With roughly 1000 active home listings between Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope, the Eastern Shore real estate inventory is excellent! This is the time to buy in this charming area, and your local agent Barbara S. Reeves is the one to assist you!

In November, 26 homes sold in Daphne for an average price of $173,103 or $84.29/ square foot. At 134 average days on the market, Daphne homes are among the slowest moving. There are 46 homes pending sale with an average of $235,226 or $93.81/ square foot.

Spanish Fort, with 140 homes on the market, saw just 5 homes sold in November, with the average sales price of $246,880 or $113.81/ square foot. Sixteen homes are pending sale with an average price of $276,700 or $118.82/ square foot. 

Down the highway in Fairhope, there are 411 homes active on the market, averaging $448,646 ($186.96/ sq foot). These homes have been on the market an an average of 176 days. Those 13 homes which sold in November did so after 92 days on the market. The average sales price of $182,115 ($94.07/ sq foot) is much lower than the average list price, not uncommon in the current housing environment.

Compared with July home sales in Daphne, September showed an increase in the number of transactions. 35 homes sold in September 2009, with the average sales price jumping from $204,421 to $253,199.  The average price per square foot rose from $92.43/sq ft to $97.98. Unfortunately, the average time on the market increased again from 118 up to 147 days .  There are 49 Daphne homes with pending contracts, averaging $95.45 per square foot, down from $103.28 in July. Those with currently listed homes are more optimistic, with the average price per foot at $113.87.

In Spanish Fort, there were 11 home sales in September. The average sales price decreased again from $277,989 (July) to $263,323. Price per square foot followed suit.  The sales that averaged $107.82 in July averaged $103.66 in September. Days on the market for these sold homes dropped from 134 in July to 116 in September. The inventory of homes available in Spanish Fort is 130, with an average list price of $349,074 or $120/square foot.

Down the highway in Fairhope, 16 homes sold in the month of September. Average sales price climbed a bit to $270,831 or $135.98/square foot. The days on the market for September home sales has dropped a bit to 142 from July’s 149.  While this is still longer than anyone would like to see, it is a vast improvement over the Spring, when activity was much more sluggish.  Fairhope has 30 pending contracts, averaging $124.56/ square foot. The 408 active home listings average $466,389 and $182.65 per square foot and they’ve been on the market an aveage of 162 days.  Barbara Reeves, REALTOR, is an expert in these communities and is able to assist you in taking advantage of this market to find your dream home. Visit her at http://www.barbarasellsdaphne.com.

Compared with June home sales in Daphne, July showed a significant decrease in the number of transactions. 27 homes sold in July 2009, compared with 38 in June. Average sales price decreased from $236,074 to $204,421, while the average price per square foot went from $98.15 to $92.43/sq ft. Fortunately, the average time on the market decreased from 145 days to 118.  There are 51 Daphne homes with pending contracts, averaging $103.28 per square foot.

In Spanish Fort, a mere 12 sales in June dropped to 9 in July. The average sales price decreased from  $305,800 to $277,989. Price per square foot, however, made a modest gain. The sales that averaged $106.16 in June climbed to $107.82 in July! Days on the market increased by only 7 days from 89 to 134 in July.

Down the highway in Fairhope, 15 transactions in June grew to 19 in July. Average sales price retreated to March numbers at $249,136. This translates to a price per foot of $103.19. The good news in Fairhope is that the days on the market for July home sales has receded to 149 from June’s 178.  While this is still longer than anyone would like to see, it is a vast improvement over the Spring.  Fairhope has 40 pending contracts, averaging $122.15/ square foot. The active home listings average $456,282 and $172.77 per square foot.  Barbara Reeves, REALTOR, is an expert in these communities and is able to assist you in taking advantage of this market to find your dream home. Visit her at http://www.barbarasellsdaphne.com.

Compared with March home sales in Daphne, June showed a significant increase in the number of transactions. 38 homes sold in June 2009, compared with 18 in March. Average sales price increased from $210, 433 to $236,074, while the average price per square foot went from $90.58 in March to $98.15/sq ft. Unfortunately, the average time on the market increased from 91 days to 145, a nearly 50% increase.

Similarly, in Spanish Fort, a mere 8 sales in March grew to 12 in June. The average sales price increased from $212,612 to $305,800 and price per square foot followed suit. The sales that averaged $83.75/ sq ft in March went to $106.16 in June! Days on the market increased by only 7 days from 82 to 89.

Down the highway in Fairhope, 13 March sales grew to 15 in June. Average sales price grew modestly from $246,065 to $263,353. This translates to a price per foot of $109.49 in March decreasing to $106.34 in June. The good news in Fairhope is that the whopping 272 days on the market for March home sales has receded to 175.  While this is still longer than anyone would like to see, it is a vast improvement over the Spring.  Barbara Reeves, REALTOR, is an expert in these communities and is able to assist you in taking advantage of this market to find your dream home. Visit her at http://www.barbarasellsdaphne.com.

