Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Blog

Those ominous words, but what do they mean? Here in Alabama, buyer beware means just that.... buyer beware.

Alabama is one of a handful of states that still operates under "caveat emptor" which means buyer beware

An article was posted today on al.com by Sean Riley, Home Buyers In State Have Little Protection, that addresses this policy here in Alabama.

The article noted Jeff Newman, from the Mobile Area Association of Realtors, as saying that "...in his experience, 90 percent of disputes are the result of miscommunication." and "There's no intent to do wrong..."

One of the most ironic points of the article was that, since Alabama was still a Buyer Beware state, "...real estate professionals may find themselves at greater risk of getting sued because Alabama does not require sellers to disclose all known property conditions."

Also, according to the article, "In a study published in 2003, Zumpano and a co-author found that more than three-quarters of lawsuits in Alabama against real estate salespeople were in some way related to the condition of property being sold. The study also found that the rate of lawsuits was higher in Alabama than in three other Southern states that had disclosure laws on the books."

So, what does all of this mean to the consumer, or should I say, YOU the buyer and seller. First, let me say that you do have options.

Sellers, you can get a home inspection done before you place your home on the market and address what needs to be fixed. As a seller, your agent can share this with prospective buyers to show what was found and what was fixed. Also, homeowner, keep your records and paperwork for anything you had done on the house like replacing an air conditioner or replacing the roof, for example.

Buyers, you get a home inspection too! Even if the sellers have had a preinspection like the one noted above, we would recommend getting another one maybe even from a different inspection company. This just keeps the companies honest and you never know what could have been missed on accident during the first inspection or has broken since it was inspected. Also, you can make the contract contingent upon the home inspection. By doing this you have an escape clause in case the inspection comes back a little shady.

These are just a few of ideas you can do to protect yourself and probably the biggest financial investment of your life. Hopefully, once the transaction is over and you are settled in your experience and home will leave you feeling more like this! (and not like the lady up there!)

I was reading a post today from Ginger Wilcox here on ActiveRain about her purse being stolen while Christmas shopping and I reflected on the fact that two people close to me, my grandmother and a close family friend, were also both robbed over the holiday. I have being telling my wife over and over again to be careful! 

I immediately thought of one answer a friend shared with me. You can see it here on the right, but I thought the gun-cell might not be very inconspicuous. So I searched on to other answers.

Because of these types of things happening, I was prompted to look up some things on Agent Safety and I found an article by Wendy Cole on Realtor magazine that addresses this exact issue, Defensive behavior: safety tips just for you. In this article, which I highly recommend you go and read, she noted nine safety rules. Let me add that these safety rules, in my opinion, are also good for anyone, not just real estate agents.

Wendy's 9 Safety Rules were (and I quote):

• "Know your prospects. Never meet a first-time prospect at a property based only on a phone call. Meet at your office first. Tell the prospect that it’s company policy to make a copy of a driver’s identification of all customers. (Download a customizable prospect identification form.) Also, introduce that person to at least two other people in your office. Criminals are less likely to take action if they think they’ll be recognized."
  
  
• "Create a distress code. When you feel threatened, you can use this seemingly benign verbal code in a phone conversation to your coworkers, friends, or family. The code is a tip-off that you’re in danger and need help. For example, your distress code may be the phrase “red file.” If you’re in trouble, you would call your office and say something like “could you see if there’s a RED FILE on the property?” The person on the phone would then know to call 911 or take another action you’ve agreed upon."
  
  
• "Don’t be too flashy. Wear conservative clothing and avoid ostentatious jewelry that could make you a target for theft. Real estate professionals often market themselves with photos, which can be risky, as perpetrators have been known to scan real estate photos looking for victims. Make sure your business photos are professional, not sexy, so that you don’t attract unwanted attention. Also, don’t reveal too much personal information in your ads or in conversations with customers."
  
  
• "Be in the driver’s seat. Always use your own car when showing a property so you stay in control. If a client insists on driving, let him take his own car and follow behind you. Also, remember to lock the doors whenever entering or leaving your vehicle to prevent criminals from attacking after you’re in the car, or waiting for you in the car while you’re running errands. "
  
  
• "Don’t get stranded. Always keep your car’s gas tank filled above a quarter-tank. Also, keep the following safety tools in the car: A charged cell phone, a battery jumper, a spare tire, and a roadside emergency kit that includes a flashlight and flares. "
  
  
• "Carry pepper spray. Have a pepper spray dispenser easily accessible on your key chain at all times. Pepper spray is a chemical that causes temporary pain and even blindness when sprayed on an attacker. It also can be used against aggressive animals."
  
