Last year we had a terrible water shortage and people were doing all kinds of creative things just to be able to water their plants.  Now that the drought has passed, are we back to old habits? Well, if you have noticed it didn't rain much in September and October is not much better!  But the bigger picture is what are we doing to conserve water and energy in an effort to help the environment? My hot water heater is in the attic and the master bedroom shower is on the first floor. I know I used to fill up a bucket of water while I was waiting for the hot water to get to the shower.  We've thought about moving the hot water heater but it just isn't practical. I stopped filling the bucket - that means 2 buckets of water per day are going down the drain -wasted.  I think I need to find tha... 10/10/2008

Fall has arrived in Birmingham and the weather is perfect.  Today was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the low 80's and almost no humidity.  I decided to enjoy the Bluff Park Annual Art Show in Hoover.  This art show is always held on the first Saturday of October and promises to be one of the area's best outdoor events.  I was not disappointed!  Over 120 artists from all over the country gathered to exhibit their talents.  There were photographers, painters, jewelry makers, woodworkers, and sculptures from as far away as Michigan and many from the southeast including Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.  Local artists also had great representation.  The art show is presented by the Bluff Park Art Association which consists of volunteers who are interested in the arts and giving... 10/04/2008

  We are well underway with 2008, and time to continue our look at the year of market statistics for Birmingham AL Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover Alabama Real Estate August 2008 Listed Properties For the month of August there were 176 Newly Listed Hoover Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $367,742. The Median Price was $299,000. August 2008 Sold Properties For the month of August there were 104 Sold homes in Hoover AL Real Estate. The Average Price was $311,861. The Median Price was $280,000, with 82 Average Days on Market at 97% of list price Currently active as of 9/13/08 Currently there are 957 Activ... 10/03/2008

I've written before about saving up to buy a house in Hoover, Alabama.  The down payment on FHA loans went up from 3% to 3.5% on October 1st, so for an FHA at least, you have to save a little more to get into that home.  This means that if you want to buy a $100,000 house, you will need $3500 for your down payment. There are many ways to save for that house.  One idea is to save your loose change.  You can get a big jar and at the end of the day, just empty your pockets. You can use the money to go to Atlantic City - or save for that down payment.  Keep the jar on your dresser and you can watch it grow. Another way is to use a piggy bank.  I had one years ago where once you put the money in, you couldn't get it out unless you broke the pig.  I gave one to my friend in high school. It wa... 10/03/2008

The other day I was showing a house and my client and I walked out onto this wonderful deck that overlooked a nice wooded back yard.  A cool breeze was blowing and we were talking about how great it would be to sit out on the deck and eat dinner.  We were talking about the bar-be-cue and how much we loved to grill out. When we turned to go back into the house we notice a big circle on the chimney approximately 3' in diameter about 4' off the ground.  Upon closer examination, it was melted vinyl. I had experienced the same thing about 5 years ago on a house made from EIFS construction, where the grill had melted the siding on the house. According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), nearly 80 percent of households own some sort of an outdoor bar-be-cue appliance and nearly... 09/30/2008

The last week has been wonderful.  Evening temperatures have been down in the 50's on some nights.  The cooler temperatures are causing the leaves to start turning, although we are going to need to see the 40's before we get the real vibrant colors. I've had my windows open to let in the cool air. Even though it's in the 80's this afternoon, I know the long hot summer is on its way out. My husband and I were walking Maggie this morning and she likes the cool weather, too.  She has a brisk step and her tongue doesn't hang down nearly as far.  I'm looking forward to some long walks in the woods in a couple of weeks.  But as we were walking through the neighborhood, I noticed how tired the flower beds looked.  Those summer flowers looked pretty beat up, as heat and humidity has really take... 09/29/2008

  What Can We Do With Our Homes ? We keep hearing about Global Warming and the fact that we need to do things to help the environment. We can cut down on the number of miles we drive on I-459 every week, and buy a more fuel efficient car. We can turn the thermostat up (in summer) and run a fan to help cool the house. We can change out light bulbs and get that blue glow going!! But what else is there? Are you thinking about making home improvements to your Hoover Alabama home? It makes good sense to go green when you make home improvements and renovate your home.  But What does that mean? Green remodeling, includes designing the home to work with the environment and using construction materials that are made in an unwasteful way. That includes the impact on energy, water, and materials c... 09/28/2008

I had someone call me the other day about one of my listings.  She said she didn't like her landlord and wanted to buy a house instead.  She told me all the promises the landlord had made that never came to reality and I really wanted to help her find a house.  In talking to her though, I learned she had no money to put down.  There have been a lot of  ZERO DOWN loans being advertised, but the fact is, you can't buy a home with no money in the bank. Are you thinking about Buying A Home in Hoover Alabama?  If so, you need to pay off your debts and save for a down payment.  People today have so much debt that they are living paycheck to paycheck, and any time there is an emergency they reach for the credit card.  It started out slowly - I'll get a card in case of emergencies. Then before ... 09/24/2008

When getting your home ready to sell in Hoover Alabama, you want it to look warm and inviting.  Just like curb appeal on the outside - you want your home to appeal to the buyer on an emotional level on the inside.  Now I'm not talking about putting out tons of stuff so the house looks cluttered, and putting every family photo you own on the walls, but all blank walls make a house look sterile.   Mirrors can make a room look bigger.  It's important to pay attention to what people see when they look in the mirror.  If your mirror is reflecting a bathroom or messy kitchen, perhaps you should rethink that placement.  The size of the mirror needs to be appropriate for the wall.  Do you have a blank wall that you just don't know what to do with?  Paintings and mirrors are great but sometimes... 09/15/2008

