Madison County Schools Earn Statewide Recognition Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogGUESS WHAT?!?!!?  Huntsville and Madison County schools are in the news.  Hats off to several schools in our area for an outstanding job.  This time three of our elementary schools have received Alabama's "Advancing the Challenge" award.  Lincoln Elementary, Morris Elementary, and University Place Elementary Schools have received $25,000 each!!  These schools were among 36 schools to receive the award but they received the largest of five awards that were distributed.  These schools were above the state average for the number of students that scored in advanced levels in reading and math for standardized test scores.Three Madison County school... 09/15/2007

Featured Huntsville/Madison Homes for Sale - Subdivision of the WeekSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville / Madison Alabama Real Estate Blog This Week's Subdivision of the Week is...MOUNT CARMEL  Mount Carmel is another great community in the Huntsville and Madison County area.  It is an established subdivision located convenient to Hwy 72 East.  Mount Carmel homes include full brick homes with energy features such as double pane windows, roof venting and storm doors.  Interiors have crown molding, ceramic tile, fireplaces, trey ceilings, hardwood in many areas, and glamour baths.   Outside features security systems, garages with decorative doors and openers, sprinklers, and decorative landscaping.  Many of the homes include 10 year 2-10 Home Buyers Warran... 09/12/2007

Huntsville Alabama Real Estate: August Market Summary and Current ConditionsSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogIt has been another great month in the Huntsville Real Estate market.  Here we are ready to recap our Huntsville statistics for the month of August as of today September 6, 2007.  I am very excited to report that there were 258 homes sold and closed in Huntsville during August!!!  This is slight decrease  from this month last year where there were 286 homes sold and closed.  Huntsville home sales represent the majority of the 564 homes sold in Madison County last month.  There are some parts of the country that are really experiencing sluggish market conditions right now but Huntsville has kept a steady pace.   The so... 09/06/2007

More Jobs Move to the Huntsville AreaSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate Agent Huntsville / Madison Real Estate BlogMore great news for our area!!!  NASA has chosen Boeing in Huntsville to build a portion of the next rocket the Ares I.  It is estimated that this project will bring an additional 200 NASA and contractor jobs to the Huntsville area. The contract (over $514 by the way) will also provide work for about 600 more people that are already with NASA or Marshal Space Flight Center contractors.The contract is set to run through 2016. NASA's Ares' project manager for NASA believes that if all options and extenstions are exercised, the contract has the potential to be worth over $1 billion. With all the events happening in our area due to the BRAC move and now the ad... 09/01/2007

Looking for some great sports events??  Here are the upcoming sports events for Alabama A&M University:  UPCOMING EVENTS  Wednesday, Aug 29SportOpp./EventTimeCoverageW Volleyballvs Maroon and White6:00 PMFriday, Aug 31SportOpp./EventTimeCoverageM Soccerat Santa Clara9:00 PMGametrackerW Soccerat Oklahoma7:30 PMGametrackerSaturday, Sept 1SportOpp./EventTimeCoverageFootballat Tennessee State6:00 PMCross Countryat Jacksonville St Invite8:00 AMSunday, Sept 2SportOpp./EventTimeCoverageM Soccerat San Francisco4:00 PMW Soccervs Miami Fla12:00 PMTuesday, Sept 4SportOpp./EventTimeCoverageW Volleyballvs Albany State7:00 PM If you are looking for some good activities to attend before the summer ends, check out some of the sports events at Alabama A&M University.  It just so happens to be the Alma M... 08/28/2007

Madison County Upcoming EventsSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate Blog Here's the weekly rundown on events going on in our area.  Pick out some that you can enjoy with friends and family and go for it!!   What: Concerts in the Park--Glenn Walton & the Bluewater Band & Billy Lee & MOABWhere: Big Spring International Park When: Monday, Aug 27, 2007, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, Cost: FREEWhat: Madison Gazebo Concerts--Rusty Bay and Les Copeland Where: Wall Triana at Main Street in historic downtown MadisonWhen:  Monday, Aug 27, 2007, 6:30-8 PMCost:  FREEWhat: Huntsville Stars Game-- Stars Vs West TennesseeWhere: Joe Davis StadiumWhen:  Aug 27, 2007 through Aug 29, 2007. 7:05 pmCost:  Admission ChargedWhat: Concerts at the Library-- "The Walker... 08/25/2007

