Take a look at this month's edition of Melvin's Monthly Moments!
M E L V I N ’ S M O N T H L Y M O M E N T S
OCTOBER 2020
205-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM
THE NUMBERS GAME A Closer Look at Birmingham Area Real Estate Sales
BIRMINGHAM AREA REAL ESTATE SALES STATISTICS JAN. 1 - AUG. 15, 2020
One of my clients sent word that he would really like to see the real estate statistics for the area, so, Lyle, this edition is for you. Our area is filled with the spirit of great competition. Cities always want to beat one another when it comes to sports. We have competition within cities and among schools within those cities. There’s competition and school pride at nearly every level. But for real estate, there is something here for everyone. Crestline homes sell for the highest price per square foot, but homes in the Mt. Brook elementary zone have the highest-priced homes — that is to say, they are generally larger. Homewood can lay claim to the highest average price per square foot (homes are smaller in Homewood on average than Mt. Brook). Surprisingly, Cahaba Heights has the highest price per square foot in Vestavia (smaller homes in a very popular area). Meanwhile, Hoover boasts the highest number of homes sold. You get a bigger bang for your buck in Shelby County. Trussville, with a great school system and lots of civic pride, offers what we call a great “buy” opportunity. But do not get too focused on the average price per square foot. There is a lot of variety in each of these markets. In pockets of Mt. Brook and Homewood, the price will easily go over $300 a square foot. Want to get a better idea of how these numbers really break down? Look no further! Here is a breakdown of area stats from this year so far. If you have questions about anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Average Sales Price
Average Square Foot
Average Price Per Square Foot
Highest Price Home Sold
Units Sold
Edgewood Elem.
107 $536,618 2,143 73 $479,383 2,152 86 $377,101 2,176 266 $470,014 2,157 73 $872,724 3,305 58 $919,615 3,862 52 $611,881 3,749 56 $617,539 3,484
$250.41 $1,350,000 $222.76 $1,550,000 $173.30 $1,482,500 $217.89 $1,550,000 $264.06 $2,549,000 $238.12 $2,200,000 $163.21 $1,500,000 $177.25 $1,850,000
Shades Cahaba Elem.
Hall Kent Elem.
Homewood
Crestline Elem. Mt. Brook Elem.
Cherokee Bend Elem. Brookwood For. Elem.
Mt. Brook
239 $774,540 3,602
$215.03 $2,549,000
East Elem.
95 $535,909 3,361
$159.45 $1,229,000
West Elem.
105 $403,193 2,629
$153.36 $1,300,000
Dolly Ridge Elem. Cahaba Heights Elem. Liberty Park Elem.
92 $540,265 3,350
$161.27 $1,325,000
78 $463,048 2,740
$169.00 $1,195,000
87 $593,440 4,047
$146.64 $2,170,000
Vestavia
457 $504,810 3,203
$157.61 $2,170,000
Spain Park High
356 $409,691 3,160
$129.64 $2,750,000
Hoover High
840 $392,894 2,786
$141.03 $1,150,000
Oak Mountain
312 $433,614 3,222
$134.56 $5,500,000
Chelsea
507 $343,671 2,567
$133.88 $1,325,000
Pelham
300 $290,474 2,384
$121.85 $795,000
Helena
322 $293,916 2,270
$129.49 $620,000
Alabaster
342 $235,847 2,106
$112.00 $750,000
Trussville
437 $318,497 2,645
$120.41 $890,000
-Melvin Upchurch
United States
3.8M $320,000 2,601
$123.00
$240M
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NATURE CAN KEEP HEALING POST- QUARANTINE — HERE’S HOW
It’s often overwhelming to shop for a new home because it’s nothing like shopping for a T-shirt or even a car — it’s a purchase that can last lifetimes. What do you look for first? Where can you start? Here are three things to pay attention to as you begin searching for the perfect home. Are You Ready for Your Dream Home? 3 SIGNS YOU’RE BUYING THE IDEAL PROPERTY FOR YOU
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a mixed bag of consequences. One upside seems to be that as water and air pollution decreased, even briefly, the natural world was starting to heal. Reports circulated of dolphins returning to Venice’s canals, which gave people hope. But when those stories turned out to be false, they just as quickly felt despair. Another downside is that health concerns have led to a dramatic increase in single-use plastics, which generate more waste. Despite these negatives, nature has an incredible ability to heal itself, and there are things we can do to help nature along and stay hopeful. Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe, told Forbes.com that nature is healing, and the trend started long before COVID-19 changed our daily lives. “If people release pressure on nature, as we can see happening now, nature bounces back,” Schepers said. “There is a huge resilience in nature to restore itself, which gives a lot of hope. It’s also good news for people because we depend on nature and everything it provides, such as clean water and clean air.”
No. 1: The historical sale prices (on the prospective property and local properties) have been on a consistent uptrend.
Traditionally, one of the safest investments a person can make is in real estate. Economic recessions can often flip the national and local markets upside down. That’s why historical sale prices can tell you about the general growth of your specific local area. Simply comparing properties to those currently in neighboring cities, or even nationally, might not give a full picture of the location’s long- term desirability. The rise in historical prices is what matters in a time where communities are recovering at different rates.
So, how can we do our part to help the environment continue to heal?
