If convenience, great schools and affordable housing interests you, check out Liberty Knoll Subdivision located in Madison Alabama.
Liberty Knoll is located off of County Line Road, one block off of Highway 72.
From the wonderful community pool, to the schools, you have a found a winner! Sidewalks, brick homes and minutes to shopping, Redstone and Research Park. Here is the community Club House:
Liberty Knollis currently zoned for Columbia Elementary, Liberty Middle and award winning Bob Jones High School.
There are currently 7 homes under contract or that have sold since January of '09. The average sale price since January '09 has been $219,922, with a low of $199,900 and a high of $258,500. Days on market have averaged only 82 days.
Publix Shopping Center is located nearby, which offers not only a new Publix grocery store, but also a wide variety of restaurants and boutique type shops.
To search other neighborhoods in the Huntsville area, be sure to visit my web site, www.NorthernAlabamaHomes.com Here, you will find a neighborhood search function. Enjoy!
WOW, is what you will say when you see this home. For only $!59,900 you won't believe the upgrades! 235 Postwood Court is located in Creekwood Subdivision, which is steps to Research Park and minutes to Redstone Arsenal. Walk to Indian Creek Greenway, located in the rear of the neighborhood. The kids will love the new playground!
When you pull up to 235 Postwood Court, the love affair will begin. Beautiful landscaping, lush lawn and a wooded lot are all maintained with the irrigation system. You will notice the gorgeous flower beds that surround the home. When approaching the front door, let the jazz music take you away, coming from the surround sound that is located on the interior AND exterior.
Once inside, the gleaming hardwood floors and two story greatroom will greet you, with a gorgeous fireplace. Again, enjoy the jazz music from the surround sound inside! The new hardwood floors flank the entire first level, including the master suite. From the greatroom, you will see the awesome built in fish tank! The main level master suite even has a private jacuzzi room, making a his and her bath! Double vanities are to be expected! The kitchen boasts newer appliances, a large breakfast room, a pantry, and of course, more hardwood flooring! Mom, you'll love it
Upstairs, you will find an open loft, which is perfect for a home office or playroom! Off the loft area, step out into paradise on your private deck with million dollar views of the mountains! The perfect spot to enjoy your morning coffee, or wind down after a long day. New laminate flooring can be found in the loft and hallways leading to two large bedrooms, BOTH featuring walk-in closets.
The masterpiece of the home is waiting to be found down the hall. Step into your own media room, complete with a big screen TV AND all components. Again, surround sound! This is the perfect spot for the family to enjoy their favorite movies. Guys, this is a great man cave as well! The media room also features a work out section and a small office space.
Outside in the back yard, of course you have more amazing landscaping. You will also find a covered patio and a basketball court! The storage building is perfect to keep the garage clutter free!
235 Postwood Court in Madison Alabama truly does have it all. Really, it does!
Compare this home to other homes in Creekwood Subdivision and you'll see it DOES have it all. Welcome home.
Imagine having a Greenway located in your own neighborhood. Welcome to the Creekwood neighborhood, where having it all IS possible.
Mountain views, steps from the Greenway and affordable housing. Yes, you can have it all, in Creekwood Subdivision in Madison Alabama.
Homes in Creekwood Subdivison range from the very low $100,000's to the upper $100,000's. Creekwood Subdivision is literally minutes to Research Park, being the only subdivision in Huntsville that has an entrance directly into Research Park. Talk about avoiding traffic!
Ride bikes, jog or enjoy a leisurely walk at Indian Creek Greenway, located within the subdivision. Enjoy the best nature has to offer after a long days work. What a way for the children to wind down! The kids will love the new playground at the Greenway.
Creekwood Subdivision in Madison is zoned for Providence Elementary and Middle School, and Columbia High, an International Baccalaureate World School, offering the IB Diploma Program.
If you are wanting convenience, affordability and great schools, be sure to give Creekwood Subdivision a try! Creekwood truly has it all...and more.
Today, at 3:00 pm EST, there will be a national moment of silence in honor of those that have fought and continue to fight for our freedom.
Since the war began in 2001, nearly 5,000 Americans have paid the ultimate price to protect our freedom, from the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and each war in between.
Many think that Memorial Day is a time for fun, food and the official kick off of summer. Let's not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. Let us all take time to honor those that have given all, to protect our fine country.
Home sweet home. That is the feeling you get when you pull into the drive at 206 Ashley Way in Madison Alabama. Homes in Ashley Estates are sought after and a rarity. This is your opportunity to own your piece of paradise. Offered at only $259,900 featuring 5 bedrooms and 3 baths.
Knowing how important having a home "show room ready" is, the detail oriented sellers have gone above and beyond here at 206 Ashley Way. Not only have they completely updated and remodeled the home, but they have also priced it to sell. This is a win win for savvy buyers.
