Last month's issue of Forbes magazine ranked the Birmingham-Hoover metro area 28th among 100 U.S. "Best Bang for your Buck" housing markets.  That's not the cheapest, but the best deal.  To make the list, cities were evaluated in: housing affordability, travel time and unemployment rates.  Birmingham ranked highest in low real estate taxes (3rd) and strong job forecasts (7th). We are lucky to live in such a great city where our ups and down are not as drastic as other parts of the country.  As we hear good news daily about the economy we look around to see what is happening here.  Birmingham tends to lag behind the nation as a whole - we were still doing well in 2007 when Florida was crying.  But, when we look at OUR numbers we see that in November 2009, our residential sales increased ... 12/21/2009

    Stained Glass Window - Riverchase United Methodist Church - Hoover AL                 Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244 Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com   © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved   Photo taken by Ann Allen, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of Ann Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Hoover AL.  Please check if Creative Commons License as been granted for this or other photography provided by Ann Allen.  Permission usually granted if credit is given with a link back.  Thank you for your understanding. 12/20/2009

The Hoover High Football Team won the State Championship on December 4th.  GO BUCS.  All this excitement with the football team didn't keep houses from selling though! In November 2009, we saw 91 homes sell in Hoover.  This was UP from 78 in October and WAYYYY Up from the 33 that sold in November if '08.  We have had 969 homes sell so far this year in Hoover.  Time to make some NOISE! The average sales price was $263,830 with homes selling for an average of 97.47% of list.  Prices ranged from $90,000 for a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo unit at Patton Creek to $$632,500 for a 5 Bedroom, 5.5 Bath in the Scout Creek section of Trace Crossings. Thirty Six of the 91 homes were new construction with Ross Bridge leading the way with 14 new homes (Ross Bridge also had one resale). Seven Homes sold in... 12/17/2009

  Pictures From BREAKFAST WITH SANTA at Keller Williams Hoover AL   This past Saturday our office hosted a Breakfast With Santa and we all had so much fun!  Santa brought along one of his elves and they stayed busy with all the children that came to talk to him about their Christmas wish lists.  We invited family, friends and clients......also had signs and balloons on the street pointing the way.  It was a great crowd!  We had lots of food, which was a very good thing since so many hungry kids and parents showed up! Our Culture Committee did a wonderful job planning this event and making it such a success. Thanks for your hard work!   12/16/2009

The RedNeck REALTOR on Facebook 12/08/2009

  Breakfast With Santa in Hoover AL!!!!!   Come one, come all........Santa Claus is coming to town!  Everyone is invited to join us for Breakfast With Santa at the Hoover Keller Williams office on December 12th from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.   It's going to be fun for kids of all ages!  Don't forget to bring your camera so you can take lots pictures with Santa and his elves.  Hope to see you there!         Keller Williams Hoover One Chase Corporate Drive Suite 150 Hoover AL 35244 (click for map)     Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244   © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved                                                                     12/02/2009

  Performance of Handel's Messiah at Riverchase United Methodist Church   Handel's Messiah was presented yesterday at Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover AL.  It was the 62nd annual performance by the Alabama Civic Chorale, and was conducted by Bebe Clark Kok.  There are nearly 100 voices in the chorus and they were accompanied by 13 players in the orchestra and organist, Walt Rogers.   The performance included Parts One, Two and Three ~ Prophecies and Fulfillments ~ The Passion ~ The Triumph.   We though we would be smart and arrive 30 minutes early.  It wasn't early enough.....the sanctuary was already filled and chairs were being set up in the narthex, which is where we sat.  Even so, we were close enough that we could see everything and enjoy the music too.  It was wonderfu... 11/23/2009

