About Shelby County, AL

It is time for Thanksgiving in the USA

And yes, we may be experiencing rough times.

But aren't we thankful that we are able to

spend the forthcoming holidays at home

with our families!

There are those that have given up their lives

as they were, and being with their family

for this special time

to go and serve our country.

The Xerox Corporation has repeated their wonderful website

" Let's Say THANKS" where you can send

hand drawn cards collected from children

all across the country to the troops

And It's FREE!

Just 3 Easy Steps, with a click of your mouse and you can send a message of good cheer to these soldiers.

So, go and browse around the site.......

It is filled with messages already sent, messages returned from the troops and some great photos of the troops and

the people behind the scenes making this all happen.

The cards are absolutely beautiful artwork submitted by the children of the good ole USA!

Just CLICK on the Let's Say Thanks Banner above to go the Xerox website and send your card today!

And I would like to give "Special Thanks" to Xerox for giving back to the community!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DURING THIS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!

Fall is here and the leaves are showing their red, gold and orange colors. I was showing houses for sale in Hoover Alabama the other day and everywhere the color was amazing.

When the leaves start to fall, it is time to rake - or in many places BLOW. It always amazes me that people will blow the leaves off their property. Then as soon as the wind starts to blow, the leaves are right back.... Not only do they blow the leaves but also all the DUST. Dust is EVERYWHERE. I don't know about YOU, but my allergies are going crazy right now.

We can't do much about what is happening outside, but if you have allergies, installing an indoor air purification system can be a big help. What is an air purification system? It is a machine that cleans the air and improves air quality.

There are three classes of air contaminants:

Particles - such as pollen, dust mites, dirt and pet dander

Bioaerosols - such as bacteria, viruses, mold spores and fingi

Odors/Chemical Vapors - such as pets odors, cooking smells, perfumes, paints and solvents.

These contaminants affect your health, the cleanliness of your home and your comfort. Several years ago, my husband bought me a free standing air purifier for Christmas. It really helped cut down on the dust in the house. When we moved into our new house last year (it had been empty for a year), we found that the A/C ducts had all kinds of dust and stuff in them. So we had the ducts cleaned.

The Mayo Clinic has found that air cleaners attached to whole-house systems are generally more effective than free standing cleaners. These air purifiers are installed on your HVAC system typically where the air filter will be placed.

I sold a house a few years ago and the seller told me her allergies were almost GONE after she installed the whole house air purifier. So, if you are suffering from allergies, take a look at installing an air purification system.

This house in the Jameswood subdivision, off Valleydale Rd. in Birmingham Alabama, has a Lennox Signature Collection PureAir Air Purification System already installed. That coupled with the fact that it has All hardwood floors on Both levels of the house makes it a great home for people with allergies. If you'd like to know more about THIS home click here.

Fall is a beautiful time of year. Improving the air quality in your home will help you enjoy it more.

As realtors, we typically look at assessed tax values when representing a buyer or seller as another piece of information to serve our clients' best interest. We know that doing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for a potential seller has little to do with an assessed tax value, but we still look at it to corroborate our conclusion on what the list price should be or what a buyer wants to offer. I've often wondered how close the assessed tax values track sales over time so I decided to look for myself.

I decided that a reasonable approach would be to look at sales over the past six months (May 1, 2009 - October 31, 2009) and compare individual property sales prices to the assessed tax values for 2009. Here is what I found for two counties in Birmingham.

Jefferson County

% of homes that sold above the assessed tax value: 29.75%

% of homes that sold below the assessed tax value: 70.25%

Aggregate % sales price to assessed tax value: 88.65%

Shelby County

% of homes that sold above the assessed tax value: 42.76%

% of homes that sold below the assessed tax value: 57.24%

Aggregate % sales price to assessed tax value: 90.26%

While there are some differences between these two major Birmingham counties, it is interesting to note that they are both reasonably accurate in assessing values for the most part. In Jefferson County, however, homes are more than than 2 to 1 more likely to sell at an amount below their tax value than above. In both cases, in the aggregate, homes are generally selling for around 90% of their assessed tax value.

For a buyer and buyer agent, what this means is that you should ask why a property is significantly above the assessed tax value before making an offer. There are certainly plenty of cases where this may be appropriate and a thorough CMA can easily point this out. For a seller and a seller's agent, you should discuss the CMA in detail in light of a desire to price the home above the assessed tax value. For someone not involved in the purchase or sale of real estate, given the above facts, you may want to consider challenging your assessed tax value to save on the amount of property taxes you are currently obligated to pay when you get your notice from the county. You might be successful and save yourself some money! If, for example you own a home in the $300,000 price range, if you can get the valuation down 10%, you could save $300-$400 per year!

Wondering what you home might be worth? Go to free market snapshot to get a comprehensive free report emailed directly to you detailing listings and recent sales in your area. In summary, while assessed tax values are not absolute and don't absolve agents of their duty to perform detailed CMAs to best serve their clients, whatever the situation. But they are a pretty decent measure to look at when making your final analysis!

A Great Big Hearty Welcome to "TUFF TOWING"

Helena's newest business ready and eagerly available to serve your towing needs!

Towing is not something we like to think about needing but sometimes life gives you the unexpected and what a great way to be prepared if and when you need a towing service. Print this out and keep it in your glove box and you will have the peace of mind that if and when the need arises you have the number for TUFF TOWING at your fingertips! Isn't it great to know that you will not have to wait hours for a tow truck to show up! You can also take advantage of the 15% offer with their ad! Just a phone call away and you will be getting your needs served.

Located in Helena ~ Serving the Great Birmingham Area

FRIENDLY ~ HONEST ~ DEPENDABLE

LICENSED AND INSURED

THE CITY OF HELENA IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE WORK AND PLAY!

JOIN IN THE APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT OF HELENA'S LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS

Home Sales in Pelham, Alabama remained consistent in October 2009, with 35 closed sales. There were 35 home sales in August 09 and 34 home sales in September 09 - all up from 27 sales a year ago. Prices ranged from $30,000 for a home is Deer Springs to $359,900 for a 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath in the Stoneykirk section of Ballantrae. Seven home sales were from Ballantrae, eleven sales were townhomes and 7 homes were new construction.

Currently there are 291 Homes for Sale in Pelham Alabama. The median price is $184,000. Fifty Three properties are townhomes ranging in price from $93,000-$140,000. Forty Five properties are new construction. Weatherly is a beautiful neighborhood with large lots (many over an acre) - some with fabulous views and mature trees where you'll find prices from $177,900 to $894,900. You will find 19 homes for sale in Weatherly and this one is a foreclosure on sale for $299,900.

If you would like to know more about Homes for Sale in Pelham, Alabama, you can search the web at www.ToniBird.com/search.asp?