Birmingham Alabama Real Estate Market

Overview, Focusing on Shelby County

Houses for Sale in Alabama | Alabama Homes | Real Estate Market | Houses for Sale Birmingham | Shelby County Real Estate | Focus on Community | Small Town Life | Smart Growth

Houses for Sale in Alabama

If you are looking for a great place to relocate, consider looking for homes in Alabama. In July 2004, there were more than 25,000 homes for sale in Alabama, at great prices in a multitude of diverse and beautiful settings.

The Alabama economy is strong due to continued growth in the business, education, agriculture and healthcare industries. In 2005 Alabama was ranked the eighth friendliest state for running a small business by the Small Business Survival Index (SBSI). Alabama also has a relatively low cost of living. The SBSI reports that Alabama has some of the lowest property tax rates in the nation, and also ranks in the top ten on lowest corporate income tax rates and electric utilities costs.

There were 10,173 homes for sale in Birmingham Alabama in June 2006. The average sales price for a home in Alabama in june 2006 was $161,153; compared with the Birmingham area average sales price of $209,000. On average, it took a home in Alabama 119 days to sell in June 2006, while Birmingham Alabama homes were listed for only 81 days in June of 2006, the fastest selling period of any area in Alabama except for Montgomery.

The majority of the 9.6% population growth in the Birmingham metro area during the nineties occurred southeast of the city in Shelby County. Shelby County is the fastest growing county in the state and one of the fastest growing counties for its size in the nation. Factors contributing to the growth of the county include its proximity to growth corridors such as US Highways 31 and 280 and the desire of new residents to live in areas where their demand for public facilities and services can be met. Despite the growth, population density in Shelby County is quite low, averaging about 178 persons per square mile, with the highest densities being in the northern areas closest to Birmingham.

Even when Birmingham’s economy weakened in 2001, growth in Shelby County caused the region’s homeownership rate to increase from 68.1% in 1990 to 70.8% in 2000, and then to a record 74.3% by the end of 2001. Shelby County had the lowest unemployment rate in the state of 2.7% in August 2004, compared with the State’s 6.0% and the Birmingham MSA’s rate of 5.0%.

According to the 2000 Census, there were 59,302 housing units in Shelby County in 2000, a 34% increase from the 1990 census. The number of owner occupied housing has increased also, at a higher rate than that of renter-occupied units. The median value of owner occupied units has increased more than 188% since 1980, to $146,700 in 2000.

Focus on Community & Quality of Life

Shelby County is consistently ranked as the best county in Alabama to raise children, according to Alabama Kids Count. The Shelby County school system is ranked as one of the state's best. Shelby County also offers a variety of quality private schools—including Briarwood, Indian Springs, and Hilltop Montessori,-- and is home to two higher educational institutions: Jefferson State Community College-Scrushy Campus and the University of Montevallo.

In Paths to the Future, Shelby County residents described what they like best about their communities and what they want for the future.  "They are focused on community. They want where they live to emphasize the traditional elements of community, combining residential, commercial and public spaces into a livable whole. They want town centers, open spaces and greenways. Hillsides, mountaintops, lakes, and streams must be respected in the development process to maintain the beauty and character of the land that most people who move to the County find so attractive in the first place."

Small Town Life and Natural Beauty in Chelsea

Shelby County’s Chelsea district is one of the fastest growing parts of the county because of its location along Highway 280. In Shelby County Town Hall and Community Building meetings held in 2002, Chelsea area residents said what they most enjoy about the district is the small town atmosphere in a rural setting, in particular the natural beauty—mountains, lakes, trees and farms--and diverse wildlife of the area. They value the convenience of retail and schools, the metro location, the good school system and the focus on family.

They also said that they are concerned about the impact growth will have on the environment. While growing, the community wants to maintain its character, integrity and personality. The residents don’t want typical urban development that clear-cuts the land. They want community walking trails, sidewalks that connect with open space and community landmarks, bike paths and green ways.

Smart Growth: Mt Laurel

What they want describes the new town of Mt Laurel, located in the Chelsea district just 3.2 miles north of Highway 280 on Dunnavant Valley Road (Highway 41). Nestled along the western face of double Oak Mountain, the town has an interconnected system of community walking trails that meander through 535 acres of pristine woodlands leading to the 11 acre Spoonwood Lake.

Mt Laurel is a master planned community, also known as a traditional neighborhood development (TND). Designed in harmony with the natural landscape, it has the great qualities of small town life--homes with front porches, safe and friendly tree-lined streets, and a pedestrian-oriented town center--while providing all of today's needs for comfortable living, including access to high speed communications technology.

These are some of the things current Mt Laurel residents say they like about the town:

• Wonderful place to walk, closeness of shops. Safe place to raise children. Beautiful architecture. Feeling of community and the preservation of nature.
• Community atmosphere without compromising nature.
• Small town feeling. Everyone is very nice and helpful. Really safe here.
• Neighborhood, charm, atmosphere, school being built.
• Small town feel. Knowing many of your neighbors.
• Everything – the people, the trees, the atmosphere, truly is a walking community.
• Old style of neighborhood, pedestrian friendly area, frequent personal interaction, attractive homes, walking convenience.
• The natural beauty, the Smart Growth/conservation philosophy, the architectural style, the community concept.
• Hardware store, sidewalks, lake, playground, basketball courts, lawn, fire station.
• Unique community. No other place in Birmingham like it!

To learn more about buying or building a home in Mt Laurel call 205-408-TOWN.

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