Debbie Hutchins ~ CRS ~ Realtor ~ Greater Birmingham & Shelby Co Alabama

Pura Vida in Costa del Sol!

Are you thinking of a winter vacation to get away from the cold, rainy, snowy dreary weather in the states?

Somewhere sunny and tropical?

Even though Costa Rica is in the northern hemisphere, the names of the seasons are reversed and 'summer' starts late in November. This is not because of a large temperature difference but because it tends to be drier from December through April. "Drier you say"? Well yes after all it is a rainforest! And there is so much to do! From beaches, bars and bicycling to interesting tours to enjoy all of the beautiful flora and fauna!

SO PACK YOUR BAGS AND COME ON!

Come visit our neighborhood in Costa Rica! Costa del Sol is a gated community on the Pacific coast located just south of Jaco and a 15 minute drive north of Parrita. Jaco is an old surfing village with lots of open air restaurants, quaint little shops and of course Jaco beach. Parrita is a small local village which offers the convenience of grocery stores, a butcher and a bakery.

When you enter the gates you will be greeted by the friendly security staff (in Spanish of course!).

The brick paved streets lined with palm trees and the lush tropical landscape around the community pool and rancho offer a nice tropical feeling and the stucco homes with clay tile roofs give it a Spanish/Mediterranean flair. Our Homeowners Association has a wonderful on site property management team and the smiling gardeners are always busy pruning and planting to keep our neighborhood beautiful!

The community pool offers several areas with a walk in pool, a deep plunge pool and a soaking pool with stools for enjoying group conversation while relaxing in the cool water. A complete bathhouse includes his and hers banos and showers. The rancho is a very spacious open air dining area complete with an eat at bar with sink and built in grills for barbecuing. There is also a volleyball court and a tennis court.

Yes, Costa del Sol is a beautiful resort neighborhood with wonderful amenities but what really makes it special is the people! A wonderful blend of fun loving folks from all over the world! Some live in Costa del Sol year round, some drive over the mountain to enjoy their weekend retreat and others travel from other countries when schedules allow to spend some "Pura Vida" time in their Casa and mix and mingle for some fun times enjoying the pools, beach and gathering together to feast on delicious Costa Rican fare.

Hats off to The Real Estate Book,a leading publisher of real estate information online and in print, as they kick off their 2nd year with the promotion of SOLD 2009! In Economic times that are filled with negative media it is so refreshing to have a major media advertising magazine to give back to the industry by offering up to 20% of its pages in December 2009 and January 2010 at no additional cost to the advertisers to showcase the homes that were SOLD in 2009. What a great way to build consumer confidence in the real estate industry, the market and the Realtors that have been working hard to provide a service to the Home buyers and Sellers that have been a part of this difficult market.

Audie and Marcia Hodges have made working with The Real Estate Book in the Birmingham area a real pleasure with their attention to detail, willingness to help with marketing ideas, excellent service and affordability. Thanks guys for your contribution in helping us to get homes SOLD in 2009!

As we end this year what a great way to boost consumer awareness and share the success that was had in the sell of homes in 2009. This positive news is important to help us maintain the momentum needed to build our market back.

"The HeartHangers" are proud to advertise in The Real Estate Book and look forward to these publications to celebrate the end of 2009 and mark a new beginning as we move forward in 2010!

CLICK HERE to view a sample listing offered for sale in The Real Estate Book

and to perform a search of homes available.

Please enjoy the video below to see what The Real Estate Book says about this great program they are offering!

About the Author

Debbie Hutchins a Certified Residential Specialist has been a licensed Realtor since 1987. Serving the Greater Birmingham Area and specializing in Shelby County Debbie is available to assist you with your real estate needs. We hope you have enjoyed reading and hope you will come back! You may also subscribe to "debs doodles" and have it delivered to your email! And as always, you are welcome to search the MLS through Debbie's Re/Max website. All phone calls are welcome! You can reach Debbie via her cell phone at 205-368-2474

All data contained within is deemed correct however, RE/MAX First Choice and/or its Sales Associates are not responsible for errors and/or omissions. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Amber Hutchins has joined in with the HealthSouth Walk Team in the JDRF Walk to cure diabetes!

