What a strange trip this has been. All of us piled up in this stationwagon taking in the sights at CNN and the morning news.   Oh look, it's an up day on Wall Street. Uh oh, it's down again.  There, over on the left  ... it's another report of unemployment rising.  Stop, put the brakes on. The Fed has spoken and bailed out Bear Stearns!  Everyone in the car keeps asking if we're there yet. Is this bottom?  It's times like these that make me wish I could present these figures in a grid format and let you take from them what you will.   But why break with tradition? So here's my view of what's happening in this real estate market.  ■ Sales in the first quarter of 2008 are down 33% compared to the first quarter of 2007. Last year, I could point to some 180 houses under contract as a hopefu... 04/12/2008

Wow what a week, First we get knews about Northrup and the Tanker Refuelers 45 Billion dollar contract, then we receive news that Boeing is protesting, which will delay about 100 or so days. But it is of our professional opnion, that we will at the end recieve the contract! In the meantime, phones are ringing, and interest in the market is picking up indeed. Recently we reviewed the "Pending" in our MLS and we were very pleased to see the "Future Sales in Baldwin County" are looking good. We are having a lot more showings, and also have had buyers coming to us. The Long and short of todays point is "Keep The Faith"  Good things happen to those who patiently wait. And we have been doing just that. Also when we speak to your clients,  instill the attitude of "Buyers Agent" and incorporate... 03/13/2008

This home is a must see.  3 bedrooms and 2 baths with large back yard on cul de sac in spectacular Daphne, Alabama.  Close to I-10 makes for easy commute to Pensacola, Florida or Mobile, Alabama.  Enjoy a quick, breezy drive to the beaches!Contact me with any interest you may have with this warm, inviting and affordable home!! Heather Augustin at 251-370-7309 or www.heatheraugustin.com  11/29/2007

Daphne, AL real estate-Custom homes by New Haven Homes, LLC -NEW PRICE!!!! REDUCED TO $529,777 for a true quality built home by a quality builder that cares!THERE IS NO CERAMIC OR CULTURED MARBLE IN THIS HOUSE!! ONLY TRAVERTINE, TUMBLED TRAVERTINE, CHISELED TRAVERTINE AND CLASS 5 PORCELAIN TILE-EVEN IN ALL GUEST/OTHER BEDROOMS.  3 CM GRANITE IN ALL GUEST AND MEDIA BATHS!!Custom built luxury home in beautiful Bellaton. This subdivision will have amenities galore! Daphne's custom luxury home builder, New Haven Homes, LLC. With 4 bedrooms PLUS an office with a closet, PLUS a media room/guest suite/bonus room and 4 1/2 baths with a 3 car garage, this floor plan is extremely desirable!! GE Monogram appliances, DOUBLE CONVECTION ovens, gas range-all stainless steel!! What peaceful views of oa... 11/07/2007

Frequently someone asks: "Where is all the money coming from to buy these high-priced houses? You can't tell me we've got a bunch of people making $300,000 a year."   No, I don't know what these people earn.  But I can tell you where the money is coming from, what the risks are and why change is an inevitable but frequently ignored factor in home buying.  High-end home buyers generally have several sources of money, if they are not making a gazillion dollars to start with.  Inheritance: These buyers often don't come from what we'd think of as moneyed families. They simply have inherited a family property that was paid for - maybe their parents' modest $100,000 ranch-style home -- and they use the proceeds to purchase their next home.  Savvy home investors: These are the folks who regard... 10/21/2007

I bet you want to know if the sky is really falling. It sure seems like it if you watch the national news.  You have your subprime mortgage meltdown. Your housing market meltdown. Your global market meltdown.  So what's it like on the Eastern Shore?  The number of homes sold since the first of 2007 is down 10% compared with the first nine months of 2006. And the first nine months of 2006 were down 20% over the same period in 2005. (But don't forget that ‘05 and ‘06 were energetic years for our Eastern Shore market as hurricane-wary buyers looked to inland areas of the coast.)  Average sales price crept up 2% during the first nine months of this year to $292,932. In the third quarter, it was up about 1.5% to $292,433, compared to the third quarter of 2006.  The number of homes sold betwe... 10/21/2007

