TAX CREDIT HAS BEEN EXTENDED!!!

It is finally official. The homebuyers' tax credit has been extended to April 30, 2010.
President Barack Obama approved the extension as part of a $24 billion economic stimulus bill signed Friday. The bill also includes an extension of unemployment benefits to the longtime jobless and tax credits for some businesses.
The housing tax credit portion of the bill extends the $8,000 tax credit for home buyers who are purchasing their first home from the current November 30 deadline and expands the program to offer a credit of $6,500 to other homeowners who have lived in their current home for at least five years and are seeking to relocate.
Another modification to the original legislation raises the income limits for program participation from $75,000 for a single purchaser to $125,000 and from $125,000 to $225,000 for a couple. There are also credits available on a diminishing basis above those income limits.
The bill was passed by the Senate on Wednesday evening and by the House on Thursday. Both bodies acted in a bipartisan manner which has seldom been seen this year. The Senate passage was unanimous; the House voted 403 to 12 for the bill.

No Shame In His Game!

Prior to home football games at Auburn University, National Village treats Marriott guests to a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa. Recently a local legend has begun working at the hotel. Mr. Penny greets everyone with a bright smile and enthusiastic “War Eagle”! If you have attended an Auburn football game, undoubtedly you have seen Mr. Penny. Other than the game itself everyone has seen three things while inside Jordan-Hare stadium, 1) the eagles pre-game flight, 2) Aubie, and 3) Mr. Penny doing 50 push-ups for each Auburn score. That’s 50 for a touchdown, 50 for the extra point, 50 for a field goal, and 50 for a safety. If my calculations are correct, at last week’s Ball State game, Mr. Penny did 800 push-ups! I don’t think I could do that many in a week. The reason he does his push-ups for each score is to try and inspire the players to play their best. With the way Auburn has played so far this year it appears he’s being successful. And as Mr. Penny likes to say "There's no shame in my game!"

NEW PRICES!

From Auburn fans to golf lovers to retirees, National Village has several luxury options for you directly on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Come see spectacular new golf cottages model home designed by Kay Green, one of the nation's top interior designers, and tour the available homes at National Village in Opelika. Owning one of these two-bedroom to three-bedroom golf cottage homes gives you access to world-class golf, miles of walking trails, access to fitness room, pool and dining at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel. Come see why Golf World readers named Grand National the number one public golf location in the country. Auburn/Opelika was also named "One of the Top 10 Retirement Locations for Golf" in the country. Now you can call it home at National Village with prices starting in the 170's!

One More Reason to Retire Here

Not only has Auburn/Opelika been named "One of the Top 10 Places to Retire for Golf Nuts" by U.S. News and World Report along with another story "Best Places to Live". We had an extensive article about us in "Where to Retire" magazine praising all this area has to offer.

Now it only gets better. The State of Alabama does not tax the retirement income of military personnel nor that of retired federal employees. So grab your clubs and get on down to National Village where your retirement dollars will go farther.

4 Weeks and Counting

Four weeks from tomorrow, September 5, 2009, Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers take to the field at Jordan-Hare at 6:00 pm vs. Louisiana Tech. National Village will be serving complimentary "game day beverages" (to those 21 and over) at the Marriott. Be sure to check back on our blog for the time we plan to get the season started.

Alabama Sales Tax Holiday!

Starting today Friday August 7, 2009 and ending at twelve midnight on Sunday August 9, 2009, Alabama is holding its fourth annual sales tax holiday giving shoppers the opportunity to purchase certain school supplies, computers, and clothing free of state sales tax. Click on the link for a quick reference sheet of exempt items. http://www.ador.state.al.us/salestax/STHolidayQuickRefSheet09.pdf

The City of Auburn is even suspending parking meter operation to encourage shoppers.

Sales Tax Holiday, GA!

Starting today, July 30, 2009 through Sunday, August 2 there is no sales tax charged on items families need for their "back to school" preparations. Following is a description of what's not taxed during the holiday, taken from the Georgia Department of Revenue website.

Articles of Clothing. The exemption applies to articles of clothing and footwear with a sales price of $100 or less per item. Clothing accessories such as handbags, umbrellas, cuff links, handkerchiefs, jewelry, key cases, wallets, watches and watch bands, and ponytail holders and/or similar hair products are not exempt. See lists of exempt items.
Personal Computers. A single purchase of $1,500 or less of personal computers and/or related accessories is exempt. If the single purchase exceeds $1,500, the entire transaction is taxable. See list of exempt items.
General School Supplies. The exemption applies to the purchase of general school supplies with a sales price of $20 or less per item. See list of exempt items.

To view the website, go to etax.dor.ga.gov

Welcome Cottages!

