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.

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.

Keep the holidays simple this year and let someone else do the cooking!  When friends and family drop by, whether expected or unexpected, give them a sense of the local flavor of Mobile AL.  Here are just a few of the great restaurants to check out in Mobile AL this month:

Shamrock, Rose and Thistle offers a “British, gastropub, Tea Room” cuisine with breakfast and brunch options and a casual atmosphere.

Explore a Middle Eastern cuisine with Jerusalem Café.  This great café is perfect for families with children, business lunches, or an evening with that special someone.

Brick Pit has a local cuisine featuring great BBQ choices.  Have lunch, dinner or takeout for a quick meal after holiday shopping.

Looking for fabulous local seafood?  Check out Wintzell’s Oyster House for a pleasant dining experience whether with family or business associates.

And for Mexican and local Seafood, check out Fuego.  Be sure to make a reservation for a special evening.

For more highly rated dining experiences in Mobile AL, visit tripadvisor.com.

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

The increasingly popular Megabus has now started to increase its route services to and from Mobile AL, according to a recent article at the Press Register online.  Megabus is a company that offers low fares for traveling via bus between commonly visited cities including Birmingham, Montgomery, and now Mobile to Atlanta.  The buses are equipped with free wi-fi, power outlets and restrooms and fares begin as low as $1, with price increases when scheduling closer to the departure date.  Mobile AL’s new route is one of several that involves travel to and from Megabus’ new Atlanta hub.  Travelers from Mobile AL would depart from the Holiday Inn Mobile Airport and may choose one of three daily departure times to head to Atlanta.  Megabus has had approximately 13 million travelers since they began in November of 2006 and have continued to add more and more cities to their trip schedules.

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

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

As a homeowner, the winter months can mean high heating costs if you don’t prepare to save money now.  Here are some tips for winterizing your Mobile AL home:

• Have your furnace inspected.  Call an HVAC professional to have your furnace inspected and to clean the ducts, which will save you the expense and trouble mid-winter when you really need the heat.  Keep a good number of furnace filters handy and change them monthly to ensure better performance from your furnace.  Also, be sure to remove all flammable materials from around your furnace and program your thermostat (if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, now is a good time to get one).
• Check exterior of home, doors and windows.  Look along the exterior of your home for any crevice cracks or exposed entry points around pipes and carefully seal them.  Weatherstripping can work wonders to prevent cold air from entering  around doors.  Any cracked glass on windows should be replaced and windows caulked to seal out cool air.   Also, install storm windows as needed.
• Service equipment that will be used throughout the winter now.  Replace snow shovels and service snow blowers as needed.  Keeping ice-melt/sand is also a good idea.
•  Inspect your roof, gutters and downspouts.  Give your gutters a good cleaning out, replace any worn roof shingles or tiles, and consider putting in leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from your home.

For more tips on winterizing your Mobile AL home, visit homebuying.about.com.

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

Mobile County AL will be seeing some preservation projects moving forward due to new funds awarded to the cause.  Today the Alabama Historical Commission announced that they were awarding $47, 600 to go towards three historical preservation projects including Barton Academy, Fort Gaines, and a local cemetery.  The Mobile Historic Development Commission will receive $15,880 for a market needs analysis of Barton Academy in downtown Mobile AL, Dauphin Island Park and Beach Board will be able to use $15,855 to make repairs to the historic Fort Gaines, and $15,880 will go to Friends of the Catholic Church to preserve a cemetery.  These grants are part of the $750,00 total that were awarded statewide by the Historical Commission.  The Historical Commission hopes that this will help develop local economies, provide jobs, and strengthen tourism.

For more on this or other new developments in Mobile AL, visit al.com.

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

You do not have to spend a lot of money have professionals remodel and decorate your home to attract buyers.  Consider these relatively inexpensive ways to add value to your Mobile AL home now:

• Have your home inspected.  Things like deteriorating roofs, pest problems, or outdated electrical systems will not be immediately visible, but will negatively impact your home’s value when you try to sell it.  Fix anything that needs repair now, however small, to prevent making larger repairs down the road.
• Schedule an interior designer to help you assess what improvements should be made.  Ask about ideas for paint colors and furniture placement.  Many interior designers offer an hourly fee that is less than $100, so shop around before hiring.  This one hour consultation should give you enough information to make the changes on your own.
• A fresh coat of paint will do wonders and is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make.  Choose colors that will have appeal to most people to increase your home’s value.
• Refer to magazines, books, tv shows, websites, or your realtor for remodeling and decorating tips.  Do-it-yourself projects are cost-effective as long as you have a clear idea of what needs to be done and have done your homework on the topic.  While it’s better to leave larger projects to the professionals, simple improvements can be made if you have the information to do it right.
• Improve energy efficiency.  Not only will making these changes save you money now, but it will make your home more marketable when it’s time to sell.

For more tips on improving your home’s value visit hgtv.com.

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