
Many REALTORS® along the Gulf Coast have had a busy summer -- probably busier than ever before – with how well the market is doing in our area. It's a blessing, and it's a curse because there are only so many hours in the day. And when you're busier than ever, it's easy to neglect the parts of your business that don't include putting out fires for this week's closings.
During times when the market is hot, autoflow programs that can help you stay in touch with clients become all the more important as a way to stay top-of-mind with them without adding any extras to your To Do list. However, that will only work for so long. Those programs, like mailers or newsletters, only work in conjunction with voice or face-to-face contact.
Ideally you should be calling both potential clien...

Many of us spend warm weather months near, on or in the water. With our average temperature in 70s until December, we who live the Gulf Coast – and those who visit us – are far from done with warm-weather fun, even as the new school year approaches. But while we're splashing, it is important to remember to be cautious.
From the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi, seven people have drowned at the beach through June 27, according to the National Weather Service. Drowning is a leading cause of death in young children. The National Safety Council estimates that about 19 children drowned over the July Fourth holiday.
Alabama's Gulf Coast contains several real estate markets depending on location and price point – just to name a few factors. The graphic below shows real estate statistics for June 2021, the latest month available.

Vital Signs provides a visual representation of what's happening in several local markets by showing you supply. The colored-coded numbers represent the absorption rate, the number of months it would take to sell every home on the market in a particular price range if no others were added. If the market is moving quickly, the absorption rate will fall below six months of supply, and if it's more of a buyer's market, it will jump above six months of supply.

Your home is not meant to only store your belongings – or even to display your personal style. Turning a house into your home often has as much to do with how you live in it as it does what color the walls or exterior trim are painted.
How a home flows – how you move through the rooms and live in it – is often contingent on its layout, but if you find yourself spending 15 minutes searching for keys in the morning or figuring out what to wear, some small tweaks may help your home flow more smoothly – and potentially even save you those precious few minutes in the morning.
Making small adjustments to your home's flow could mean outfitting your garage to better arrange your fishing gear or adding drawers to store cr...

Summer may be flying by, but the school bells aren't ringing quite yet. If you're looking for something to keep the kids entertained until school starts back, consider taking a look at the state parks in our area. Alabama, Florida and Mississippi all have state parks along the Gulf Coast that can give your children the opportunity to experience the outdoors, burn off extra energy and perhaps even learn a thing or two along with way. Check out the list of state parks near us for a few excellent destinations. Who says you can't have a field trip when school's out?
Alabama
Historic Blakely State Park
Open 8 a.m. to dusk
Spanish Fort, AL