Using the Huntsville MLS does require some knowledge of the system . Basic search terms at the first level window and the public section of the Huntsville MLS, Valley MLS are straightforward and simple. The second level search terms are more involved.
Using the Huntsville MLS does require some knowledge of the system . Basic search terms at the first level window and the public section of the Huntsville MLS, Valley MLS are straightforward and simple. The second level search terms are more involved.

The second level searches are accessed through the more button at the bottom center of the main MLS search screen. Under the more button the first section shows the MLS search terms that are on the first level search with the one addition of a proximity search feature.

In the second section of the MLS search one can search for number of bedrooms on the various levels of a house. In many cases a buyer will require at least the master bedroom to be on the first level. This is a vital tool provided by the Huntsville MLS.

There are fields for heating and cooling types and fuels. There is a section for listing all of the appliances that will convey with the property. In the event of a dispute over which properties are included with the homes sale and the appliances weren’t noted on the home sales contract the Huntsville MLS listing data can be used as the governing document.

The age range of a property is a common MLS search term. The ages are broken down by ranges, new construction and proposed construction. Should a client want the exact date of construction of a specific property it can be found at the Madison County Tax Assessors office in downtown Huntsville or online at the tax assessors website.

The ” Area” field is self explanatory but one must know where the section boundaries lay. There is a link from the Huntsville MLS system to a map showing where those sections are. There are lot and block fields for entering the legal description of the property. Metes and bounds is entered in the subdivision field when a property is not within a subdivision, The term refers to survey description of the properties boundaries.

There is a city field and a zip code field for narrowing searches to specific areas . Another means of narrowing searches geographically is by school districts. One must not rely on the MLS data for school districts and confirm the schools with the school system serving the area.

Under construction type there are twelve options plus a ‘ see remarks’ option. Multiple options may be selected. Again one should verify this information because entry errors are common. There is a county field , and a days on market field. The days on market field might be used to search for old listings that haven’t sold where the owner might be motivated to sell. There is a display address option .

There is a supporting documents field where one can indicate what documents are attached to the listing to prompt Huntsville MLS viewers to look for the documents in the photo section. There is an energy features field that gives the listing agent an opportunity to show a selection of five options plus a see comments option.

Another important field is fences. One can select Privacy, chain link and other. Many home buyers are looking for a fence for children or pets and having this built into the Huntsville MLS is an important feature.

We really appreciate Mr. Winburn and all he did to help us buy our new house in Huntsville. Before finding Mr. Winburn we had some bad experiences with other realtors and were worried that we wouldn’t find someone we could trust. Over several months Mr. Winburn helped us look for properties and to learn the local real estate market. He was patient and spent whatever time we needed to answer our questions and to find the right house. Mr. Winburn helped us negotiate a great deal and assisted us with setting up our financing and home inspections. He followed up with us after closing to make sure that important details were taken care of. Again, we are thankful and appreciative of what Mr. Winburn was able to do and continues to do for us.

~ Jason and Candice

We are thankful each and everyday to be real estate professionals in Huntsville. Yes, certain market segments have been slow but as we finish the third quarter of the year Huntsville real estate has been very good to us. Sales have shifted from upscale homes to modest and entry level properties but our volume has increased . In short we have had another great year so far.

We have worked with an unusually high number of first time homebuyers this year and couldn’t be more pleased. He commissions we receive with the smaller homes is less but the sense of satisfaction in helping excited, anxious buyers more than compensates. We have never seen so many hugs, thank you’s and invitations to meet the family and friends of our buyers. We had a burley male army officer who demanded a hug at closing and young lady who was convinced we were a Godsend,

There have been a few notable changes in our local Huntsville MLS. After being defeated by member vote several times there is a vote in progress to allow the address of properties on the MLS to show in the consumer comments and on the public portion of our MLS, ValleyMLS.com. The provision does have an opt out provision so we are expecting the proposal to pass. One Huntsville MLS change that has caused our rental department some difficulties is not allowing contact information for the listing broker and showing agents to be displayed in the customer comments of MLS listings. If a tenant prospect finds our Huntsville rental homes through Valley MLS they have our correct contact information but if they access the listing through another real estate related site the contact information is not available.

