Hyundai 'Halo Car' Shines On Montgomery

The Birmingham News has reported of "talk that Hyundai wants to add a sports car and a pickup truck to its U.S.-produced lineup. This talk fuels speculation that the Korean automaker will follow Mercedes-Benz and Honda and expand its Alabama plant.

John Krafcik, vice president of U.S. product development and strategic planning for Hyundai, told Reuters the company wants to have a so-called "halo car" at its dealerships and is in the early stages of planning a pickup for the U.S. market.

A halo car is meant to draw customers to dealer showrooms where they can see all of an automaker's offerings.

Hyundai's Montgomery plant now produces the Santa Fe SUV and the Sonata sedan. The plant is considered one of the world's most automated and flexible, capable of producing several different models. There is room for expansion at Hyundai's 1,744-acre site near Hope Hull."

Job growth is always good for the local real estate market. Are you thinking of buying or selling real estate in Montgomery? If so, visit our website to view all real estate listings, get the current market value of your home, free reports and more.

Tags: Hyundai, Montgomery, Alabama, halo car, SUV, Santa Fe, Sonata, Birmingham, real estate, buy, sell

Summertime And The living Is Easy!

The living is easy and so are the June 2006 sales statistics for Midtown Montgomery. We have been experiencing double digit increases in sales for the last couple of months, but June brought a slow down. Not that the market is slow...we are still having the best year on record!

Let's take a look at the June numbers. Pending listings in June 2006 are the same for June 2005 at 73. Sold listings are also exactly the same at 66. Even with these sales numbers being the same as last year, the average market time has decreased by 24 days or 28%. And the average sales price has increased by 19% or $24,977.







What do these numbers mean?

Market times have gone down since last year which is an indication there are more buyers in the marketplace and competition for the good homes is tight. Buyers will want the counsel of our Buyer Specialists when preparing an offer for their dream home. With appreciation at almost 20%, sellers won't be very negotiable. If buyers are in a bidding situation, they will want to make the best offer they possibly can. Give us a call so we can put our negotiating skills to work for you.

Information is provided by the Montgomery Area Association of Realtors and is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.
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Thinking of buying or selling a home in Montgomery? Visit our website to view all real estate listings, get a FREE home valuation, free reports and more.

Tags: montgomery, alabama, midtown, real estate, sell, negotiate

The Green House

"Go Green" or "Green House" are terms that are popping up more and more lately, but many of us don't know what it means. Going "green" means utilizing sustainable materials and resources. As our natural resources dwindle, use of sustainable materials becomes more and more important.

The 5 Principles of Sustainable Design include:

1. Optimizing use of the sun

2. Improving indoor air quality

3. Using the land responsibly

4. Creating high-performance and moisture-resistant houses

5. Wisely using the Earth’s natural resources

Incorporating these principles when building, remodeling or renovating promotes more healthy, efficient, and sustainable living for all of us.

Green design in home building is explored comprehensively for the first time by the National Building Museum in "The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design." The milestone exhibition will remain on view for an entire year and includes a wide array of tours, talks, workshops and special family programming; and a website focusing on the marketplace, methods, principles, and history of sustainable design. After its showing at the National Building Museum, "The Green House" will travel nationwide. Potential venues include museums in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. NAR is among the supporting organizations of the exhibit. (Source: Nation Building Museum) More information . . .

My husband and I experienced this exhibit last month. It is inspirational, informative and thought provoking. Don't miss it if it comes to a city near you!
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For all your Montgomery housing needs, green or otherwise, visit our website and let us know how we can help!

Tags:green, montgomery, natural resources, national, building, renovate, remodel, housing

The Best Addresses

Thinking about buying, selling, renovating or bulding a home? You will be amazed at what you can find on the interent to help with each process! Here are websites I consider some of the best:

1. What can I afford - www.Mortgage-Calc.com

Great calculators for mortgages, rent vs. buy, debt consolidation, amortization and how to become a millionaire.

2. Help with the Honey-Do list - www.DoItYourself.com

Step-by-step instructions for just about any project you can think of.

3. How much will my move cost - http://Moving.Move.com/move/tools/movingcalc.asp

Calculates the cost of your move based on how far you are going and the number of furnished rooms you have.

4. Your home's value - www.MontgomeryHomeInfo.com

Get an accurate estimate of your Montgomery home's value without speaking to an agent.

5. Compare prices - http://hcpi.coldwellbanker.com

Compares housing prices in over 300 cities.

6. Build your dream home - www.Homeplans.com

You can buy thousands of readymade blueprints. Search by square footage, style and number of rooms. You can also customize designs with their in-house design team.

7. Going solo - www.ForSaleByOwner.com

Not interested in the assistant of a professional? Here you can go it alone.

8. Start your remodel - www.LetsRenovate.com

Guides you through the remodel process from beginning (deciding to renovate or move) to end
(final inspection).

9. Window shopping - www.MontgomeryAlabamaHomeSearch.com

Browse Montgomery homes for sale until your hearts content.

10. Legal advice - www.Real-estate-law.FreeAdvice.com

Get basic legal advise concerning common issues facing buyers and sellers.
WARNING: If you are in a dispute, this does not take the place of personalized legal advise from your attorney.

11. Bird's-eye view - www.HomePages.com

Enter an address and discover what retailers, restaurants, schools and other places of interest are nearby.

12. Be prepared - http://Iii.org/individuals/homei

Explains different insurance policies and what is the best for you. There is also home inventory software so you can determine the value of your possessions.

13. Mortgage shopping - www.Bankrate.com

Shop for a loan online. Gives good information but there is nothing like talking to a local lender!

14. Looking at schools - www.SchoolMatters.com

See how schools compare in relation to size, test scores, teacher/student ratios, etc.

15. Best darn Realtors in Montgomery - www.HatTeam.com

Give us a call when you need a Montgomery, Alabama Realtor!