Ashley Estates is the perfect location, located close to Research Park and Bridge Street. Of course, 206Ashley Way is zoned for award winning Madison City Schools. Ashley Estates features a large neighborhood park, loaded with playground equipment. While the kids play, relax on one of the many park benches.
Starting with a new roof and finishing with new door knobs, you won't believe all of the new updates at 206 Ashley Way. New carpet, tile and hardwood, along with fresh paint, appliances and lighting are just a few of the recent upgrades here.
The kitchen opens to the great room and features a center island with cooktop and large pantry. You'll love the cherry cabinets! A desk is located in the kitchen area as well, making it the perfect spot to search for new recipes on your laptop.
You will find a large formal dining room and 2nd living area, both featuring gleaming new hardwood flooring. Just down the hall from the kitchen, is bedroom number 5. This would be a perfect home office if needed!
The winding staircase off the large entry, leads you to 4 bedrooms upstairs. The Master Suite is enormous and features a sitting area with amazing views! Granite countertop in the Master is again, a wonderful new feature of 206 Ashley Way.
The large wooded lot features a 16x20 deck. Perfect for relaxing and taking in the gorgeous views.
Welcome to 111 Willow Brook Drive in Madison, Alabama. Located in the Knox Creek Subdivision, this home is a real gem.
You will be pleasantly surprised at what $117,900 will get you in this 4 bedroom, 2 bath home. From the gleaming hardwood floors to the tiled kitchen, can you say "Bang for your buck?".
111 Willow Brook Drive has been completely remodeled in the past year. You'll love the new kitchen featuring all new cabinets, tile flooring and new appliances.
The moment you step in the door, you'll notice the vaulted ceilings and the corner fireplace. The hardwood floors gleam and are featured in the living room AND the 4th bedroom. This 4th bedroom has 2 closets and double doors making this a fabulous option for a den or home office, if you choose.
The master suite bath was also a part of the major remodel last year. Large and open, the master retreat features 2 pedestal sinks and tiled flooring. The master suite features a large walk-in closet.
You'll love the large corner lot with a privacy fence.
111 Willow Brook Drive is zoned for highly rate Providence Elementary and Middle School and Columbia High School, which is the first Huntsville school to be named an International Baccalaureate School.
When I first discovered Hidden Lake in Owens Cross Roads, I knew this was a place I could call home. The moment I took the scenic drive down Old Big Cove Road, I was hooked. Peaceful. Awe struck by the mountain views. It was love at first site. At every glance, I saw the glorious foothills of Northern Alabama. I was enveloped in the forest it seemed. Everywhere I looked, I saw stately trees, peaking down on me from the foothills. Serenity, at last!
You will fall in love with the gently rolling hills. You will fall in love with the large community lake. Childhood memories will be made at the large community pool that overlooks the lake. Homes range from the upper $200,000's and many enjoy the luxury of backing to the lake.
Minutes from Hampton Cove and Jones Valley, the location of Hidden Lake Subdivision is hard to beat. Zoned for Hampton Cove Elementary and Middle Schools and top rated Huntsville High School, this is a parent pleaser!
If you are searching for homes in Owens Cross Roads Alabama, be sure to visit Hidden Lake Subdivision. If you are searching for homes in Northern Alabama, be sure to visit my web site, www.NorthernAlabamaHomes.com From neighborhood searches, to searches by square footage, I think you'll find all the information you need for your next home search!
With so many mortgage changes in our industry, I think it is SO important to keep my clients informed. Jeff helps me do that by writing great articles that explain the mortgage process. I an one of Jeff Belonger's biggest fans. He knows his stuff, to say the least. If you are going to be purchasing in the future, you may want to subscribe to his blog. Jeff keeps us all informed about new loan products and important changes headed our way.
For several of you that read my blogs, I try and do a FHA vs Conventional purchase comparison once every few months.
FHA loans have been more wisely used in recent months as the choice of mortgages. What I hate hearing is that they have taken the spot of the subprime loans. This is not true by any part of the imagination. This statement is from those that are inexperienced in both the mortgage and the real estate industries. The realization has been that 30% of the subprime mortgages in the last 5 years previous to the last 2 years should have been FHA mortgages, not subprime. A recent survey has stated that FHA loanscould be more than 60% of all loans originated for the 2nd quarter of 2009.
To compound this, so many said just because you had a conventional loan, you had the better loan. This was not always true when putting 3 percent down or even 5 percent down. In most cases, you were told this, because that particular lender was not FHA approved. Now? Even with 10% down and credit scores less than 700, FHA loans in many cases, will be the best mortgage for you.
