out the Zeona house as a possible candidate after a search of the MLS didn't turn up any other candidates. I think the price and cash flow are decent and the long term prospects are good. Given time and patience I'm certain we can do better. We are working another offer on the house and appear to be close on an agreement. The link below is to an old listing of the house. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116290318 The link below is to the correct satellite image of the house. If it is a candidate for you We will get fresh photos of the house, neighborhood and area. We will also do a more through research for you. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=242+DE+JAN+ROAD,+MADISON,+AL+35758&hl=en&ll=34.740661,-86.783645&spn=0.000762,0.001318&hnear=242+De+Jan+Rd,+Madison,+Alabama+35758&t=h&z=20 We have had the house as a rental since 07/05/06 and it has been a stable rental for us. It usually rents pretty quickly at $1,195. The link below is to a summary of Huntsville AL MLS activity of all one story homes in the neighborhood in the past year. ( There are a few much larger two story homes in the neighborhood where the price per square foot trends lower. ) The average sold price was $94 per square foot with a range of $84 to $100 per square foot. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116290427 The link below is to the full listings for better comparison. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116290433 The $100 per square foot sale at 211 DE JAN ROAD was new construction and not a good comparison. The $84 per square foot sale at 109 AUTUMN HAVEN LANE is a much larger home at 2,270 square feet compared to the subject's 1,595 square foot. The price per square foot on larger homes will trend lower than smaller homes in the same neighborhood. We have several homes of Huntsville rentals in the neighborhood that perform well. County Line Road on the west of the neighborhood is a four lane traffic artery that goes south to Madison Boulevard / Highway 20. There is a westbound exit onto I 565 and plans to build an eastbound ramp. Commutes are easy especially for Madison which has areas of congestion. There is shopping nearby and the schools are good. 106 ACACIA TRAIL DRIVE is priced pretty well for the neighborhood is empty and has been on the market for a long time. I like the location but the lots are very small, more like a garden home. There are rail road tracks about a half mile to the south and than some lower end multi-family properties. I'm not overly excited about this one but I think there is some potential for a good buy. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116290492 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=106+ACACIA+TRAIL+DRIVE,+MADISON,+AL+35758&hl=en&ll=34.703734,-86.721429&spn=0.00305,0.005273&hnear=106+Acacia+Trail+Dr,+Madison,+Alabama+35758&t=h&z=18 116 BOSTON HARBOUR WAY is located just northeast of the De Jan property. It seems well priced for the neighborhood and the listing indicates it is unoccupied. It's been on the market a long time and shows as having been rented last year at $1,099. It might be possible to negotiate hard on this house. The owner paid $190,000 for it in 2005. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116290496 122 GREEN SPRINGS DRIVE is an older home and a foreclosure. It's not a full brick home so maintenance costs will be higher. All if the bedrooms are upstairs which will be unattractive to older tenants or families with small children. It has been on the market since 08/07/12. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116294924 At $61 per square foot the house is priced substantially below the average neighborhood sold price of $80 per square foot just below the lowest sold price of $62 per square foot. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116294927 We have two rentals in the neighborhood that have been consistent performers. Based on the quick rental comparables below we could probably expect rents in the $1,195 range depending on the season. http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=7116294928
Huntsville AL MLS Acess the Huntsville MLS Valley MLS to search for every available property without having to register. Request an automated search to recive notification of new listings. http://www.huntsville-homes.com/Valley-MLS-Search-Yourself
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