About Jefferson County, AL

How do you decide which are the best areas to buy in Birmingham? This would seem easy and of course there are a number of criteria for buyers such as quality / location of schools. Given that a home is normally the single biggest investment for a family, the best areas to buy would be where you expect to accumulate the most equity the fastest.

 

Everyone has heard about real estate values falling on the national level. And most of us have heard that the Birmingham real estate market has experienced less of a downturn and that the recovery locally will be faster and more robust than nationally. What you may not have heard is how values in specific areas within Birmingham have held up over the past 12 months in comparison to the past three years to determine the best arreas to buy. Knowing which areas have performed the best most recently can give buyers and sellers valuable insight in the decision-making process in a number of ways. Especially for buyers, knowing which areas have held their value the best and where demand is strongest can help in deciding the best areas to buy in Birmingham to improve the chances for quicker equity accumulation.  To search for any listed property in Grreater Birmingham, go to birmingham mls.

 

This analysis takes into consideration total sales (in units), average sales prices and median sales prices over the past 12 months in comparison to the prior 36 months to come up with the best areas to buy. This approach is not necessarily scientific or absolute but is based on historical data. My argument is that the downturn began approximately 36 months ago so looking at the past 12 months by comparison gives a snapshot at which areas are more robust. Areas where total sales, average and median sales prices have held up the best over this time frame would suggest future strength in values going forward and therefore the best areas to buy.

 

Using my approach as described suggests the best areas to buy in Birmingham with minimums of 100 units and 500 units over the past 36 months respectively. As shown in the tables below, Talladega County is strong under both scenarios with Helena / Pelham and Mountainbrook showing strength as well.

 

Top 10 Best Areas to Buy in Birmingham

Composite Score: Units, Sales Price, Median Price

Past 12 mos. vs. Past 36 mos. (min. 100 units)

 

1. 270A   Helena / Pelham (Jeff)
2. 266     Talladega County
3. 302B   Dora / Quinton / Sumiton (Walker)
4. 282B   Adger / McCalla / Oxmoor Valley (Tusc)
5. 200     Mountain Brook
6. 112B   Corner / Kimberly / Morris / Warrior (Jeff)
7. 142A   Leeds / Moody (Jeff)
8. 114     Blount Springs / Blountsville / Hayden
9. 210     Crestline Gardens / Crestline Park / Irondale
10. 230     Homewood

 

Top 10 Best Areas to Buy in Birmingham

Composite Score: Units, Sales Price, Median Price

Past 12 mos. vs. Past 36 mos. (min. 500 units)

 

1. 266     Talladega County
2. 200     Mountain Brook
3. 112B   Corner / Kimberly / Morris / Warrior (Jeff) 
4. 210     Crestline Gardens / Crestline Park / Irondale
5. 230     Homewood
6. 240     Liberty Park / Vestavia
7. 280     Bessemer / Hueytown / Pleasantgrove
8. 140A   Trussville (Jeff)
9. 180     Avondale / Crestwood / Highland Pk / Forest Pk
10. 272     Alabaster / Maylene / Saginaw
11. 150     Calhoun County

 

Of course there are many considerations besides macro-level value analyses that help determine the best areas to buy in Birmingham.  Making a home purchase decision necessarily involves many other considerations such as school quality, proximity to work, shopping, etc....  All of these considerations, however, drive value so, again, looking at this mathematically is the purest way to come to a conclusion on future values.  Gain valuable insight and statistical information for any community you may be considering at birmingham community information.  Or, if you want specific property information about recent sales or current listings for a specific area you are interested in (or possibly your own neighborhood if you are thinking about listing) go to free market report and sign up for a free Market Snapshot emailed to you monthly.

 

Buyers and sellers need all of the information possible in this market to help them find the best areas to buy given their needs.  Assessing values independently can help grow equity more quickly in your largest financial asset. 

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Leonardo's Italian Restaurant in Vestavia will always be one of my favorite places to dine in the Birmingham area. Mike and I had our wedding reception there almost eight years ago. We had a morning wedding and then everybody went to Leonardo's for lunch. It was wonderful!

A cozy little place that serves lunch and dinner, offers a full bar with live music nightly, Leonardo's is a real treat!

Our anniversary will be Tuesday, but we decided to celebrate with dinner at Leonardo's a few days early. I am so glad we did because we got to join in the fun as the restaurant and staff celebrated Halloween.

Soft piano music played by Mario added to the romantic (and a little bit spooky) atmosphere of the evening. We were amazed they he could play with those gloves on!

There were some other characters running around too......we spotted Elvis, who was one of the servers.

There are so many choices on the menu and I had my usual hard time making a decision.. I finally settled on Lasagna and Mike chose Veal Saltenboca, which he always enjoys. My portion was huge, but so good I could have eaten every bite. We finished by sharing the Tiramisu. Yummy!