The newly completed recreation center at Municipal Park in Fairhope AL is slated to open early this summer 2009.  This 19,355-square-foot $2.4 million building will be operating as soon as staffing needs and necessary equipment are in place.  Currently city staffers are working to bid on cardiovascular machines, cable weights and free weights, and computer software that will effectively track memberships and facility usage.  Thus far the building includes three basketball courts, sauna, racquetball court, space for a weight room and a game room.  The recreation center’s sturdy construction was built to withstand 140-mph winds, and city officials hope that this center will serve the needs of the whole Fairhope community.

For information on real estate in Fairhope AL or other Gulf Coast AL areas including Spanish Fort, Daphne, Mobile or West Mobile, contact your friendly local agent Barbara Reeves by email or through the “Talk Live” button on this page.

image credit: sxc.hu meal time photo

Fairhope Alabama’s own Bay Breeze Guest House will be featured on Sunday, April 19 on a PBS special.  The program will be entitled “At Home in Alabama” and the second week of the program will include the Bay Breeze Guest House, a wonderful bed and breakfast along the Scenic 98.  In 1997, this quaint bed and breakfast was featured on another PBS special that walked viewers through the top 10 bed and breakfasts in Alabama; owners Bill and Becky Jones have also lent their masterful southern cooking tips to a PBS cooking show called “Lower Alabama Pie.”  The Bay Breeze Guest House is even known internationally with English and German guests staying for a weekend or two for great southern food, entertainment and lodgings at this prime location near Mobile Bay.

Click here for more information on staying at Bay Breeze Guest House.

For information on Fairhope AL real estate or other Baldwin County AL area real estate contact your friendly local realtor Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking the “Talk Now” button on this page.

In Spanish Fort, there are 121 homes on the market with an average price of $344,439, unchanged from January’s $344,717. Homes pending sale rose from an average of $314,633 to $320,164. Maybe the most important figure is that of homes actually sold. In February, sales activity rose from 7 homes with an average sales price of $152,357 ($76.31/ sq ft) to 11 homes with an average sales price of $276,914 ($106.38/sq ft).

Down the highway in Fairhope, there are a whopping 423 homes on the market with an average list price of $452,883, slightly higher than January’s $441,318. Homes pending sale dropped from an average of $327,703 to $323,202.  In February, sold home prices dropped substantially from January’s $399,700 or $146.41/square foot to an average February sales price of $205,695 ($112.70/sq ft). This is a 23% drop in average price, which we attribute to the fact that none of Fairhope’s high end homes over $500,000 have sold since December. Typically the aveage price in Fairhope reflects the upper-end homes that are on the market.

Real estate sales in this very popular Southern city have been hit quite hard by the shaky economy. In January 2009, nine homes sold, compared with eleven in January 2008. The big difference is in the average sales price of $254,947 compared with $399,700 one year ago. That translates to $109.30 per square foot compared with $146.41 last year. The median has dropped comparably, as well, from $360,000 in January 2008 to $225,000 last month.  These homes are also spending nearly twice as long on the market than they were a year ago – up to 226 days compared with 117 in 2008. On the bright side, for buyers there are so many lovely homes available now – 410 on the market in January. See them at www.barbarareevesrealtor.com or call Barbara at the link at the top of this page.

image credit: sxc.hu construction tools

Fairhope Alabama’s city zoning officials approved the subdivision of a few lots at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at the beginning of this month.   This supercenter is located on Ala. 181, just south of its intersection at Fairhope Ave.  Wal-Mart owns the 59 acres where they built a supercenter in 2007, and the grassy lots that were recently subdivided into three parcels of 2 acres or smaller are not earmarked for anything yet.  Though there are no plans yet how they will be developed, zoning officials will be notified before anything is started.  Other conditions of the approval of the three parcel subdivision include a submittal of a grounds maintenance plan, a drainage compliance letter, and electrical certifications, as cited in the Press Register online.

For more information on real estate in Fairhope AL, contact your local agent Barbara Reeves via email or by clicking the “Talk Live” feature of this page.

Its nomination recently as the second nicest small town in the South is reflected in Fairhope’s ability to hold onto real estate value, with 2008 average home sales prices dropping by only 1.5%.  The price per square foot dropped 7% and the total number of sales dropped dramatically by 47%. So fewer homes sold, but they are holding their values better than in many other areas, including other Baldwin County communities. Many potential home buyers have been on the fence this past year, with uncertainty in the marketplace. The plentiful home inventory and very low interest rates should motivate those to get off the fence and take advantage of the situation. BarbaraReevesRealtor.com can show you a variety of lovely homes in Fairhope as well as links to other important information.