The plans for a new subdivision in northeast Elberta of Baldwin County Alabama will be on hold due to a withdrawal of the developer’s request for rezoning of the area.  The development plans for this 79 acre area included a subdivision with 214 homes, but Katz Builders and Developers feel they need to delay the zoning request for the time being due to the many concerns that have been circulating among the neighboring farmers. 

Since hearing about the proposed subdivision, local farmers have been opposed to the idea, fearing that it will encumber daily work and ultimately be the end to farming in the area. Thus, Katz officials feel it more appropriate to take the time to address concerns and then submit a revised proposal later.

A business park at Orange Beach Alabama’s northern boundary is taking form three years after the 80 acres of Foley Beach Express land was purchased. Two occupants in this business park will be Columbia Southern University and Baldwin EMC.  

Columbia Southern University, which has grown considerably since its beginnings, has a need for more space as they are expected to bring in more than twice their current enrollment by 2010. Last December, the three-story University building began to be constructed which will occupy 67,000 square feet; they will also have 20 acres of land left for future expansion. Baldwin EMC purchased 20 acres of land also to relocate their south Baldwin County Alabama hospital.

There may be some changes to the Condos just north of Spanish Fort Alabama if a proposed amendment to the zoning is approved. Cypress Point developers are looking to replace these condo towers with country cottages and lodge-type buildings; this change in plans was influenced by recent market research which has shown that the modern looking condos are less desirable than a rustic, but upscale cottage in the area’s housing market. The landscape surrounding the condos would also complement the southern country theme beautifully.

The proposed amendment to the area north of Spanish Fort Alabama’s zoning would allow Cypress Point’s development plans to be underway; it is also likely that it will meet with approval as the surrounding communities have not been pleased with the controversial condo towers.

The Downtown/Midtown area of Mobile has 426 homes on the market with an average sales price of $185,214 (a 6% increase) and a median price of $139,700. In April, 39 homes sold in the Downtown/Midtown area of Mobile with an average sales price of $150,356 (up 27%!) and a median sales price of $139,000 (up 30%) and 65 days on the market.

April statistics for the Municipal Park area of Mobile show 132 homes on the market with an average list price of $125,251 (6% increase) and a median price of $124,900. In April, 20 homes have sold in the Municipal Park area of Mobile with an average sales price of $108,873 (a 12% increase over Jan - Mar) and a median sales price of $117,482. These homes were on the market for an average of 39 days prior to being sold.

In Springhill/ USA, there are 115 homes on the market with an average listing price of $422,633 and a median price of $244,800 (a 12% increase over Jan-Mar). Average days on the market for these homes is 111. In April, 19 homes have sold in the Springhill/USA area of Mobile with an average sales price of $216,337 and a median sales price of $166,000 and 99 days on the market. These sales figures are relatively unchanged from last quarter.

April 2008 statistics for the Cottage Hill area of Mobile indicate 333 homes on the market with an average list price of $217,416 (a 2% decline) and a median price of $169,500. In April, 58 homes have sold in the Cottage Hill area of Mobile with an average sales price of $179,108 (up 2%) and a median sales price of $137,950 (down 12%).

The West Mobile area has 277 homes presently on the market with an average listing price of $278,183 (up 2%) and a median price of $229,000. There were 44 homes sold in April in the West Mobile area, with an average sales price of $191,347 (up 7%) and a median sales price of $166,150 (up 10%). They stayed on the market an average of 80 days. Although it is taking 10 days longer for the average W. Mobile home to sell (compared to 1st quarter), prices are strong and increasing.

April 2008 statistics for the West Mobile County area has 288 homes on the market with an average listing price of $267,056 and a median price of $219,900. Days on the market averaged 98 days. These conditions are comparable to the first quarter of the year. In April, 39 homes sold in the W. Mobile County area with an average sales price of $225,292 (up 3%) and a median sales price of $186,900. The number of homes that are under contract in the W. Mobile County area is 43 with an average sales price of $199,715 (down 8%) and a median point of $169,500. Average days on the market was 85.

There are 133 homes on the market in Spanish Fort with an average list price of $380,517 (up 3% from 1st quarter) and a median price of $329,900 (up 1.5%). These homes have been on the market for an average of 121 days. The median is the point where there are the same number of prices lower than higher. In April, 13 homes have sold in Spanish Fort with an average sales price of $238,114 (down 8%) and a median sales price of $220,000. Average days on the market was 106. The number of homes that are under contract in Spanish Fort is 21 with an average sales price of $250,391 (unchanged from Q1) and a median price point of $199,900 (down 10%). These homes were on the market an average of 117 days. Generally speaking, the Spanish Fort market is still a good buyer's market with plenty of inventory and relatively steady pricing.

At the end of April there were 503 homes on the market in Fairhope with an average list price of $445,332 and a median price of $349,900. The median is the point where there are the same number of prices lower than higher. Average price is up slightly over the first quarter of 2008.  In April, 15 homes sold in Fairhope with an average sales price of $419,160 and a median sales price of $264,000. This is a 23% increase in average sales price and a relatively unchanged median price over first quarter 2008. The number of homes that are presently under contract in Fairhope is 27, with an average sales price of $394,504 and a median price point of $298,900. These homes averaged 184 days on the market. Homes are taking slightly longer to sell, but prices are holding strong. If you are looking for a home in Fairhope, this is a great time to make your purchase decision!

