Huntsville is in the news and not just because of Antoine Dodson

Okay it was a small story here in Huntsville, until some people threw together some video and music and YouTube viewers made Antoine Dodson famous with the intruder song. Going viral on the web is a phenomenon that can reach anywhere, even Huntsville Alabama. 


But did you know that besides the famous rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and Nasa's big influence, Huntsville is known for other things too? Huntsville is named after Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt, the first settler of the land around the Big Spring. We have many notable citizens past and present along with unsung heros who worked to make Huntsville what it is today.  Just recently we were in the news again for being "The New Federal City" Check out Wikipedia on everything Huntsville for more.


There is a rich history here of people who worked the earth to people who reached for the moon. When I first started out as a Realtor in Huntsville, I had "From Cotton to Rockets" on my business cards. It seemed fitting for our diverse city. Our community is a mix of people that have lived here all their lives, and people like me, transplanted here from all over the world.

Huntsville is thriving, our housing market may have taken a little hit when the bubble burst a few years ago, but the market is holding it's own now and like Antoine Dodson says 


"What people fail to realize is, we don't run around crying acting sad. We dust our shoulders off and keep on moving."

Before GPS it was the Map!

I don't know about you, but when I move to a new place, maps are helpful, but not always updated or easy to use. We came to Huntsville, before GPS systems were easy to come by. Armed with maps we braved the roads and had some internet directions printed off as well. Turned out, the way we learned how to get around Huntsville, was by getting lost.

A few things I would have liked to know when I first got here and was driving somewhere new.

1. Following directions like turn "left at Jordan" means you have to read the names of streets on both sides, because going left the road may be Jordan, but turning right the road could be Patton. There is California, that turns into Whitesburg and Airport Road that eventually ends up as Bailey Cove Many of the streets here change names not once, but several times.

2. "Take the Parkway" means Memorial Parkway AKA HWY231 South or HWY 231 North

3. Governor's is AKA HWY 431 but also Governor's East and West

4.If you end up seeing a sign that says Welcome to Tennessee, you've gone too far north

But really, it's not that bad, and now with GPS, it's pretty easy.  If you get lost, most people are pretty friendly and will offer assistance, but they may not know the exit numbers and only give you landmarks or overpasses to go by :)

Huntsville AL is a great place to explore and maybe even get a little lost in while your finding your way home.

Have you ever been lost in Huntsville Alabama?

Alabama? Seriously? Huntsville...

That is what I thought when I first heard that we were being stationed at Redstone Arsenal eight years ago. I really didn't know what to think, we had lived all over the country and overseas, but Alabama was never on my wish list.

Immediately we started searching online for information about Redstone and Huntsville homes for sale. At the time there was decent information available, but I was surprised at how hard it was to get a Real Estate agent to respond to our e-mails. I don't think that would be a problem today.

Eventually we did hear back from a Realtor and she sent us a Sunday paper, a phone book and some maps. We in turn sent her lists of houses we found online that we wanted information on and let her know we would be in town to look for houses in a couple of weeks.

At the time I was not in the Real Estate field, but in the website design and internet support industry. I was happy to find out that the Huntsville area was progressive and tech oriented, and most people we had met were warm and welcoming. I didn't feel the same way though about our experience with the Real Estate "professional" we were exposed to.

It all really comes down to service in any successful business, and it was lacking with our Realtor. I think that this experience is what led me into Real Estate, I thought, it can be better than this. Since then, I have met and been mentored by exceptional Realtors who are the epitome of superb service. It also helps now, that more of them are internet client focused and they wouldn't dream of not returning an email from a person relocating to Huntsville.

Fast Forward to today, after the initial haze of finding out we were going to Huntsville, I love it here and can say that "I may not have been born in the south, but I got here as fast as I could!"

If you are moving to Huntsville, what were the first few thoughts that ran through your mind? How has your experience been with Real Estate professionals, or anyone else that you have connected with regarding the move? I would love to hear your thoughts.