When the U.S. Treasury was given the authority to spend $700 billion to stabilize the U.S. economy, Congress created a Congressional Oversight Panel (COP) to "review the current state of financial markets and the regulatory system." In December 2008 I did a post titled ACCOUNTABILITY - What will the U.S. Treasury do with $700 billion? where I encouraged everyone with a story to tell to go to the website and let their voice be heard. (Please click on the link above to read previous post) The COP (Congressional Oversight Panel) has kept their website up to date with all of the Reports, Press Releases, Hearings & Testimony and the Stories from the public.     Below is one story posted to the website Dreams of Retirement Slipping Away   Molly S. from Emerald Isle, North Carolina is a home o... 06/15/2009

MOTHERS DAY!  That special day in May when we make a special effort to honor our Mothers and show appreciation for all that they have done for us.  A day of breakfast in bed, being showered with gifts and flowers and many other mementos that show Mom how much she means to you!  For some it is just a phone call or a beautiful card in the mail, for others it can be a large family gathering and special meal prepared together or an easy dinner out in Moms favorite restaurant. But however it is celebrated it is a very special day that Mom's look forward to and cherish as their special day to celebrate one of the greatest milestones of their life...the day that they became a Mother.   And as it is celebrated with great respect and love it is also fun to reflect back on the wonderful years of... 05/10/2009

"Till the Last Shot's Fired" sang by Trace Adkins and accompanied by the West Point Glee Club during the Acadamy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on April 5 reminds us of the importance of supporting our troops not only while they are fighting for our country but also after they return.  The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is the charity that was selected by the ACM charitable fund Lifting Lives to support, and this performance by Trace that appears on his newest album, X, will donate profits from this song on ITunes to this great cause. Please visit the web site WOUNDED WARRIORS PROJECT  to see all of the many great things that are being done by this non profit organization and if there is something that YOU can do to contribute to this needed cause to help make the transition easie... 04/20/2009

When you are ready to enter the market to sell your home one of the first things you will need is a CMA or Comparative Market Analysis. A CMA is a comprehensive detailed report of the real estate market inside your neighborhood and the surrounding area that shows you the statistical information that you need to arrive at a correct price at which to offer your home for sale on the market. In this report you will find the ACTIVE LISTINGS - Homes that are presently on the market....YOUR Competition.  CANCELED, WITHDRAWN and EXPIRED Listings - Homes that have been removed or expired off of the market.  PENDING SALES - Homes that have gone Under Contract and are waiting to close. SOLDS - Properties that have actually Sold and Closed and are what become the COMPS or Comparative Properties th... 04/18/2009

The magical Easter Egg has become a universal symbol of Easter and thus the popular Easter Egg hunts that are held all around the world! This unique oval shaped egg takes the stage every Easter as young and old alike drag out the utensils to began the annual project of decorating their Easter Eggs! The "EGG" has been decorated in every way imaginable!  It has been dyed, colored, painted and adorned in every way humanly possible to create the most beautiful Easter Egg of all! And yes there are even contests to determine who has managed to create the winning Egg!  Some like to just grab the Egg Decorating kit from the local discount store and get the job overwith quickly...ahhh...but others go to great pains to come up with the most unique offering of the season. Egg decorating is actual... 04/11/2009

  VOTE EARTH YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE! SATURDAY MARCH 28, 2009 8:30 - 9:30 PM       2007 marked the beginning of Earth Hour in Sydney when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour.  In 2008 this message went global with 50 million people switching off their lights!  It was a big event with global landmarks across the world going black during this hour to take action against global warming.  For 2009 the Earth Hour has taken the shape of a worldwide global election! YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE....         SWITCH THEM OFF TO VOTE FOR EARTH....LEAVE THEM ON TO VOTE FOR GLOBAL WARMING! The goal for 2009 Earth Hour is for 1 billion people to switch off their lights in the fight against global warming. By reaching our across the world the vote will be c... 03/26/2009