So you could argue the fact that this is just my opinion, that FHA mortgages in many cases would be better for you. True, even though I have over 16 years of experience as a loan officer in the mortgage industry. But numbers don't lie. Let me show you..... and in this scenario,
The example below is based on a $300,000 purchase price with 5% down. One reason why conventional rates are a little higher in this scenario as in FHA rates is because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have added penalties per se. If you are putting down less than 30% and your credit score is less than 720, certain fee penalties would apply to you, which would increase your rate. The FICO (credit score) that I am going to use is 679, which is above the average credit score and I will still show in this example that FHA loans are cheaper, even with 5% down.
***And keep in mind, some lenders have penalties on FHA mortgages with credit scores under 660 now. We don't. And many lenders can't do FHA loans under 620. I can still do them down to 600. Just beware of those promising you FHA loans under 600, they don't close as much as promised.***
Disclaimer : These rates are examples, but the spread shown in the example is real. To compare this scenario apples to apples, the fees are the same and with 1.75 points. In this scenario, there are no lender fees. The conventional rate also includes the penalty for the 679 credit score.
Okay, Jeff, you used 4 total examples. I am confused. A better than average loan officer will use all 4 comparisons, to show you the bang for your buck. I will explain each one below.
Conventional vs FHA - Your monthly savings is $170.36, favoring the FHA loan. Some of you might be saying that you will be adding $4,897.00 onto your principal balance if you did the FHA mortgage because of the FHA one-time mortgage insurance premium. This is correct and I don't want to confuse you with more numbers and charts. But here is a quick breakdown. If you kept your house for 5 years, which most people sell in a 6 year period, you would have saved $11,115.00 in payments in 5 years. This is a difference of $6,218.00 that you have saved!!! And one other thing that is very small, but still makes a difference.
Conventional Financed MI vs FHA - On the conventional loan, you can get a huge discount by adding the mortgage insurance onto your loan amount. Now your FHA monthly savings is only $37.83 a month, but you are now adding $4,560 to your total loan amount on the conventional loan. That comes out to an additional $76 a month over a 5 year period, if you wanted to pay down your mortgage to the same as the FHA loan. So now your total monthly savings is $113.83. Yes, you do get a larger tax write off on the mortgage insurance being financed, but with the lower rate on the FHA loan, you also subtract more off the principal quicker.
Conventional Lender Paid MI (LPMI) vs FHA - On the conventional loan, you are paying a higher rate, which part of it pays for your monthly mortgage insurance. Your monthly savings on the FHA loan is only $74.44. In 5 years, you saved $4,466. But you added $4,897 onto the FHA loan, which means that in 5 years, you came out $431 better on the conventional loan in 5 years. But hold the presses... You get a higher tax write off, because you added more money onto your FHA loan and you are slightly reducing your principal because you have a interest rate that is 1.25% lower than that of the conventional loan.
The end result on the 3rd comparison? You will still come out ahead on the FHA loan. But let's take it a step further. Take your savings of $74.44 a month and add it back into your payments monthly for 5 years. Guess what, my principal balance in 5 years on the FHA mortgage is $5,199 lower than that conventional mortgage.
Again, a very good loan officer should understand these comparisons and be able to show them to you, if you need to see the numbers to help make your decision. I have heard many borrowers in the past say that their loan officer did these comparisons and suggest the conventional loan. Rut row... I didn't fudge these numbers. ... just a FYI.
Another Footnote : You will be subtracting a few more dollars per month from your principal because your interest rate is lower, which would offset the interest that you would write off on the higher rate. Just something else to remember, but consult your tax consultant or CPA.
The art of pricing your home to sell is SO IMPORTANT. While I understand your thoughts on overpricing your home, I'm here to tell you, you are making a HUGE mistake. Go ahead and load the gun in preparation for shooting yourself in the foot.
The days of putting a price on your home because you "need or want that price" are gone. Buyers are much too savvy. After the recent nationwide meltdown of the Real Estate market, buyers are skittish. Rightly so. A good majority of our buyers here in Huntsville are Engineers and Scientists. They make up approximately 80% of my business. Without our stable Engineers, our Real Estate market could be in the tank with so many other cities. Slow and steady growth has seen us through the tough times. Yes, our market is down a bit, but compare us to other areas and we are doing very well.
I work with buyers and hear what they have to say. With a large inventory of homes for sale in Huntsville, it's easy to understand why a buyer would not want to waste their time making offers. Buying and selling is psychological.
Buyers look at dozens of homes and typically can know the market value better than a seller does. Why? They see them all! By the time my buyers make an offer, they are well educated on our Huntsville Real Estate market, from data I have gathered for them from recent sales and by seeing for themselves. Neighborhood comparables are an indicator of market value. It is nearly impossible to convince today's cost-conscious, consumer-savvy buyers to pay more than the housing market says it is worth. Would you? As a Huntsville Buyers Agent, it is the agents job to ensure buyers have all of the data necessary before making their offer, so they can make an educated decision.
