Bob Jones High School Marching Band had the honor of performing at the Outback Bowl in Tampa FL on New Years Day, 2010. Being the proud band parent that I am, I was in awe of this wonderful group of high school students. I never dreamed that being a band mom would be ‘all that’. Was I ever wrong!

The road to the Outback Bowl actually began this past summer, under the direction of Mr. Doyle Thornton and Mr. Keith Anderson during the summer’s band camp and continued through the high school football season. Believe me I witnessed many of these practices where the students would practice in the rain, heat, and then cold.

Some of the finest high school bands in the country attended the week long competition at the Outback Bowl along with Bob Jones High including schools from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Georgia. We were amazed at the performances we saw.

The kids not only practiced long hours, they worked hard for this opportunity by raising money all year so they could pay for their trips. So the next time a ‘band kid’ hits you up to buy some pecans, fruit, or an ad for their concert programs, just know they are doing this for a reason. Each band member paid their own way or at least assisted their parents in paying for this once in a lifetime trip and if you know a BJHS ‘band kid’ be sure you let them know you are proud of their hard work the next time you see them.

Not only did Auburn win the football game, the ‘kids’ did great in the week long band competition, in fact, they were announced as the Grand Champions of the Outback Bowl Parade. I’m so proud to be a band parent and have decided that YES  …being a band mom IS “all that” and much more!  …Hope you enjoy the photos.

- Elizabeth

When a thought or idea gets birthed in your heart and you do all you can to bring it forth to fruition, it can be shared far and wide. That is just what happened when a Huntsville Realtor had the idea of helping new Realtors get started with as much good, professional information as possible. That is how the New Realtor’s Club in Huntsville was birthed several years ago.

My very first visit to this once a month meeting at the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors was terrific. I have been hooked ever since. Even though the name of this club infers that it is for new Realtors only, there are many other more seasoned Realtors than myself that attend regularly.

There has been a wealth of information I’ve obtained over the past several years. The premise of this club is to inform Huntsville Realtors of changes in every area of the real estate world and to give Realtors tips and information to make them successful. The club also promotes sharing your knowledge. I have been in meetings where very successful, well known Realtors gave presentations of just how they approach new clients and most importantly, how they keep clients. They were willing to share the ways that brought them great success.

Our real estate industry is not just about selling houses. We interact with many other businesses to get buyers and sellers to closing. Home Inspectors, Loan Officers, Home Warranty Representatives, and Attorneys have all at one time or another been invited to speak and offer their expertise. It is important to be on top of every area of this business that effects our client’s interest. New Realtor’s Club in Huntsville has done a great job of providing information from all of these different entities.

It is a privilege to be a part of this great organization. I look forward to another year and encourage other Huntsville Realtors, both brand new in the business or those who have been around awhile, to take advantage of this great opportunity. Wow, spend about an hour and a half of your day getting great tips and being provided a free lunch, well you can’t beat it, it’s a win win opportunity.

Hats off to Kathy McGuffey, founder of New Realtor’s Club, for pursuing an idea that has left its mark on many Realtors of Huntsville and Madison . Call me at 256-479-9337 or email me bren@athomesrealty.com for more information.

- Brenda

Athens Al Home for Sale
MLS# 316302 – $233,900

This East Limestone County 2,572 square foot full brick ranch is in immaculate condition. Located in the small and secluded neighborhood of Cumberland Place between Madison and Athens you will be only 2 miles away from highly regarded East Limestone High School.

This less than 5 year old home is in amazing mint-mint condition with an open floor plan, 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, and a large kitchen loaded with cabinets. You’ll love having a large lot and everything on one level including the relaxing and quiet Sunroom with a great outdoor living area. This home is also priced right well below a $100 a square foot.

