About Houston County, AL

This article was originally posted by Judy Spears on DothanHomeSearch.com

There were 13 permits issued in January for new homes to be built, which is coincidentally the lowest monthly figure since last January. Activity ramped up in February and March of 2008, so we will see if that happens again this year. Interestingly, there have been only a couple of permits issued where the valuation was over $300,000 in the past few months. Charles pointed out in last week’s Dothan real estate inventory report that this price range is basically dead in our area right now, new home market included.



There are currently 233 new construction homes listed for sale in the Dothan MLS, up over 7% from last month. Well over half of those listed are in the $100,000 to $200,000 price range. There were 12 sales of new construction homes in January, with an average price per square foot of $110.96 and average days on the market of 159 days.

If you have an interest in building or purchasing a new construction home, give me a call or use the contact form. As a Certified New Homes Specialist (CNHS), I have extensive training in the new home market and would be happy to consult with you on your real estate needs.

On the early morning of January 4th in rural Houston County right outside of Dothan, Alabama, there was an abundance of chirping in the air. I got up and went to the window and was amazed at all the robins in flight. After all isn't this winter or do robins do this as a norm. I don't know. All I do know is that I was at a peaceful place in time. A time to reflect on days already past and to realize that there is more to life than I ever thought possible. Is this God's way of getting my attention to slow down to embrace all of the beauty around me? Some people would tell you that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I do beg to differ. This scenery was free to me and no one wanted anything from me. Please take time to enjoy those things that are important to you. Life is good!

Down payment assistance programs are winding down. Beginning October 1, pretty much every homebuyer will need at least 3.5% as a down payment if they want to buy a home. As discussed a couple of weeks ago, the end of these programs will mean about 10% fewer buyers looking for homes here around Dothan. It also means what is already a tough market for sellers is going to get even tougher. There is really no other conclusion one can draw but to say that elimination of DPA programs is going to adversely effect the Dothan real estate market.

Legislation has been introduced that would bring back these programs. H.R. 6694 would regulate the programs instead of eliminating them. What can you do? Visit Rally for Home Ownership for information on contacting your legislators. Let them know you support down payment assistance and that right now is the wrong time to be eliminating something that means so much to our economy.

Here is a video that really brings to light the real reason for eliminating DPA’s. HUD wanted them gone.

h/t Jonathan Dalton of All Phoenix Real Estate and Jay Thompson, the Phoenix Real Estate Guy

Scariest sentence in the English language – “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

Tags: down+payment+assistance, FHA+home+buyers

This article was originally posted on DothanHomeSearch.com

The new home market here in the Dothan area seems to be gaining some traction, after a dismal 12–18 month down period. There were 28 new residential construction permits issued in July, up from 21 in June. Here is the trend over the last twelve months. Inventory of new construction homes on the market is down, which is another sign of a turnaround. There are currently 215 new construction homes listed in the Dothan area MLS, down from 221 last month. The median price of these listed homes is $195,400, which is about $60,000 above the overall market median. There were 15 sales of new construction homes in July according to data from the Dothan MLS, with an average price per square foot of $101.45 and average days on the market of 133 days. If you have an interest in building or purchasing a new construction home, give me a call or use the contact form. As a Certified New Homes Specialist (CNHS), I have extensive training in the new home market and would be happy to consult with you on your real estate needs.

Tags: Dothan+real+estate, Dothan+new+construction

This article was originally posted on DothanHomeSearch.com

This historic marker is located just south of Dothan at the Florida State line, erected on the east side of the highway.

From the Historic Chattahoochee Commission website:

Southern Boundary of the United States, 1795-1819
Location: Located on Highway 231 at Ellicott's Crossing.
Marker Dedication or Erection Date: October 27, 1995
Marker Text:

On October 27, 1795, the United States concluded the Treaty of San Lorenzo with Spain, establishing 31 north latitude as the boundary between its southern territory and West Florida. Despite Spanish delays, commissions representing the two countries began the eastward survey at the Mississippi River. They passed this point in August 1799, and continued to the Chattahoochee River. They later abandoned the boundary survey east of the river due to persistent Indian attacks. The 381 mile survey became known as Ellicott's line in reference to Andrew Ellicott, surveyor for the U.S. commission.

Erected by the Houston County Commission, Dothan Landmarks Foundation, and the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, 1995.

Tags: Historic+markers+around+Dothan