This evening, Miss America’s Mallory Hagan will be in Opelika visiting her hometown and meeting and greeting with area residents. Since being crowned Miss America 2013 back in January, Hagan has been on a whirlwind of tours throughout the country.

“She’s doing an awful lot of traveling, so it will be great to have her home,” said Mayor Gary Fuller.

Hagan will kick-off her day with a luncheon at Niffer’s Place in Opelika, followed by a free meet-and-great at the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatics Center where fans will be able to have their picture taken with Miss America.

“We wanted to do something where the public could come, where anybody and everybody from Opelika could come and talk and meet with her,” said Laura Leigh Pierce, spokesperson fro the Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatics Center.

Hagan will participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the Sportsplex’s new disc golf course. This event will be free and open to the public and a professional photographer will be on site to take pictures.

This evening from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Miss America and fans alike will be at National Village for Hagan’s welcome home reception at the Auburn-Opelika Marriott at Grand National. The evening will feature hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing as well as a live band and cash bar.

All proceeds from Mallory Hagan’s tour in Opelika will go towards the Opelika High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education program, as well as Hagan’s charities.

“She [Mallory Hagan] really wants to be able to give back to this area and we really want to be able to honor her and celebrate her accomplishments,” said Ashley Smith, coordinator for the Economic Development Department and a childhood friend of Hagan.

Hagan, 23, is originally from Opelika, Alabama and attended Auburn Univeristy. She competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant several years ago, before moving to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. She earned the title of Miss New York City, followed by Miss New York before being crowned Miss America 2013 on January 12. Hagan live in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Filed under: Auburn AL News, Opelika News by National Village
No Comments »

According to the Alabama Center for Real Estate, Lee County is on the move! As of April 26, residential sales for Lee County in Alabama rose 22.8% last month. Closed transactions were also up 2.1% in March, year-to-date. 

The median selling prices for homes in Lee County also experienced an increase of 23.9% from last year at this same time. The new median selling price of homes is $173,400.

“We believe that the gain in home prices can persist despite subpar economic growth this year . . . The combination of low inventory [referring to nationwide level], high affordability and improving expectations for home prices provide powerful momentum for the housing sector,” said analysts at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch.

Existing home sales for single family homes in Lee County made up 36% of all home sales. 24% of home sales were made up of condo buyers and 40% were new home sales.

As of February 2013, new homes sales statewide had improved 24.8% from the same time last year with sales up 26.3% the month prior. New construction inventory also rose by 6% as compared to last year and construction-related employment in February 2013, as compared to 2012, improved by 2.3% accounting for approximately 1,400 jobs in the state of Alabama.

Source: Alabama Center for Real Estate

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Auburn AL News, Lee County News, National Village News, Opelika News, Real Estate News by National Village
No Comments »

Today GE Aviation, a global leader in jet engine and aircraft systems production, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of its new $50 million manufacturing plant for the production of GE jet engines. This new 300,000 square-foot facility will hire hundreds of residents in the coming years, boosting job creation for the city of Auburn. 

“We’re excited to welcome GE Aviation as Auburn’s newest corporate citizen. We look forward to building a longstanding relationship with GE Aviation as they employ a skilled local workforce to manufacture innovative and advanced jet engine parts,” said Mayor Bill Ham, Jr.

The new GE Aviation home will produce super-alloy machined parts for the GE jet engines, which will be used for future commercial and military aircraft. The engines will also support a fleet of GE jet engines already in service.

The opening today included such officials as Governor Robert Bentley, U.S. Representative Mike Rogers and Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard. 

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Auburn AL News, Lee County News, National Village Events, National Village News, Opelika News by National Village
No Comments »

This week, Mayor Gary Fuller celebrated with the city of Opelika as the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel & Conference Center at Grand National unveiled its brand new tennis court facility. The new tennis center features eight clay courts making it an ideal location for tourists and tennis tournaments. The new tennis court facility will allow the city of Opelika to compete with other larger cities able to host various tennis tournaments. 

“We’ve partnered a lot with the Yarborough Tennis Center in Auburn. They have been very successful in bringing tennis tournaments into our area for several years now,” said Jay Prater, Opelika Marriott General Manager. “With the addition of these eight clay tennis courts, we are able to get larger tournaments than they were able to bring in before.”

The center, which boasts a Wimbledon-like feel, will include a tennis pro shop scheduled to open next month. The facility will be restricted to hotel guests and residents of National Village. The tennis center also features four courts for pickleball—a sport started in the mid-1960s which combines aspects of tennis, table tennis and badminton.

The event started with a Wimbledon-themed “Breakfast at Opelika” event, hosted by the hotel and National Village community on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Residents, hotel staff and community members joined together to witness the groundbreaking event.

“This is a great, great facility,” said Mayor Fuller. “This is a great day in Opelika. I look forward to having a lot of tournaments and visitors in our community.” Mayor Fuller christened the new tennis courts by hitting the first tennis serve on the facility.