  Here is how the month of July looked for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on The Preserve Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For the month of July there were 3 Newly Listed The Preserve Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $737,010 and The Median Price was $560344. July 2008 Sold Properties For the month of July there was 1 Sold homes in The Preserve AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $512,600. The Median Price was $512,600 with 84 Average Days on Market, at 102% of list price. Currently... 09/13/2008

  Here is how the month of July looked for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Greystone Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For July there were 35 Newly Listed Greystone Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $573,000. The Median Price was $429,900. July 2008 Sold Properties For July there were 22 Sold homes in Greystone AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $394,527. The Median Price was $381,000 with 79 Average Days on Market, at 94% of list price. Currently active as of 8/1/08 Currently ther... 09/13/2008

  Here is how the month of July looked for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Brook Highland Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For the month of July there were 9 Newly Listed Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $482,933 and The Median Price was $459,900. July 2008 Sold Properties For the month of July there were 6 Sold homes in Brook Highland AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $371,917. The Median Price was $367,000 with 57 Average Days on Market, at 97% of list price. Currently active ... 09/13/2008

  Here is what the month of July looked like for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Trace Crossings Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For the July there were 19 Newly Listed Trace Crossings Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $423,314. The Median Price was $379,900. July 2008 Sold Properties For the July there were 2 Sold homes in Trace Crossings AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $299,992. The Median Price was $327,183, with 1 Average Days on Market, at 95% of list price. Currently act... 09/13/2008

Here is how the month of July looked for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Ross Bridge Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For July there were 15 Newly Listed Ross Bridge Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $444,382. The Median Price was $324,900. July 2008 Sold Properties For July there were 10 Sold homes in Ross Bridge AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $402,703. The Median Price was $384,900 with 19 Average Days on Market, at 100% of list price. Currently active as of 9/1/08 Currently... 09/13/2008

  I woke up this morning and heard an incredible amount of chatter in the back yard.  There was so much noise I had to look.  There, on top of the shed were two cardinals and one was feeding the other.  They were both good sized birds, but on closer examination, one was a baby - just a little smaller that its mother.   Female Cardinals make a lot of noise anyway, but this one was teaching her baby how to fly and they were talking back and forth.  The baby could fly from the shed to the fence and back, but was really struggling.  After a couple of "laps" they landed on the feeder for a treat.  Later in the day I looked out and saw a juvenile male cardinal.  He was red like a cardinal, but didn't have the tuft on top of his head.  He had a little wisp, like a cowlick that wouldn't lie dow... 09/11/2008

Wow, Interest Rates are Great Today. There is a lender in town who sends me the interest rates on a daily basis.  I really like this becasue it keeps me up to date with what is going on in case someone wants to know.  Well, today the rates dropped BELOW 6%.  His company was showing 5.875 with NO Origination fee on a 30 year fixed rate conventional.   Makes Me Want to Buy A HOUSE !!   They claim it has something to do with the government taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Well, if you are a plain citizen, and NOT a mortgage guru, you probably don't even know who Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are.  Well DOES IT MATTER!  Call Your Lender, Lock in that rate and BUY TODAY.   If you would like to shop for a house - check out my website at www.ToniBird.com.  You will find every home for sal... 09/08/2008

The High School football games are finally here.  All that practice for the football team, band, cheerleaders and mascotts is finally paying off.  Parents and students from all over the county gather to watch their local team fight for victory. To read what the Birmingham News had to say about the game click here. I also like to watch the activity off the playing field.  It's amazing to see the cheerleaders fly through the air.  I know I wouldn't be that brave!  Never seen anyone dropped.  Have you watched what they do during halftime?  The cheerleaders go over to the other side and talk with the cheerleaders from the opposing team. Good training for the diplomatic corps - even though we are adversaries, we can find things in common. I also like to watch the bands.  Most people don't re... 09/06/2008

Here is how the month of July looked for real estate Birmingham Al. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Green Valley Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For July there were 7 Newly Listed Green Valley Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $276,529 and The Median Price was $289,500. July 2008 Sold Properties For July there were 0 Sold homes in Green Valley AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $–. The Median Price was $ — with 57 Average Days on Market, at — of list price. Currently active as of 9/1/08 Currently there are 25 ... 09/06/2008

Here is how the month of July looked for Birmingham Alabama Real Estate. As we have always stated that as a homeowner, potential resident, potential seller, or as a real estate consultant, we think it is always important to know the stats about what is happening with Hoover AL Real Estate. For this report we wanted to focus in on Bluff Park Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. July 2008 Listed Properties For July there were 17 Newly Listed Bluff Park Homes for Sale. The Average Price was $233,053 and The Median Price was $209,900. July 2008 Sold Properties For July there were 9 Sold homes in Bluff Park AL Real Estate in Hoover, Alabama. The Average Price was $192,522. The Median Price was $181,500 with 99 Average Days on Market, at 97% of list price. Currently active as of 9/1/08 Currently ... 09/06/2008

I drove up to the front door today and saw this wonderful butterfly drinking from the Lanatana hanging baskets.  I had never seen one like this - a swallowtail. I am not a fan of catepillars because they eat the leaves off of the rose bushes and other plants, but knowing those leaves went toward feeding this beautiful butterfly made that a little less aggravating. Here in Hoover Alabama, we have many beautiful plants and living creatures.  I enjoy seeing sights like this one on a regular basis. If you would like more information about the Hoover, Alabama area - contact me and I'd be happy to share.  If you are interested in shopping for a Home in Hooover Alabama, check out my website at www.ToniBird.com. 09/04/2008