Alabama's housing market is growing more affordable, according to the University of Alabama's Center for Real Estate Research.

The median sales price of a home sold in Alabama during the fourth quarter of 2007 was $130,260, and the average mortgage rate was 6.42 percent.

 
Talk to Josh Dobson, Co-Owner of Southern Real Estate and native Georgian, for five minutes and he will invite you to stay at his family's cabin, where he will offer to give you a personal tour of the Cumberland Plateau Region -- a region his family knows like the back of their hands. Hard to believe people still do business like this in America? Well, think again. The Dobson Family does, and they believe this genuine and honest business approach is the key to their success.

The Southern Real Estate story began thirty-seven years ago when Tommy Dobson, Josh's father and land surveyor, personally trekked the terrain and came to know The Cumberland Plateau better than anyone in the region. The Dobson Family's love for the land and keen sense that this region would one day be a leading market, led them to purchase 40,000 acres of land. Today, Southern Real Estate, family-owned and operated, now offers buyers the opportunity to own breathtaking acreage of affordable mountain land, where they can build a dream home or choose to keep as an investment for their family's future.

Roger Sweeney is working to make Antioch Homes the best builder at the best price.

"If we do that, our referrals will increase and our new customers will continue to grow," he said. "They want it built right and with the best workmanship that will allow the home to increase in value and be something we both can be proud of. Why not do it perfectly right the way our customer really wants it and get to choose every aspect of that home instead of settling."

Sweeney said Antioch Homes recently opened a new 1,350 square-foot office and design center at 1874 Slaughter Road, Suite Q to house its two year-old custom building business.

One of the most ambitious projects to emerge during Tuscaloosa’s recent condominium boom appears to have come to a sticky legal end.

Alabama-based CRS-Development LLC is seeking to recover more than $500,000 invested in The First Paramount condominium project proposed by Craig Jones and M. Ford Waters of Birmingham-based Marlin Bisso and First Paramount companies.

The two men are also the proprietors of 12 Steakhouse on University Boulevard, which closed this fall.

Books and Coffee, "My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir" by Clarence Thomas, reviewed by Symmetris Gohanna, Alabama A&M J.F. Drake Memorial Library multipurpose room, 1 p.m., free, 372-4086 or booksandcoffee2008@yahoo.com.

"Foyle's War," Tea and the BBC movie, Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St., 2-4 p.m., free, 532-5950.

David Karabinos and his associates at the Huntsville Angel Network have some cash - up to $750,000 - they may invest in your idea or company. But first, some advice: Do your homework. Shoot straight. Be patient. And, perhaps most important, listen. Even if you don't like what you hear.

Karabinos, managing partner of Harvest Business Advisors in Huntsville, can tell within minutes of an entrepreneur's pitch whether the plan has a chance to make it big or is destined to fail. He knows firsthand, experiencing several "false starts" as an entrepreneur before co-founding the highly successful EquaTerra, an outsourcing advisory firm that he left two years ago as chief operating officer.

Items in this feature may be faxed to 532-4420 or e-mailed to businessnews@htimes.com. Event information should include date, time, place, cost and contact information. Deadline is Wednesday noon for Sunday publication:

BNI - Business Network International wants to give small-business owners and sales professionals referrals. Chapters meet Tuesday through Thursday for breakfast or lunch. For more information on dates and times available, call 866-291-9496, e-mail meg@bni.com or visit bnialabama.com. For additional information, call Jennifer Rogers at 683-9952 or Jerry Williamson at 513-6448.

Monday

The College of Continuing Studies and The Alabama Association of Realtors are presenting the 53rd Annual Real Estate Salesmanship and Education Conference Wednesday to Friday on campus.

The Real Estate Salesmanship and Education Conference is dedicated to providing a higher level of service throughout the real estate industry.

Ed Hatch will deliver the keynote address on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The conference fee is $260 per person. The fee covers the cost of the sessions, handout materials, refreshment breaks, daily continental breakfast, lunch, dinner, socials and dances. For more information, e-mail Leonard Smith at LSmith@ccs.ua.edu or call 348-4260, or e-mail Penny Williamson at PWilliamson@ccs.ua.edu or call 348-3014.

Huntsville Alabama real estate market

One person's market lull can be another's opportunity to sharpen selling skills to make a better sale, especially with temptingly low interest rates luring buyers.

The lull was anticipated for the Huntsville area market as a response to housing inventory buildup in anticipation of BRAC bringing new residents, which would cause a greater demand for housing. Lori Carter, associate broker with A Realty Group, and Erica Elliott, director of communmication with Weichert Realtors - The Executive Group, both in Huntsville, offer helpful advice to sellers on how to make the most of the situation.