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Auburn AL News, Beautiful National Village, Lee County News, National Village Events, National Village News, Opelika News by National Village
No Comments »

New home sales and new home construction building are on the rise. Last year, home prices increased in 92 of the country’s 100 metropolitan areas and sales volume rose in 60 of the 100 markets with 35 of those revealing double-digit gains, according to data provider CoreLogic.

According to the Wall Street Journal, new-home construction sprung up last month to the highest level since before the financial crisis—primarily in response to investments in residential and home improvement projects. Such projects have lead to an overall economic growth for seven consecutive quarters.

In March of this year housing starts for new-home construction rose 7%, reaching an annual rate of 1.04 million—the strongest since June 2008, according to the Commerce Department. New home building construction rose in three of the four national regions in March with a 10.9% increase in the South.

Glenn Hubbard, President George W. Bush’s chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers stated, “The housing industry is so strong right now it’s on its way to becoming the spine that supports the U.S. economy. The National Association of Home Builders agrees and said in a recent study at least three employment opportunities are generated with every single-family home constructed.”

The rise in housing starts and new home construction has benefited local cities and households through the creation of jobs. According to Bloomberg.com, the current homebuilding effort in 2013 will lead to more than 500,000 jobs and an estimated 700,000 jobs in 2014.

These jobs include everything in the homebuilding industry from sales and construction to landscaping, finishing, paving, inspecting, installing and underwriting. Jobs in the construction industry are outpacing the market overall.

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes by National Village
No Comments »

This week the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) released its latest findings on new home sales for the state of Alabama. According to the report new home sales are up 18% year-to-date with a 24.8% increase from February 2012. 

This past February it was reported that home sales increased in 60% of all metro areas throughout the state, which represented approximately 70% of all statewide new home sales—a 26.3% increase from the month prior.

Compared to the national average, Alabama new home sales in February outperformed the country which saw only a 12.3% increase from February 2012.

Part of the turnaround in new home sales for Alabama is contributed to the latest inventory supply. Statewide, Alabama experienced a 6% increase in new construction inventory with home builders increasing production. Across the country new home construction is up 4.1%.

Specific new home construction starts experienced a 7.7% increase in February from the month prior—a 12.4% increase from February 2012. Building permits in January 2013 increased from December 2012 by 11.3%, which is a 13.9% positive gain from February 2012. In 2012, building permits increased 8.4% with a 6.5% increase in housing starts.

The increase in construction and new home sales for the state of Alabama is extremely positive news, especially in terms of job creation. According to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, employment in the field of residential construction experienced a 2.3% growth, equating for approximately 1,400 new jobs, compared to the month prior.

Source: The Alabama Center for Real Estate

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Real Estate News by National Village
No Comments »

Home buyers of National Village will be happy to know that home sales are on the rise with prices on a positive trend as well, making new home buyers at the right place at the right time.

“The two headline composites (10-City Composite and 20-City Composite) posted their highest year-over-year increases since summer 2006,” said David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at D&P Dow Jones Indices. “This marks the highest increase since the housing bubble burst.”

“After more than two years of consecutive year-over-year declines, New York reversed trend and posted a positive return in January. The Southwest (Phoenix and Las Vegas) plus San Francisco posted the highest annual increases; they were also among the hardest hit by the housing bust. Atlanta and Dallas recorded their highest year-over-year gains,” said Blitzer.

Towards the end of 2012, housing prices rose at a steady annual rate of 7.3% with home sales currently up 12% in comparison to 2012 from last January. This is the largest increase in home prices since the second quarter of 2006. The S&P/Case-Shiller Index reported that prices rose more than 8% this past January in the largest 20 US markets.

This year marks the third quarter in a row of year-over-year gains and a continued increase in home prices. Many factors impact the market’s improvement, said Chris Isidore from CNNMoney. These factors include everything from record-low mortgage rates to a decrease in foreclosures, available inventory of new and previously owned homes and a general improvement in the overall economy, coupled with a decrease in the unemployment rate.

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes by National Village
No Comments »

The Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) released its monthly findings last week for residential sales in the state of Alabama, further displaying positive signs of growth for our region.

Compared to last February 2012, residential sales this past month improved by 12.6 percent overall in Alabama, outperforming the overall US market which rose 10.2 percent. This growth affirms that a healthy recovery is underway in the housing market, specifically in Alabama.

According to the National Association of REALTORS, February sales were at their highest level since the tax credit period of November 2009. The Alabama metro market has risen 11 percent YTD over last year and statewide residential sales are up 16.4 percent from January with the median selling price for homes rising 8.4 percent from last February.

Monthly home sales for February in Lee County rose 12.86% this year, compared to February 2012. Year-to-date home sales experienced a 25.4% increase from 2012. Alabama experienced a 7.36% increase in the average selling price for homes in Lee County.

