Montgomery, AL

Montgomery Real Estate: Regulatory Reform Expected With Obama Presidency

The upcoming presidential transition comes at a time of great challenges within the housing industry and the economy at large. Consequently, many are wondering what a Barack Obama presidency will mean for real estate and housing issues.

National Association of Realtors analysts expect the Obama administration and the new Democratic-controlled Congress to focus on regulatory reform of the financial services industry, with potential changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

This fall, Obama responded to Realtor® Magazine's questions about the mortgage crisis, sustainable development, housing affordability and other topics. Read the interview.

to learn more about Montgomery real estate, please contact us at 334-834-1500 or visit HatTeam.com.

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Montgomery Schools Among Best In Nation

Schools are an important decision when buying a home...even if you don't have children. We all want the best education for our children. But schools also affect home values. If you put the same home in two different school districts, the home with the better schools is usually valued higher and will appreciate faster. Home buyers often think schools are better in outlying suburbs than in a city, but this is not the case in Montgomery.

U.S. News & World Report has chosen Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School as the 25th best high school in the nation. LAMP was the only Alabama public high school to receive a prestigious Gold Medal designation from the magazine. Those of us who live in Montgomery are proud of, but not surprised by the gold Medal ranking as LAMP routinely produces state National Merit Scholarship winners, and its graduates win millions in scholarship money from some of the best colleges in the nation.

Bronze Medalists

We can are also proud of the three additional Montgomery high schools that are Bronze Medal winners: Carver High, Brewbaker Technology High, and Booker T. Washington High. A Bronze award places these schools among the top 1,900 public schools in the country.

Also designated as Bronze Medal Schools were Autaugaville and Billingsley high schools in Autauga County, AL. 21,000 public high schools were considered to determine its winners and fifty-four Alabama public high schools were ranked by U.S. News. Three Alabama Silver Medalists include Mountain Brook High School, Vestavia Hills High, and Virgil Grissom High in Huntsville, as well as 50 Bronze Medal schools.

Academic and enrollment data were analyzed in a three-step process. The first step determined whether each school's students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state. The second step determined whether the school's least-advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state. Schools that did well on these first two steps were awarded Bronze Medals.

According to the Alabama Department of Education, schools that passed the first two steps became eligible for judging on the final step - college-readiness performance based on Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate test data.

Gold Medals went to the Top 100 high schools nationally with the highest college readiness index scores, Silver Medals to the next 504 high schools, and Bronze Medals to the next 1,321 high schools that passed the first two steps.

Congratulations to all of our Montgomery Medalist winners! Your hard work has paid off!!

Learn more about Montgomery and buying a Montgomery home by visiting, HatTeam.com.

This month's edition of the Montgomery Real Estate Podcast covers Montgomery real estate market activity and then we will talk about how with every change, there are hidden opportunities for both buyers and sellers.

Features special guest Terri Murphy of US Learning.

Program length: approximately 7 minutes

download podcast mp3 file | subscribe to podcast feed

Learn about Montgomery real estate at HatTeam.com.

Re-capturing The American Dream With Montgomery Real Estate

In the past, owning a home has always been perceived as a major component of the "American Dream." Unfortunately, because of the recent real estate market activity, home-ownership is often seen now as more of a nightmare than a dream. But that doesn't have to be the case! Even in a slower economy, purchasing Montgomery real estate can still be a step toward achieving your own "American Dream!"

Inman News offers some reasons why home ownership still has benefits and advantages, including:

• The opportunity to build equity and create wealth over time.
• Protection from rent increases or eviction at the whim of a landlord.
• The pleasures of a relatively larger home, suitable for a family, and with a backyard, garage or other auxiliary space.
• The freedom - design review boards notwithstanding - to improve, remodel or redecorate to suit one's own style and budget.
• A variety of lucrative income-tax breaks.
• Pride of ownership and a greater sense of security and stability.

So, if you are thinking of purchasing Montgomery real estate, now is the time! Don't let the negative media attention on the market get you down - home ownership is still an attainable goal and a big part of the American Dream.

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I am - scheming to jump-start our business despite phone silence.

I think - it's just like 1980-82, and a lot of us blew through that and are STILL here!!

I want - to focus on all things positive...and there are so very many

I have - a warm bed to sleep in and people I care about and who care about me. Who needs more?

I wish - I could talk to my father about the economy. Should have buried him with a microphone!

I hate - negativity and all the ism's.

I miss - my mother (died 6/2/97) and father (died 6/18/84) terribly. They were fine and wise.

I fear - failing my team. They are such a gift to me and to the industry.

I feel - apprehensive and excited at the same time.

I smell - little...allergies keep me stuffed up most of the time.

I search - daily for inspriration to begin anew and inspire those around me.

I wonder - what crazy new technology will make me feel out of it tomorrow!

I regret - not having appreciated my 4-year full scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis

I love - being challenged and stimulated.

I care - deeply for people and want desperately to make a difference while I am here.

I always - bite off more than I can chew. I'm insatiable at accepting challenges.

I am not - organized and I AM productive.

I believe - I can achieve anything as long as I am willing to pay the price.

I dance - only in my dreams. A bad ankle sidelined me years ago.

I sing - badly but loudly when the occasion requires.

I write - pretty darned good ad copy.

I win - at the game of staying up.

I lose - at the game of sucking up.

I listen - consciously and attentively. One learns so much more with one's mouth shut!

I can usually be found - at my desk or at a Midtown Montgomery community meeting or event.

I'm scared of - snakes and helplessness.

I read - VORACIOUSLY! If it has print on it, I read it!

I forget - most anything that's not written down.

I just - talked with a good prospect about buying a home in Montgomery.

I am happy about - my many, many blessings...far more than I deserve!