Financial wealth is only one measure of success. The truly happy
and successful individual is the man or woman who is healthy, financially
secure, challenged in his or her career, and is making a difference in the
lives of others. It isn’t always easy to render service to others. The world is
a cynical and dangerous place where others are likely to mistrust your motives.
They can be convinced only by consistent, sustained, outstanding service that
is enthusiastically and cheerfully offered. In time, even the most cynical
individual will come to accept your willingness to go the extra mile if you are
sincere in your offers of assistance and in the service you provide.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Thought For The Day - Aug 9, 2013
If you
have something you don’t need, give it to someone who needs it. It will come
back to you in one way or another.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thought For The Day - June 27, 2013
"Those who will not take a chance seldom have one thrust upon them"
Friday, June 21, 2013
First Day of Seasons: 2013
When do Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring begin???? Great informationalhttp://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-seasons article.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
GBAHB - BIRMINGHAM MARKET IMPROVING FOR THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH
Birmingham makes
Improving Markets Index for fourth consecutive month
The National Association
of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI), included
Birmingham as a housing market on an upward trajectory for the fourth
consecutive month. The list expanded by a net of five markets in June, for a
new total of 263 improving markets - including entrants from 49 states and the
District of Columbia.
Greater Birmingham
Association of Home Builders (GBAHB) Executive Vice President Matt Morrow said
Birmingham's consistent presence on the index since the market's IMI debut in
March is additional confirmation that the local housing rebound no mirage.
"Every market that
appears on this index is getting better," Morrow said. "But not every
market remains an "improving market" for consecutive months. Each
month some markets are added, and others fall off. Birmingham's run of four
consecutive months is just one more indication that the housing recovery here
is for real.
"With each month of
documented improvement, builders increasingly gain confidence that home
building recovery is here to stay," added GBAHB President Alicia Huey,
owner of AGH Homes, Inc. "That confidence leads to increased construction
activity, more new home options for consumers, and, ultimately, more job
creation and a robust, growing local economy. An improving home building market
is good news for every single person who lives in the Greater Birmingham
area."
The IMI identifies
metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in
housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive
months. Twenty-nine new markets were added to the list while 24 others were
dropped from it this month. New entrants included such geographically diverse
metros as Salinas, Calif.; Sioux City, Iowa; Chicago, Ill.; Topeka, Kan.; Baton
Rouge, La.; Laredo, Texas; and Philadelphia, Pa.
"This is the fifth
consecutive month in which the IMI has designated more than 70 percent of U.S.
metros as improving," observed NAHB Chairman Rick Judson, a home builder
from Charlotte, N.C. "While that's a good sign that the housing recovery
is on solid footing, we know that various challenges are slowing its progress -
including continuing issues with credit availability for builders and buyers,
as well as appraisals that aren't keeping up with the rising cost of
construction."
"As market conditions
improve across most of the country, some metros have moved onto the IMI list
while marginal seasonal fluctuations have nudged others off of it," noted
NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "This is to be expected as the recovery
expands. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that the number of improving markets is
now more than three times what it was in June 2012."
"The continued
strength of the IMI is an indicator of the ongoing, positive momentum in
housing markets nationwide as consumers move to take advantage of historically
favorable interest rates and affordable home prices," added Kurt
Pfotenhauer, vice chairman of First American Title Insurance Company.
This news coincides with recent reports from the
Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE): "Birmingham metro area residential
sales reached 1,064 units in April, an improvement in sales growth of 9.4
percent from last April. Year-to-date (YTD) residential sales through April are
up a solid 7.9 percent which is consistent with the positive YTD statewide
sales growth."
The IMI is designed to
track housing markets throughout the country that are showing signs of
improving economic health. The index measures three sets of independent monthly
data to get a mark on the top Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The three
indicators that are analyzed are employment growth from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, house price appreciation from Freddie Mac and single-family housing
permit growth from the U.S. Census Bureau. NAHB uses the latest available data
from these sources to generate a list of improving markets. A metro area must
see improvement in all three measures for at least six consecutive months
following those measures' respective troughs before being included on the
improving markets list.
A complete list of all 263 metros currently on the IMI, and separate breakouts of metros newly added to or dropped from the list in June, is available at www.nahb.org/imi.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Thought for the Day
Before opportunity crowns you with great success, it usually tests your mettle through adversity.
Adversity provides the resistance necessary to develop the strength to overcome great obstacles. This strength consists of self-confidence, perseverance, and, very importantly, self-knowledge. For if you do encounter a setback, it is a clue to a personal weakness. You may have been hasty in judging a competitor, or you may have been too timid in your vision of what needed to be done. Let adversity be your guide to understanding where you mis-stepped and which qualities you need to cultivate. No one rejoices in disappointment, but if you are success-conscious, you can turn the situation into a chance for improving your character, an opportunity you otherwise would have missed.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Spring Outdoor Home Hints
Mulch with old newspapers to stop weeds. Wet the sheets and put the layers around plants and garden beds, covering with soil as you go. Weeds won't be able to pierce the wet newspaper layers. You know how kids eat things that aren't good for them? Ants do, too. If you have an ant problem, put small piles of polenta where you see ants; they'll gobble it up, return 'home' and won't be able to digest it. Your ant problem will soon be gone. Use this homemade cleaning formula to scrub your decks: one cup of powdered laundry detergent, a gallon of hot water, and 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach (to kill moss or mildew). Check shrubs and trees for winter damage and prune accordingly. Remove dead wood or broken branches. Replant any shrubs that have heaved out of the soil before the roots dry out. Check your garden hoses for cracks and leaks and examine the washers at the connectors.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
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Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
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