Great Dining Spots In Birmingham! OCEAN     Where is the best place to enjoy fresh seafood in Birmingham?  According to readers of The Birmingham News that would be Ocean in Five Points South!  Over 6,400 people voted and the majority chose Ocean as Birmingham's Best Seafood Restaurant (2010).     They aren't the only ones that think so.  Others awards include Best Chef, Winner of the AAA Four Diamond Award for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator.   Ocean serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 5:30 PM and offers complimentary valet parking.  Reservations can be made online or by phoning 205-933-0999 (ask about catering and private parties).  Walk-ins are accepted too, but I recommend you make a reservation and avoid a wait.   ... 01/21/2011

Don't Sell Yourself Short: Consider a short sale instead.  Years ago when homeowners couldn't make their mortgage payments, facing foreclosure and actually having a home foreclosed were the only options. In the process, homeowners felt stigmatized. Today three things have clearly changed: If you are behind in your mortgage, chances are that foreclosure does not have to be imminent Because of the high rate and broad territory of foreclosures across the country, facing foreclosure no longer presents the stigma of days gone by Short sales used to be a well kept secret, but today it's a well recognized and widely accepted option that may prevent you from foreclosure What is a Short Sale? A short sale is when your mortgage company agrees to accept a payoff of less than the amount due on your... 01/21/2011

  Great Dining Spots In Birmingham! FLEMING'S  PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR   Where is the best place to get a great steak in Birmingham?  The votes are in, with over 6,400 readers of The Birmingham News casting a vote, the majority chose Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at The Summit as the restaurant that serves up Birmingham's Best Steak (2010).    The steaks ARE great, but that's not all that makes Fleming's a special dining experience!  They have the most wonderful selection of wines, incredibly fresh seafood and all the staff treat you like royalty.   Valentine's Day is almost here and Fleming's is planning a special romantic Valentine's Weekend......make your reservations now for February 11th, 12th, 13th or 14th.  Really, don't wait or you will miss out!    Fleming's is loca... 01/19/2011

  Birmingham Real Estate Consumer Questions Will I Need Money Prior To Closing?     Yes, you will!  Your homebuying experience will be a lot more enjoyable if you know what to expect, so let's talk about those times when you are going to need money before closing day.    When you submit an offer to purchase a property you will need to include Earnest Money with that offer.  The amount is negotiable between the buyer and the seller.  These funds will be held in a special account until closing, when they will be credited to your closing costs.   When you have a Home Inspection you will pay your inspector at the time of the inspection.  The amount usually depends on the size of the home and can vary.  The property may have a septic tank and it is important to know that this is not included... 01/17/2011

  Fun Stuff To Do Around Birmingham! SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS at The Birmingham Zoo       If you are looking for something for the kids to do during their school breaks, why not send them to camp at The Birmingham Zoo?  Not only do they get to explore the zoo, they will learn about some of the animals and make a craft.   Camps run from 8:30 AM to 3:30 (before and after care is available).   2011 CAMP SCHEDULE   Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Camp January 17th   President's Day Camp February 21st   Spring Break Camps March 14th - 18th     * * * * * * *     For more details about School Break Camps at The Birmingham Zoo call 205-397-3877 or click on the link.     The Birmingham Zoo is located at 2630 Cahaba Road in Birmingham AL.     View Larger Map      Looking for a local expert for to help with... 01/12/2011

Birmingham Is Closed.  Will Reopen on Wednesday. Streets of Birmingham are glazed with sheets of ice and Birminghamians have cleared grocery store shelves of bread, milk and beer. 01/10/2011

  TELL YOUR STORY! StoryCorps Comes To Birmingham     I'm a big fan of National Public Radio.  They have a lot of great programming and one broadcast that I particularly enjoy is StoryCorps.  They interview ordinary (and sometimes not so ordinary) people who share their personal stories and experiences.  It's really a fascinating look into the lives of people across the country.  The mission of StoryCorps is "to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share and preserve their stories."    EVERYONE HAS A STORY....WANT TO SHARE YOURS?    The StoryCorps MobileBooth is in Birmingham from January 6th thru 29th, 2011.  You can book an appointment by calling 800-850-4406 or reserve your spot online.  Each conversation is recorded on a free CD and will a... 01/09/2011