Whether you’re at home, in the office, or in your car, focus on conserving energy. When shopping for home or office equipment, look for supplies with the ENERGY STAR label. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people carpool, bike, or walk whenever possible, and when they must use their vehicles, drivers should fill up their tanks carefully and only purchase gasoline containers labeled “spill-proof” for maximum gasoline efficiency after purchase. There’s plenty of opportunity to conserve energy at home, too. Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems account for 30%–40% of most electricity bills. The right HVAC technician can give you advice on effectively insulating and ventilating your home and also utilizing natural light and energy-efficient lighting systems to reduce both your energy consumption and your bills (not to mention updating your ventilation system will improve your air quality).
No. 2: The neighborhood has an influx of jobs and growing household incomes.
While the recent economic circumstances have made drops in employment a national phenomenon, a recent steady influx of jobs can indicate a path to economic recovery. Also, it’s good to keep in mind that a neighborhood with healthy household incomes can boost the home prices for the entire neighborhood as a whole, since wealthier homeowners will maintain and renovate their property. Use the census data to find the median household income in a potential area.
No. 3: The homeowners have access to great schools.
A Realtor.com survey once found that 91% of prospective homebuyers report school boundaries as important to their home search. With or without kids, many find that a home’s resale value is greatly affected by the available access to the best schools in an area. Identifying the best schools, though, takes some diligence. Factors include graduation and college admission rates as well as SAT and Advanced Placement exam scores. What clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities are made available for kids? GreatSchools. org will list schools and compare their test results, but it isn’t the best representation of the opportunities and outcomes a child will experience.
Despite a few of the environmental setbacks brought on by COVID-19, we can act more responsibly and incorporate more
energy-efficient technology at home to decrease our demand on energy producers and power companies. Our actions will help nature to continue healing itself, and as a bonus, we can feel even better and safer at home, knowing it’s healthy for us and the environment.
There’s so much more for you to consider, but hopefully this gives you a great place to start! Best of luck house hunting!
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DON’T GET HUNG UP ON HANGING YOUR DECOR 10 Tips for Achieving the Perfect Look
If your living space harkens back to your college days of naked walls or too many movie posters, then it’s time to up your decor game. One of the best ways to polish a room and bring everything together is by hanging items on your walls. But if you’re not sure how to go about it, you can end up with multiple holes, peeling paint, or potentially crooked pieces that you’re not even sure look quite right. Instead, follow these 10 steps to achieve the aesthetic you want. 1. Lay your pieces on the floor and play with their arrangement. You’ll get exactly what you want without having to create more than one hole in the wall per piece. 2. To fill a horizontal space, hang two vertical pieces next to each other. To fill a vertical space, hang one horizontal piece on top of another.
3. Hang your pieces at eye level, around 55–60 inches from the floor. If you have high ceilings, you can increase that height by a few inches. 4. If you’re hanging something above a piece of furniture, put it about 4–6 inches above the furniture and choose pieces that are about two-thirds its width. 5. If you have a piece that’s loud or eccentric, put it front and center! Making it a focal point instead of hiding it in a corner makes it feel intentional instead of awkward. 6. Even if you’re creating a gallery wall, aim to display no more than five pieces to avoid overwhelming or cluttering the space.
one another. The goal is to make the pieces feel connected, not like they’re floating around separately. 8. Align pieces that aren’t the same size by their center point, not by the top or bottom of their frames.
9. If it’s safe to do so, hang each item by just one nail. This makes it much easier to get the piece level.
10. Hammer your nail into the wall at an angle, not straight in. The nail gets a more secure grip this way. When it comes to actually choosing your pieces, find what speaks to you or represents who you are. Decor can be a great conversation piece, and it’s essential to the ambiance of your home.
7. When hanging multiple pieces, space them 2–3 inches from
SPOOKY STRAWBERRY GHOSTS
TAKE A BREAK
Inspired by Candiquik.com
These adorable chocolate-dipped strawberry ghosts will be the stars of your Halloween party!
Ingredients
• 16 oz white chocolate, chopped • 24 strawberries
• 1 package mini dark chocolate chips
Directions
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove it and stir, then repeat the process until melted. 2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper. 3. One by one, dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate and set them on the parchment. Allow the extra chocolate to pool to form a “tail” effect. 4. Before the chocolate coating fully cools, add three mini chocolate chips to each berry to form two eyes and a mouth. 5. Let chocolate set, then serve your spooky snacks!
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INSIDE How Much Are Area Homes Really Selling For? 3 Signs You’re Buying the Ideal Property for You Nature Can Keep Healing Post- Quarantine — Here’s How
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How to Hang Wall Decor Perfectly
Spooky Strawberry Ghosts
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This Year’s Trending, Gorgeous ‘Fall Chic’ Homes
THIS YEAR’S TRENDING, GORGEOUS ‘FALL CHIC’ HOMES
Fall often conjures images of orange-red leaves and pumpkins, but when it comes to home decor, you don’t have to focus on the loud colors of autumn. You can turn your space into a modern fall wonderland without sacrificing comfort or style. For example, why not try going for a shabby chic look this year? There are many ways to create a cozy, clean, and unique aesthetic to ease your home into the fall season. Try placing pieces of white or gold distressed furniture, installing birch wood accents, or hanging old-fashioned long draping curtains.
Now, if elegance is more of your aim, you don’t have to abandon fall colors. In fact, fall colors can be beautiful in a home space, especially when used in a minimal, modern way! Try decorating with vibrant throw blankets and pillows, adopting fall house plants, or hanging fall-themed photos.
Take a look at our favorite fall home spaces to get you started. Happy designing!
4 • 205-223-6192
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