Different Types of Roofing

Today we're getting back on track after the wonderful Memorial Day Weekend with a short comment on the roofing.  Just a short blurb if you will.  There are several different types of house tops that stand out.  3 Tab, Architectural, Tile, and Aluminum.

Let's begin and just jump right in.  Differences can vary by cost, strength, and looks among other things. The 3 Tab is the low end and is just your slap them on and hammer them down roof shingles.  They are the most vulnerable to destruction.  Architectural shingles have more depth, providing that 3-D effect and usually last around 30 years, but can have 50% more weight. A grade higher than 3 Tab.  Tile roofs can give a more glamorous appearance, but at a higher cost.  There is also a greater strength than shingles, don't rot, don't burn, and the normal life expectancy is near 50 years, however they can weigh more than shingles.  Make sure your walls can support it.  Ah and now we talk aluminum roofing.  These are among the highest costs of roofing, but also the long lasting.  But how do the advantages and disadvantages weight out?  High cost, high strength, won't rust or rot.  Although its slick for anyone needing to get rooftop, the shine will dull in time, the dents in it will be easily identifiable from the street whether it be rocks, animals, or hail.  Speaking of hail and heavy rain as well, we know that this causes the roof to sound and ring through the neighborhood.  The homeowners might not be able to hear the noise themselves due to insulation, but the neighbors sure can.  Although, a strong surface underneath might bring down the noise level considerably.

Today's Tidbit:  Roof selection is a big choice.  Make it wisely, you'll be living with it for a good while.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

Information on the 2013 Cotton Row Run

The 2013 Cotton Row Run is this Monday, May 27th.

We have found several links to go through for information and registration if you're interested.

The Main Site is the Huntsville Track Club

Information from Active.com

And information from FleetFeetSportsofHuntsville

Today's Tidbit:  This weekend looks to be great for outdoor activities so get out and enjoy it!

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

New Listing & Quiet Week heading towards Memorial Day Weekend

There is not much going on this week.  Our team members have been showing property, running a few errands and getting ready for this Memorial Day Weekend.  Hopefully it will be a pleasant weekend for everyone as it looks to just have a few clouds without rain.

Today's Tidbit: Don't forget to check out our great new listing at 5321 Frankford in Owens Cross Roads.  Its about maybe a half mile behind the Walmart shopping complex off of Taylor.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

Saturday May 18th Healthy Huntsville

We've been in and out of the office all week, but today something caught our eye that we thought we would pass along.  Tomorrow May 18th there is a free public health and exercise event hosted by Healthy Huntsville and other sponsors including Huntsville Hospital, Operation Green Team, the City of Huntsville and Hudson Alpha among others  are putting forth.  They are calling it Saturdays in the Park and it is a  morning of different types of exercise from Pilates to yoga, workouts to Tai Chi.

More information can be found on the City of Huntsville's website.  Press Release.   PDF Slide.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

Cleaning Out the Garage

After a busy late week and weekend, we're back to do a quick post then head off to appointments.

Today, we're talking about Cleaning Out the Garage.  Tips and How to.  This can be a bit complicated due to a combination of junk, hazardous waste/materials, and things that tug on your heart strings.  Keep the Garage Door(s) open.  Its not only a good idea to air it out, but also gives a place for the dust to travel to instead of resettling in the garage making for more cleaning headaches later.  This also helps so you are not constantly breathing in the concentrated particles of whatever is floating around in the garage whether it be gas/oil fumes, or dust particulates to induce sneezing.  Starting on one wall and moving around after completing it can make the process go easier and make it look like progress is being made.  Throw away or recycle what needs to be, and give to charity what is in good condition but no longer need.  After sweeping and dusting, if you have shelves or tool areas organize those.  Arrange and group cans of paint, insecticide, and fertilizer by their counterparts for easy access.  Keep tools and loose screws, nuts, bolts, and nails in their respective containers so they don't possibly make their way under car tires next time you pull into the garage.  Hanging large tools such as weed-eaters, hedge clippers, and edgers on garage or shed walls instead of keeping them piled in the corner can help by keeping yourself from tripping over them and also keep clean a hidden area for insects such as roaches and spiders to gather.  These are just a few tips, but remember a happy garage is organized and able to fit your vehicle.

Today's Tidbit:  It seems everyone has taken advantage of the dryness and rising temperatures to get out and plant their gardens after what seemed weeks of heavy rain and cooler weather.  The Mother's Day Monday in particular was the first day everyone went out to garden.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

Out Helping in the Huntsville Community!

This is an exciting week in the Keller Williams community.  Today and pretty much the entire week, we're celebrating KW Cares/Red Day.  This is where agents and teams go out in the community to build, clean up, and donate.  If you see people in red KW Cares shirts doing any of these activities, you know they're part of the Keller Williams family giving up their time to help the community.