  
• "Keep an eye on the exit. During home showings, never walk into a room first. Instead, allow potential buyers to explore areas of the home on their own, with you following behind to answer their questions. Avoid escorting prospects into basements or other secluded areas, where you can become trapped. Always position yourself between the customer and the exit. "
  
  
• "Check in often. Let your office and family know when, where, and with whom your appointments will be and when you expect to return. Make it your policy to check in every hour when you’re with clients. If you don’t call to check in, the office should call you right away. "
  
  
• "Never say you’re alone. If you encounter an individual while working late at the office, never indicate to that person that you are by yourself. Say something like, “My supervisor will be right with you and should be able to assist you.” Likewise, if you’re meeting a customer at a home for a showing, never say anything about the home being “vacant.” Make it seem as though other people may be there."

Realtor magazine actually had a page of links to articles about Agent Safety that you can access here.

I just wanted to encourage us all to be safe during this season and the upcoming year.

I was doing some reading about gated communities and I found that a lot of people have a lot of opinions about them.

I found an article online by Tim Dillard, Why People Are Relocating to Gated Communities, which had some interesting things to say.

In his article Tim pointed out, "Gated communities are among the most popular neighborhoods for new homes... Gated communities are booming, which shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with housing trends across the nation... The popularity of gated communities is rising nationwide as the country deals with concerns about safety, comfort and security."

After reading this I went into our Birmingham Multiple Listing Service and looked to see just what was on the market in the Birmingham area in some of our gated communities.

I spotlighted just a few of them here below. You can click the link to see all of the active listings in each one (as of 12/20/2007):

* Liberty Park

* Carrington (Carrington Lakes)

* Greystone (including Greystone, Greystone Legacy, and Greystone Farms)

* Highland Lakes

* Lake Cyrus

* Lake Heather

* Shoal Creek

Please also note that these subdivisions may be partly or totally gated. Not all of the are gated in the entire subdivision, but according to the MLS all of these are in the gated parts.

Like Tim said, "Gated communities, depending on the neighborhood, may have golf courses, country clubs, lakes with private docks, parks and hiking trails and fitness clubs. The neighborhoods range in atmosphere from small town suburban to secluded luxury estates, with a wide range of choices between. There are home sites available on lake fronts, with river views, tucked into hillsides or fronting the golf green. Whatever the needs or desires of your family in a home, you're likely to find it in one of the beautiful gated communities..."

These have some of those same differences.

To get another (hopefully humorous) perspective...

     Just a quick note to let you know how we can best serve the people you refer to us. Recently a friend asked, “What is the best way to refer people I care about to you?” The advice we gave him was to call us directly whenever he knew someone who could benefit from our service, and we could discuss the best way for us to     connect with his friends and family.

     Unlike most realtors who spend 70% of their day prospecting for new business, we spend most of our time focusing on your needs giving you the attention you deserve. Our philosophy is not typical in the real estate industry, but it enables us to treat you as we wish to be treated. Understanding the lifetime value of a satisfied client, our goal is to deliver world-class service which exceeds your expectations, resulting in your desire to tell your friends, family, and associates about us.

    So, when you want to refer a family member, friend, of associate to us simply call us directly so we can discuss the best way to approach them, or call our 24 hour Referral Hotline 1-888-236-9914 ext. 2, which has a FREE Recorded Message. Remember, a referral is sending someone you care about to someone you know and trust.

 Jason Secor & Stephen Wolfe,

Your Real Estate Consultants for Life

LivingInGreaterBirmingham.com

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Trussville Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

November 2007
Listed Properties (during the month): 53
Average Price: $299,297 (Median Price: $259,900)
Price Range: $83,000-$799,900

November 2006
Listed Properties (during the month): 50
Average Price: $291,145 (Median Price: $251,200)
Price Range: $107,000-$844,900

November 2007
Sold Properties: 23
Average Price: $211,853 (Median Price: $201,354)
Price Range: $28,000-$378,500
Average Days on Market: 152

November 2006
Sold Properties: 62
Average Price: $240,795 (Median Price: $234,934)
Price Range: $24,000-$429,000
Average Days on Market: 84

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Trussville area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

You can find all the Birmingham Alabama Real Estate stats on Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham, or on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Blog.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 12/19/07 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Wolfe & Jason Secor

Living In Greater Birmingham

Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Hoover Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

November 2007
Listed Properties (during the month): 122
Average Price: $390,853 (Median Price: $326,100)
Price Range: $64,900-$2,800,000

November 2006
Listed Properties (during the month): 138
Average Price: $414,821  (Median Price: $327,200)
Price Range: $140,000-$1,650,000

