The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce’s new website is expected to boost tourism in Gulf Coast AL.  This newly launched website can be found at visiteasternshorealabama.com and is the perfect place for tourists to find the information they need to have a great stay.  Both residents and visitors alike can surf the content for ideas including such popular activities as golf, Civil War trails, fishing, shopping, Mardi Gras, festivals, and beaches.  The new site will show the beauty and hospitality of Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort that has received national attention as of late from newspapers and magazines.  Look for tabs that give you at-a-glance hot spots for dining, places to shop, and places to stay; and the photo gallery is sure to spark interest in the sights and flavors of the gorgeous Gulf Coast.

Find out more about upcoming community activities in Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Daphne AL at visiteasternshorealabama.com.

And for more information on buying or selling property in Gulf Coast AL, including Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Daphne Alabama, contact local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

We all have specific tastes as to what we find desirable in a home.  So why wade through hundreds of listings that just do not have your preferred amenities, when you can receive a personalized list directly to your inbox?  The Perfect Home Finder tool offered on barbarareevesrealtor.com, will help you do just that.  Type in your name, email, and when you plan on moving first, and then work your way down the form by clicking all boxes that apply to your tastes; features you can personalize include type of home, exterior features (e.g. porch, deck, fenced lot, corner lot, horse property, golf course lot, etc.), number of bedrooms and baths, size specifications, interior features (e.g. fireplace, formal dining room, vaulted ceilings, etc), and preferred communities in Mobile and Baldwin County AL.  Within 24 hours of your form being received, you will have a customized list complete with photos, descriptions, and virtual tours (when available).  Also you will then receive notices of new listings meeting your desired criteria on a daily basis.  It’s that easy!

So take the time to use the Perfect Home Finder tool and let local, experienced Realtor Barbara Reeves help you on your exciting journey to a new home today!

I totally understand how apprehensive buyers are in making the decision to move forward with the purchase of your Mobile, Alabama Metro home, buying your first home or moving to a larger home. In 1968 (in the Olden Days as my children say) when my husband and I purchased our first home, the idea of signing papers committing to pay $110. monthly for 30 years totally freaked us out, we were getting by paying $65 a month for our little 2 bedroom 1 bath home.

The cost to build our new 3 bedroom 2 bath brick home cost us $13,995, financed for 30 years at 8% interest! The lender did not want to give us our loan because he did not feel we could pay nearly twice as much for housing as we were paying in rent, when I pointed out we had paid $125. a month in California the year before, on less income, we got the loan.

When we filed our income taxes, we were able to file a 1040 long form instead of a short 1040A, much to our delight the difference in our taxes was HALF of our house payments for the year! So our home really cost us less than the rent we were paying! Tax laws have changed and your numbers may not turn out with this much difference.

What this means to you, early this morning numbers were running through my head, so I just had to let all of you buyers on the fence know what I was thinking. Number one the low interest rates are HISTORICALLY LOW and all the experts say they will rise and when they do we will have no warning!

I want to tell you about a situation I had with a client buying a Mobile, Alabama home costing $200K, financed at 3.75% interest for 30 years fixed equals a principal and interest payment of $902.75. If the rates rise to 5% the principal and interest payment would be $1,046.43. If they rise to 7% the principal and interest payment will be $1,296.87. I know the first thing that comes into your mind, prices on homes may go down and I will be paying too much, however, if the house goes down to $190K and the interest rate is 7% your principal and interest would be $1,233.20.

A total of $330.55 more a month for a house $10K less! If you have doubts about buying a new home, now is the time to buy.

Showing properties 1 - 5 of 166. See more city of Daphne real estate.
(all data current as of 2/2/2012)

1. $157,000 : 25360 Spindle Ln, Daphne
   
   3 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 2,215 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,890 sq ft

   Year built: 2007

   Days on market: 1

   Walk Score®: 3
2. $164,900 : 106 Boosketuh Cir, Daphne
   
   4 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,950 sq ft

   Year built: 1996

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 1

   Walk Score®: 14
3. $675,000 : 6490 Haley's Ln, Daphne
   
   4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 2,958 sq ft

   Lot size: 2.49 ac

   Year built: 1965

   Days on market: 1

   Walk Score®: 49
4. $400,000 : 10270 Plantation Dr, Daphne
   
   6 beds, 4 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 6,025 sq ft

   Lot size: 36,600 sq ft

   Year built: 1990

   Days on market: 1

   Walk Score®: 8
5. $177,400 : 7984 Landing Eagle Dr, Daphne
   
   4 beds, 2 full baths

   Home size: 1,890 sq ft

   Lot size: 11,850 sq ft

   Year built: 2001

   Days on market: 2

   Walk Score®: 25

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

According to recent Gulf Coast news, the talented Baldwin Pops Band are planning on performing on Tuesday, February 7th at Gulf Coast AL’s Fairhope Civic Center.  The concert will be free of charge and is sponsored by the City of Fairhope and by a grant from Alabama State Council on the Arts.  Community members and visitors will not want to miss this opportunity to hear the Baldwin Pops Band perform with selections from famed composers such as Guiseppe Verdi, John de Meij, Pietro Mascagni, John Williams, and Leonard Bernstein.  The free concert will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday February 7th, so mark your calendars.

For more on this or other community events in Fairhope Alabama, visit gulfcoastnewstoday.com.

And for more on buying or selling real estate in Gulf Coast Alabama, including Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort, contact local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

Want to stay informed on the latest real estate listings for Gulf Coast Alabama?  Receive real estate listings via email for Mobile, Daphne and Gulf Coast AL by signing up at barbarareevesrealtor.com.  Simply fill in your name, email and phone number and any other information you would like to add about your real estate interests and receive daily emails about new listings.  Also check the boxes corresponding to your categories of interest including investment properties, relocating, and selling a home for more customized service.  So sign up today and stay in ‘the loop’ for new listings in the Mobile, Daphne, and Gulf Coast Alabama area.