When you visit Leonardo's, be sure to try the rolls. They are to die for! Don't fill up on them though (they will keep bringing them), you will want to save plenty of room for your meal.

Leonardo's Italian Restaurant

2520 Rocky Ridge Road

Vestavia AL 35243

205-979-6996

Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP

205.902.4868

Keller Williams

One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150

Hoover, AL 35244

© 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved

70+ Foreclosures for sale in Birmingham Alabama for 10/31/09. Happy Halloween Birmingham Peeps. I hope everyone has a great and safe time tonight. Today's list of foreclosures includes homes in the following cities/areas of the greater Birmingham Alabama area: Fultondale, Birmingham, Center Point, Roebuck, Grayson Valley, Trussville, Leeds, Moody, Woodlawn, Eastlake, Tarrant, Crestwood, Irondale, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Brook Highland, Chelsea, Alabaster, Calera, Hueytown, Pleasant Grove, Bessemer, West End, Ensley, Fairfield, Belview Heights, Forestdale, and Adamsville.

38 New Listings:

http://bhammls.net/BAARReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=US11260880

37 New Price Changes:

http://bhammls.net/BAARReports/ListitLib/show_report.aspx?ID=US11260881

Gusty Gulas is a Realtor in Birmingham Alabama for Realty South. Looking for a home in Birmingham? You found the right person to help! Call or email me today at 205-218-7560 or gusty1305@gmail.com You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Fabulously maintained and updated mid-century modern gem. Located in charming old Hoover. Walk to Star Lake, Hoover Country Club, the new Publix and Starbucks. Well-known architect Gene Jones custom built this post and beam, passive-solar design for his own family in 1958. Only one other owner. Remodeled the kitchen matches for the original architectural style of the home. The new kitchen features quartz counter tops, custom cabinets with sliding glass doors on top, a unique floating shelf, large under mount sink, subway tile backsplash and stainless appliances including a gas stove and double oven. There are three bedrooms including a large master (16 feet by 12 ½ feet). Each room has ample closet space (master alone has four). There are two baths, a living room/dining room combination, large separate den with telescoping fireplace, an office, basement safe-room accessible from outside and by way of a trap door in office floor. This home is extremely private and features a wonderful courtyard with an outdoor fireplace and large covered sitting area—creating an additional outdoor room. Floor to ceiling walls of glass overlook the courtyard from the inside of the home. House has tons of closet space with built-in shelving in each. This is the only lot on the street deeded all the way down to the creek behind the house. The lot is huge and has a great deal of potential in the back for tiered decking and nature pathways. There is a small flat side yard and low maintenance front yard. This is a very special home with an abundance of unique and custom features. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/alabama-buy-single-family-home-11648945.html

We published this article a couple of years ago, but thought it was worth revisiting. Halloween can be a fun time for all of us with families, but like all else. We need to make sure we are doing the things to make sure it is safe and fun. I found this website, Halloween Safety Guide, while doing some searches on Halloween Safety and thought it would be a benefit to us all. On the site t hey outlined safety tips for kids, parents, pets, parties, costumes, and yard haunts. Some of the tips they gave were:

1. "Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating."
2. "The best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them. If you can't take them, see if another parent or a teen aged sibling can go along."
3. "To keep things moving for either an adult party or child's party, make sure that you have some games, like a scavenger hunt or a murder mystery planned in advance."
4. "Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you."
5. "When building your haunt, make sure that the walk ways are far enough away from things so that people can't trip over them or hurt themselves. This also is good for you, this means that your visitors won't be able to ruin your props and sets. Some people just have to vandalize at this time of year and ruin it for others."
6. "If you are going to dress your pet in a costume, keep in mind that unless the dog or cat is extremely receptive to this kind of thing, you could be causing it discomfort and stress. Some animals don't mind at all but others do not want to be bothered with this kind of thing. They'll be under enough stress with the festivities going on outside and people at the door constantly so don't cause them any more nervousness then you have to. You may love to dress in costume but then, you aren't a dog or a cat."

These were just some of the tips they listed. It would be a good idea for anyone participating to check out all the lists themselves! It is Halloween Safety Guide. Let's make sure our memories are a treat and not a haunting and frightening remembrance!

See the others in the series!

1. Getting Ready for Halloween - Outdoor Halloween Decorations
2. Getting Ready for Halloween - Making A Spooky Halloween Wreath
3. Getting Ready for Halloween - Kid Friendly Party Invitations
4. Getting Ready for Halloween - Carve That Pumpkin
5. Getting Ready for Halloween - Preparing for Your Haunted House
6. Getting Ready for Halloween - Party Games
7. Getting Ready for Halloween - Creative Halloween Decorations
8. Getting Ready for Halloween - Halloween Safety