November 2007
Sold Properties: 80
Average Price: $362,354 (Median Price: $334,335)
Price Range: $151,000-$1,550,000
Average Days on Market: 96

November 2006
Sold Properties: 99
Average Price: $334,442 (Median Price: $284,880)
Price Range: $97,500-$889,000
Average Days on Market: 106

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Hoover area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

To see how much your Hoover Home may be worth visit HooverHomePrices.com, or to search all of the homes for sale in Hoover and all its communities visit HooverHomeSearch.com

You can also find all the Birmingham Alabama Real Estate stats here on Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham

Learn more about Hoover at Hoover Alabama Real Estate Guide and Community Tour, an earlier post giving a brief history and video of the Hoover area.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 12/19/07 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Wolfe & Jason Secor

Living In Greater Birmingham

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Mountain Brook Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

November 2007
Listed Properties (during the month): 27
Average Price: $809,835 (Median Price: $627,855)
Price Range: $299,900-$3,499,000

November 2006
Listed Properties (during the month): 27
Average Price:  $769,701 (Median Price: $611,718)
Price Range: $255,000-$2,750,000

November 2007
Sold Properties: 22
Average Price: $643,075 (Median Price: $502,000 )
Price Range: $225,000-$2,102,000
Average Days on Market: 61

November 2006
Sold Properties: 20
Average Price: $574,283 (Median Price: $525,000)
Price Range: $285,000-$1,300,000
Average Days on Market: 90

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Mountain Brook area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

You can find all the Birmingham Alabama Real Estate stats on Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham, or on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Blog.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 12/19/07 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Wolfe & Jason Secor

Living In Greater Birmingham

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Vestavia Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

November 2007
Listed Properties (during the month): 46
Average Price: $498,615 (Median Price: $359,900)
Price Range: $209,000-$2,750,000

November 2006
Listed Properties (during the month): 52
Average Price: $410,535 (Median Price: $296,250)
Price Range: $187,000-$1,675,000

November 2007
Sold Properties: 23
Average Price: $503,691 (Median Price: $384,500)
Price Range: $180,500-$1,250,000
Average Days on Market: 171 (The seems high! The average DOM for 2007 is still less than 90 days.)

November 2006
Sold Properties: 29
Average Price: $384,152 (Median Price: $315,000)
Price Range: $168,900-$963,230
Average Days on Market: 78

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Vestavia area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

You can find all the Birmingham Alabama Real Estate stats on Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham, or on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Blog.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 12/19/07 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Wolfe & Jason Secor

Living In Greater Birmingham

I think it's important as a Real Estate Consultant, as a resident, or a future home buyer or seller in the Homewood Area to know the stats.

With so much media coverage about "the state of the real estate market" being broadcast, I want to start doing a now and then segment to show how the market has changed from one year to the next.

November 2007
Listed Properties (during the month): 42
Average Price: $333,456 (Median Price: $254,900)
Price Range: $145,000-$839,900

November 2006
Listed Properties (during the month): 69
Average Price: $417,821 (Median Price: $330,000)
Price Range: $157,000-$995,000

November 2007
Sold Properties: 26
Average Price: $314,993 (Median Price: $242,500)
Price Range: $149,000-$790,000
Average Days on Market: 106

November 2006
Sold Properties: 24
Average Price: $312,793  (Median Price: $291,750)
Price Range: $50,000-$795,000
Average Days on Market: 83

If you would like to be contacted as soon as homes become available in the Homewood area just let me know, or if you would like to see statistics about other areas, don't hesitate to ask.

You can find all the Birmingham Alabama Real Estate stats on Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham, or on Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Blog.

*Note these stats are accurate as of 12/19/07 according to the Birmingham MLS. They are subject to change as agents submit listed and sold properties into the MLS.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Wolfe & Jason Secor

Living In Greater Birmingham

Your Guide To Living In Greater Birmingham

“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors." When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem …(because of the) star they had seen in the east (that) went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”

Taken from Matthew 2 & Luke 2

I wanted to take the time this season to keep us all reminded of the reason for the season. It’s so easy to become distracted in such a busy time. In reflecting on this story, I came to the realization that I believe this amazing story has some meaningful comparisons that can be drawn from it. Prosperity comes to mind when I read about the wise men. I consider provision, as I reflect on the shepherds. And when I think of the Baby Jesus, I think of the Gift, the thing that we pursue to take hold of more than anything else in life.

In this coming year I want to wish upon you these things. As you pursue that which is important to you in life I want to wish upon you provision on your journey. I also want to wish upon you the prosperity that comes when you pursue what is important.

Here’s to a year of prosperity, provision, and possession of the important things in life.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!