Along with one-half million other walkers across the country they hope to reach a goal of raising $100 million.

Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes, is a devastating disease that affects millions of people, a large and growing percentage of them children.

The good news is that for the first time, scientists are predicting that we CAN expect to see a cure well within our lifetime!

PLEASE CLICK HERE

TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT CAUSE AND HELP AMBER REACH (OR EXCEED) HER GOAL FOR THIS WORTHY CAUSE!

The Birmingham Walk will take place on October 24,2009 at The Summit! Mark your calendar and be sure come out to support all these fine supporters of such a worthwhile cause!

Accolades to the HealthSouth Walk Team! Great success to each of you and may you have beautiful weather and a huge turnout!

GET INVOLVED! MAKE A DONATION OR YOU MAY EVEN WANT TO JOIN IN THE WALK!

Have you had thoughts and dreams of owning your own business?

Do you have an interest in health and fitness?

This wonderful facility is located in Alabama and the proud owner needs to find someone that would be interested in taking over ownership of this business that offers complete training programs in sports and strength training, weight loss, weight gain, speed, agility and flexibility. This 14,000 sq ft building includes 3 Acres in the rear for future additions. It is 70ft wide and 250 ft long with a 30 ft roof which makes it prefect for large events. The facility comes complete with all the strength training equipment to train any and all sports.

A family oriented business for all age groups!

The owner is highly trained in the field of athletics. He has taken an exciting coaching position where he is also continuing his education. Completely hands on in building this business and invested not only his time and money but his blood, sweat and tears to make it into a service industry that he could be proud of. His hope is for it to transfer to an owner with the same commitment.

This business is presently offered at $700,000.

Will also consider selling the equipment and building seperately.

If you would like to check into the possibility of becoming an owner of your own business that is already established give the owner a call today! He would love to talk to you more and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

251-463-7997

"LIVE STRONG, FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!"

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorizes a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009

$8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time home buyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

Frequently Asked Questions about the program

The clock is ticking fast toward the deadline to qualify to use this fantastic opportunity!

The home buying process takes a certain amount of time to get from Point A to Point B.

Your first step is to get with a mortgage company and determine exactly how much home you qualify to purchase based on your income and debt ratios.  Then your Realtor can do a search in the MLS to see what homes are available in your price range that meet the criteria that applies to your particular lifestyle.

The process of elimination iss to narrow those homes down via the Internet to your favorites and then set up appointments to view the homes in person. 

Once you have found the perfect home for you, you and your Realtor will negotiate an acceptable agreement between you and the seller of the home.  You take that agreement to the Mortgage Company and they begin to the process of preparing your mortgage.  In the meantime you will take care of getting an inspection of the property to have a clear understanding about the property's conditiion and start packing for your move.  The mortgage process typically takes approximately 30 to 45 days.

TICK TOCK.....TICK TOCK.....TICK TOCK..... REMEMBER THE DEADLINE TO BE CLOSED IS

DECEMBER 1, 2009!

.....and there can always be unexpected closing delays.  You need to add at least 30 days to your closing window to allow for the unexpected.

But don't just take MY word for it!  Let's see what they are saying on the street about this program.........

So now.....do you here what I am trying to tell you?  Don't you want to be like Elvis and tell the landlord goodbye!?   Give me a call today and lets get this party started!  Home Ownership and the gift of $ 8 K  what a great combination!!

About the Author

Debbie Hutchins a Certified Residential Specialist has been a licensed Realtor since 1987. Serving the Greater Birmingham Area and specializing in Shelby County Debbie is available to assist you with your real estate needs. We hope you have enjoyed reading and hope you will come back! You may also subscribe to "debs doodles" and have it delivered to your email! And as always, you are welcome to search the MLS through Debbie's Re/Max website. All phone calls are welcome! You can reach Debbie via her cell phone at 205-368-2474

All data contained within is deemed correct however, RE/MAX First Choice and/or its Sales Associates are not responsible for errors and/or omissions. Prices are subject to change without notice.