Alabama- Here we come!! (Huntsville, Decatur: mortgage, real estate, fsbo)

[Mariafromny]

Thanks again everyone for posting. It is such a help, and I look on this site many times a day.

[AnotherBravesFan]

That plus the school system, upscale housing, and lots of suburbia-type shopping within easy reach make it appealing to families.

[madisonmamma]

Hello! I am a Realtor and know pretty much all there is to know about the E Limestone area, particularily Southern Breeze subdivision.
You need to be VERY careful when purchasing newer homes in Limestone County. There is building code, but no code enforcement. I have had several deals fall through out there for various code violations, major violations. Things like no brick ties, no moisture barrier between brick and frame, inadequately framed roof joists and floor joists, ect. These are things that are MAJOR and will affect the structural integrity of the house. I will tell you, another agent I know has pictures of those houses in Southern Breeze being bricked with NO BRICK TIES right up against the framework. No kidding. If Malone built it, BEWARE!!! He is the worst of the worst, as my home inspector says.
Just an FYI. There are some nice homes being built in E Limestone, and it is very convienent to Madison, but you MUST BE CAREFUL what builder you buy from.

[madisonmamma]

AnotherBravesFan.....

Your agent probably only searched the subdivision/area that you were buying in and only went 6 months back. Some neighborhoods do not have a lot of activity, so we search 1 year back, and sometimes I even go outside the neighborhood to comparables (maybe in same school zone, ect) to get an adequate number of comparables for my clients. But sometimes it can be tough in some areas.

[madisonmamma]

Originally Posted by Charles

We are looking at far west Madison County (Heritage Plantation, Clifts Cove, Highland Lakes) and also Hampton Cove. There are a lot of other places we want to check out too, like Jones Valley. I think Heritage Plantation is comprised of several subdivisions.

We're still trying to get subjective differences on the two community areas we plan to check out. Maybe there are none.

What I like about about western Madison County is the message I am hearing/reading about all the new (potential) development going up around there: high school, billion dollar development, hospital, and YMCA - serious stuff, big positive changes.

I don't see that kind of stuff happening at Hampton Cove other than a new elementary school to take the pressure of HCES and a new Hampton Inn with whatever type of businesses that would surround it. YMCA, hospitals, year round swim league pool, most medical facilities and high school are all quite a drive away.

If the two are similar in amenities and conveniences now, might Madison take a big lead in a few years? Do you evaluate on the present or the future?

Charles,
Madison is a great market to invest in! The appeal for most of the buyers that I work with is the "small" community feel....it really does feel like a close knit community. I live in Madison, and we really love it! SE Huntsville is also a great place, however the houses are older.
As for Madison versus Hampton Cove.....if you love golf, Hampton Cove is the place. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is there, beautiful course, and Madison does not have a golf course community. Heritage Plantation is one large subdivision, but within it are areas with different priced homes. They start in the high 200's and go up to almost 1 million. Then there is Cambridge at Heritage Plantation and Waterford at Heritage Plantation, two entirely different subs with their own HOA and amenities.
Moderator cut: ,,

[Mariafromny]

Thank you for the information madisonmamma. Keep the info coming as it is very helpful

[hsvgirl]

Originally Posted by AnotherBravesFan

Thanks for the responses, all. Here in CA, assessors are required to keep lists of recently sold properties and the sales prices for the public to access. Is there something similar in AL? My RE agent did a search for me when we were making an offer on a home, but only 3 homes came up in the area in the prior 6 months, which didn't seem right, since she set the parameters wide enough, I thought. So, I'm not sure relying on her to find the info. is enough.

I wanted to give you first hand information about sales prices of homes in the Huntsville/Madison County area. I'm not a realtor but my husband is and we have invested in the market here for many years. You will not find the sold price of a home anywhere that is public knowledge that I know of. It is not normally on the deed that is recorded nor does the mortgage reflect the final sales price -- just what was borrowed on the home. The only place that data is is on the sales contract and the MLS, realtor restricted, if the home was listed. There are no requirements anywhere to disclose what you paid for a house if a private sale. Also, in our county, the homes are reassessed by the tax assessor each year (it just happened) and that assessed value is almost always less than the home's true value if appraised by a standard appraiser not a county one. If you are relying on an experienced agent who is actively selling in this market, which is different than just 9 months ago, she should be able to accurately give you value info.

[hsvgirl]

Originally Posted by Charles

We are looking at far west Madison County (Heritage Plantation, Clifts Cove, Highland Lakes) and also Hampton Cove. There are a lot of other places we want to check out too, like Jones Valley. I think Heritage Plantation is comprised of several subdivisions.

We're still trying to get subjective differences on the two community areas we plan to check out. Maybe there are none.

What I like about about western Madison County is the message I am hearing/reading about all the new (potential) development going up around there: high school, billion dollar development, hospital, and YMCA - serious stuff, big positive changes.

I don't see that kind of stuff happening at Hampton Cove other than a new elementary school to take the pressure of HCES and a new Hampton Inn with whatever type of businesses that would surround it. YMCA, hospitals, year round swim league pool, most medical facilities and high school are all quite a drive away.