Visit Your Local City Council MeetingSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville Real Estate BlogToday I had a fantastic opportunity!!!  I just had to share it with you.  I had the chance to attend the Huntsville City Council Meeting.  It was located in Huntsville's municipal building  (the big gray building on Fountain Circle).  It started very promptly at 6pm and I must commend the Council on how professional and cordial the demeanor was in the room.  I was very impressed.  I have watched Council meetings on television and I have attended Council meetings in other cities but this is by far the best experience I have had.  They worked on a number of issues for our city that could have a really big impact over the next few months such as land annex for the city,... 08/23/2007

Featured Huntsville/Madison SubdivisionSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville Real Estate Blog Each week a neighborhood is selected by the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association as our very own Subdivision of the week.  Each week I will let you know which Huntsville area neighborhood or subdivision was selected and a little more about the homes and area.   This Week's Subdivision of the Week is...Lake ForestLake Forest is another great community in the Huntsville area.  It is convenient to I-565 and Redstone Arsenal.  The homes are full brick and feature energy efficient double pain windows and roof venting.  Inside have many decorative touches such as fireplaces, crown molding, wood floors, custom built-ins, large walk-in closets, and prewired for ... 08/20/2007

Huntsville Alabama is a GREAT PLACE to Live!!!Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison Real Estate BlogGuess who's making news again... HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA!! This time Huntsville, Alabama has been chosen as one of the "Top Adventure Towns" by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.  The 50 Best Adventure Towns will run in the September issue of the magazine.  Ethan Fried, a communications official for the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C, said "Huntsville is not your run-of-the-mill town. It's some place you can go and live, not just to go to work each day, but to have adventure right outside your back door."  WOW!!  What a compliment for our area! There is hiking, biking, horse back riding, camping, fishing, hunting, and walking/running ... 08/19/2007

Homes for Sale Huntsville Alabama Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogAugust 2007 has almost come and gone.  We are currently over half way through the month.  I decided to take a quick look to see how we are doing this year in Huntsville Alabama.  Can you believe from January 1, 2007 to August 15, 2007 that there have been 1,996 homes sold in Huntsville Alabama?  The homes sold in Huntsville this year so far amount to over $371 million!AREA# OF SALESTOTAL SALES ($)AVG SALES PRICE% OF LIST PRICEAVG DOMCURRENT # HOMES FOR SALENW Huntsville City435$45,146,279$103,78598.53%86308NE Huntsville City186$20,758,818$111,60796.51%102105SW Huntsville City546$80,135,881$146,76998.93%74314SE Huntsville City498$118,901,624$238,75897.14%95274... 08/18/2007

Super Hot Weather Causing Water Usage to Sky Rocket Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogDid you know Huntsville residents hit an all time record on Monday for a single day's water usage?  Huntsville Utilities reports that local residents used 73.5 million gallons of water in one day!  In addition to the providing water to Huntsville customers, Huntsville Utilities also supplies 6 million gallons a day to the Madison County Water System and Madison City, as well as, providing water to New Hope, Triana, and Redstone Arsenal.  Starting today, the Harvest-Monrovia Water and Sewer Authority is requesting residents to stop all outside water age until further notice.  They are only able to produce about 6.7 million gallons of water pe... 08/16/2007

Huntsville July Real Estate Summary and Current Market Conditions Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogIt has been another great month in the Huntsville Real Estate market.  Here we are ready to recap our Huntsville statistics for the month of July as of today August 11, 2007.  I am very excited to report that there were 285 homes sold and closed in Huntsville during July!!!  This is an increase from this month last year where there were 251 homes sold and closed.  Huntsville home sales represent the majority of the 599 homes sold in Madison County last month.  There are some parts of the country that are really experiencing sluggish market conditions right now but Huntsville has kept a steady pace.   The sold homes of Huntsvill... 08/11/2007

New Contract to Refurbish Arsenal HousingSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate Blog There is a $26 million Army contract to refurbish 352 homes on Redstone Arsenal.  The decision was made to refurbish the homes for around $100,000 per home versus about $250,000 each to replace them with new homes of the same square footage.  The first 50 homes are expected to be completed by the middle of 2008.  With the movement of BRAC into the area, the refurbished homes will help update the housing to prepare for their arrival.  The contract will also include four additional homes for colonels.  This is just another of the many ways that Huntsville is preparing for the BRAC move to our city.  I know those that will be living in this housing are e... 08/11/2007

