By the time the relocations set forth during the Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC) of 2005 are complete in the year 2011, approximately 4,700 new people will have moved to Huntsville, Alabama due to job transfers. Many of these people and positions will come from the northern Virginia area. Some of them will come from Georgia. Alabama will also see its first four-star command thanks to BRAC.
As for 2008, the Tennessee Valley BRAC Commission states that the 2nd Recruiting Brigade facility should be completed in time to house the 2nd Recruiting Brigade that will relocate this year. That will put roughly 700 transfers at the U. S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville Alabama this year. Along with these changes, numerous support positions may also be created. What can everyone expect as they begin the process of moving to Alabama? And what does Huntsville have to offer that workers didn´t have before?
Huntsville Real Estate
The 2007 Coldwell Banker® Home Price Comparison named Huntsville real estate the most affordable residential real estate market in Alabama. When looking at a 2,200 square-foot house with four bedrooms and two and a half baths, the average cost for Huntsville was $212,183. A similar house in Atlanta, Georgia showed a price of $324,000. Find that same house in Alexandria, Virginia and the price skyrockets to $771,500. In other words, if BRAC has you relocating to Huntsville, real estate prices will be an enormous benefit when transferring from Georgia or Virginia.
Cost of LivingA cost of living comparison from CNNMoney.com shows that an annual income of $120,000 in Washington DC is equivalent to approximately $78,000 a year in Huntsville. To state it another way, relocation from the DC/northern Virginia area to Huntsville is almost like getting a 50% pay increase. The comparison states that in Huntsville groceries were 14% less, utilities were 29% less, transportation was 7% less and healthcare was 18% less than in Washington. While not as large a difference, a $120,000 annual salary in Atlanta would equate to $113,000 in Huntsville. Groceries were 3.9% less, utilities 4.1% less, transportation 3.6% less and healthcare 12.4% less in Huntsville than in Atlanta.
Taxes
Alabama has some of the lowest income tax rates in the nation. You´ll also find very low property tax rates in this area. A home valued at $100,000 in Huntsville would have a property tax bill of less than $600. Not true in Georgia or Virginia. Another item to consider is that retired military and civil service income is exempt from personal income tax in Alabama, making this state an ideal place for those planning to retire from military vocations soon.EntertainmentNot only is Huntsville an economical place to live, it´s also an entertaining one. Golf and boating are popular sports thanks to an average temperature in the upper 80s during summer and low 30s during winter. Outdoor activities are an option most of the year.
The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra has provided magnificent concerts and award-winning educational programs for over 50 years. At the newly opened Bridge Street Town Center you´ll find upscale shops as well as familiar favorites. Gondola rides, paddleboats, fine dining, and movies make this a place you have to see to believe. You can´t talk about Huntsville, however, without mentioning the U. S. Space and Rocket Center. See actual moon rocks, the Apollo 16 command module and more. Adults and children alike will enjoy the center as well as the space camps it offers.If you're headed to Huntsville due to BRAC relocations, you won´t be disappointed.
With its low cost of living and great resources, Huntsville is an awesome place to call home.Mike Manosky has over 16-years experience serving the needs of those who wish to buy Huntsville real estate. If you're thinking of moving to Huntsville, real estate listings that match your criteria can be sent to you immediately. Contact Mike today to get started. http://www.movetohuntsville.com/. © 2008, All Rights Reserved
Huntsville homes for sale
Huntsville house for sale
Monday, January 28, 2008
2008 BRAC Update For Huntsville, Alabama
Tuscaloosa Co. led state in real estate salesSales down, inventories up overall statewide
With minor fallout from the national subprime mortgage meltdown and growing fears of recession, 2007 may not have been a banner year for Alabama real estate markets, but it came close.Tuscaloosa County led the state’s major real estate markets in sales growth for 2007, while the year also marked the third strongest on record for Alabama home sales, according to information released Thursday by the Alabama Center for Real Estate.
Tuscaloosa County boasted a 12.69 percent increase in sales over 2006. Muscle Shoals took the mid-size market sales crown with 4.62 percent growth, while Walker County represented the only rural area to grow in 2007, with a 21.69 percent increase in sales. Todd Vick, president of the Homebuilders Association of Tuscaloosa, attributed Tuscaloosa’s success in part to the presence of institutions such as the University of Alabama and DCH Medical Center, which tend to have a moderating influence on sharp swings in the economy.“Relative to some other areas, Tuscaloosa has maintained a pretty stable growth pattern,” Vick said. “I don’t think it was hit nearly as hard as some of the other metropolitan areas around the country.”
Alabama ended the year with 57,083 units sold, a modest year-over-year decline of five percent compared to the high double-digit decline experienced by its regional and national counterparts. The state housing market, however, is not without its challenges. The recent downward trend in monthly home sales continued in December, dropping 1.96 percent from November and 17.59 percent compared to December 2006.Grayson Glaze, director of the UA-based real estate center said such numbers must be viewed in the context of Alabama’s recent spate of recording breaking sales years.“One must recognize that preceding December home sales represented the second best on record at 4,492 units for the month,” he said.
Despite December being the third consecutive month with fewer homes on the market, the state housing inventory remains bloated at 41,604 units. At the current sales pace, Glaze said it would take 11 months to work through that inventory. “This is considered unhealthy and significantly higher than traditional and desired industry levels of approximately six months,” Glaze said.An overabundance of homes has proven to be one of the most significant drags on the Alabama housing market in the past year, driving down home prices and boosting the average time homes spend on the market.
