Birmingham Alabama Real Estate News & Listings Presented By RE/MAX Advantage

412 WADSWORTH DR, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35214

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:04:48 GMT

Country living right outside the city, Enjoy blueberries, black berries, walnuts, pears, plums, figs, and muskedines home grown on your property. Looking for a home on an est lot that is very private? Welcome this well maintained one level brick home with full basement has a lot to offer. Greet your guest as they arrive in this beautiful spacious formal living, dining room located right off the large eat in kitchen. The family room is very quaint, a king size master with two closets, 2 spacious bedrooms, master bath, full bath with tile floors that are sparkling clean. The laundry room & large bonus room with lots of storage are located in the full basement. This home sets on beautiful wooded 2.58 acres with a workshop. Orig 40 year old Oak Hdw floors are underneath the carpeted areas with exception to the kitchen and family room, they have vinyl flooring. The kitchen has abundant cabinetry with a large deck right off the family room. Conviently access to Corridor X from Cherry Av

Motivated Seller! Picture Perfect Home!

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:54:35 GMT

Motivated Seller! Picture perfect home in the heart of Trace Crossing community. Awesome open living plan featuring High Ceilings, Cedar Beams and Casing, Hand Painted Gold Dome in Foyer, Custom Glazed Moldings, Fine Italian Inspired Faux Finished Walls by Rik Lazenby, Built-In Book Shelves, FIREPLACES in both the Family Room and Keeping Room, and Music Room w/ an amazing Coffered Ceiling. The Kitchen is the heart of the home w/ its Brazilian Granite Counters, Breakfast Bar, Gas Cooktop w/ Telescopic Hood, Tile Backsplash, Custom Cabinetry, and tons of Storage and Counterspace. The main level Master Suite is your own RETREAT. All bedrooms upstairs have High Ceilings, Crown Molding and Attached Bathrooms. The Screen Porch is perfect for those cozy afternoons and open Deck is great for entertaining as it looks over the large PRIVATE back yard. Outdoor areas are well maintained with an in-ground Sprinkler System and Landscape Lighting. All offers contingent upon Lender Approval.

3249 BRASHFORD RD, VESTAVIA HILLS, AL 35216

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:04:19 GMT

Great price on this nice home in Vestavia! Sitting on an absolutely gorgeous lot that has been lovingly maintained through the years. Everything is on 1 level with no steps into the home. 3 Bedrooms with hardwood floors (some under carpet) and 2 full bathrooms. The second bathroom is large for this neighborhood. Classic floor plan with living and dining room on the front of the home. Nice den with fireplace for family entertainment. Eat-in kitchen with pantry plus an actual laundry room! 1 car carport with storage room. Nice half-moon patio overlooking the large back yard and rose garden. PLUS Award-winning Vestavia Schools!

301 Oxford Acres Cir, Birmingham, AL 35215

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:06:05 GMT

WoW....This home will amaze you... If you are looking for an awesome space with a great back yard you don't want to overlook this one!! This home features a large master bedroom with his and her closets, a large family room with hardwood floors & fireplace, a spacious eat in kitchen, lovely back deck, and full basement w/ an additional room that can be used as an office or bedroom. Stop by today...!

Available For Sale or Lease

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:15:20 GMT

Incredible Hoover Living for under 200k! This 4 bedroom / 3.5 bath home is located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Hoover. The main level of this 2 story home features gigantic kitchen, 9' ceilings, crown molding, hardwoods in dining room, breakfast area and fantastic main level garage. Don't forget that this home has three large bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms on the 2nd floor! This home features a full basement with a full size bedroom, a full bath and large Office / Playroom / Man Cave. You will love the relaxing private deck that overlooks a natural area. This home sits in a kid-friendly neighborhood and is convenient to schools, shopping restaurants, and interstate access! Welcome Home. This home is also available for rent at $1200. per month. Contact us for more information.

Awesome space, great backyard!

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:57:15 GMT

Fabulous Family home in Timberlake!

