birmingham: New Appraisal Rules: Working Against Consumers?
- 03/10/10 04:25 AM
For being a grim reaper, Tom Horn is a pretty nice guy. It's just that some folks trying to sell their homes in the Birmingham, Alabama area these days may think of him as the grim reaper. After all, for anyone with an unrealistic idea of what a Buyer would pay for their home, Tom is the one to bring them back to reality.
Horn, who has been a central Alabama appraiser for nearly twenty years, has seen his share of up and down cycles in real estate values. He owns appraisal-source.com, a website that caters to owners selling on … (5 comments)
birmingham: How A Short Sale Went Underwater (Literally)
- 01/07/10 05:42 AM
The first phone call makes me a little uneasy. But when my cell phone rings the second time a few minutes later, I start thinking: This does not sound good. It’s a sunny but cold day in the low 30s. The calls come while my wife, Colleen, and I are having lunch. The first caller is a woman who lives near a vacant town home we have listed for sale. It looks like water may be leaking down the side of the house, she says. Not knowing how to reach the owner, but seeing our yard sign, she calls us. Odd, … (6 comments)
birmingham: Short Sale Blues
- 08/17/09 12:06 PM
Talk about frustrating... We've been working with a Seller who has been behind on his payments. Unfortunately, he Listed with us late in the game, so to speak, already having tried to sell on his own (unsuccessfully), and long since having received a notice of Foreclosure. But we told him we'd give it our best shot in an effort to help him avoid being Foreclosed. We managed to get an Offer on his property and began immediately to try and obtain Short Sale approval. But if you haven't been through the process before, rest assured that it's not as easy as … (5 comments)
Working in Shelby county real estate reminds me of walking into the surf along Alabama's Gulf Coast. Stand only a few feet from shore, and the incoming waves gently surround your feet. You feel the almost tickling sensation of sand washing away as the water recedes. Take a few more steps out, and those incoming waves rise to around your knees. Walk out further, and you start to appreciate the power of nature. Just standing your ground becomes a lot more of a challenge. It's as if the waves are reminding you who's really in control. As you look … (4 comments)
For being a grim reaper, Tom Horn is a pretty nice guy. 
;)
;)