If the two are similar in amenities and conveniences now, might Madison take a big lead in a few years? Do you evaluate on the present or the future?

It's hard to compare what you are calling west Madison County, we call Madison and outer Madison, and east Madison County, Hampton Cove. Madison is a town that has been around for decades and has enjoyed rapid growth since the mid-80s. Hampton Cove is a community that was literally born about 15 years ago. Before that, it was fields and pastures. A developer, who was also a high government official, bought land and started what is now Hampton Cove. A clubhouse and Robert Trent Jones golf course was built and it was & still is a Madison County sought-after neighborhood. It was/is the home of yuppies & Gen X. If you had a home in Hampton Cove, you could say you had "made it". It was the place to live. Land is tightly held in that area to control what comes in and what doesn't. It is slower to develop due to this reason. Because of it's proximity to the city (about 10 minutes at most), there is no reason for a hospital, etc. The hospital can be reached in 10 minutes, the high school in 15, the SE YMCA about 15 min, etc. Living in Madison with it's constant heavy traffic issues, reaching a hospital takes a good half hour or more. Madison has been trying to get a hospital for 10 years now and it's still in court being argued over. Try getting into the city at rush hour or back home at 5:00 and you are in stop & go traffic for 30 minutes are more. East Limestone takes 45 from downtown. Yes, Madison has more of the chain restaurants and stores but also at a price of having huge growing problems. Bob Jones High is the largest in the state with over 2100 students. It was overcrowded before it was finished just a few short years ago. Hampton Cove has a number of developments in the works including a 1700 home neighborhood. It currently boasts one of the most expensive neighborhoods being developed and with land almost non-existant in other parts of our county, east Madison County is the only place yet to be fully developed. Progress can only go where there is land to do it and that is east, there is no land to be had elsewhere. It all boils down to what you want and what is important to you. And no, I'm not a Hampton Cove resident, but a Jones Valley one. I like mature neighborhoods with huge trees, great schools, 5 minutes to Target & downtown. Thank goodness we are all different!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by hsvgirl

It's hard to compare what you are calling west Madison County, we call Madison and outer Madison, and east Madison County, Hampton Cove. Madison is a town that has been around for decades and has enjoyed rapid growth since the mid-80s. Hampton Cove is a community that was literally born about 15 years ago. Before that, it was fields and pastures. A developer, who was also a high government official, bought land and started what is now Hampton Cove. A clubhouse and Robert Trent Jones golf course was built and it was & still is a Madison County sought-after neighborhood. It was/is the home of yuppies & Gen X. If you had a home in Hampton Cove, you could say you had "made it". It was the place to live. Land is tightly held in that area to control what comes in and what doesn't. It is slower to develop due to this reason. Because of it's proximity to the city (about 10 minutes at most), there is no reason for a hospital, etc. The hospital can be reached in 10 minutes, the high school in 15, the SE YMCA about 15 min, etc. Living in Madison with it's constant heavy traffic issues, reaching a hospital takes a good half hour or more. Madison has been trying to get a hospital for 10 years now and it's still in court being argued over. Try getting into the city at rush hour or back home at 5:00 and you are in stop & go traffic for 30 minutes are more. East Limestone takes 45 from downtown. Yes, Madison has more of the chain restaurants and stores but also at a price of having huge growing problems. Bob Jones High is the largest in the state with over 2100 students. It was overcrowded before it was finished just a few short years ago. Hampton Cove has a number of developments in the works including a 1700 home neighborhood. It currently boasts one of the most expensive neighborhoods being developed and with land almost non-existant in other parts of our county, east Madison County is the only place yet to be fully developed. Progress can only go where there is land to do it and that is east, there is no land to be had elsewhere. It all boils down to what you want and what is important to you. And no, I'm not a Hampton Cove resident, but a Jones Valley one. I like mature neighborhoods with huge trees, great schools, 5 minutes to Target & downtown. Thank goodness we are all different!

Thank You for the detailed reply.

We visited HC yesterday though with our screaming kids in the minivan it was hard for my wife and me to take our time and drive around. We also went inside the HCES and HCMS briefly and spoke for 20 minutes with a 1st grade teacher. Actually we were surprised there appeared to be more homes for sale than we sensed from valleymls, probably because we are filtering on five BR homes. Everything else appeared like we expected, very pretty, lots of neighborhoods with mature trees and some neighborhoods which look like they are just getting started. The drive from HC west to Baily Cove road was quick and easy (at 8 at night though).

We also drove through Clift's Cove. Some huge homes there; one of our kids asked if one home was our hotel. But again, it is tough to do with antsy kids in the car. (Vent.)

[Mariafromny]

Charles please keep us posted about your visit. We are still waiting to hear from the relocation dept. about our house hunting trip!!!
Like you & your wife-we are filtering homes with 5 bedrooms on the mls & there just doesn't seem to be many in our price range.
We will continue to look for your posts about your visit.
Have a great time in Alabama.