  This year Spring Clean-Up Day in Pelham will be Saturday, April 18th.  This annual event gives residents a chance to discard items that would not be be picked up by the regular garbage service.  Waste Management trucks will start picking up items early Saturday morning, so please have your items placed on the curb Friday evening. What kind of items may be discarded? Furniture Appliances (see exceptions below) Swingsets Hazardous items will not be picked up.... Paint Oil Tires Pesticides Gas Grills Refrigerators Freezers On the following Saturday, April 26th, the Shelby County Landfill will have a FREE landfill day.  They will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.  Please call them at 205-699-3737 for information and remember, they will not accept any toxic materials.       Courtesy o... 03/25/2009

There were 15 home sales in Pelham Alabama in February 2009.  This was down from a spike to 34 in December, but closer to the 18 that sold in November.  The average salesprice was $161,895 which was down from $187,606 in January.  Prices have come down in Pelham, but part of the reason for the drop in average salesprice is the fact that only one home over $250,000 sold in February.  Typically we see more of the higher priced homes in Ballantrae sell and that brings the average price up. Sales ranged from $110,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome in Sommersby to $290,000 for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath in the Laughlin section of Ballantrae.    Currently there are 289 properties on the market in Pelham (down from 334 in September).  Showing activity has really picked up in the last two weeks an... 03/20/2009

  The City of Pelham is providing FREE prescription drug discount cards to Pelham residents.  The cards are available through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities.  The discount card program is administered by CVS Caremark, with about 25 pharmacies around the city participating, along with over 59,000 pharmacies across the United States.   These discount cards are not a form of insurance, and there are no restrictions based on existing health coverage.  All ages and income levels are eligible to receive this discount, with average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs.  The card can be used whenever prescriptions are not covered by insurance.     To get a card, stop by one of the participating pharmacies or Pelham City Hall, the Pelham L... 03/09/2009

Pelham Civic Complex hosts the 2009 Southeastern Hockey Conference Championship The Pelham Civic Complex will be hosting the 1st Annual Southeastern Hockey Conference Championship. Rivals from: University of Alabama University of Arkansas University of Florida University of Georgia Louisiana State University Mississippi State University University of South Carolina University of Tennessee will meet in the Greater Birmingham Area to battle for bragging rights, and the ultimate title in the conference: SouthEast Champions. After its great success this 2008-09 season, the Frozen Tide is ready to keep on rolling! The boys hope to enjoy some "home field" advantage in Pelham.  PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE "FROZEN TIDE" AND ALABAMA HOCKEY! The Southeast Hockey Conference Championships will... 02/24/2009

There were 16 home sales in Pelham Alabama in January 2009.  This was down from a spike to 34 in December but closer to the 18 that sold in November.  The average salesprice was $187,606 with sales ranging from $81,000 for a townhome in Wildewood to $377,900 for a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath in Ballantrae.  Six of the 16 homes were new construction in Ballantrae.  The average days on the market for sold properties was 81.  Currently there are 274 properties on the market in Pelham (down from 334 in September) which represents a 17.12 month supply. Looking for a new home?  The internet is a great place to start. Search for a home in Pelham, Alabama or the Greater Birmingham Area at my website www.ToniBird.com. 02/22/2009

          © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved   Photo taken by Ann Allen, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of Ann Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Hoover AL.  Permission usually granted if credit is given with a link back.  Thank you for your understanding. 02/11/2009

  The Pelham Senior Center is offering free hearing tests for ages 55 and up!         March 19th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon   The tests will be given by Bobby Harris, of the Talladega School of the Deaf and Blind. The Pelham Senior Center is located on Racquet Club Parkway across from the Pelham Racquet Club Call 205-620-6064 or 205-620-6418 for more info The Pelham Senior Center is open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m.   There is always something going on at the center!   Check out their Calendar of Events         Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244 Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com             © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved 02/10/2009

  This Market Report for Stonehaven in Pelham AL looks at Market Absorption Trends for 12 months, 6 months and 3 months ending January 2009.               Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244 Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com             © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved   Photo taken by Ann Allen, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of Ann Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Hoover AL.  Please check if Creative Commons License as been granted for this or other photography provided by Ann Allen.  Permission usually granted if credit is given with a link back.  Thank you for your understanding. 02/04/2009