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:05:45 GMT

Fabulous Family home in Timberlake on 1.5 acres! Owners will pay up to $5,000 OF BUYER'S CLOSING COSTS! Enjoy driving up to your beautiful, large front lawn with nice, mature landscaping. Nice open kitchen with extra large room for eating that easily seats the whole family and has a beautiful vaulted ceiling. Open floor plan gives you plenty of natural light. Master bedroom and 2 other bedrooms on the main level that allows the whole family to be together. But there's also a bedroom, full bathroom, and large den in the basement to give a completely separate living space! Complete privacy behind the home with plenty of woods to roam. Timberlake also offers 2 stocked lakes, boat launch, swimming pool with clubhouse, and picnic area. 8470 Shady Trail has so much to offer and is in great condition. Come see it today and get ready to move!

CUL-DE-SAC Lots!

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:45:21 GMT

One of the only CUL-DE-SAC lots in Forest Lakes! Enjoy low traffic and less worry about the road! Great curb appeal and a FULLY FENCED BACK YARD. Hardwoods welcome you into the foyer with an open Living Room and Dining Room. Kitchen has an eat-in area, lots of light, and DOUBLE PANTRY. Soaring ceilings make the Great Room the hightlight of the main level. The great room has a wood-burning fireplace and is open to the kitchen and eating area. Upstairs is the master suite, plus 2 other bedrooms AND the Laundry Room. Master Suite has a separate shower and garden tub and a LARGE WALK-IN CLOSET. Zoned for Mt Laurel Elementary and Chelsea schools. Come see this great home in Forest Lakes today!

In the Heart of Helena!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:20:16 GMT

PRICE REDUCED! You'll absolutely love this cozy and sparkling clean home located in the heart of Helena! With a smaller fenced-in yard, and a brick & vinyl exterior, this home is designed for easy, care-free maintenance. It offers a spacious great room with a vaulted ceiling & wood-burning fireplace. It also features a dining room with a lovely tray ceiling that overlooks a big, bright kitchen with a breakfast bar, loads of cabinets and a roomy pantry. The master bedroom includes a tray ceiling with a fan and the adjoining bath has a vaulted ceiling, a gigantic walk-in closet, a large garden tub/ shower combination. The second bedroom is very spacious and has an adjoining full guest bath with a transom window. There's a covered front porch and a private backyard with screened porch and an open patio that's ideal for those fun cookouts with family & friends. This home is move-in ready! Convenient location just minutes away from shopping, churches, schools and major roads. Welcome Home!

What a Fabulous Condo!

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:14:48 GMT

WoW...What a FABULOUS condo!! The exceptional floor plan gives you space beyond your wildest imagination. Each room is METICULOUSLY designed to accommodate day to day living. Breathtaking views of the pool, sunset, and sunrise are just a few of the PERKS found in this home's Family Room. The kitchen will MESMERIZE you!! The WALK in CLOSET in the MASTER bedroom will leave you in complete AWE. A SCREENED in porch, and additional STORAGE is just the beginning of what you will find in this COZY home. The Seller will leave the washer, dryer, stove, refrigerator, & furniture if needed.!!!! Don't let this GREAT opportunity pass YOU by!!

Senate May Extend First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:31:00 GMT

The United States Senate has reached a tentative deal that would extend the tax credit for First Time Home Buyers and will actually add a $6500 tax credit for anyone who has lived in their home for 5 of the last 8 years. The Government is going to stimulate the economy with money that it doesn't have. Is this a good idea? What are your thoughts? Here is a link to the story from FoxNews.com.

Money Magazine Names Birmingham Among 7 Best Recovery Cities

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:00 GMT

CNNMoney.com recently posted some awesome news that highlighted Birmingham Alabama as one of the 7 best cities to recover from the housing slump quickly. The article posted on October 29, 2009 stated that one of the major factors in the Birmingham Real Estate markets ability to recover so quickly is that, "Birmingham, like most Southern metro areas, is marked by a "high elasticity of supply," said Mark Fleming, chief economist for First American CoreLogic. Developers are relatively unrestrained in building, and these markets tend to be far less volatile than places like San Francisco or Portland, where development is restricted either by government policies, in Portland's case, or geography, in San Francisco's."

We have explained to our clients, for a while now, that the fundmentals of home sales in Birmingham is relatively strong. Prices of non-distressed homes have remained pretty steady while distressed properties continue to drive the average selling price lower.

See the article here.

Inspirational "Monday Morning Coffee" on Thursday!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I was reviewing our weekly "Monday Morning Coffee" series that is posted weekly on our website and I thought this weeks message was so timely for many of us that I decided I would post it here as well. If want Monday Morning Coffee emailed to you every week just let me know. Enjoy!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

"When you come to the edge of all the light you have known, and are about to step out into darkness,
Faith is knowing one of two things will happen - there will be something to stand on,
or you will be taught how to fly."