Today we had a "Grand Opening" of the cottages at National Village. We had the Realtor tour and served lunch for the Lee County Realtors. There was a great turnout and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Everyone we spoke to loved all the floor plans and especially the furnished model. They even said it was hard for them to pick a favorite because they all have such great curb appeal and are so well laid out. The most exciting feedback though was that they have customers in this price range! As a matter of fact, one Realtor left the tour and brought her customers back this afternoon.

Fishing Rodeo

Last week we took a break from showing houses and writing contracts to celebrate Stewart's 6th Birthday with a Fishing Rodeo. Lots of fun was had by all, young and old alike. The weather was just right and the fish were biting. Cake and ice cream didn't damper the mood either.

Busy Week

Last week was a busy week for us at National Village. Kay Green Design completed their merchandising of the cottage model, and it looks great! Please note the interior pictures at right. This house would be wonderful in any number of settings, be it the mountains, the beach, and most certainly as it sits on the Robert Trent Jones Trail. We invite you all to come out and take a look.

Right across the street from the model we had our first resident of the cottages on Lone Eagle move in on Friday. As soon as the weather breaks and we can landscape the others we look for these to really start moving. Everyone who sees them can't believe how livable these small cottages are.

Prestige Properties, the largest independently owned agency in our market, held their monthly sales meeting at National Village last week as well. We had a good turn out and the breakfast, catered by the Marriott was outstanding. Mark and all of his agents really enjoyed doing something different for such a normally mundane event. Thanks to everyone who came out for the meeting. We plan to host similar breakfast meeting with the other brokers in our market on a monthly basis. This is such a nice place to escape to whether for work or pleasure.

It's Not Just Us Saying It

The April 2, 2009 edition of the Auburn Villager features an article about the magazine "Where to Retire", a magazine aimed at helping people with retirement relocation choices, profiled Opelika/Auburn as one of the top areas in its May/June issue.

According to The Villager, Mary Lu Abbott, editor of "Where to Retire" said "Auburn/Opelika make up the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Alabama, with new housing developments, entertainment venues and an array of dining and retail options." She went on to say "Auburn University is the focal point for many activities, offering seniors educational opportunities at its Osher Lifelong Learner Center, as well as theater performances, sporting events, lecture series and a vibrancy that makes Auburn a great place for retirees to stay active."

"Where to Retire" was first published in 1992 with the goal of helping its readers find the ideal place to retire. The magazine covers the best retirement regions, towns, and master-planned communities.

You see, when you visit us and we explain the benefits of living here at National Village and all the Opelika/Auburn area has to offer...it's not just us saying it.

Arrowstone Unveiled

Arrowstone model gets relaxing and sophisticated look from Kay Green of Orlando, FL, a nationally recognized leader in the field of interior design and merchandising. To reveal Kay's creation to the public, National Village hosted a luncheon and open house. Guests from Auburn, Opelika, Birmingham, Alexander City, Columbus, Pine Mountain, and Atlanta, GA were on hand for the event.

Kay gave a very dynamic presentation about how and why you merchandise model homes, during which she related herself to a "frustrated Martha Stewart". She even provided her own cookbooks for the guests. Each person we've spoken with since has raved about the Arrowstone model, Kay's vision, and the luncheon itself.

If you were unable to attend and would like to see the finest in craftsman style construction coupled with the latest in interior design, come see us anytime. You won't be disappointed you did.

It's a Beautiful Day!

It's a beautiful day at National Village. Gail's grand kids came out and caught some fish...the first we've caught since stocking the lake at Stonelake. The water was a little muddy from the recent weather events, but the skill of these young anglers was too much for Mother Nature. We plan to have a fish fry this Spring and it's time to begin stocking up on the main coarse (it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it). We're glad the kids are up to the task!
Traffic has been pretty good this weekend. We've seen people from the east coast as well as some folks from the west coast. We even had some locals come out to bike and walk the trails at National Village. There's no telling who you'll meet, or where they came from, but we have all kinds of people coming to National Village. You should come too!

Wild Winter Weather Weekend

It was a wild weather weekend at National Village! Saturday saw temperatures in the 70's, torrential downpours and gusty winds. Sunday we woke up to falling snow and accumulations around 2-4 inches...a veritable blizzard by National Village standards! Not a lot of folks were house hunting in this weather, but there was a steady stream of cars all day Sunday. It seemed everyone in the county wanted to see the prettiest homes in the state blanketed in snow, and they got what they came for. National Village was absolutely beautiful!

The weather has cleared, the kids are back at school and we are open for business. Come on out and see the prettiest homes in Alabama, snow or no snow!

Sunday afternoon

Come out and visit us today. The sun is out and it is a beautiful afternoon at National Village. It is in the high 50's but a great day to walk around our lake or on the trails.