“Across the nation, most local housing markets have room for sustainable growth, particularly in home construction and sales. As the broader economy heals, expect to see more good news with home prices continuing their recent upward trend, and home sales and housing starts continuing to post strong growth rates,” said Freddie Mac vice president & chief economist, Frank Nothalt.

Sales in the South and West both performed positively in February, compared to February 2012, but all four regions of the US reveal overall annual growth compared to last year. Specifically in the southern regions, sales rose 14.9 percent from February 2012. Of those sales, 22 percent were comprised of nationwide investors, 32 percent represented all-cash sales and 30 percent were made up of first-time home buyers. The average days on market decreased by 5.5 percent in February.

“Job growth in the improving economy and pent-up demand are causing both home sales and rental leasing to rise. Though home prices are rising much faster than rents, historically low mortgage rates are still making home purchases affordable,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “The only headwinds are limited housing inventory, which varies greatly around the country, and credit conditions that remain too restrictive.”

The Alabama Residential Monthly Report is developed in conjunction with the Alabama Association of REALTORS and local associations. For additional information visit, acre.cba.ua.edu.  

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Auburn AL News, Lee County News, Opelika News by National Village
No Comments »

2013 is well underway, and with the tax season almost over you may be reevaluating a few financial and personal priorities. Well, if one of your priorities includes making time for life, a golf resort community may be right for you.

Whether you’re looking to start a family, expand your family, or just incorporate a little more leisure into your lifestyle, golf communities are a popular choice for all interests and ages.

Like Golfing?

There are many reasons to consider buying a home in a resort community and if you enjoy golfing than all the more reason to consider buying in Alabama. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is made up of 468 holes of championship golf—the largest golf course construction ever!

Golfing communities in Alabama, specifically here at National Village, offer unbeatable access to one of the 11 different Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail sites across the state. The New York Times calls the Trail “some of the best public golf on Earth.”

Not Very Interested in Golf?

That’s ok too. National Village boasts a variety of social activities and living amenities, not to mention the perks of living next door to the Auburn-Opelika Marriott at Grand National, boasting its own amenities for visitors and residents. If you aren’t a fan of golf, spend outdoors instead fishing, boating or exploring the nature trails which are perfect for hikers and cyclists.

Resort communities are great for young families. Between the grassy lawns, lakes, and swimming and golf complex, it’s almost impossible not to love the golf resort-lifestyle!

Everyday or Every Season?

Perhaps you’re looking for your first home, second home, or maybe just considering a regular vacation spot. National Village is a golf homes communities  that offers a variety of real estate options with you in mind. The first time buyer benefits from the security of a community setting, but prides in the independence of a spacious stand-alone home.

Young families can take advantage of the friendly neighborhoods, seasonal community gatherings, and plenty of outdoor space. Older families and retired couples can revel in social activities with friends and neighbors and delight in the spa and golf amenities.

Seasonal and weekend “residents” can take full advantage of the resort appeal with familiar faces and reliable features. Golf resort communities truly capture the essence of life and play, while remembering that the vacation isn’t just about the golf. Although, being so close to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, it’s ok if it is!

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Robert Trent Jones Trail by National Village
No Comments »

With housing inventory levels on the decline, new homes for sale have become even more desirable for prospective home buyers searching in the Southern region of Alabama.  

According to the Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE), housing inventory levels in Lee County decreased by 16.4% in January 2013 compared to January of last year and were down 21.9% from January's peak in 2008.  Historically, a 6-7 months housing supply represents a balanced market, and January 2013 showed that Lee County had 13.7 months of housing supply, which is a significant decrease of 30.7% when compared to the 19.8 months of supply in January of 2012.  The report from ACRE shows continued improvement in the decline of the months of inventory supply, which is welcomed news to the real estate community in the Lee County area.  

In a year-over-year comparison, ACRE shows that January 2013 had a 20.7% rise in home sales in Lee County, which represents a "continuation of market momentum" for the area, which should be encouraging to potential home buyers considering buying a new home in Lee County new home communities.  Of the total residential sales, 37% were new home sales- an increase of 24% from last January.  

As is typical when inventory levels start decreasing and home sales start increasing in area, home prices also begin to move upward.  As buyers will find when looking at new homes of sale in Lee County, prices have increased from last year.  The median sold price in January for Lee County rose by 7.3% compared to January of the previous year, which is an increase from December of 2012 by 4.9%.  This is encouraging news and an improvement from past trends, as historical data has shown that January medial selling price has traditionally increased from the month of December by 1.6%.

Overall, 18 of 25 (or 72%) of the local housing markets across the state of Alabama have experienced year-over-year sales growth in 2012, which is welcome news for potential buyers looking for new homes for sale as well as to the Alabama real estate community. 

Filed under: Alabama Golf Homes, Alabama Real Estate, Auburn AL New Homes, Lee County News by National Village
No Comments »