A crisis in consumer confidence caused by the subprime meltdown, rising fuel and food prices and other economic woes has made absorbing the excess housing difficult. Barring a recession, the center projects that inventory will return to more desirable levels in the second half of 2008. Glaze said a return to normal levels will indicate the market’s readiness to move beyond the current correction. The center predicts that home sales will return to a more sustainable pace in 2008 compared to recent years where record sales were the norm. Sales for 2008 are projected to fall below 2007 levels. Reach Matt Hawk at matt.hawk@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0213.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Alabama real estate web design and marketing
Check out our new blog created to help Alabama real estate agents to better understand the online marketing process. Real estate web designers can learn a bunch out of our blog
http://alabamasrealestate.blogspot.com/
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Making the bestof downtown life
Huntsville Times
The campaign to bring more life to downtown Huntsville is more like a football season than a single game. There's a new challenge each week, it seems, and it's hard to win them all, even when you're a team.
Two recent meetings of downtown business owners and city officials showed just how tricky it can be. Consider:
That downtown is far from dead now. Almost the entire central core north of Huntsville Hospital and south of I-565 is occupied. There are many fine restaurants and bars already, including 801 Franklin, Ruth's Cris Steakhouse, the Furniture Factory, Partners, Kaffeeklatsch, Crossroads, Masons, Humphrey's, the Chophouse, Sammy T's, the Bistro du Soleil, Papou's, the Voodoo Lounge and the Jazz Factory.
That despite those, and the ones I've probably left out, most downtown buildings still hold offices that close at 5 p.m. Worse, for this discussion, is that most of those are storefront attorneys' offices and the like, meaning there is rarely new street-level space for shops or hangouts.
That almost no one lives downtown to support what is there, although people do live nearby in the historic districts.
That no people means nightlife thrives on the weekends and starves during the week. People from all over head downtown on weekends but, during the week, stop at restaurants and bars closer to Home Sweet Suburb.
How do we keep downtown busy all week so it thrives and grows? How do we get the entertainment, shopping and living zone we all seem to want?
If you have an idea, downtown merchants would love to hear it. Seriously. They've taken the first big step and overcome their natural competitiveness. They know that they really are in this together.
My big idea - you knew I couldn't resist plopping one on the table - was to offer dinner and drink specials at rotating bars and restaurants on a certain night each month. Call it "Do Downtown Tonight" or something like that. Give me a coupon and a bargain. Make it worth my while to drive back in from 'Burb World.
Well, it could happen. At least they didn't laugh out loud.
Another good idea - not mine - is to focus on the business travelers who fill Huntsville's hotels during the week. These people are a captive audience, so to speak, and they have to eat somewhere. They want to unwind after work. Why not downtown?
Why not? They don't know what's there. That's why the city is working with downtown destinations to offer free tours and treats to the city's "front line" hotel workers.
Downtown businesses also asked the city last week to tweak the free trolley schedule. Right now, the two city trolleys run a downtown loop on Friday and Saturday nights. They are usually nearly empty.
That makes sense, too, when you think about how we really live here. We drive downtown on the weekend, hit our favorite spot for entertainment, food or drink and maybe walk to a nearby spot for dessert or a nightcap. We don't do a lot of pub crawling here.
Run the trolleys earlier in the week, the businesses said, and run them past more hotels, including hotels on University Drive.
Might work, city leaders said. We'll look into it.
This is how our downtown will be changed. It won't be one big zoning decision or similar bold stroke. It will be dozens of individual decisions to open businesses, work together, work with the city and keep trying.
"None of this is written in stone," a city transportation official told me. "Try something. If it doesn't work, try something else."
Smart man. And a good friend for downtown to have.
Reach Lee Roop at 532-4423, lee.roop@htimes.com or text at 509-9644. Visit Roop's room blog at al.com.
Huntsville Historic Home
Huntsville has hundreds of beautiful, Historic homes in several historic neighborhoods. The Historic Lowry House at 1205 Kildare Street in Huntsville was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. In June 2006 it was restored and reopened for weddings, receptions and meetings. If you're looking for a unique place for your wedding, then you might want to take a look at this beautiful home.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Huntsville Homes for Sale - Testimonials
Are you in the market for a Huntsville home for sale. Looking for that incredible real estate deal. Then you need a professional realtor to handle your needs. Here is what some of Clyent Myrie clients had to say about his real estate service
Brenda & Leon L.
"Clyent sold our home fast! He took high quality digital pictures and a fabulous virtual tour to attract a buyer in about three days. Clyent saved us thousands by selling our home quickly. He even helped us move! Thanks Clyent."
Peter R.
"As a new transplant to the area with only a couple of weeks to find our home, my family was really concerned about finding a REALTOR who knew the area. Clyent knows Madison and the surrounding areas well. He guided us to the home of our dreams and understood our needs. We would highly reccommend him as a professional and competent REALTOR!."
Allison B.
"Clyent provided an excellent service to my family. We literally left our home in his hands when we moved away to another state. He coordinated everthing from the lawn service to the pool service and then settlement. Everything happened as planned and we could not be happier!"
visit http://www.clyentmyrie.com/
Monday, January 07, 2008
Real estate directory
Have a real estate related website? Looking to expand your reach and increase your traffic. Check out the real estate directory - http://www.realout.com/ - "the best real estate agents link with. us" add your real estate website without the obligation of linking back. Go ahead maximize your home for sale potential
Friday, January 04, 2008
Real estate Huntsville
As owner of HUNTSVILLEPR, a webdesign and online marketing company, i had the pleasure of building Clyent's website Huntsville House. This week i finished working on Ilyasha Anderson Real estate Huntsville website. It is a basic yet beautiful website that provides link exchange to realtors, home builders etc. It provides info not only on Huntsville homes for sale but also on foreclosures. If you are looking for a professional real estate agent contact Ilyasha