Our rental department continues to grow and thrive. While sales of homes in Huntsville to investors has slowed due to fear of the economy and tight lending guidelines we are picking up new properties through sellers who can’t sell and are moving from Huntsville. At the same time many people are moving to Huntsville for jobs but are unable to purchase immediately.

While we did sell a lot of Huntsville investment property to real estate investors in the past several years, I’m actually pleased to see the pace slow. There were a lot of out of state investors who made horrid purchase decisions in Huntsville. Many of them came to us for help when the rents and appreciation rates they were promised tuned our to be grossly overstated. We saw more than one investor loose their property in foreclosure because they made decisions based on unrealistic predictions.

Harvest time in Huntsville

The following websites are resources for Huntsville AL MLS

Search the Huntsville Alabama MLS for homes for sale in Huntsville AL and find homes for rent in Huntsville Al MLS

Search the Huntsville Alabama MLS and request automatic email notification of new listings. Home sellers can get a Huntsville Alabama home value from experienced realtors.

Search the Huntsville Alabama MLS for homes for sale in Huntsville AL and find homes for rent in Huntsville Al MLS

Search the Huntsville Alabama MLS for homes for sale in Huntsville AL and find homes for rent in Huntsville Al MLS.
Huntsville Alabama MLS

http://nalmls.com/NALMLSReports/Media/288709115821.htm

Website looking to buy

Automated Property Searches

Huntsville AL area MLS Search  

Our Featured Listings   

Homebuyer Tips

Whether buying your first home or your fifteenth, purchasing a new home can be unnerving.

 Am I paying too much? How is the neighborhood and schools? Will I be able to sell the property if our needs change? What area should I be looking in?

These concerns and dozens more run through the minds of homebuyers. All of these questions can be answered with facts and data not just opinions.

We can assist you in focusing in on those properties that will best meet your individual tastes and needs, then provide the detailed research to make an informed offer to purchase.

Price and location are usually the starting point in searching for properties.

Unless you have the wherewithal to pay cash for a property, our first step will be to contact a lender.  The lender will let us know our price range and what interest rate we can expect. If you haven’t picked a lender yet, we can offer suggestions.

Location.

We generally start our search within a set commute time from a place of employment, a specific school, relative or recreation area. If you are unsure of what areas to search, just call and let us know your needs and preferences. We can help you focus on specific areas.

Even if the quality of schools is not a personal concern for you, upon an eventual resale of the property, the schools may be a critical issue. A good starting point for researching schools is http://www.greatschools.net and http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AL/search.aspx where one can see data, parent’s comments and rankings of schools.

Once we start to focus in on a particular neighborhood or property, we will need to search for possible negatives such as a railroad crossing or high traffic nearby.

Property Specific Research.

Once we focus in on a property and are ready to make an offer. We will research recent MLS activity in the area to understand market value and how quickly properties are selling. We will see how long the property has been on market and try to find out as much as possible about the property and the seller before making the offer.

All offers should be contingent on a professional home inspection.

Once buyer and seller agree on the price and terms of the sale and the inspections are done, we usually go through another round of negotiation based on the result of the inspection.

Just fill out as much information as you like in the form below. At a minimum we need your price range and a general idea of your location preferences.

1. We can set up property searches based on search criteria you provide and email prospective properties to you. (We can set up much more detailed searches than the local MLS allows the public)  

We can also set up automatic email notification of new listings that meet your criteria. As soon as a new listing is added to our local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), you will receive an email with the listing’s details.

2. Often, we have already seen properties that may interest you. We can also preview properties, eliminating them as prospects or obtaining additional information and photos.

We can also provide information on neighborhood schools, market trends and commute times.

3. While we are not professional home inspectors, we do have experience in looking for potential problems with a property’s condition. Having knowledge of common problems in a specific neighborhood or area is also a benefit to our clients. Certain areas are prone to foundation settling or soil shifting as an example. Other areas are prone to high radon levels or flooding.

