Hoover, AL

Hoover Alabama saw 52 homes close in February 2009. Eleven were in Ross Bridge, Six in Bluff Park, Five in Trace Crossings, and the rest throughout the city.

In the Hoover Alabama area, the average salesprice was $265,523 with prices ranging from $41,116 for a 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath condo in Four Seasons, to $909.000 for a home behind the gate at Lake Cyrus. The average days on the market for sold homes was 117. Currently, there are 936 homes on the market which means there are a lot of fabulous homes to choose from.

March typically sees an increase in buying activity. Are YOU Looking for a new home? Search for a home in Hoover Alabama or the Greater Birmingham Area at my website www.ToniBird.com.

March is one my favorite months in Hoover Alabama, Every day is a new experience. Two weeks ago we had snow and now the buds are coming out on the trees. Driving down Shades Crest Road the Red Buds and Forsythia, which bud out in flowers before leaves are EVERYWHERE.

They are called Red Buds and some of the plants have a red colored flower, but most of them are Purple. They are tall trees with thin twisted branches and can grow in the shade of other trees.

The Forsythia are bushes and if not trimmed back, have a wild free flowing look. They are yellow or white and look great in the spring. They make a nice hedge row along a fence or a beautiful focal point plant. The young ones have only a few wirery branches and mature plants can be ten feet tall. Once the blooms are gone green leaves take their place. I moved into a house once and before I knew what it was, trimmed it back into a nice round bush - it ruined the plant and never looked right.

Another flowering tree with white buds in full bloom is the Bradford Pear. About ten years ago these were the tree of choice when putting a tree in the front yard in a new subdivision. They also line boulevards in many parts of town.

These three trees is a sure sign that spring is here. Take a drive down Shades Crest Rd, and South Shades Road and you'll see lots of these flowering trees and bushes.

Hoover Alabama is a wonderful place to live. In spring the hillsides are alive with color. If you would like to Buy A Home in Hoover, Alabama, or the greater Birmingham area, let me help. You can reach me at my website www.ToniBird.com.

City Vineyard Gift Baskets & Wine is a great little wine and gift shop located just off Highway 119 and Highway 280 in Hoover AL. Owned and operated by Michelle Coggins, business hours are Monday - Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM. Each Thursday she conducts a wine tasting from 5 PM - 7 PM and invites everyone to come join the fun. There is no charge and she really appreciates the feedback she receives from these events.

In addition to a wide selection of quality wines and cheeses, Michelle also offers a nice array of wine-related gift items. She can put together a gift basket appropriate for any occasion and deliver it too. Call Michelle at 205-437-3360 to place your order, or even better, stop in and say hello. You will enjoy browsing her wine selection and discovering great values on delicious wines.

City Vineyard Gift Baskets & Wine

located at

The Crossroads at 280

5406 Highway 280 Suite D 108

Hoover AL 35242

205-437-3360

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

BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE

205.902.4868

Keller Williams

One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150

Hoover, AL 35244

Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com

© 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved

Photos taken by Ann Allen, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of Ann Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Hoover AL. Please check if Creative Commons License as been granted for this or other photography provided by Ann Allen. Permission usually granted if credit is given with a link back. Thank you for your understanding.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Obama signed into law on February 17^th has 46.7 Billion dollars allocated to states and localities for transportation projects including building and/or fixing highways, bridges TRANSIT and rail projects.

What a great way to put people to work.

I know the pot holes in I-65 and I-459 in the Hoover area would be on the top of MY list for improving roads. Yesterday when I was leaving the office, I looked down and there was a big LUMP on one of my tires - just what I needed, right. My mind traced back to a couple of days ago when I couldn't avoid this HUGE pot hole on I-65 South. I'd be willing to BET that is what caused my tire - with only 6,000 miles on it - to fail. So, I am doing my part toward keeping someone at a tire manufacturing plant employed, but I'd rather see some work being done on the interstates! The folks at NTB were great by the way! I was in and out in an Hour. And, I got to see the Michellin Man which reminded me of the snow we got last week.