Wow!  Here It Is - the Final Word on the Tax Credit.  The House and Senate voted and President Obma just signed into law a bill that extends the First Time Home Buyer's TAX CREDIT.  This means if you have never owned a home before OR have not owned a home in the last 3 years, you can get a Tax Credit of 10% of the purchase price of the home you buy.  There is a cap of $8000 for the 1st Time Home Buyer Tax Credit so if your house costs more than $80,000, then 8K is all you get. But that is a nice little chunk of change. You MUST have a house picked out and Under Contract by April 30st and you MUST be closed by June 30 to receive the tax credit. This extension also adds a provision for NON-1st Time Home Buyers who want to BUY A NEW HOME..  If you have owned a home for the last 5 years and... 11/19/2009

11/18/2009

One of the most important things for families looking to buy is to determine the best schools in an area.  Most people looking to buy in Hoover know that the school system is very strong.  In fact, when we moved to the area several years ago looking for the best schools, people told us that you really couldn't go wrong with any of them which I think is probably the case.   Having said that, I have put together one way of determining the best schools in Hoover, which I think is pretty objective and independent and as good as any.  I used the results of the SAT in each grade at each school for each curriculum (reading, math, language, etc...) for the year 2008-2009 and did a simple average to come up with a ranking.  This results-oriented approach is only one way of looking at it and ther... 11/13/2009

Home sales in Hoover, Alabama dipped to 77 in October 2009.  This was down from 93 in September, but still a lot higher than the 58 sales we saw in October of 2008.  Prices on home sales closed in October ranged from $84,500 for a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo at Four Seasons off Lorna Rd., to $800,000 for a new construction home in the Glascott section of Ross Bridge. One other property sold for under 100K - a 2 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath townhome in Windhover (off Old Rocky Ridge Road) sold for $85,900.  This totally renovated, 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath in Eden View with a view of the lake sold for $310,000.  Eight homes sold in Ross Bridge, 7 sold in Riverchase and 5 sold in Trace Crossings. There is an incredible selection of homes currently available for sale in Hoover, Alabama.  There are several new ... 11/12/2009

  Aldridge Gardens Fall Hydrangea Sale Saturday, October 24th 9 AM - 5 PM     Aldridge Gardens in Hoover AL is having their annual Fall Hydrangea Sale Saturday, featuring over 40 different varieties of hydrangeas.  The sale will also include trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.  For those that would like help making selections, members of the Alabama Hydrangea Society will be on hand to help with any questions you may have.  One of the featured plants that will be available is the Snowflake Hydrangea, patented by the gardens founder, Eddie Aldridge.         It looks like we are going to have nice weather, so come spend some time strolling around the gardens and the lake, and maybe do a little shopping for your own garden.   Click here for a link to some of the hydrangeas featured at t... 10/23/2009

Birmingham Couple Buys Their Dream Home Using Strategies and Tools Taught at a FREE, ALL NEW HOME BUYER CLASS   Birmingham, AL– Buying a home is a complex process. Title Insurance – inspections – negotiations – mortgages. To help ensure that your home purchase is profitable and problem free, six area companies have teamed up to sponsor a home buyer’s class to teach you the secrets of successful home buying. The class is presented in an information packed 2-hour format and held at the Vestavia Hills Library at 1112 Montgomery Highway in Birmingham. Whether you personally own a home or this is your first time, you will learn new tips and strategies for getting the best buy and the best mortgage. At the class, you’ll learn: How much home can I afford? What government programs do I qualify... 06/29/2009

  New Homesites in Hoover to build the  Home of Your Dreams! HEATHERWOOD                       7th Sector HEATHERWOOD 7th Sector A 27 Lot Luxury New Home Community 1/2 to 3 Acre Wooded Home Sites Just off I-459 and Caldwell Mill Road between I-65 & Hwy 280 Hoover City Limits - Hoover Schools Home sites starting at $139,900 LOTS for SALE to INDIVIDUALS.  With NO time constraints you can BUY your LOT now and BUILD later!  This works well for the Home Buyer that has a home to sell first.  You can buy your lot and work with the architect on your floor plans and specifications while your home is on the market.  You can also use yur own builder or choose one from our group of experienced AWARD WINNING builders.   Beautiful, Gently Rolling, Wooded  Lots Hoover City Limits, Hoover Schools AVAIL... 06/28/2009

