HEALTHY REAL ESTATE IN HUNTSVILLE – MADISON COUNTY

1. Healthy Sales Prices: Homes in Madison County sold for an average 98% of list price from January through August 2008.*
   
   
2. Healthy Property Values: Median sales price of homes sold in Madison County increased from $157,258 in 2006 to $174,900 in August 2008, a jump of 9%!*
   
   
3. Healthy Long-Term Appreciation: Waiting for prices to decrease in our area is not a safe bet. Median sales price of homes in Madison County grew steadily from $101,508 in 2000 to $174,900 in August 2008, an impressive 58% increase!*
   
   
4. Healthy Wealth Investment: Real estate has delivered the most consistent positive return of any investment over the last 40 years. †† Homes were a better overall investment compared to the DOW from January 2007 to September 17, 2008 with 28.02% positive growth. †††
   
   
5. Healthy Interest Rates: Interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are hovering near 40-year lows!***
   
   
6. Healthy Job Growth: Over 25,000 jobs have been added to the Huntsville metropolitan area in 2000-2007, thereby leading the state. Population increased by 44,000 in the same time period. Continued steady growth of at least 2% annually can be anticipated.†
   
   
7. Healthy Employment: The unemployment rate in Madison County averages 3.3% compared to 5.2% across the country.†
   
   
8. Healthy Tax Relief: Homeownership offers you the advantage of tax deductions as well as building equity in your property. Currently, there is a temporary $7,500 credit for first-time home buyers (credit = 10% of the purchase price of a home, up to $7,500) for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.**
   
   
9. Healthy National Reviews: Among other accolades, Huntsville has been ranked as #5 in the “Best Performing Cities 2008: Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained” (Milken Institute, September 2008) and has been included in the “Top Ten Metros for Business Vitality” (Wall Street Journal, June 2007), “Forbes Leading Cities for Business” (Forbes Magazine, May 2007), and “Top 10 Cities for Job Growth and Affordability” (MSN/Sperling’s, March 2007). †
   
   
10. Healthy Family Investment: A home is more than a house. It’s a place to raise your family, make memories, and call your own!

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