The MLS shows Spanish Fort had 125 homes on the market in September. The average list price of $353,183 is down by 2% from the August data. The median price of $319,900 is unchanged from last month. These homes have been on the market for an average of 143 days, one week longer than in August. In September, 10 homes  sold in Spanish Fort with an average sales price of $249,470, down 2% from August. The median sales price of $216,000 is down substantially. Homes are also moving much more slowly, with the average days on the market rising from 107 days in August to 138 days in September. There were 17 homes under contract with an average sales price of $359,924, a 2% increase over August. The median price point of $298,900 is basically unchanged since last month. These homes stayed on the market an average of 142 days, 3 weeks shorter than in August.  With a strong inventory of lovely homes, this is a prime time to buy.  To find a beautiful dream home in Spanish Fort, visit http://barbarareevesrealtor.com.

The topic of discussion today at Daphne Alabama’s Public Library was focused on the construction of Baldwin County Bicentennial Park.  This park will include 367 acres of land near Stockton on Highway 225 and will commemorate the area’s 200th anniversary as well as be a pull for tourists.   

Included in the park will be a number of entertaining and educational draws for residents and visitors alike.  There will be cultural and native American exhibits, architectural collections, a reproduction of a 19th century village, beautifully landscaped walkways and gardens at the entrance, 19th century working farm reproduction, and old-style area cuisine as well as a memorial area to honor those that served in the armed forces in history.  Walter Overton’s art collection will also be a welcomed addition to the park, including various watercolor paintings featuring the Gulf Coast of Alabama.  

The park will cost an estimated $6 million and is expected to attract about 300,000 visitors yearly.  This will help boost the local economy as it will bring in more job opportunities for local residents and bring income from tourists for the park as well as local lodging and dining.  The park project is expected to be completed within three to five years.

image credit: sxc.hu

August 2008 statistics specifically for Fairhope show 470 homes on the market for sale with an average sales price of $447,836 and a median price of $349,900, both relatively unchanged from the prior month.  These homes are still moving fairly slowly and were on the market an average of 193 days. In August, 15 homes have sold in Fairhope with an average sales price of $375,201, rising 13% compared to July. The median sales price of $395,000 is up significantly from July. Days on the market averaged 145 days for sold homes. The number of homes that are presently under contract in Fairhope is 34, with an average sales price down 6% at $335,259. The median price point has dropped to $269,200. These homes averaged 154 days on the market, 11 days quicker compared to July.

Hurricane Gustav skimmed by Baldwin County Alabama without doing major damage to the area, but Foley Alabama city council members are looking to help property owners in the meantime.  The City Council hopes to pass an ordinance before their regularly scheduled September 15^th meeting to allow property owners to make temporary repairs on their homes due to storm damage; currently property owners would have to wait for an approval of a building permit to make changes, but this obviously does not help in emergency situations. 

Alabama’s Gulf Coast residents remained safe during the effects of hurricane Gustav as the Baldwin County Coliseum in Robertsdale was put to use housing 300 residents and over 150 people took shelter at the Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette Alabama. Although they avoided major damage from this hurricane, Foley Alabama Mayor John Koniar enforced the need for residents to stay on guard about the latest storm developments as Gustav isn’t the last of them. 

There were 471 homes on the market in Daphne during August with an average sales price of $320,628 and a median price of $249,900, both basically unchanged from July numbers. These homes have been on the market an average of 134 days. In August, 34 homes sold in Daphne with an average sales price of $237,870, down 21% from July, but equal to June prices. In July there were two homes in the one to two plus million dollar range that inflated the average prices for July.  These homes averaged 158 days on the market before selling. Days on the market for sold homes has been steadily lengthening.  The number of homes that are currently under contract in Daphne is 44, with an average sales price of $251,761. The median price point is $204,025. Homes under contract were on the market for an average of 104 days, much quicker than July’s 139 day average! There are many lovely homes available in Daphne, and they can be found at http://barbarasellsdaphne.com.

This week, Tim Russell, former mayor of Foley Alabama and current State Revenue Commissioner, will be in Baldwin County to run a series of meetings on property appraisal, valuation, and taxation. The informational sessions will be held in Gulf Shores, Fairhope, Robertsdale, and Bay Minette with members of the Baldwin County legislative delegation, county commission, and Phil Nix, the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner present. 

These forums were planned in hopes of answering questions that property owners may have about why property taxes change and what to expect this year. Last year the higher property valuations assessed lead to an enormous number of complaints with approximately 15,000 cases processed. Russell hopes that property owners will come to these property tax forums and ask questions about their specific situations to get a better understanding and hopefully feel less frustrated with the results; Russell also wants to reflect through these meetings that they are committed to doing what is fair under state legislation.

There is no registration required for the meetings and they will begin at 7 p.m. For more information about the property tax forums visit al.com.

The Baldwin County Home Builder’s Association (BCHBA) will be holding their 19^th annual Parade of Homes September 20-21 and 27-28. In this annual event homes will be open for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. free of charge. Featured homes will be located around Baldwin county Alabama including Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Foley, Gulf Shores, Robertsdale, and Daphne.

In conjunction with this home viewing event, third through fifth graders will also be in on the experience; these children are invited to create a picture of their ‘dream home’ and submit it for possible prizes and to be chosen for the front of the Parade of Homes publication.

So if you are looking for your dream home in Baldwin County Alabama, visit the beautiful Gulf Coast in September and take a look for yourself. The Parade of Homes event is the perfect time for potential home buyers to find their dream home.

Boeing Co. and Northrup Grumman Corp. each emerged from a key meeting with Pentagon officials on Tuesday saying they were pleased with progress on the U.S. Air Force tanker contract, even as speculation mounted that Boeing may drop out of the competition. Tuesday’s meetings were held to discuss the Air Force’s proposed ground rules for the second contest. Newly appointed Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz told the Associated Press that the service is eager to begin work on the new planes and hoped to avoid an "indefiinite delay in action" on the new tanker.  If successful, Northrop and EADS plan to assemble their KC-30 tankers in a $600 million plant at the Brookley Field Industrial Complex in Mobile, creating 1,500 jobs.  - Excerpted from article in The Mobile Press-Register, George Talbot, Political Editor 8/13/2008

Let’s keep thinking positive thoughts - c’mon Pentagon! These 1,500 new jobs would greatly impact Mobile’s economy and boost the local real estate market.

Mobile makes top 50 list for best places to ‘live and play’

Mobile joins the likes of Seattle, San Francisco and Chattanooga, Tenn., in the September issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the "50 next great towns" in which to live and play. Magazine editors said their annual choices "aren’t just on prime relocation spots now, but smart choices for the future." National Geographic asked the Mobile Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau for its recommendation of interesting, offbeat local destinations, according to bureau President Leon Maisel. Editors made their choices after visiting the various locales. In Mobile, tours of the local river delta system were a major draw, Maisel said.

Mobile was the only Alabama site among the magazine’s 50 choices. Most of the areas were in the western part of the United States. Tourist spending is big business in Mobile, according to the Convention & Visitors Bureau, which put 2007 tourism spending at $888.6 million in Mobile, which welcomed an estimated 2.6 million visitors. Other Mobile highlights in the top-50 list included the outdoor patio at Café 615 on Dauphin Street and the Kate Shepard House bed and breakfast.

The Mobile area has been in the pages of other National Geographic publications, including an article earlier this year in National Geographic Traveler that focused on the Eastern Shore on Mobile Bay.