View Full Listing Detail

View All Cumberland Place Homes for Sale

Why not take the time to drive by and take a closer look: 16754 Mulberry Lane, Athens, AL 35613. From 72w North On East Limestone Road, West On Nick Davis, South Into Cumberland Place, Left On Mulberry Lane. If you like the neighborhood and want to take a closer look inside or if you have any additional questions feel free to give me a call 256-656-3504 or easier still just email me.
- Camille

Well with the new office finally shaping up, we are going to try and venture into making some home made videos. But we found out rather quickly that none of us was very good at this endeavor, as well as several other office chores like working with our new copier.

Thus we were fortunate to find some assistance from one of our marketing buds, Michael Bertoldi. I am sure you are going to be hearing much more about Michael and his role with @Homes llc but for now the best introduction may be having you just take a quick look at our first company video filmed and edited by Michael. Hope you enjoy and have a laugh at our expense – Elizabeth

Huntsville AL Home Sales December 2009

Huntsville Home Sales weakened during the last month of 2009 with 240 closings in December, a drop of -20% from their November 2009 highs, yet up 5.8% over the same period in 2008. However for those of us that watch this market closely, this anomaly is not surprising and even expected.

The following 4 year historical sales chart for the Huntsville Real Estate market illustrates Huntsville’s remarkable journey through the still on-going financial crisis. You will notice that sales lows occurred in a downward trend from 2006, 2007, to our most recent lows in 2008. However the story from 2009 indicates that the local market has moved upward, off its low,  into a stable and flat condition and this is for good reason.

Notice that the 2009 home sale highs, on the above chart, occurred in July and then again in November. The first seasonally common high in July, was supported by last years BRAC relocations, which generally occur in the spring and summer months. Moreover there is little doubt that November’s high was due to the first time home buyer’s tax credit of 2009. Thus Huntsville can look forward to more of the same 2010.

Upbeat Market Outlook For 2010

Our market outlook for 2010 is an upbeat one for 2 primary reasons:

• The tax credit has been broadened and extended until April 30, 2010.

• BRAC relocations will resume and continue this spring and summer.

As always, we caution readers that specific price ranges and locations reflect different market conditions and are dynamic, thus if you have any questions regarding your own specific price range and area of interest, please don’t hesitate to give me a call 256-425-1659 or easier yet email me and I would be happy to assist.

- Elizabeth

Just like the perfect little shamrock plant with the 3 heart shaped leaves, the Shamrock Townhome Neighborhood in Madison is also a perfect place to call home.  The floorplans are either two or three bedrooms, with one or two car garages, and you can select a ranch style or a two story. You may prefer a two story with 2 bedrooms and a bonus room or maybe 3 bedrooms with a small study inbetween. Though they are all similar, the inside floor plan may vary a little.

View Shamrock Townhomes For Sale

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Coming home to a quiet little community that feels shut off from the hubbub of everyday life is a great feeling. If you want a home with low maintenance and no yard work, then the Shamrock Townhome Community may be just what you’re looking for. The HOA fees are very affordable and that is a plus.

These hidden gems are in a great location to get anywhere in the Madison Huntsville area within minutes. It is located right off of Sullivan Street and Madison Boulevard with I-565 right there. If you drive down Sullivan Street from Madison Blvd, turn left onto West Dublin and continue until you reach this townhome community.

Not everyone’s lifestyle is right for condo’s or townhomes, but if you are in a season of your life that this kind of community living works for you, then Shamrock Townhomes are a must see! If you would like to take a closer look anytime please don’t hesitate to give me a call 256-479-9337 or easier still just drop me an email.

Our website properties continue to grow in the North Alabama area. Our first real estate search site Northern Alabama Homes is exclusively a property search website and its content includes of all the homes for sale across the entire northern Alabama region, including several counties where we are unable to serve personally with our limited staff.

Thus when applicable we refer many of our users to referral partners around the region to provide users with more detailed information and services.

However our primary territory of activity is the local Huntsville Real Estate market where we are active within the communities where we live and work. Thus to focus more precisely on our local Huntsville Real Estate market we launched the  @HomesHuntsville website which you are currently visiting. Its content and listings are exclusive to the local Huntsville Real Estate market including Madison and Limestone Counties.