Overpricing your home will not only cause it to linger on the market, but will also raise red flags as to why it hasn't sold, when it has been reduced over time to the correct market price.
Let me walk you through some of their thoughts and how overpricing can and will be the loaded gun.
Buyers Point of View
The sellers must be hard to deal with because their home is so overpriced.
They found a similar home that meets their criteria that is priced at market value. Why fight with an unrealistic seller?
The buyers do not want to offend the sellers.
Afraid of being told "NO" by the seller. They can't risk the rejection, or won't.
Afraid of overpaying. What if the housing market continues to decline?
Something is wrong with this house. Look how long it's been on the market!
Oh yeah! Here is a real desperate seller! Look how long it has been on the market and how many times it has been listed. If they just reduced it that much, they'll take this much! (I can smell blood, so prepare yourself for a LOW offer...below market more than likely!)
Realtors Point of View
I am not interested in showing over priced listings to my clients. I do not want to risk losing credibility by taking my buyers to see an over-priced property. If I DO show a clearly overpriced home, it is usually in an attempt to show them how well THE OTHER home is priced.
From a Realtor's point of view, why do I want to fight with the agent that clearly thinks his listing is priced at market, when the numbers prove otherwise. My buyers have "X" amount of time to buy a home. Collectively, we have no time to waste here. If the transaction begins on a negative note, it can more than likely end on one as well. I'll pass.
Sellers: Do your homework
Price your home correctly. Listen to your agent. Listen to our Real Estate Market in Huntsville Alabama. The longer your home lingers, statistically you will sell it for less. The first 30 days are the most important time when listing your home! If you can't list you home for the price you have in mind in today's market, consider waiting.
By ALL means, avoid shooting yourself in the foot by making sure you are working with a qualified Realtor that will price and market your home to get you top dollar, in a timely fashion! Choosing a Huntsville listing agent is the most important step. A good agent may not always tell you want you want to hear. They will tell you what you need to hear!
I love breakfast. A GOOD breakfast. It has always been my favorite meal of the day. I've been searching for another local "non chainy" place to call home when I have a breakfast craving. I don't consider IHOP or Denny's "good". I want atmosphere. I want great service and by golly, I want good food! I have found it. Another Broken Egg Cafe.
Another Broken Egg Cafe is located in Jones Valley in Huntsville, Alabama. The franchise began in Mandeville, Louisiana in 1996. They have slowly spread their wings and I'm SO darn glad they perched here in Huntsville. Much thanks to Buddy and Lori Buckner for opening in our area!
My husband Tim and I headed to Another Broken Egg Cafe last weekend, on a mission to fix my craving for great grits. Upon entering, I fell in love with the charm of the French Country decor. Color splashed walls, colorful tables and great music. The atmosphere was casual enough to "hang out" on a lazy Saturday morning, but formal enough to impress. (If that makes sense).
We chose to sit outside in the courtyard. Our service was spot on, from the moment we walked in the door. Again, so impressive. Be sure to ask for C.C. (otherwise known as Cecelia). Our service was outstanding!
I ordered the Ham and Cheese omelet. It came with country potatoes, but I chose to substitute cheese grits. (no surprise there). My breakfast also came with an English Muffin. Delicious, delicious, delicious! My omelet was very large and more than enough for me.
My bowl of cheese grits was also more than I could finish.
On my next trip, I am trying their Blackberry Grits. Oh yum!
Tim is a bit more adventuresome than I am and he ordered the Southwest Scramble. His plate came with the Country potatoes (that were yummy, I might add). His scramble consisted of chorizo, onions, green chilies and tomatoes, smothered with melted jack and cheddar cheese. It was served with a warm tortilla, guacamole and delicious homemade salsa. Again, large portions and more than enough to fill him up! He thought it was wonderful.
We had the pleasure of meeting a fantastic group of "kids" (anyone under 30 is a kid to me), sitting at the table behind us. They discovered Another Broken Egg Cafe last month and raved about the service and food, consistently being top notch. Lucky for me, they allowed me to photograph their food, lol. From Biscuits and Gravy to Pancakes, again, they give the food a thumbs up! Meet Dee, Samantha, Jeremy and Adam. Three are also actors in a local theatre group here in Huntsville. No wonder they had such outstanding personalities, all 4 did! ;)
Another Broken Egg Cafeis now my favorite breakfast spot. I can't wait to take my clients when I'm showinghomes in Jones Valleyarea. Knowing they will get great food AND great service makes it a no brainer, doesn't it?
They have a wide variety of choices here on their menu. Another Broken Egg Cafe is now serving lunch and dinner as well. I hope you enjoy your experience as much as we did!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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