This 87 acre parcel of land in Vestavia Hills, Alabama that was originally a horse farm, was purchased in the 1960's by the Thuss family and later sold to the City of Vestavia Hills in 2007. The prime location between Caldwell Mill Road and the Cahaba River and just around the block from the Colonade shopping center is slated for residential and commercial development and will include a vast array of athletic fields and parks.
There are plans for Life Time Fitness to anchor the project with a $25 million 114,000 square foot two story facility on 13 acres and will include an amazing fitness center geared toward offering something for everyone and will include spas, swimming pools with water slides and rock climbing walls.
CLICK HERE to view the website for this wonderful facility that offers a healthy way of life through fitness, sports, activities, nutrition and relaxation.
The facility has an agreement with the City of Vestavia to be built within three years. The convenient location just minutes off of I-459 or Hwy 280 should bring fitness and fun loving people from the surrounding areas to utilize all of the great features this project will offer. Life Time Fitness currently has 83 locations in 18 states and offers a nice selection of memberships.
Other features of the commercial area are hopeful to be business that will benefit the residential homeowners such as retail, restaurants, medical facilities and banks. I would cast my vote for a nice deli, ice cream shop and hair and nail shop!
There was an original agreement with the land purchase to reserve approximately 12 acres for a public park but the City has plans for a larger area to also include athletic fields for soccer and football.
This is an exciting project for the City of Vestavia Hills and the residents will benefit greatly by the mixed use development of this wonderful property. Other new developments in the area such as Old Looney Mill Place, a small community with only seven home sites located just across from Patchwork Farms, will also enjoy the convenience of all that will be offered here.
The Patchwork Farm property as noted with the "red star" above will offer convenient access from all directions!
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 Debbies 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.
VULCAN The Iron Man is standing tall and proud as he overlooks Birmingham in it's strong come back in the real estate market!
Money Magazine placed Birmingham #3 in their TOP 10 local real estate markets to recover: This publication predicts good news for our market. The April issue of Money Magazine says Birmingham will be one of the Nation’s first markets to rally, showing increases in median sales prices this year. The report says the Birmingham area will experience a 2% rise in values by the end of 2009. This compares favorably with other markets such as Atlanta, St. Louis, San Antonio, Charlotte and Knoxville which won’t see increases until the first half of 2010. Much of the rest of the nation, according to Money Magazine, won’t see improvements until the end of 2010 or later. Prices nationally aren’t expected to get back to 2006 levels for a while. Money Magazine reports that it may take another decade before that happens; another indication that affordability will be with us for awhile. Again this is good news for consumers.
March 2009 home sales increased over February 2009 by 129 more units. This is an 18% increase in closings. When comparing March 2009 sales with March 2008, sales were down by 308 units, representing a 27% decrease. The average price in March 2009 was 18% behind the average in March one year ago. The median price in March 2009 was down 14% from March 2008.
Foreclosure sales remain a significant factor in the local market. The 336 foreclosure sales in March represent 40% of the total. This compares to 39% of the total in February and 45% of the total for January. The average foreclosure price in March was $66,959. In February the average foreclosure price was $78,044. In January the average foreclosure price was $75,697.
Inventory stands at 10,649 listings which compares favorably to August 2007 when inventory reached an all time high of 13,582 listings. Still too much inventory exists in a market with too few buyers. The Real Deal promotion is expected to create traffic for our entire market.
With this great news and the many wonderful factors available in the market today such as:
Mortgage rates have dropped to record lows. Current rates nationally are at their lowest since the 1950’s.
Home affordability is up. The weak housing market has improved affordability. NAR President Charles McMillan says housing affordability is at a record high. With the drop in interest rates, a median-income family can afford a home costing $20,000 more than a year ago for the same monthly mortgage payment.
The housing stimulus is a factor: First time buyers can take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit they can receive for buying a home if they act now. This is a wonderful opportunity to get this money back when you buy a home in 2009!
NOW is a Great Time to Buy a Home in the
Birmingham, Alabama Metro Area!
"So what are you waiting for? Give me a call today! And when we get through shopping and have all the details taken care of we can can head on over to VULCAN and check out THE IRON MAN where you can enjoy some of the most beautiful views of this great city!