THERE IS NO CERAMIC OR CULTURED MARBLE IN THIS HOUSE!! ONLY TRAVERTINE, TUMBLED TRAVERTINE, CHISELED TRAVERTINE AND CLASS 5 PORCELAIN TILE-EVEN IN ALL GUEST/OTHER BEDROOMS.  3 CM GRANITE IN ALL GUEST AND MEDIA BATHS!!Custom built luxury home in beautiful Bellaton. This subdivision will have amenities galore! Daphne's custom luxury home builder, New Haven Homes, LLC. With 4 bedrooms PLUS an office with a closet, PLUS a media room/guest suite/bonus room and 4 1/2 baths with a 3 car garage, this floor plan is extremely desirable!! GE Monogram appliances, DOUBLE CONVECTION ovens, gas range-all stainless steel!! What peaceful views of oak and pecan trees!! Also, Daphne, Alabama is just minutes away from I-10, which makes for a quick commute to Mobile, Al or Pensacola, Fl.  For more on custom... 10/21/2007

Heather was born in Georgia and moved to Alabama in 1988 to begin college.  She initially studied political science, criminal justice and wanted to minor in French, as her father was Canadian.  She soon realized she had a passion in developing relationships with people and wanted to help them.  She changed her major and ended up with a bachelors degree in nursing.  She has spent the past 13 years working in critical care areas, such as intensive care units and emergency room settings.  She has been an excellent patient advocate and decided she could help people in other ways, hence her career in Gulf Coast Real Estate . In 1995, Heather moved to Missouri so her husband could finish his education.  They then moved to Colorado and lived for 5 years.  Although Colorado is an exceptionally ... 10/04/2007

Welcome to the City of Daphne, one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and one of Money Magazine's 100 best places to live in 2005. Daphne is located in Baldwin County , Alabama, on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay, just off 1-10. We are 11 miles east of Mobile, 45 miles west of Pensacola, Florida and 150 miles southwest of Montgomery, the State Capital. Daphne has earned a reputation for pristine beauty, reputable schools and recreational opportunities which span land, rivers and bays. The Gulf of Mexico's beaches and Mobile Bay fishing areas can be enjoyed leisurely on a day off. Abundant fresh water fishing on rivers and hunting advantages in Baldwin County add to the enjoyment of living in Daphne. With the City population approximately 18,000 and growing, Daphne is the lar... 07/15/2007

My apologies to the Wizard of Oz for stealing one of the Munchins' famous lines as they ask Dorothy, "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?"So...  Which of these shingles is good? That is, which is installed properly?Look closely. Notice the nail head in the second picture. See how the head is slanted... the nail was not driven in straight and has cut the shingle slightly. Believe it or not, this slanted nail has voided the warranty on the shingle from the shingle manufacturer. Wow! A cut shingle is more susceptible to blow off.But...The shingle in the first picture is not right either. See the shiny back stripe that runs from left to right on the shingle just below the nail head. That stripe is called the "tar strip" and it actually bonds itself to the overlapping shingle to prevent bl... 04/24/2007

What's the problem with this electrical box? It is a sub panel in a detached workshop built in the last five years? There is no welding equipment or air compressors. Nothing that requires special wiring. Just electrical outlets, lights and switches. Actually, since it is an outbuilding, there may be two problems.What do you think?Tom SinclairAbout the House - Home InspectionsFairhope, Alabama(251) 990-3169www.InspectTestAnalyze.com  04/23/2007

Well-ventilated attics are like a good pair of walking shores, you don't often think about them, but they affect your life everyday.Poorly ventilated attics do several bad things.Thing #1: It allow heat to build up over the course of the day. That heat radiates downwards through the insulation and is transferred to the top-side of the ceiling. As the ceiling heats up, the AC must work harder to cool. Utility bills go up. AC life expectancy goes down. No good!Thing #2: If your heating & cooling system is actually located in the attic, then it's fighting the heat to produce cool air. See Thing #1Thing #3: The built-up heat in the attic can exceed 150° F. If this were water, it would be scalding hot! This heat can actually cook the shingles in the roof and significantly reduce their life e... 03/26/2007