4. We have experience in working with local home and termite inspectors. We can recommend those inspectors, which have proven themselves to provide quality inspections and professional reports.

5. We can help clients determine how much they can afford by using available mortgage calculators. We also business relationships with trustworthy lenders who can provide accurate estimates of current interest rates, loan origination / closing costs and payment amounts.

6. Property taxes and utilities are a part of client’s monthly housing costs. We can determine what those costs will be to assist in budgeting.

7. One of the most important functions we perform for our clients is verifying the value of the property that they are considering. We search for recent sales of similar properties in the area and determine a market range based on those sales. Often this task is quite difficult and time consuming. Having experience in our local market is critical in accurately determining a properties market value.

8. Often, knowing how to structure and present an offer to a seller will determine if the offer is accepted or rejected. We research the market value of the property and it’s sales / listing history. This sometimes lets us know what a seller purchased the property for, how long he has owned it and how long it has been on the market. While our local real estate market is slightly weighted in favor of the Seller, often a seller is willing to negotiate.

The three items that are generally points of negotiation with a Seller are the sales price, what closing costs Seller will pay for purchaser (If any.) and if Seller will pay for any needed repairs to the house. Knowing a particular Sellers mindset and how to phrase the offer does quite often make the difference in Seller’s response.

9. Unless we are the listing brokers on a property, we will be working with the listing agent to help buyer and seller come together for a sale. Having a good reputation in the local realtor community and being able to effectively work with other realtors is critical. We have seen transactions fall apart not because of the buyer or seller but because the realtors could not effectively work together to convert an offer to a sale.

Rosenblum Realty has an excellent reputation in our local community. The company was started in 1957 by the grandfather of our broker Cary Rosenblum. Cary has been president of our local board of realtors several times and has been the local realtor association’s Realtor of the year. We are active in local civic groups and have an established reputation outside the realtor community.

Our experience and demeanor in negotiating with other realtors is also an asset. Keeping negotiations unemotional and professional is imperative.

10. Every client is different, not only in terms of the type of property they are looking for but in which factors of an offer are most important to them. Is cash tight and they need seller to pay their closing costs? Is time a factor for them and do they need a quick sale or do they need a delayed closing? Negotiating favorable contract terms for the buyer is one of the chief duties we perform for our clients.

11. We will review / prepare all of the several forms required to purchase property and explain each form to out clients. From experience, we have learned specific points to watch and wording to add or avoid in contracts.

12. Having a trustworthy and professional lender is an absolute requirement. We have seen lenders that ranged from Professional and caring to incompetent to criminal. We can help our clients avoid delays and unpleasant surprises in obtaining funding. We have established relationships of trust with a few lenders that have proven themselves in taking care of the clients we refer to them. We can offer referrals to these lenders depending on the specific needs of each client.

13. In our area, closings are usually done with the assistance of an attorney but the use of title companies to coordinate closings is becoming more common. Again, we have our favorites, those that have performed in a competent and professional manner in the past. Whoever coordinates the closing, we will assist them in clarifying title, zoning, building codes, and easements. We will attend closing and assist clients in working out any last minute problems.

14. We have established business relationships with local tradesmen and can offer suggestions for companies to make any needed repairs or to make inspections beyond the expertise of a home inspector or termite inspector.

15. While we can’t predict the future. We can research sales trends and use our knowledge of the local real estate market and economy to advise clients on the future marketability of a property they are interested in. Resale value is always an important consideration in choosing a property to purchase.

To begin your property purchase process, just call, email or complete one of the forms at the links above.

Philip Winburn 256.797.4570  / Christina Winburn 256.652.7354

philipwinburn@mchsi.com

 Even with the current state of the national economy and mortgage crisis, our local real estate market remains strong. Our local economy continues to thrive and we are expecting more job growth in the spring and summer of 2009.

 There are some market segments and geographic areas that are experiencing a slowdown but Huntsville remains a bright spot on the nation’s economy and real estate markets.