- "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach

LEARNING TO FLY!

In the 1930's and 1940's, there were numerous women's magazines. Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping were two of them. They showed women in the role of the day - housekeeping. They suggested the number of times per week the home should be dusted, scrubbed, organized, and otherwise kept spotless. They suggested ways to look good when the "man of the house" arrived home from a tough day at the office. In short, those magazines and their publishers set up an impossible regimen of expectations for their readers.

Many of us know women who have spent much of their lives trying to live up to the model housewife role prescribed by those magazines. The trouble is, many of them have (or had) dreams of their own, like wanting to write, or to travel, or to participate in the freedoms only men then enjoyed.

Today, any of us can achieve our dreams. All too often, however, we are still denied our destiny by the expectations set by others. We are bombarded by radio, TV, CD, DVD, and WWW messages that insist we follow their example, their guidelines, or their models. We allow our dreams to wither and die - waiting in line for their turn to blossom - never receiving the water of encouragement needed to grow and bloom.

What about your dreams? Need some encouragement to help you "think outside the box?" Begin by spending time with others who have already achieved their dreams. Leave your nay-sayer acquaintances behind. Read inspiring biographies. Pick up a copy of "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." If you haven't yet learned to "fly," pick up "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or "Illusions" by Richard Bach.

As Jonathan says in the book, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly!"

How to Claim The First Time Home Buyers IRS Tax Credit

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Our industry and our team is extremely grateful for all of those Birmingham area homeowners that have decided to purchase a home this year because of the first time homebuyers $8000 tax credit. Their decision to purchase a home has kept the real estate market rolling through a very sluggish economy.

If you have already closed on your home in 2009, you have two options to claim the credit and to get that $8000. You can file an Amended Return for your 2008 tax filing or you may claim the credit on your 2009 tax filing that will be due by April 15, 2010. If you are claiming the tax credit via an Amended 2008 tax return, you will file the normal amended return documents along with IRS FORM 5405.

A few points for owners of first time purchasers of Birmingham Real Estate to remember about this tax credit.

1. You must close on your home on or before November 30, 2009. (Hurry!)

2. You must live in the home for three years or you will have to repay some of the credit.

If you want to see an awesome summary of the program from the IRS visit here.

What is a Short Sale and is it Working in Birmingham?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 GMT

A short sale can be an excellent solution for Birmingham homeowners who need to sell, and who owe more on their homes than they are worth. In the past, it was rare for a bank or lender to accept a short sale in the Birmingham Real Estate market. Today, however, due to overwhelming market changes, Birmingham banks and lenders have become much more negotiable when it comes to these transactions. Recent changes in corporate policy and the Obama administration have also improved the chances of getting a short sale approved.

But to be technical, here's a more official definition:

A homeowner is 'short' when the amount owed on his/her property is higher than current market value.
A short sale occurs when a negotiation is entered into with the homeowner's mortgage company (or companies) to accept less than the full balance of the loan at closing. A buyer closes on the property, and the property is then 'sold short' of the total value of the mortgage.

For Birmingham homeowners to qualify for a short sale, they must fall into any or all of the following circumstances:

Financial Hardship – There is a situation causing you to have trouble affording your mortgage.
Monthly Income Shortfall – In other words: "You have more month than money." A lender will want to see that you cannot afford, or soon will not be able to afford your mortgage.
Insolvency – The lender will want to see that you do not have significant liquid assets that would allow you to pay down your mortgage.

This seems simple enough, but it is a complicated process that takes the expertise of experienced professionals. I hold the CDPE® Designation and am ready to identify all possible options and, when possible, assist in the quick execution of a short sale transaction.

If you have questions or feel you may qualify for a short sale, please contact The Mega Agent Real Estate Team and Collier Swecker for a free Hassle-Free consultation.

Should I Buy a Home Now?

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:53:00 GMT

I'm often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of action is to wait for the bottom in the market and then buy. The problem with this approach is that you don't know where the bottom is until you see it in the rear view mirror, meaning until you've missed it!

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates go up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It's important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial "comfort zone." To that end, it may be more important to lock in today's relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give me a call if I can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today's market.