  Fun Stuff To Do Around Birmingham! DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN Voodoo Violin Concerto         WHERE:  Alys Stephens Center WHEN:  Thursday, January 13th at 8 PM TICKETS:  $18 - $30   Come casual to the Alys Stephens Center and enjoy a night filled with musical energy and excitement!  Daniel Bernard Roumain (better known as DBR) will be performing on violin with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a concert that is part of The Wells Fargo Classical EDGE Series.  DBR is known for his innovative sound which is a unique blend of classical......spiced up with rock, funk and hip-hop!  Michael Morgan will be guest conductor for the concert which will last about one hour.  Stay for the party afterwards and enter a drawing for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate!     * * * * * * *     The Alys St... 01/07/2011

NASQT:  Will the Owner Consider a Lease With an Option to Purchase? This question pops up every now and then.  Usually from prospective tenants that really want to rent a home and they want to ensure that they have the best opportunity at being offered the unit if the owner agrees to a lease with an option to purchase. The single most misunderstood factor with regard to a lease with an option to purchase revolves around the following terms:  security deposit, down payment and lease option payment.  Usually after I address this concern, the lease with option is no longer a part of the conversation. When someone inquires about a lease with an option to purchase, the first question that I ask them is "how much of an option payment are you working with?"  The usual response is "huh?"  This ... 01/06/2011

  Fun Stuff To Do Around Birmingham!   MAGIC OF MODEL TRAINS   MCWANE SCIENCE CENTER       The rain has ended and the sun is shining!  What a great day to take the family out and have some fun together this afternoon!    How about this?  It's the final day to see the Magic Of Model Trains exhibit at the McWane Science Center.  There are over a dozen displays of trains of all sizes set amid towns and landscapes that are built to scale, and full of fascinating detail.  Fun for all ages!  Come see it while you still can.      For more information please call 205-714-8414.     * * * * * * *   McWane Science Center is located at 200 19th Street North in Downtown Birmingham.  There is something happening all the time at McWane!  Click here for a calendar of upcoming events or information abou... 01/02/2011

Looking for a gym in Birmingham, Alabama? You've found it! Stop by our gym Hoover, AL health club TODAY!  This 24 hour gym is minutes from Birmingham, Al. Anytime Fitness is the world’s largest 24 hour gym and co-ed fitness center chain We are a "True 24 hour club" we never close for our members! Our **staffed** hours are: Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm By Appointment after 6pm Saturday: 10am – 2pm By Appointment after 2pm Sunday: By Appointment Always-open convenience of a 24 hour gym Anytime Fitness of Hoover, AL, is the fitness center that fits your on-the-go lifestyle. At our Hoover, AL, health club, you can exercise any time using your own security-access key! That’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Talk about no more excuses! Affordable and low cost gym memberships in ... 12/28/2010

  MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS AND ADVENT O Magnum Mysterium   It's been a long time since I've been able to sing in my church choir and I sure do miss being a part of it.  This is my choir......the Chancel Choir of First United Methodist Church in Birmingham AL singing Morten Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium" under the direction of Dr. Jim Cook during our morning worship service last Sunday.    The video and audio leave a lot to be desired (sorry, as a videographer I have a lot to learn).  You really had to be there to appreciate how wonderful it sounded.  We have a beautiful sanctuary, don't you think?             More Holiday Music E'en So Lord Jesus Quickly Come Ding Dong Merrily On High! The Lamb In Dulci Jubilo In The Bleak Midwinter Riu, Riu, Chiu O Come All Ye Faithful TSO Wizards In Wint... 12/23/2010

Scheduling Showings:  How Far is Too Far in Advance? Giving sufficient notice of when you'd like to view a property is a common courtesy.  If the home is occupied, it gives the seller a chance to get things in order just in case life is happening while they wait for the next showing.  You want to make sure that you don't catch sellers by surprise when you show up on their doorstep. I have had agents to contact me and schedule a showing a week in advance.  And while I appreciate their diligence in providing proper notice, I do think that a week in advance may be a bit too much in advance.  A lot can happen in a week and people often suffer from short term memory or perhaps they've had a hectic week and could possibly forget about an appointment made a week in advance. Also if showings ar... 12/20/2010