Need a realtor?  Please keep local Gulf Coast AL Realtor, Barbara Reeves, in mind when buying or selling property in Mobile, Daphne, Spanish Fort, or Fairhope AL.

The New Year is a great time to think about making resolutions, and those concerning your home are no exception.  So if you are looking for some goals to set this year for your Mobile AL home, consider these ‘resolutions’ for 2012:

• Cut down on energy use.  Check the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems and see if there is anything that needs to be replaced, repaired, or used less.  Replace old appliances with those that have good Energy Star ratings or simply replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
• Budget for needed improvements throughout the year.  If you create a yearly budget you’ll be better prepared to avoid overspending and look to what improvements are classified in the ‘priority’ category, such as new roofing or appliances.
• Organize and De-clutter your home.  Your home can instantly look newer and more livable by just organizing a few well-used rooms.  Take a look at what’s on the floors or stowed in closets and how it can be better managed to look aesthetically pleasing and be easily accessed.  You may have to sort things in piles for those items that can be donated and those that need to be trashed.

So make some plans for improving your Mobile AL home this year and check out houselogic.com for more great ideas for ‘home resolutions’.

And for more information on buying or selling property in Mobile AL, contact Barbara Reeves today.

Some exciting New Year’s Eve celebrations are coming up in Baldwin County AL this Saturday.  The annual “Moon Pie over Mobile” New Year’s event will be in downtown Mobile AL where they will hold a parade, have live bands, and the huge Moon Pie symbol will descend at midnight from the RSA-BankTrust building.  At the Alabama Music Box, live music will begin at 9 p.m. with El Cantador followed by a reunion concert with The Western Lands; tickets are $25 per person and expected to be a popular option for New Year’s Eve entertainment.  Also, catch the Orange Beach AL New Year’s Eve Bash at “The Wharf” with free admission and parking.  Family-centered entertainment will be from 10 am to 4 pm at The Wharf and live music begins at 6 p.m.; a fireworks display will start at midnight to bring in the new year.

For more great New Year’s celebrations in Baldwin County AL, visit al.com.

And for more information on buying or selling real estate in Gulf Coast AL, including Mobile, West Mobile, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Daphne AL, contact Barbara Reeves today.

It might seem counterintuitive to think about your home’s resale value when you are about to buy it, but studies indicate that this might be the best time to consider it.  Most first time homebuyers today stay in that first home for only about 5 years and the home’s resale value will become relevant in that time.  Here are some factors to think about when looking at a Mobile AL home’s resale value:

Noise.  Even if you do not consider noise an issue, someone buying your home in a few years might; it is best to consider traffic, aircraft, or emergency siren sounds and their general frequency or proximity before deciding to buy.

Zoning is an important present and future factor when considering the resale value of a home.  Get to know what types of properties are allowed near your home, including commercial and residential laws, that might cause undesirable circumstances when selling your home in the future.

Traffic.  Besides traffic being a noise issue, it is also a safety and privacy issue.  Many potential buyers of your home will want a low traffic area so that their pets and children will be safer.

Home size and configuration of rooms, especially the number of bathrooms, can play an important role in a homebuyer’s decision.  With the exception of condos, it is generally wiser to buy a three or more bedroom home with at least 1.5 baths to ensure resale to a larger audience.

For more information on factors to consider in the resale value of a home, visit Mortgage News Daily online.

And for more on buying or selling real estate in Mobile AL, contact Barbara Reeves today.

The Gulf Coast’s serene beauty is highlighted in a new exhibit for the Mobile Museum of Art this month.  Running now until January 8th, visitors can view an exhibit entitled “Celebrating Our Maritime Heritage: A Coastal Holiday.”  This art display features local artists who have represented the Gulf Coast with their own unique mediums including oil and acrylic painting and photography.  One artist, Penny Lewis, a long time Mobile AL native, who enjoys the natural wildlife of the area represented this love in a brilliant painting called “Odd Man Out” which depicts local pelicans; her painting won 1st prize.  Another artist, William Morris, who won best in show, submitted a stunning piece called “Dusk on the Delta” using acrylics to show the port city at its finest.

The Mobile Museum of Art in Langan Park is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 1-5 pm with admission for adults set at $10 and $6 for students.

For more on this or other community activities in Mobile AL, visit al.com.

And for more information on buying or selling real estate in Mobile, West Mobile, Daphne, Spanish Fort, or Fairhope AL, contact local realtor Barbara Reeves today.

If you are putting up that fabulous display of holiday lights inside or outside your home in Mobile AL this year, check out some of these safety tips to keep your holidays free of accidents:

• Inspect each light strand.  Dispose of all the lights that are in any way damaged and the electrical cords that are frayed.  You might find you need to replace them completely so they do not lead to fire hazards.
• Do not use lights meant for outdoors inside.  These lights will be too hot for interior use.  LED lights are ideal for inside as they do not overheat and are energy efficient.
• Replace bulbs that have burned-out.  The empty socket can cause an entire string to overheat, so replace dead bulbs quickly.
• Pay attention to manufacturer instructions for connecting multiple strings of lights.  Generally speaking, limit this to three strings.  Stack plugs rather that plug them in end to end.
• Take exterior lights down within 3 months.  If you leave your holiday lights on, they are more likely to suffer damage from animals that might chew on the wire or due to weather conditions commonly associated with this time of the year.

For more Mobile AL homeowner holiday lights safety tips, visit houselogic.com. 

And for more information on buying or selling real estate in Mobile AL, contact your local realtor Barbara Reeves today.