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Should I buy a home now?

I’m often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of action is to wait for the bottom in the market and then buy. The problem with this approach is that you don’t know where the bottom is until you see it in the rear view mirror, meaning until you’ve missed it!

Home prices are one factor in determining your cost of ownership, but so are interest rates and financing availability. Even though interest rates have gone up in the last six months, they are still near historic lows. Since your monthly mortgage payment is a combination of paying down your principal and paying the interest owed, if home prices come down a little further but interest rates go up, it could cost you even more to service a mortgage on an identical home!

While a home is a major investment, it is also the center of your personal life. It’s important to live in a home that reflects your taste and values, yet is within your financial “comfort zone.” To that end, it may be more important to lock in today’s relatively low interest rates and low home prices, rather than to hope for a further break in prices in the future.

Please give me a call if I can be of any assistance in determining how much home you can afford in today’s market.

Alice Maxwell

To know Alice Maxwell, Top Agent in Tuscaloosa AL, is quite frankly to love her. Vibrant and charming, she’s one of the region’s most successful REALTORS®. When asked about her sales, she sheepishly says, “Honestly, I’m not sure. I just take care of people. That’s what I love doing.” – Top Agent Magazine A Tuscaloosa Native, it’s this passion for people and knowledge of her hometown that has made Alice Maxwell a top REALTOR® in the Tuscaloosa area since 1993. She is quick to say, “I eat, sleep and breathe real estate. I love taking care of people!” It’s no surprise that clients quickly become lifelong friends, making her business one that is built on personal relationships, personal referrals and corporate relocations. By employing the latest technologies and marketing strategies, Alice does everything possible to ensure her clients’ properties are positioned and marketed for success. She and her team are committed to aggressively marketing their client’s listings, as well as finding the perfect home or condo for their buyers. To further assist her buyer’s need, she has a trusted network of professionals from inspectors, contractors, handymen to loan officers. Devoted to giving back to her community, Alice can often be found hammering at a new Habitat for Humanity house or feeding a group of students from Collegiate Recovery Community. She has served on the United Way Board, the Chamber of Commerce Board, and the Board of Directors for Capstone Bank, and as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church. She also serves her alma mater, The University of Alabama, as a member of the President’s Cabinet, Women of the Capstone, and Human Environmental Sciences Leadership Board. After earning her REALTOR® license, Alice earned her CRS, ABR and GRI designations. Since becoming a principal in Keller Williams Realty Tuscaloosa, she has participated in extensive training--recently completing Keller Williams’ signature training program, BOLD. Her knowledge of the industry paired with her knowledge of the Tuscaloosa market allows her to offer the highest level of service to each client. Because of her training and hard work, she has been named REALTOR® of the Year, and won the Arthur B. Pope award from the Tuscaloosa Association of Realtors. Alice is married to her high school sweetheart, John, and together they are parents of Anne, Davis and Stuart. In the spirit of the Maxwell tradition, all three children have pursued individual careers in different spheres of real estate. When not busy with real estate, Alice and Johnny are often found spending quality time with their five grandchildren, their dogs, close friends or Alice’s 89-year-old mother, Dee. It’s a full and busy life! Alice probably sums it up best saying, “If you had told me years ago that I would be where I am today, I wouldn’t have believed it. I just know that I work hard and I believe that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

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