Huntsville Alabama Homes for Sale Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate Blog Are you looking for a great family home in the Huntsville area?  Well there are a number of homes for sale in our area that may interest you.    If you are looking for something different, feel free to browse local Huntsville Homes for Sale.  You can also receive home listings by email complete with descriptions and pictures.  If you or someone you know are interested in buying, selling, or investing in Huntsville real estate, please feel free to utilize any of the following links to resources that may help you:Find out how much your home is worth: Complimentary Market Evaluation    Thinking of trying to sell your own home: Huntsville and Madison FSBO  Find ... 08/10/2007

Efforts to make the Huntsville Area Safer IncreaseSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant,Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogI have been out a lot this week viewing Huntsville homes for sale in our area and it seems everywhere I go there are police everywhere...all over the place.  So I found out today that there is a new campaign in our area called "Take Back Our Highways."  I also found out that Alabama's traffic fatality rate has reached its highest since 1973.  This campaign came out of an effort to make the roads safer.  So that is why the police are out so much now.Starting on the 13th, the effort will intensify as 200 more state troopers are added to the roads to help.  There are some things they will really be watching and attempting to reduce:SpeedingDriving... 08/09/2007

New Website for Huntsville Real Estate ConsumersSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant,Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate Blog There is a great new website available to Huntsville and Madison consumers that are interested in buyer, selling, or investing in real estate.  There is so much information that you hardly know where to start.  Anyone looking for information on Huntsville, AL and surrounding areas will definitely want to check out the website at HuntsvilleRealEstateInfo.com ASAP.  The website is packed full of information for Huntsville homebuyers such a mortgage calculator, online homebuyer class, and buyers can even request to receive Huntsville home listings by email.  The website even allows you to search the Huntsville MLS for homes and land for sale.  Ther... 08/04/2007

Huntsville Real Estate Tips--Free Online Homebuyer ClassSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant,Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogIf you're like most homebuyers, you have two primary considerations in mind when you start looking for a home.First, you want to find the home that perfectly meets your needs and desires, and secondly, you want to purchase this home for the lowest possible price. Home buying has its challenges especially if you are doing it for the first time. Having the right information can make all the difference in the home buying process.  Working toward your goal of homeownership should be an exciting and fun time in your life - it shouldn't be scary! There is a free Consumer Home Buyer Education Course designed to take the mystery out of the proces... 08/04/2007

New Lee High School Building Plans Move Forward Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate AgentHuntsville/Madison AL Real Estate BlogThe Huntsville School Board has approved the purchase of land to expand the building a new Lee High School.  There was 8.9 acres purchased from one homeowner along Meridian Street near Quietdale Street and they also purchased another 8.74 acres from another homeowner just north of Oakwood Avenue.  The current purchase of the 17 acres will help to expand the campus to a total of 51 acres with direct access from Meridian Street.  There are concerns about the railroad tracks that will be running through the new school campus, but a $1.5 million plan was also approved to build a bridge over the tracks for pedestrians.  I, for one, am very happy to h... 08/03/2007

Details on Tax Free Weekend Shopping Submitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate Agent Huntsville Real Estate As both a shopper and a student, the weekend that I have been waiting on is here!!  Tax free weekend is back!!  It was great last year and I expect it to be even better this year.  Many stores are even reported as having longer hours and hiring more staff to handle the expected shoppers for this year.  The shoping holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday August 3rd and ends at midnight on Sunday August 5th.  The state sales tax (4%) will be waived as well as the sales tax for participating cities and counties.  Huntsville and Madison County are participating so Huntsville shoppers will see the 8% sales tax waived for qualifying purchases.  Other participating cities are M... 07/31/2007

Huntsville Job Opportunities and Business TrainingSubmitted by: Kimberly Grant, Huntsville Real Estate Agent Huntsville Real Estate BlogI found out about some interesting events coming up soon in the Huntsville area and of course I wanted to share them with you.  I they will be helpful to you or someone you know.Teledyne Brown will be having a job fair on Monday July 30th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.at the Sparkman Drive location in Huntsville.The Huntsville Times will be having a job fair on Monday August 6th from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  It will be held at the Von Braun Center.  For those with non porofit organizations, the Public Relations Council of Alabama is holding a seminar entitled "Special Events 101."  It will be held August 15th from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Redstone Credit Union's t... 07/29/2007