The Carol Jacobs Team will be out in neighborhoods as well.  We will be mainly focusing on cleaning up any storm and rain debris, help with landscaping, and working with gardens to get them back up and running after the flooding some of them took.

Other events the KW Huntsville agents are working are Burritt Museum, Women at the Well, Casa Garden, Hope Place, and Head Start Reading.

Today's Tidbit:  The Life South Blood Mobile came by yesterday and many agents around the office gave blood.  The bus was surprisingly large.  The team never has seen it up close before as it came in right before noon.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

What Brings Your Home Value Down?

This morning we're talking Home Value.  This is one subject that can be touched by both direct and indirect influences.  And there are certainly a lot of things that can affect your home value in the most negative of ways.  Here are reminders of what to be wary of as they'll bring your home value down, and the more these below come into alignment the more the value will sink.

If you or your neighbor has an unkempt yard, whether it be junk storage, too high of grass and weeds, or debris from storm damage.  This is one of the most obvious signs of lowering home value.

Certain commercial businesses (power plants, funeral homes, pawn shops) come with an inherent negative reputation either by way of sight, emotion or in case of power plant can be noise, pollution, or something massive looming over your property.

Certain government businesses (city hall, section 8 housing, landfills) as with some commercial businesses have high visibility as being part of aiding a negative push.

Depending on where you live and what laws are on the books, the availability of information about location sex offenders could be easy or hard to find.  This is another indirect negative value as some cities have put restrictions that sex offenders can only live in certain neighborhoods.

A large indirect negative has always been foreclosed homes.  These can easily be described as black holes sucking down the home value of the entire neighborhood.  The more it stays vacant and continues to lack maintenance, the stronger the negative pull will be.

The negative value of cars, trucks, and haulers on major highway can easily be seen by any potential buyer.

Empty or closed schools gives the vision of a neighborhood in decline, and an eye sore for the community.

Environmental hazards in the area either known or unknown can have a huge effect on home value.  Examples can be Chernobyl/Three Mile Island, train accidents which are transporting chemicals (as we've seen recently with chlorine spills), polluted groundwater, areas of regular forest fires, and flood zones among others.

We have seen this several times, and yet to figure out why this happens?  If there's a power pole on your property with lines cutting through the house.  This is definitely not the best situation.  If these lines fall onto the house or property there can be many unintended side effects from electrocution, house fires, as well as dangers to other properties nearby.

Having no garage attached to house can drop home value down almost immediately by over $20,000 just for a single car garage.

Bad landscaping is something that should be taken care of, and instead of a negative turn it into a positive.  Make it look nice and inviting.

Bad or roofs falling apart can be negative signs for not only the owner but neighbors as well.  A collapsed roof brings an immediate eyesore to the neighborhood, and if there's a storm before or after a collapse - debris could end up on neighbor's property or doing damage to those properties.

And lastly we have something that is another indirect negative.  A self inflicted wound.  Bad or incorrect home appraisals.  There are times when home appraisers make mistakes or just don't know how to do the job.  This can affect both your property as well as neighbors property's home values.  This negative continues as the appraisal is passed along to the local tax office in which you could end up paying an incorrect amount.  We've even known the local tax appraisals to be incorrect at times.

Keep your home value high, try to watch out for these or lessen the effects.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes

Inspiration on Green Mountain

Today we decided to do a quick highlight of a community: Inspiration on Green Mountain.  Admittedly, it was one of our clients who gave this idea when he, I should say they, bought a home in the subdivision and we went up to check on how the house was shaping up.  The team arrived just in time to see the workers just beginning to brick the exterior.  After checking out the interior, we relayed the information back to our client on how well the work was going and told him that everything was coming along beautifully.

Inspiration on Green Mountain is a brand new subdivision being built from the ground up by Woodland Home in Southeast Huntsville on Green Mountain Road off of Bailey Cove Road.  In fact, right now you can actually see homes being built, roofed, and bricked and lots with sold signs on them.  Homes in this subdivision can either be on the bluff with beautiful mountain views or on the interior feeling the wisping winds flow through the subdivision.  Either way just by looking at the model home, you know these homes will be gorgeous when their new owner steps foot inside for the first time.  The School District for Inspiration on Green Mountain is Mountain Gap/Mountain Gap/Grissom.  Prices start at $330,000 for these homes in Inspiration on Green Mountain.

See the flyer put together by Woodland Homes to give you an idea of the layout of Inspiration on Green Mountain.  After this week's drive by, we can tell you real estate is going quick up there on Green Mountain.

Today's Tidbit:  Remember to take your Realtor with you when you are viewing a new construction or considering viewing a model home.  They can remember to ask the questions on the spot that sometimes you don't remember;  It is also good to have a Realtor watching your back, just like the builder has one working for him.

Huntsville Metro Area Homes