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HOW TO PRICE YOUR HOME FOR SALE

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

shannon-holmes-011_ppac8Whether selling your home in Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Alabaster, Calera, Helena, McCalla, Chelsea, Trussville, or any of the other surrounding communities, it is important to correctly set the price for your home in order to make your home competitive with other properties in the area.  That is why you need the professional advice of REALTOR® Shannon Holmes, who will provide you with the necessary information to correctly price your home for the maximum return. Several things must be considered when pricing your home :

  • how well the home has been maintained
  • any improvements or repairs that need to be made
  • how quickly that you need to sell
  • and most important of all, the current market conditions.

The market value of a home is generally considered to be the price at which it would sell, as it sits in its current condition, in a time frame of about 30 to 120 days.

If the asking price of your home in Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Alabaster, Calera, Helena, McCalla, Chelsea, Trussville, or any of the other surrounding communities should be too high, then these factors could come into play:

  • A decrease in the pool of buyers for your property may occur by placing it out of reach for buyers that might have been interested had it been fairly priced.
  • Your home might be used as an unfavorable price comparison with another property that is more reasonably priced.
  • You will most likely limit the number of showings because other REALTORS® may consider it a waste of time, effort, and gas to bring clients to a home that is out of line with the rest of the neighborhood.
  • Your home will become “shopworn”, and people will wonder why it has not sold.
  • After sitting on the market for what is perceived to be too long, a homeowner will most likely have to reduce the price of the house, perhaps to an even lower level than if it had been correctly priced all along.
  • An appraisal is nearly always required when purchasing a home in Birmingham, Hoover, Vestavia, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Alabaster, Helena, Calera, McCalla, Chelsea, Trussville, or any of the other surrounding communities.  If the appraisal comes in for less than the amount of the contract, then the agreement becomes void, and negotiations will have to start over.  At that point the buyers may decide to walk away, even if the sales price is adjusted to match the appraisal.  What a waste that would be!

In the end, a correctly priced, well-maintained home is more likely to bring a quicker sale, and for more money. That is why the good advice of a REALTOR® like Shannon Holmes can prove invaluable.

 

Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.
 

Shannon Holmes (205) 706-3975             shholmes@realtysouth.com

RealtySouth        

160 Main Street Suite 240 Hoover, Alabama 35244

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FUN & ENTERTAINMENT LINKS WHEN MOVING TO BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

shannon-holmes-011_ppac9Birmingham, Alabama REALTOR® Shannon Holmes has had many years of experience enjoying all that the Birmingham area has to offer in the way of fun and entertainment. If you are moving to Birmingham, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Homewood, Trussville, Calera, Alabaster, Helena, Pelham, Chelsea, or any of the other surrounding communities, and would like to know where to go for food, fun, and entertainment, just follow these favorite links to find things to do in Birmingham:

Discover Our Town Dining Links 

Birmingham Restaurants                 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Things to Do in Alabama                                                          

Birmingham Zoo                                                                      

McWane Science Center                                                         

Alabama Theatre                                                      

Alabama Symphony                                                     

Alabama Ballet                                                        

Birmingham Children’s Theatre                   

Virginia Samford Theatre                                 

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

City Stages

Sidewalk Moving Pictures

Sloss Furnaces

Vulcan Park

WorkPlay

Aldridge Gardens

Verizon Music Center

Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center

Birmingham Museum of Art

Birmingham Public Library

Oak Mountain State Park

Tannehill State Park

The Birmingham Barons

American Village

Alys Stephens Center

Bluff Park Art Show

DeSoto Caverns

Do Dah Day

Greek Festival

Mercedes Marathon

Morgan Creek Vineyards

Papa John’s Bowl

Shakespeare Festival

Information provided is for entertainment purposes only. RealtySouth and its agents make no endorsement of any of the places or businesses mentioned in this blog.

RealtySouth        

160 Main Street Suite 240 Hoover, Alabama 35244  

Shannon Holmes (205) 706-3975              

MOVE TO BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA-”SPORTS CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH”

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

shannon-holmes-011_ppac1If you are planning a move to Birmingham, Alabama, you will learn very quickly that you are entering the “Sports Capital of the South”.  While other cities may try to claim that title, residents of the Birmingham area will confirm that passion for their teams reaches a whole new level here.  We breed it into our young, and convert those who enter our city gates with contagious enthusiasm.  For sports fans, Birmingham, Alabama is a great place to live!

If you love “high octane” sports, head to the nearby Talladega Superspeedway for the Talladega 500.  The Tom Cruise movie Days of Thunder filmed here, as well as the Will Ferrell movie Talladega Nights.

If you prefer to hit the track yourself, then a trip to the Barber Motorsports Track, and also the Vintage Motorsports Museum, might be fun.

Hunting, boating, and fishing enthusiasts are certain to enjoy the new Bass Pro Shop, which recently opened in Leeds. 

Because of our wonderful climate, tennis is very popular in our area.  In fact, Birmingham just hosted the prestigious Davis Cup at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.

Birmingham has also previously participated in the Olympics when Regions Park served as a satellite venue for soccer during the 1996 games in Atlanta, which is only about 2 hours away.

With the  Regions Charity Classic, which is the #1 Champions Tour event, being hosted each year at Ross Bridge, and the Robert Trent Jones Course at Oxmoor Valley, high quality public courses are available for golfers.  Numerous other beautiful golfing venues can be found throughout the area, both public and private.

