What Does Toni Have To Say?

Recently we moved to a new home.  It has hardwoods floors through the main level except the master bedroom.

 Personally, I like carpet because it is easier on my feet.  My husband loves the hardwood floors and they DO look nice when you walk in the front door and the wood shines all the way through to the wall of windows on the back of the house.

 I wanted a rug in the living room because I thought it would make the room look more cozy.  Rug shopping wasn't easy.  Have you ever tried to "flip" rugs?  You know they have someone working in the rug store whose job it is just to flip rugs.  Boy, I bet they are tired at the end of the day!  I wanted something that was more contemporary and opposed to the old oriental looking rugs.  Then of course, we had to have the correct colors....  Needless to say, this was something you had to SHOP for.

 Getting a new rug was only one of many projects you take on after buying a new house. You have to arrange furniture and "decorate". One thing we noticed is that Maggie didn't want to sit in the Living Room with us.  She would either sit by the front door and look out (she is quite a "watch dog"), or she would go to the master bedroom and sleep.  She would come out to be petted when we were watching TV, then go back to sleep in the bedroom.

 Last week we finally brought home a rug for the living room.  It wasn't quite the size we were looking for - but we were pretty tired of "shopping" - so we had to work with it.  After a couple of days of arranging and rearranging, we settled on the location of the rug and furniture.  I am really happy with the end result.

AND SO IS MAGGIE.  Maggie LOVES the rug.  Now she is quite happy and takes several naps a day on the rug, and sits with the family when we watch TV or read in the living room.  Rugs add comfort to YOUR life and YOURS DOGS dogs.

If you'd like to find a new home that you can decorate, I can help.  Contact me at 205-821-3312 or e-mail at Toni@ToniBird.com

The New Stimulus Bill that President Obma just signed into law gives First Time Home Buyers a TAX CREDIT of 10% of the purchase price for a home purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.  This means if you buy a home that costs $80,000 or more, you will receive an $8000 tax credit.   The maximum you can receive is $8000, but even if you pay a lot more than 80K for a house, that $8,000 is still a nice little sum.

This 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath home for sale in Hoover Alabama is priced at $153,900.  If you purchased this home, you could get an $8000 tax credit next winter!

If you were waiting for something great to happen THIS IS IT.  There was a tax credit in the housing bill that former President Bush signed, however, that one had to be paid back over time.  This Tax Credit for 1^st Time Home Buyers is bigger AND doesn't have to be paid back.

Interest rates are still low and now you get a credit - Not a deduction, so you will pay up to $8000 in less tax.

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to contact a lender and get pre-approved for a loan.  There is nothing you have to apply for to get the credit, just request the credit when you file your 2009 tax return next winter.

You can shop for houses on line at my website www.ToniBird.com,  When you are ready, contact me and I'll help you find the home of your dreams.

Home sales in the Hoover, Alabama were down in January 2009 to 44 - but that number is still higher than they were in November 2008 (33).

In the Hoover Alabama area, the average salesprice was $288,806 with prices ranging from $79,900 for a 3 Bedroom 1 Bath in Chapel Hill, to $599,000 for a 5 bedroom 4.5 Bath in the Ross Bridge.  Currently, there are 927 homes on the market.  Just think of the possibilities!  Of course not every house is for everyone so a realtor can help you sort out what suits your needs. 

Activity of people looking for a home has picked up after the 1^st of February and sales in February and March should increase.

If you would like any specific information about YOUR neighborhood, or to sign up for Hot Breaking News on New Listings, contact me at www.ToniBird.com.

I have a home for sale in Pelham, Alabama, that has been on the market a while and the price has been reduced to an amount less than the seller paid for the property.  It is a DEAL.  I had a couple look at the property for sale with their buyer's agent about three weeks ago and they got really excited about it.  It was "the one" that they wanted.  They started making plans for furniture and moving in, but they saw no need to hurry to make an offer because their lease wasn't up on their apartment until the end of March.  Several weekends they went out of town and just couldn't meet with their realtor to put an offer in.

Their realtor kept telling them, that this house was priced right and it wouldn't last long at this price.

Guess what.  Last Thursday night we got an offer in on the property from another couple who thought it was the perfect property.  They needed to move quickly and were ready to go.   

The first couple was so disappointment that their dream home was gone.  Yes, there are other properties out there, but this was the one that they liked the best!  Now it is gone.

Don't let this happen to you.  You hear every day that this is a Buyer's Market, which means there is a lot to choose from and prices are good.  Houses ARE selling though, so if you see the house of your dreams Put It Under Contract.

If YOU are thinking about Buying A Home in Hoover, Alabama or the greater Birmingham area, let me help.  Contact me at 205-821-3312 or Toni@ToniBird.com.

Home sales across the nation were down in January. Vestavia was no exception. In January, Vestavia saw 15 homes sell - down from 24 in December. Part of this is seasonal and part is based on the rough economic news. Three sales were in Liberty Park. The average salesprice was $306,384 with prices ranging from $93,500 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in Montreat to $545,000 for a 6BR 4 BA home in Cross Ridge.  The average days on market for sold properties was 88.  Currently there are 412 properties on the market in Vestavia which represents a 27.46 month supply.  If we look at properties in Pending Sale though, we see 17 homes have contracts on them - 14 contracts were written in January, so sales in February should increase from this January low.

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

Alabaster Alabama is a great place to live and is still within commuting distance to downtown Birmingham. Home sale numbers in Alabaster remained stable in January with 28 (24 closed in November and 28 closed in December). Fifteen of the 28 sales were foreclosed properties.  Many were sold at huge discounts causing the average sales price to drop to $137,539.  Sales ranged from $45,000 for a 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath off Kent Dairy Rd. to $219,900 for a 4 Bedroom, 3 Bath new home at Sterling Gate.  The average days on the market for sold properties was 93.  Inventory continues to decrease and currently there are 393 properties on the market (down from 419 in November) which represents a 13.85 month supply.

Looking for a new home?  Search for a home in Alabaster, Alabama or the Greater Birmingham Area at my website www.ToniBird.com.