We have had some preliminary discussions and some initial interest expressed in adopting the @Homes Franchise model into the Athens  Decatur area, our neighboring communities to the west. Thus to foster further interest and discussion, today we are proud to announce the launch of the @HomesDecatur website.

We realize not every broker will be a good fit with the @Homes Franchise model and a potential partner, however if you are a progressive thinking independent broker in the Athens  Decatur area wishing to expand your business activities with a focus on using Internet technologies to boost and grow your business, why not explore this preliminary website in some depth as it can be customized with your independent business interests in mind. Then why not contact us and explore some possibilities.

-Tim

Huntsville Home For Sale – MLS# 315616

Imagine having a lovely city Greenway located in your very own neighborhood.  Well then, welcome to the Creekwood Neighborhood of Huntsville Alabama, where having it all is a certain possibility.

This home is perfect In Every Way. Its In Great Condition. Fresh Paint, New Carpet, Privacy Fence And Large Patio Make This The Perfect Place To Call Home. Bay Window In Kitchen, Loads Of Closet Space! Bonus Space Upstairs, Great For A Home Office. Private Bath Off Of The Master. Laundry Is Conveniently Located Upstairs By Bedrooms.

Walk To Indian Creek Greenway, Playground And Dog Park. It’s Just Down The Street! Minutes To Research Park. The Yard Is Beautiful With Fully Sod Bermuda.

Price: $134,900 Bedrooms: 3 Baths: 3
Elem School: Providence K-8 Middle School: Providence K-8 High School: Columbia High
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While the pressing pressures of what we consider ‘normal’ daily life propels us forward minute by minute, I am sure that your own family has taken pause at the great human tragedy that now faces one of  our neighbors to the east in the Caribbean Island of Haiti.

While attempting to formulate our own family’s response, one of our Internet colleagues, Tom Vanderwell, author of Straight Talk About Mortgages,  shared with one of  our regular Internet communities his own personal experience over the last 48 hours, since such a powerful earthquake struck one of the poorest nations on the planet, in an area where such strong earthquakes are so completely RARE.

Tom asked the community to share his post locally in an attempt to motivate all of us, many of whom are far more fortunate than our Caribbean Neighbors, to actually make an effort to help, despite our own varying economic circumstances because this particular crisis warrants our personal attention. Yes, Tom does have a personal connection to this tragedy and his story follows unedited:

For the last 22 hours and 15 minutes (with the exception of a 2 1/2 hour nap around 4:00 this morning,) I’ve been using social media to help in Haiti.

As many of you know, my wife and I adopted our two youngest children from Haiti in the summer of 2004 and we have remained very involved with the orphanage that we adopted them from, God’s Littlest Angels, which is in Petionville Haiti. I’ve been on the Board of Directors for the orphanage since 2006 and every year since 2003 (with the exception of 2005), at least one of our family has been back down there on a mission trip to help out. My 20 year old has decided to devote her life to third world medical missions, almost certainly in Haiti.

Throughout those experiences, I’ve developed a pretty extensive network of people around, literally, the world who have connections to Haiti. Most of those are Facebook Friends. In addition to that, I’ve developed a pretty extensive network of online friends in the real estate and lending communities literally all across the country. If you consider Seattle to Miami to be all across the country, I think I’ve got it covered. Yesterday, those two worlds met and it’s been truly a mind-blowing experience. Let me explain:

At 5:15 pm, I got a tweet across tweetdeck that was from @latimes (I use that as one of my news sources). It talked about a massive earthquake in Haiti, near Port Au Prince. I immediately hopped on AIM and talked to God’s Littlest Angels stateside coordinator and confirmed that the orphanage was affected but that the damage appeared minor and everyone was safe.

I then spent the next several hours e-mailing, face-booking, twittering and IM’ng with people all over the world trying to connect people, find out what’s going on, reassure adoptive parents who are panicking because their kids are down there and heck just help.