Now, back to roads.....hasn't it been 10 years or so since they started talking about 4 laning Morgan Road between Helena and I-459. I was behind a garbage truck the other day and I thought he was going to throw a rod before he got to the top of Shades Mountain. I think we were down to 2 miles per hour behind him. It happens all the time in that spot - the grade is too steep. Oh, I heard a good one the other day - Jefferson County is out of money - OMG - what a shock. Alright we won't go there. I DID notice they are building the extension from HWY 52 SOUTH to Fox Valley. So then all the people will be able to get up to the northern part of HWY 52 MORE QUICKLY. Now my question is - once they get there how are they supposed to get the next 4 miles to I-459....

They say a lot of bridges in this country are really in disrepair. I always wonder when I drive over a clunky bridge how much useful life it has.

What about some type of rail system from downtown to Hoover and Helena and other places around the city. How about a rail to Atlanta. Just sit back and read the paper while you're on your way to that meeting. That would cut down on the pollution. Automobiles are a HUGE form of pollution is the Over the Mountain area. You remember those days in summer when the air quality is so bad.

There are so many things that need to be done with that money in our own backyard. We can only hope the government with hire companies fairly and the projects will be completed without wasteful spending and fraud. I'm really tired of hearing how our elected officials just happened to get several thousands of "favors" in return for government contracts. Then when they get caught, it also amazes me that they don't seem to think they did anything wrong. Let's do it and do it RIGHT!

There is a lot to this new stimulis package. If you would like to hear about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Acts of 2009, check out my monthly on-line newsletter. If you would like to receive a copy every month, let me know at www.ToniBird.com.

It snowed today in Hoover Alabama. Most people stayed inside and watched the snow come down in the morning and then went about the rest of their day as planned. It is getting to be that time of year when people start thinking about buying a house and lots of people who were thinking about home ownership last fall decided to wait a little while longer and save up for a bigger down payment. With the new tax credit for first time home buyers available, this is an even better time to think about home ownership. But where to start?

Once you've Saved up money for a Down Payment to Buy A House, Checked Your Credit so there are no glitches, and have a good idea about Where you Want to Live, the next step is to get Pre-Approved by a lender. The key here is Pre-Approved not Pre-Qualified. You want to fill out the lender's application and have them review your credit documentation BEFORE you go and look for that house.

There are hundreds of lenders out there that loan money to purchase homes in Hoover, Al or the greater Birmingham area. I have worked with several great ones and some bad. Some lenders will just ask you a few questions and they tell you - yes you can qualify for a house, but the good ones will want to verify your information before they give you an answer.

If you don't know a lender, get some recommendations from people who work with lenders everyday - such as your friendly realtor. I have several I can recommend. I wouldn't shop for a lender based on rate, I would shop based on service. Most lenders in this area are going to be competitive; you want to make sure they can get you to the closing table on the DATE YOU WRITE IN THE CONTRACT. Give me a call at 821-3312 or e-mail me at http://www.tonibird.com I'll be happy to recommend a few for you to choose from.

When you meet with the lender you will need some financial information, so plan to bring these documents:

Your W-2 forms from last year and your most recent pay stub,

Your last 2 months bank statements,

Any investment accounts you have such as a 401K from work,

The name and address of your current landlord,

Your credit card numbers, the balances and the monthly payment of each,

Information on any other loans you have such as student loans, car loans, etc.

The lender MAY need other information from you, but this will get you started and after they meet with you, they'll let you know if they need anything else. If they ask for other documentation, get it as quickly as possible. Expect them to have you sign a form saying it is OK for them to pull your credit report. Even if you have run your own, they will need to do it to make it official. They will probably charge you a fee for this - as the credit bureau will charge them a fee (even though you can pull one each year for free).

Feel free to ask questions. If you feel the lender is not willing to answer you or is too pushy - then walk away and find another one.

Once you are PreApproved, you'll be ready to shop for your house. You can get started on my website at www.ToniBird.com/listings.asp. Let me know if I can help toni@tonibird.com.