For those properties that are not selling, we offer options not provided by most area realty firms.  We have been able to sell properties that had been on market for over a year with little activity by offering the property as a lease-purchase or lease-option.  We currently manage almost 400 rental properties so have the resources and experience to market, screen, manage and maintain lease-option and lease-purchase sales.

Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Blog / What is Negative Amortization?Posted by Lenny Kelman  After posting an explanation on adjustable rate mortgages, I have been asked what a negative amortization loan is. Here is a brief overview:A negative amortization loan is an adjustable rate mortgage that allows the consumer to tap into home “equity” by offering several monthly payment options. Up to an additional 25% of the original loan amount is available to the borrower. This flexibility works well for consumers who have seasonal income or want more control over their cash flow. However, the borrower must have some degree of financial discipline. Each month, the borrower will choose to make a fully amortized payment, an interest-only payment, or a low introductory rate payment. A fully amortized payment is larger, and includes payment toward principal + interest. The interest-only payment is lower, but no part of that mortgage payment goes toward the principal. The borrower is simply keeping their head above water.

The third option is where negative amortization comes into play. If the consumer chooses to make the low introductory rate payment, the interest is not sufficiently covered for that month. The balance of interest owed is then tacked back on to the principal, thus increasing the mortgage debt.

Smart consumers can use these payment options to their advantage, but should have a full understanding of how adjustable loans work. They should also know that once the maximum loan amount has been reached, the lender will immediately increase the payment amount to the fully amortized rate. To learn more on negative amortization loans and if this type of a loan is right for you, call me for FREE consultation.

Posted by Lenny Kelman  10:39 AMPost a Comment (0)

This week brings us the release of four factual economic reports to be concerned with along with the minutes from the last FOMC meeting. Two of the three reports are considered to be only moderately important while one is of low importance to the bond and mortgage markets. Still, the last report of the week is one of the single most important we see each month an d has the potential to create a great deal of volatility in the markets and rates.

The week’s first two reports come Tuesday morning. The first is the revised Productivity index for the 4th Quarter of last year. The preliminary reading posted last month showed a 3.0% jump in worker output. Analysts are expecting to see a downward revision to 1.7%, meaning that employee productivity was weaker than previously announced. Employee productivity is watched closely because a higher level of output per hour is believed to mean that the economy can expand without inflation concerns.

January’s Factory Orders will be posted late Tuesday morning, which will give us a measurement of manufacturing sector strength. This data is similar to last week’s Durable Goods, except this report covers orders for both durable and non durable goods. Current forecasts are calling for a drop in new orders of approximately 4.0%. A larger than expected drop would be good news for the bond m arket and could lead to an improvement in mortgage rates Tuesday morning.

The Fed Beige Book will be posted Wednesday afternoon. This report details economic activity throughout the country by region. The Fed relies heavily on this data during their FOMC meetings, so look for a potential reaction during afternoon trading Wednesday. It probably will not cause a major sell off in the stock or bond markets, but could cause enough movement in bond prices to possibly improve or worsen mortgage rates slightly if it reveals any significant surprises.

Friday morning, January’s Goods and Services Trade Balance report will be posted. This data gives us the size of the U.S. trade deficit during January. It generally isn’t a big mover of bond prices, but can affect stock prices and the value of the U.S. dollar versus other currencies. However, I expect this report to have virtually no impact on mortgage rates Friday due to the importance of the day’s second release.

The second report scheduled for Friday is one of the single most important monthly reports we see. The Labor Department will release February’s Employment report at 8:30 AM ET Friday. Some of the important portions of the report will give us the unemployment rate, number of new jobs added or lost and the average hourly earnings reading. The best combination for the bond market and mortgage rates would be an increase in the unemployment rate, a large drop in payrolls and little or no increase in earnings. Current forecasts are calling for no change in the unemployment rate of 4.6% and approximately 100,000 new jobs added.

Rates Heading Down This Year? 

Alabama Housing Statistics Reporting Form
North Alabama Multiple Listing System, Inc. (NALMLS)

These statistics should represent residential sales of houses, condos and townhomes in your board area.