One of the other people who I follow on twitter is @anncurry. Ever watch the Today Show on NBC? Yeah, that Ann Curry. Well, she tweeted that they were trying to get in touch with anyone who speaks English and is on the ground in the earthquake zone. That started a series of DM’s, IM’s and so forth and eventually, I was able to connect people from NBC with Dixie Bickel, the orphanage director at God’s Littlest Angels.

In addition to that, an adoptive mom in Oregon and I connected yesterday about this all. Guess what she does for a living? Yep, she’s in charge of utilizing social media for their business. She and I ended up connecting and actually had a phone conversation at around 1:00 this morning (my time, not her time). We then worked up a way to make a difference in Haiti. We’ve kicked off the God’s Littlest Angels 1000 x 1000 Campaign.

Here’s what we’re doing:

• We want 1000 people around the world.
• To each commit to raising at least $1,000.
• That means that each of them would need to ask 10 people to donate $100.

I just got done talking with a local radio station and they asked me, “What is the biggest concern that you have with the orphanage right now? We’ve got three:

1. Safety – so far everyone at the orphanage is safe, but staff members have lost family members in the earthquake.
2. Adequate supplies of food, medicine and fuel for the generator. Without fuel, we have no electricity. Without electricity, sick babies die. It’s not an over statement, it’s a fact of life in a 4th world country.
3. With 160 kids currently at the orphanage, we are “over capacity.” How are we going to handle it when a substantial number of new orphans show up at the gate within the next week or two? Realistically, given the estimates of death tolls, another 50 to 100 orphans at the gate of the orphanage is a potential outcome.

I had previously set a blog to attempt to spread the word about what God’s Littlest Angels is doing for the kids in Haiti. You can find it at www.godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org. We’ve started to use it more for raising awareness of what’s happening and the utter devastation in Haiti.

Since we started last night, a couple of things have happened at www.godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org:

• Traffic is up by about 1000% (that’s not a misprint).
• Donations are doubling approximately every three hours.
• The staff in Haiti is seeing and hearing that and is greatly encouraged because they know that people back in the states are caring about them.

Now I’ve got a challenge for you. Every single one of the readers of this blog. I’d be very grateful if you could take up the challenge and use the devastation of the country of Haiti as an opportunity to show that Social Media can be used for the good of the downtrodden, not just for fun or profit.

To make it even easier, just click on the widget below and it will take you to paypal where you can do your part to help and encourage others to help.

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Status

With the BRAC move to Huntsville forecasted to bring 4,700 government jobs to Redstone Arsenal through 2011, where do we stand on the progress of this move?

Joe Ritch chairman of the Tennessee Valley BRAC Committee stated in a recent Huntsville Times interview that, ‘All the new construction is on schedule,” and “About 2,400 of the nearly 4,700 Army and other federal agency positions moving to Redstone Arsenal have already been filled.”

Another interesting note from the interview was that 56% of the positions filled came from residents outside of the Tennessee Valley. Thus this relocation migration to the Huntsville area is well underway and will continue through the end of 2011 and the Army Materiel Command (AMC) is actively recruiting to fill these positions and you can visit their career page for more information.

Recent Developments

In addition to the ongoing economic growth spurred by the Huntsville BRAC move, on January 7th, 2010 the US Army announced its decision to relocate the Headquarters of the Army Contracting Command (ACC) from Fort Belvoir, VA to Huntsville as well.

This move will bring 234 additional government civilian jobs to Redstone Arsenal along with supplementary military personnel. The good news about this announcement is that these jobs are in addition to the BRAC move already underway and it is also expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

Also announced this week was Boeing’s selection of local Science Engineering Services to upgrade the Army’s Apache helicopters which according to the Huntsville Times article will create an additional 70 new local jobs.

Relocation Package

We have had the privilege of assisting several families with their relocation, due to BRAC activity, this past year and we certainly look forward to helping others. If you are exploring a move to the Huntsville area and beginning your Huntsville Real Estate research from a far, you definitely want to take advantage of our website resources and relocation package. Why not get your relocation account setup today and best of all its completely free and without obligation.

- Best Wishes …Tim