The statistics in this report compare total residential sales for March 2009 vs. March 2008 as compiled by the Birmingham Area Multiple Listing Service, Inc. of the Birmingham Association ofREALTORS®
"Till the Last Shot's Fired" sang by Trace Adkins and accompanied by the West Point Glee Club during the Acadamy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 5 reminds us of the importance of supporting our troops not only while they are fighting for our country but also after they return. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is the charity that was selected by the ACM charitable fund Lifting Lives to support, and this performance by Trace that appears on his newest album, X, will donate profits from this song on ITunes to this great cause.
Please visit the web site WOUNDED WARRIORS PROJECT to see all of the many great things that are being done by this non profit organization and if there is something that YOU can do to contribute to this needed cause to help make the transition easier for the dedicated soldiers that have so proudly served our country.
God Bless the USA and the Wounded Warriors
and a very special Thank You for YOUR support!
When you are ready to enter the market to sell your home one of the first things you will need is a CMA or Comparative Market Analysis.
A CMA is a comprehensive detailed report of the real estate market inside your neighborhood and the surrounding area that shows you the statistical information that you need to arrive at a correct price at which to offer your home for sale on the market.
In this report you will find the ACTIVE LISTINGS - Homes that are presently on the market....YOUR Competition.
CANCELED, WITHDRAWN and EXPIRED Listings - Homes that have been removed or expired off of the market.
PENDING SALES - Homes that have gone Under Contract and are waiting to close.
SOLDS - Properties that have actually Sold and Closed and are what become the COMPS or Comparative Properties that are used to price your home and are used by Appraisers to appraise the properties to determine Appraised value. These are what you want to give the strongest consideration.
You will be able to review all of the important details about each of these homes such as year built, number of days it has been on the market, compare the rooms offered, lot size and description, features of home, condition, additions and updating of home, the original list price and the current offering price. The CMA will include photos of the homes exteriors and if you want to look at the interiors of each home to see how they visual compare you can be provided an on line report where you can view virtual tours of all the homes.
This report will also include easy to read color charts to help you visually see the comparisons of these properties! It will also show you the Average, Low and High Price in each category.
When reviewing the Sold properties you can see the List price of home, the Price that it actually sold for, the number of days it took to get it sold, the % of Sold to List and the date that it closed.
The Real Estate Market changes just like the Financial, Stock and World Markets so you always need to look at the data to see what the market shows during the period of time that you are in. Most CMA's are typically done for the previous 6 months. There are many factors that can have an affect on the value of a property such as the Supply - number of homes on the market and the Demand - number of buyers in the market. You also need to consider if this factor is increasing, decreasing or constant. The value of your real estate can also be threatened by outside influences such as changes in governmental policy and the economy.
When you are selling a home in a market that is Price driven like we are in today it is CRITICAL that you price the home properly in the beginning or you can spend many days on the market with no results.
So if you have thoughts of putting your home on the market give me a call today and let me put together a Comparative Market Analysis for you to review. We can sit down at your kitchen table with a nice hot cup of coffee or iced tea and help you to decide the offering price of your home. And while I am there I can also give you some ideas on things that you might need to do to prepare your home for the market!
Click on the links below to view more information on marketing your home:
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 Debbies 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.
The magical Easter Egg has become a universal symbol of Easter and thus the popular Easter Egg hunts that are held all around the world!
This unique oval shaped egg takes the stage every Easter as young and old alike drag out the utensils to began the annual project of decorating their Easter Eggs!
The "EGG" has been decorated in every way imaginable! It has been dyed, colored, painted and adorned in every way humanly possible to create the most beautiful Easter Egg of all!
And yes there are even contests to determine who has managed to create the winning Egg!
Some like to just grab the Egg Decorating kit from the local discount store and get the job overwith quickly...ahhh...but others go to great pains to come up with the most unique offering of the season.
Egg decorating is actually considered by some to be an art form and adorn their eggs with jewels, braids and other beautiful objects. And don't forget the famous Faberge eggs that were designed by Peter Carl Faberge in the 1800's! Now that is certainly an example of turning an egg into gold!
But whatever your delight is in the decorating of Easter Eggs it is always a joy to hear the laughter and join in the festivities as the bright eyed happy children dressed in their Easter frocks and fancy pants run to find the eggs with high hopes of finding the always sought after "Golden Egg"!