  This Market Report for Ivy Brook in Pelham AL looks at Market Absorption Trends for 12 months, 6 months and 3 months ending January 2009.             Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244 Ann@AnnAllenTeam.com           © 2009 Ann Allen, All rights reserved   Photo taken by Ann Allen, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of Ann Allen, Keller Williams Realty, Hoover AL.  Please check if Creative Commons License as been granted for this or other photography provided by Ann Allen.  Permission usually granted if credit is given with a link back.  Thank you for your understanding.   02/02/2009

  "Home is where you Hang Your Heart!"                          Meet the                          Debbie Hutchins & Bobby Farris have been "Hanging Hearts" in the Greater Birmingham and Shelby County Area since 1984! Why RENT when you can OWN your home?   There is NO better time to consider a home purchase than NOW!    Home Inventories are at an all time HIGH  Home prices are at an all time LOW  Interest Rates are historically LOW   Sellers are highly motivated to SELL       There is an abundance of Mortgage Loan Programs available   STOP throwing your hard earned money away on rent when you can be investing it into your future by building equity in your own home + enjoy the tax benefits of homeownership!  Give us a call today for an appointment to determine if it is TIME for you to buy... 01/24/2009

  Located in the foothills of Oak Mountain, Pelham Alabama is one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama!  With Highway 31 and Interstate 65 running right through it, convenience and easy access make it very appealing to Homeowners and Businesses. There is a nice variety of recreational facilities in Pelham which include Ballantrae Golf Club, Pelham Racquet Club and the Pelham Civic Complex.  People come from all over Alabama to enjoy Oak Mountain State Park which includes 10,000 beautiful acres of natural beauty. Served by the Shelby County school system residents in Pelham attend Valley Elementary, Valley Intermediate, Riverchase Middle and Pelham High School.  CLICK HERE for links to each of these fine schools. Presently you will find NEW HOMES available in Ballantrae, Holland Lake... 01/12/2009

    The holidays are over and the New Year has been celebrated.  As we look back and reflect on where we have been in the past year and make our New Year Resolutions and set our goals for 2009  it is time to take a look at the Sales and Inventory Report with the Statistics of what SOLD in 2008.   This report covers all of the sales reported to MLS in the Over the Mountain and Shelby County Areas.  The column Monthly Sales is the number of homes sold, Current Inventory is the number of Active Listings on the market and Months Inventory is showing that we a little over 9 months of Inventory on the ground right now.    The Average DOM (Days on Market) shows homes sold on average in 81 days.  97.01% Sold/List means on average the homes sold for 97.01% of their list price. And what do we ha... 01/08/2009

  As we are fast approaching the New Year and a time for New Beginnings in 2009,  it is also time to start preparing our NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS! Everyone has their own resolutions to make based on their personal situations and what seems to be important to them at this particular time in their lives.  The following are some of the most popular resolutions from the past.  To Lose Weight To Get Out of Debt To Save Money To Get A Better Job To Exercise More To Eat More Healthy Food To Go Back to School To Stop Drinking To Quit Smoking     Ahhhh to MAKE the Resolutions is the EASY part! The challenge is in KEEPING them! If you truly want to fulfill your Resolution you must Be committed.  Whatever you are trying to achieve should have a plan.  Set your goals, make your plan and commit yoursel... 12/27/2008

NAR, The National Association of Realtors, which is the largest trade organization in the Nation is excited to participate in one of the greatest New Years Day traditions and have a float in the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade that will take place on Thursday, January 1, New Years Day in Pasadena, California! The theme of this 120th Rose Bowl Parade will be Hats Off to Entertainment so NAR has based the theme of their float around "The Swiss Family Robinson" and in conjunction with NAR celebrating it's 100th Anniversary named the float Celebrating the Dream of Home Ownership for 100 Years! "The Swiss Family Robinson" is a story that has been embraced by the American people as a tribute to the wholesomeness of basic family values.  The National Association of Realtors, with its inaugura... 12/26/2008