The Future is Bright for Baldwin and Mobile Counties!

"Call me an optimist, or call me a realist…… prosperity is truly headed our way.  If you’ve had your head in the sand for the last 3 - 6 months, you’ve missed plenty of great news about our little area of the world.  Northrup/EADS was awarded a huge 10-15 year contract totaling $40 BILLION to replace the U.S. Air Force aging refueling tankers at Brookley Field in Mobile.  Although being challenged by their competitor Boeing, odds are this decision will stand.  Combined with the $3.7 BILLION ThyssenKrupp AG steel processing plant currently under construction, the $624 MILLION Dale Earnhardt Motorsport Park scheduled to break ground soon and the $150 MILLION Eastern Shore Town Center being built and we’re looking at over 5,000 direct, well paying new jobs in our own back yard.  Why is this happening?  Our area has excellent overall port, rail and highway transportation infrastructure along with considerable land and labor cost advantages over almost all other areas of our country.  With U.S. and foreign companies looking so much harder at ways to control costs and improve the bottom line, the dollar cost savings and efficiencies we offer will continue to make business both large and small look at relocating here as an attractive option. 

...let’s take a look at how this will affect our local real estate market….  The big companies relocating here will not only bring a significant amount of direct new jobs, there will be thousands more that will off-shoot from smaller companies starting up or relocating here just to support those big companies.  Other organizations nationally and internationally looking for efficiencies are taking note and will also consider doing the same.  With a low unemployment rate and quality jobs becoming more available, people in high cost or distressed areas looking to improve their quality of life will want to move here.  As a result, the current oversupply of homes and lots locally will dry up and housing prices will rise.  Our beaches, which are better than almost any others on the Gulf, will continue to attract more vacationers and help that real estate market to fully recover.  In the big picture and with current prices down, there may not be a better time to buy a home.

We may be in the midst of a temporary economic downturn, causing some of us real pain at the moment.  But we have always been resilient and rest assured that a significant series of events has already begun that will have a tremendously positive and long-term impact to our local economy.  Don’t let the national news media lump their negative shock news about other areas of the country hold you back from the good news that is happening in our little corner of the world.  The next 10 years holds so much promise for both Baldwin and Mobile counties.  Life is short, life is good and our future is bright!"

Vince Hughes is a Certified Mortgage Planner with First Gulf Bank, Mortgage Division

In Daphne there are 481 homes on the market with an average sales price of $320,907 and a median price of $259,700. The median is the point where there are the same number of prices lower than higher. In April, 32 homes sold in Daphne with an average sales price of $221,567 and a median sales price of $185,900. Sold homes averaged 118 days on the market, so homes sold a bit more slowly than during the first quarter of 2008, but the median price is up about $9000.  The number of homes that are under contract in Daphne is 34 with an average sales price of $284,534 and a median price point of $243,950. Again, median prices for pending homes are up 13% over Q1.

Foley Alabama will soon have some sparkling new improvements according to the Foley Downtown Historic Streetscape project that is underway. Foley’s new improvements will be in downtown and include such renovations as new sidewalks, curbing, and lighting. The City Council approved the project last November, which originally included a canopy of oak trees to be placed near Alabama 59; however, the Alabama Department of Transportation recently voted the oak tree idea down at this time, indicating that the tree branches must be at least 16 feet off the ground if trees are allowed in the future. 

Foley’s renovations are intended to beautify the city and stimulate economic growth in the downtown area.

Mark your calendars for this Sunday when the 11^th annual Fairhope Historic Homes Tour will be taking place in Fairhope Alabama. This annual tour features five historic homes that will be opened for tours from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The homes all have charming historic features and include their own slice of history to be told to those on the tour; most of the homes include much of their original building materials and all of their style. You can obtain tickets in advance of the event for $10 or $15 the day of the home tour.

And while you’re here in Fairhope, Alabama, why not take the time to look at featured homes for sale. Contact local agent Barbara Reeves for information on available homes and property on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

There is a better way to commute between Baldwin and Mobile Counties and it’s called the Baylinc transit service. The service started operations last November and it exists for the purpose of helping commuters go between counties from home to work and back while saving money and freeing up parking in congested areas. 

Since its beginnings, the Baylinc transit service has been picking up more and more regular customers; it runs twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon in its general public route from such towns as Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort to downtown Mobile and connects to the WAVE transit service in Mobile County. For a round trip ride you will expect to pay somewhere between $3.00 and $6.00. Most commuters who live in Baldwin County but work in Downtown Mobile are finding the bus system is saving them money and the hassle of traffic and finding parking spots.

Baldwin and Mobile Counties were reported as among the top five travel destinations in Alabama according to a recent study conducted by Auburn University Montgomery. The annual study revealed that Alabama’s travel and tourism increased by 10 percent in 2007 with approximately 22.4 million vacationing people traveling to Alabama while spending around $9.3 billion; these numbers are up from 2006 which was reported as 22.1 million travelers spending $8.4 billion.