  Give the Gift of Life by Donating Blood!         RED DAY  BLOOD DRIVE   When? Thursday, May 14, 2009   Where? One Chase Corporate Drive Hoover, AL 35244 (in the parking lot)     What is RED DAY anyway?  It a day when Keller Williams offices across the United States and Canada are serving their communities in a project of their choice.  It will be an annual event and for this first RED DAY we have chosen to have a blood drive.  We hope you will come give blood next Thursday.     Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244 Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com   © 2008 Ann Allen, All rights reserved         05/07/2009

I was showing houses to a client the other day.  This is a buyer's market as we have heard so there are literally hundreds of homes for sale in her price range. Based on most of her specific requested items and through the use of the internet (pictures really help weed out the undesirable) we basically narrowed it down to 30 homes.  Over a period of three trips we ventured out to personally view the top picks. She had a couple of subdivision that she had friends living in already so we really wanted to explore those neighborhoods.  Some of these were typical tract home developments.  In these, many of the homes can look the same.  So, what makes one home look better than the other?  If you are the seller, what do you do to make YOUR home stand out? Decorating of course is important and ... 03/26/2009

Hoover Alabama saw 52 homes close in February 2009.  Eleven were in Ross Bridge, Six in Bluff Park, Five in Trace Crossings, and the rest throughout the city.  In the Hoover Alabama area, the average salesprice was $265,523 with prices ranging from $41,116 for a 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath condo in Four Seasons, to $909.000 for a home behind the gate at Lake Cyrus. The average days on the market for sold homes was 117. Currently, there are 936 homes on the market which means there are a lot of fabulous homes to choose from. March typically sees an increase in buying activity. Are YOU Looking for a new home?  Search for a home in Hoover Alabama or the Greater Birmingham Area at my website www.ToniBird.com. 03/16/2009

            March is one my favorite months in Hoover Alabama, Every day is a new experience.  Two weeks ago we had snow and now the buds are coming out on the trees.  Driving down Shades Crest Road the Red Buds and Forsythia, which bud out in flowers before leaves are EVERYWHERE.   They are called Red Buds and some of the plants have a red colored flower, but most of them are Purple.  They are tall trees with thin twisted branches and can grow in the shade of other trees.   The Forsythia are bushes and if not trimmed back, have a wild free flowing look.  They are yellow or white and look great in the spring.  They make a nice hedge row along a fence or a beautiful focal point plant. The young ones have only a few wirery branches and mature plants can be ten feet tall.  Once the blooms... 03/13/2009

  City Vineyard Gift Baskets & Wine is a great little wine and gift shop located just off Highway 119 and Highway 280 in Hoover AL.  Owned and operated by Michelle Coggins, business hours are Monday - Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.  Each Thursday she conducts a wine tasting from 5 PM - 7 PM and invites everyone to come join the fun.  There is no charge and she really appreciates the feedback she receives from these events.   In addition to a wide selection of quality wines and cheeses, Michelle also offers a nice array of wine-related gift items.  She can put together a gift basket appropriate for any occasion and deliver it too.  Call Michelle at 205-437-3360 to place your order, or even better, stop in and say hello.  You will enjoy browsing her wine selec... 03/09/2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Obama signed into law on February 17th has 46.7 Billion dollars allocated to states and localities for transportation projects including building and/or fixing highways, bridges TRANSIT and rail projects.   What a great way to put people to work.  I know the pot holes in I-65 and I-459 in the Hoover area would be on the top of MY list for improving roads.  Yesterday when I was leaving the office, I looked down and there was a big LUMP on one of my tires - just what I needed, right.  My mind traced back to a couple of days ago when I couldn't avoid this HUGE pot hole on I-65 South.  I'd be willing to BET that is what caused my tire - with only 6,000 miles on it - to fail.  So, I am doing my part toward keeping someone at a tire ma... 03/04/2009