Happy Anniversary to Me.  Happy Anniversary to Me.  Happy Aniversarrrrrry to Meeeeee - The Committment Continues Well today, I celebrate the anniversay of my first ActiveRain post titled Today's Thought: Keeping It All  Together In Challenging Times.  I wrote 14 posts during my first month including in the rain (including 1 feature) and I've been committed ever since and I plan to continue that committment.  It's ironic that my first post is a classic example of what happens when I don't follow my own advice.  If you've read my recent post from December 2, you clearly understand what I mean and how I've come full circle.  One year ago today, I had a whopping 6 comments on my post and three (3) of them were mine.  I'd like to thank the following people for commenting on my very first pos... 12/12/2010

  Snowy Sunday in Birmingham AL     Ha ha, it certainly wasn't a blizzard!  My snow photo is not what you might be expecting to see.  We did get some flurries for a while...which I tried to capture on video but that didn't turn out so great.  Around here, any snow at all gets us excited since we don't see it very often.  There wasn't enough of the white stuff to get a decent photograph, but here's my evidence that we did indeed get some snow today.......           Looking for a local expert for to help with your real estate needs?   Google one here!         Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP 205.902.4868 Keller Williams One Chase Corporation Drive, Suite 150 Hoover, AL  35244   © 2010 Ann Allen, All rights reserved       Photo taken by Ann Allen and may not be reproduced without ex... 12/12/2010

  Fun Stuff To Do Around Birmingham!   Holiday Film Series 2010 at THE ALABAMA THEATRE     The Alabama Theatre is hands-down the best venue in Birmingham to watch a movie (IMHO)!  Built in 1927 and completely restored to it's original grandeur in 1998, the historic movie palace now hosts many live events as well as films.  I love watching films on that huge screen!  It brings back childhood memories, when every movie-going experience was a something truly special!   This year the Holiday Film Series presents a great line-up of Christmas favorites!  The admission price is $7 for adults and $6 for senior citizens and children under 12.  All shows begin at 7 pm except as noted below.   12/12 - Holiday Inn 12/13 - A Christmas Story 12/14 - It's A Wonderful Life 12/15 - It's A Wonderful Life... 12/11/2010

  Fun Stuff To Do Around Birmingham! TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA  BJCC Arena Saturday, December 11th at 3 and 8 PM Tickets are $32.50 - $69.25           The Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns to Birmingham this weekend as their Winter Tour 2010 gets underway!  With screaming guitars, laser lights, smoke machines and pyrotechnics, a TSO concert is a visual and sound experience that has thrilled audiences in over 80 cities.  You don't want to miss this incredible show of Christmas music on steroids as well as selections from some of their other projects! It's a must see!   Tickets available through Ticketmaster.   View Larger Map   Looking for a local expert for to help with your real estate needs?   Google one here!         Courtesy of Ann Allen, e-Pro, SRES, ASP 205.902.4868 Keller Williams ... 12/10/2010

31DDC-7:  i's Dotted, t's Crossed - New Agent Demetrius Heard is on Board at Bham WIiRE Realty Well all of the ink is dry.  Demetrius has transferred his license to Bham WIiRE Realty and is now a newly minted Bham WIiRE Associate. While he's not a blogger, I'll gladly take on that role to promote Demetrius,his efforts and successes.   12/10/2010

31DDC-6 Finalizing Paperwork for New Agent Recruit In my effort to revamp my goals for 2011, I have been on a recruiting mission and I have recruited an agent for which I have been developing a professional relationship with over the past several months. Today, we'll be finalizing some paperwork to get him transferred over to Bham WIiRE Realty.As soon as the transition becomes official, I will be formally introducing the Bham WIiRE Realty's new agent to my ActiveRain family.  He is not much of a blogger but that's okay because I am. I am looking forward to him becoming a welcomed addition and an asset to Bham WIiRE Realty. 12/09/2010

  CHRISTMAS PRESENTS A Christmas Pageant presented by Brookview Kiddie Academy     The preschoolers at Brookview Kiddie Academy put on an amazing performance yesterday!  With children so young you expect some tears and stage fright, including running off stage to sit with mom and dad, but these little boys and girls were true professionals!  We are so proud of all of them, and grateful for the teachers and many others who helped prepare this wonderful Christmas Pageant!     Shepherds left their fields to follow the star......     Wisemen brought gifts from lands far away......     Everyone wanted to worship the baby Jesus!     ....who was born in a humble stable surrounded by animals...       Angels (and everybody else) sang heavenly music......     I was especially proud of my little g... 12/06/2010