With beautiful beaches, great weather, and genuine southern charm it is easy to see why Baldwin and Mobile Counties are counted as among the top travel destinations for Alabama. Learn more about why Alabama's Gulf Coast is the perfect place to be whether you plan to vacation or live there year-round.

A closely watched federal measure of housing sale prices rose 1.2% in February in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky.

 That outstripped the 0.6 percent increase in the nationwide index published by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. The overall incrrease surprised analysts, who had been expecting housing market woes to lead to a 1.5 percent decline nationwide.....

It was the first increase since November in the four-state East South Central number and the first increase since August in the national index. Prices for the region were 0.6 percent above where they were in February 2007, while they are 2.4 percent below February 2007 nationwide.

In general, home prices have held up better in Alabama and along the Gulf Coast than nationwide. Prices rose 5.5 percent in Mobile County and 4.5 percent statewde last year, according to federal data."

Source:  Jeff Amy, Mobile Press-Register, April 23, 2008

Internationally known photographer Bill Boyce is coming to Spanish Fort Alabama this week. On April 24 from 6:30-9:00p.m., the annual Eastern Shore for Cocktails with the Critters fund-raiser will take place; this fund-raiser will help support the marine science center and is held by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation (DISL). DISL hopes to bring awareness of the beauty of Mobile Bay and the Northern Gulf of Mexico and our responsibility to protect and look after it. 

Mr. Boyce is a renowned marine biologist and television host and his art will be featured at the event. For more information on the event visit foundation.disl.org.

Controversy has been heating up for proponents of Boeing Co. ever since it was announced that Northrop Grumman won the massive Air Force tanker contract last February. Boeing filed a formal protest and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has until June 19^th to weigh in on the matter. Protests have mainly stemmed from a desire to stick with an American Company (Boeing) and thus protect American jobs. Currently Washington state members of Congress have been joining labor leaders in protest as well.

For more on this controversy visit nbc15online.com or dyn.politico.com. 

Fairhope Alabama’s Village North planned unit development (PUD) has gone through some more desired revisions for consideration by the City Council. The property in question is located at the “Triangle,” which is on the north side of Veteran’s Drive, and it has been recently approved at 54,000 square feet; the revised plan set forward in the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting included a further increase in the size, but the City Council will make the final decision. 

Find out why Fairhope Alabama is a great place to consider buying a home here.

Baldwin County’s Emergency Management Agency is offering residents training classes to help them be better prepared in cases of emergency. The Com-munity Emergency Re-sponse Team (CERT) is a program that will educate the community concerning how to respond using basic disaster response skills as outlined in the program. They will hold three training classes on April 26, May 3, and May 10,  taught by Baldwin County emergency response officials, and three more with Mobile officials on April 28, April 29, and April 30^th; residents must attend all three of the sessions for the training to be complete and will be informed about Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue, Fire Safety, Terrorism Awareness, and many other useful topics to help Gulf Coast home property owners deal with any disaster that may come their way.

For more information on these sessions or the CERT program visit Baldwincountynow.com.

With the help of the South Baldwin Center for Technology in Robertsdale, Baldwin County is being brought up-to-date on ‘green’ home building procedures. The Green Coast Conference which was held this week in Mobile featured an 8-foot by 8-foot structure designed to operate as an example of green building techniques; the structure was made to be easily taken down and transported for reference and teaching purposes. This example building was constructed out of Blu-Wood which features mold and rot resistance; other energy saving techniques included environmentally friendly windows that retain heat and cold (depending on the season and temperature desired), carpets made from recycled materials, Bamboo flooring (a renewable resource), mold resistant paperless sheetrock, and expandable foam insulation that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

The Baldwin County Homebuilders Association, Baldwin County Habitat for Humanity, Daphne Utilities, and Alabama Homebuilders Association have given support to this Green Conference and are keeping in contact with the latest in ‘green’ building techniques.

Samaritan Developers of the SweetBay Community, a south Baldwin County subdivision, have committed to donating 20 acres for a new elementary school. The 200-acre community is near Magnolia Springs and has plans for more than 2,000 housing units, with the elementary school a part of the community. Samaritan Developers hope that this will show the community that they are committed to providing a school for their children.

The next step is for Samaritan developers to work out an agreement with the Baldwin School board members to have the school built as soon as possible. 

The Baldwin County Commission unanimously approved the final project list for the Pay-As-You-Go issue as well as approved it to be on the June ballot; residents will vote on several projects on June 3^rd in relation to the Pay-As-You-Go issue. Within this issue, there are about 400 different projects total that would affect 296 miles of current or future roads in Baldwin County Alabama. The projects will deal with improving current road systems, adding lanes, adding new roads, and improving existing drainage systems. With these new improvements, Baldwin County would increase efficiency and offer residents new options for making their commute more pleasant.

The County Commission are urging citizens to see the Pay-As-You-Go program as a way to save time on their daily commute and increase their property value, rather than just viewing it as an additional tax. 

For more information on the roads that will be part of the projects, visit al.com.