If you are tired of the same old primary colors for your Easter eggs and want to get a bit creative here is a color chart to help you make a wide variety of colors to dye Easter eggs.
Following the instruction on the chart below to mix each color. Mix the number of drops of each food coloring with about 2 - 4 ounces of vinegar for dipping.
EASTER EGG COLORING CHART
Lime - 24 yellow, 4 green
Purple - 15 blue, 5 red
Cantaloupe - 24 yellow, 2 red
Jade - 17 green, 3 blue
Plum - 10 red, 4 blue
Spearmint - 12 green, 6 yellow, 2 blue
Raspberry - 14 red, 6 blue
Maize - 24 yellow, 1 red
Watermelon - 25 red, 2 blue
Teal - 15 green, 5 blue
Grape - 17 blue, 3 red
Fuchsia - 18 red, 2 blue
Orange Sunset - 17 yellow, 3 red
Jungle Green - 14 green, 6 yellow
May each and every one enjoy a Happy and Blessed Easter with your loved ones!
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 Debbies 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.
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"YOUR" Certified Residential Specialist in the Greater Birmingham Alabama Area specializing in Over the Mountain and Shelby County!
All real estate licensees are not the same. Only real estate licensees who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR "®" logo on the business card or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate.
The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria.
The Certified New Home Sales 
Professional (CSP) designation is the first designation available through The Institute of Residential Marketing. CSP was designed for specialists in new home sales to enhance their professional image, increase their marketability in the home building industry and sell more homes!
The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made the commitment to provide a high level of professional services by securing a strong educational foundation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients.
There are over one million REALTORS® in business today. So if you want to find that one-in-a-million REALTOR®, start with the over 37,000 who hold the Certified Residential Specialist Designation. CRS is the symbol of excellence in residential real estate. Our members have proven they have the experience, training and commitment to be among the best in their profession.
~ Education is the tool to being a Specialist in your field ~
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Club of Excellence since 1988 Vulcan MemberFirst Real Estate Top 10
ReMax Top 100
ReMax Presidents Club
ReMax 100% Club
ReMax Hall of Fame
LICENSED SINCE 1986 I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN
SPECIALIZING IN
SERVING ALL OF THE GREATER BIRMINGHAM OVER THE MOUNTAIN AREA - SHELBY COUNTY, ALABASTER, HELENA, PELHAM, CHELSEA, HOOVER, VESTAVIA
Debbie - we just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your help in finding our current home. We love it here! As you know, this is our fourth property that you have assisted in purchasing. As always, all aspects of the purchase went smoothly and timely. Thanks again for everything!
Mark and Amee Maddox
Debbie Hutchins is a true miracle worker. I met Debbie through a friend and found out she was a Real estate agent. We had just built a spec house. Unfortunately we could not sell it, so we moved in and continued to try. It still would not sell so we thought we would give Debbie a chance. She not only had one contract but a back up contract and someone else who wanted it. Debbie advised them if something happened she would get back to them. This house was located on the Ledges at Meadowbrook. Next house was in Grey Stone. Again Debbie listed our house and it sold. So we moved to a spec house we built at Lay Lake and guess what Debbie again sold our house. Not only has Debbie sold our houses fast, she cared enough to tactfully let us know what changes should be made in order for it to sell faster. I must add unless you are serious about selling your house and have somewhere to move fast you might consider using someone else. I am a testament that time and time again Debbie Hutchins is the Very Best!!
Lenda Farmer
“Debbie Hutchins is the first person I call for all of my real estate needs! I have called upon her to list homes I have built and my personal residences as well. She has also assisted me in the purchase of investment properties. The knowledge and advice she has shared with me have always pointed me in the right direction and I would highly recommend her to anyone needing real estate assistance!”
Lori Sullivan
"Debbie has help me over the years with my professional career as a Construction loan officer with her understanding and knowledge of the residential housing market and has helped my family buy and sell our personal homes."
Dan MacArthur
"Whether you are buying or selling a home, Debbie can help to make the experience stress free and at ease with the best guidance. As her daughter, I am not being biased to say she is very professional and attentive to detail. She recently helped me purchase my first home and made the process a breeze for me! You can rely on her to handle all the details and get the best deal for you! Trustworthy and caring, I recommend her to help with these very important decisions in your life!"
Amber Hutchins
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