The SEC Baseball Championship is played here each spring at fabulous Regions Park in Hoover. The Birmingham Barons minor league team, affiliated with the Chicago White Sox, calls this their home field.  Their most famous former player is Michael Jordan. 

Hoover High School’s Buccaneers football team of MTV’s TWO-A-DAYS,  also plays most of its big games at Regions Park.  Once again, the mighty Hoover Bucs brought home the Alabama High School 6-A State Championship for 2009, with a 14-1 record 

Only 45 minutes away, Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, was host to the 2010 Iron Bowl, one of the biggest football rivalries in the nation, between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Alternating between Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, (about 2 hours from Birmingham), and Tuscaloosa , most Birmingham residents would agree that the Iron Bowl is the biggest sports day of the year in the state of Alabama.  Jim Caple of ESPN has placed the Iron Bowl at #38 on his list of 101 THINGS ALL SPORTS FANS MUST EXPERIENCE BEFORE THEY DIE.  True to its reputation, the 2010 Iron Bowl had another legendary finish, with  Auburn University narrowly defeating the University of Alabama. Riding on this game was the SEC Championship, which Auburn won, and a shot at the 2010 National Championship.

The latest Heisman Trophy winner is Cam Newton of Auburn University.

The new SEC Champions for the 2010 season are the Auburn Tigers.

The 2010 BCS National Champonship played on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona was won by Auburn University with a score of  22 -19.  Congratulations Coach Gene Chizik, and the mighty Auburn Tigers! Only one other time in history has a state had back to back National Championships. The retiring National Champions were the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Birmingham, you may want to visit the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.  With such sports giants as Joe Louis, Willie Mays, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bart Starr, and Heisman Trophy winners Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan, a trip to this museum should be a special treat for the avid sports fan. 

Other local area teams such as the UAB Blazers and the Samford Bulldogs, currently being coached by Pat Sullivan, provide even more enjoyment of college athletics.

With nationally ranked collegiate teams in nearly every sport from gymnastics to football, and the high level of high school athletics as well,  the Birmingham area has much to offer in the way of sports.

Whether as a participant, or a spectator,  opportunities abound for sports fans in Birmingham, Alabama. Move here and you, too, will catch the excitement!

 

Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Shannon Holmes (205) 706-3975

RealtySouth        

160 Main Street Suite 240 Hoover, Alabama 35244                

(FREE MLS HOME SEARCH)

(To search by School District click MLS button above and then the School District tab at the top of box)

BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

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USE THE SEARCH BOX AT THE TOP RIGHT TO FIND BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA BEST PLACES TO LIVE, OR SEARCH THE QUICK LINKS AT THE END OF THIS POST.

Recently TV’s Craig Ferguson performed at The Comedy Club in Hoover,  a large suburb of Birmingham, Alabama.   “I have NEVER seen a place more MISREPRESENTED  in my LIFE “ ,  he said.   “It’s all MODERN and everything.  The people are SO FRIENDLY,  and I had the BEST Philly cheesesteak sandwich I have EVER had in my life!  I’M MOVING HERE!” ,  he exclaimed.

As I sat in that Saturday night audience enjoying his show,  I wondered how many others HAD NO IDEA  what  WORLD CLASS AMENITIES  Birmingham,  and its outlying areas,  have to offer.  From Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa to the five star Highlands Bar and Grill Restaurant;  from the boutiques of Homewood and the Villages of Mountain Brook,  to the fabulous shopping of  The Summit,  Riverchase Galleria,  and Brookwood Mall;  from SOUTHERN LIVING and SOUTHERN ACCENTS magazines to Pepper Place design centerBirmingham Jefferson Civic Center to Regions Park; from the incredible estates of Mountain Brook to the explosion of new home communities , such as Greystone, along the 280 corridor;  from top doctors to UAB Medical CenterBirmingham is one of the nation’s best kept secrets for amenities versus affordability.

More good news for the Birmingham real estate market is that Birmingham, Alabama now ranks #4 on the nation’s list of places for a home price rebound, according to the Birmingham Business Journal.

Birmingham was just named #46 on the list of the country’s largest metropolitan areas for quality of life, based on “well-rounded markets with healthy economies, moderate costs of living, light traffic, impressive housing stocks and high-powered educational systems” ( Birmingham ranks No. 46 for quality of life – Birmingham Business Journal ).

Birmingham, and its surrounding communities have it all: great homes,  fine dining and entertainment,  incomparable sports,  amazing shopping,  terrific schools,  world-renowned  medical facilities,  breathtaking scenery,  and unbelievable weather, in a city that mixes trendy with traditional.

Friendly and sophisticated,  Birmingham has all the amenities of Atlanta or LA ,  without the never-ending traffic congestion,  or exorbitant cost of living.   Whether your style is “English Cottage“,  or “Tudor Castle”,  you will find that Birmingham truly is a “Magic City”.

Quick MLS Links to some of Brmingham’s most popular areas include:

SEARCH BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA REAL ESTATE BY PRICE

SEARCH THE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA MLS HERE

(To search by School District click MLS button above and then the School Search tab at the top of box)

SEARCH ALL BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA FORECLOSURES HERE

Information is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.

Contact: SHANNON HOLMES, REALTOR®   (205) 706-3975

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160 MAIN STREET, SUITE 240,

HOOVER, ALABAMA 35244

Please contact Shannon Holmes for more information on real estate in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the best places to live.