Jeff Belonger does a great job of explaining mortgage insurance. Bottom line is it allows you to get into a home with very little down and serves a valuable function in the mortgage process. Understanding Mortgage Insurance and the different types The keys to home ownership can be tricky and con
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05/19/2011
February, 2011 numbers are still being finalized but the Birmingham AL MLS market, as expected, shows improvement from January but a decline from February 2010. Year-to-year, the decline in 2011 from 2010 in units is about 10% and the decline in volume is about 5%. This nominal decline was widel
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03/07/2011
The Hoover AL school redistricting plan involving Bumpus Middle School, Hoover High School and Deer Valley Elementary is finalized. While not ideal, the Hoover AL School redistricting plan is more sensible than an earlier proposal that would have sent 5th & 6th graders to the Hoover High School
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03/04/2011
As noted in the Birmingham News (Hoover News section), the Bluff Park Chapel Lane Extension continues to gain momentum. Hoover, AL City Executive Director Allen Pate expects bidding to begin in June, 2011 after the Jefferson County Commission accepted the city's offer to purchase a county right
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02/09/2011
Nancy & Ann in Colorado Springs do an excellent job of explaining the differences between a HAFA short sale and a traditional short sale. For buyers looking at making an offer on a short sale, inquiring as to whether the property / lender is operating under HAFA guidelines is obviously very impo
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01/27/2011
A new YMCA in Hoover AL at the former Bruno's site at the intersection of Highway 150 and South Shades Crest is scheduled to open November 1, 2011. This is a significant quality of life development for this community and is long overdue, especially for residents in Lake Cyrus subdivision who had
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01/21/2011
October numbers are still being finalized but the Birmingham AL MLS market is again down from the prior year 31% (or more) and down 17% (minimum) from September. Sales dropped a little more than I projected last month but are not doomsday relative to what we've been experiencing over the past 90
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11/09/2010
Lake Forest subdivision in Maylene AL is quality development in Shelby County about 20 miles south of greater Birmingham. The nice lake with pavillion (and ducks), children's playground and walking track add to the quality infrastructure and overall appeal of the neighborhood. With quality Shel
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10/29/2010
The City of Hoover AL published its leaf collection schedule so take advantage of this free service to save time and promote a green community. You don't even have to bag the leaves, just put them out by the curb the day before pickup and a truck with a huge vacuum will come and collect them for
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10/25/2010
The next three months will be interesting for the Birmingham AL MLS market as year-to-date units sold are below 2009 levels for the first time since early spring. With September, 2010 showing a roughly 21% drop in units from September, 2009, it is clear that the effects of the federal tax credit
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10/12/2010