HUNTSVILLE — The National Association of Realtors® has named Huntsville a top 10 real estate market to watch in 2023. Every city on the list can be found in the South, or at least south of the Mason-Dixon line.
NAR placed Huntsville on the list based on several factors: affordability, job and population growth, “information industry” jobs with companies such as Google and Facebook, shares of workers teleworking, and more.
Still, the president of Madison County’s local real estate association says Realtors aren’t about to slow down.
“Our top priority is to ensure the ‘American Dream’ of owning a home is attainable for everyone in Madison County,” said Isaac Winkles, president of Huntsville Area Association of Realtors. “The Huntsville metro area landed on this list because of responsible work from our local leaders, but we all have more work to do to ensure all income earners can buy the home of their dreams and build wealth.”
Nearly 10,000 homes were sold in Madison County in 2021. Home sales in the area slowed this year, but at a lesser pace than national trends.
Last month, 533 homes were sold in Madison County, with another 1,002 sales pending. The average sale price was $365,000 and homes lasted an average of a little more than two weeks on the market.
Madison County housing inventory has more than doubled since last November, but the bulk of those homes are priced above $300,000, according to ValleyMLS.com.
Real estate experts maintain the factors that led to the 2008 housing crash can’t be found in the current boom, stabilizing the market for its next growth spurt. This environment led to the Rocket City’s top 10 ranking.
As the full nation experiences a historic housing shortage, the southern United States is uniquely set up to thrive.
“The demand for housing continues to outpace supply,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said. “The economic conditions in place in the top 10 U.S. markets, all of which are located in the South, provide the support for home prices to climb by at least 5% in 2023.”
The top real estate markets expected to outperform other metro areas in 2023 are:
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.
- Raleigh, N.C.
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.-Mo.
- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, S.C.
- Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.
- HUNTSVILLE
- Jacksonville, Fla.
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
- Knoxville, Tenn.
Alabama seemed to get its mojo back Saturday after two tough weeks made most college football authorities declare an end to the Tide’s dynasty. Can Alabama still make it to the playoffs?
The Tide bested Mississippi State by 24 points in a game that everyone seemed to give up on in the second quarter.
Alabama. The Bulldogs. The fans. Mike Leach. The commentators. Everyone. Everyone gave up on this game with 38 minutes left to go.
Go back and watch it. South Carolina’s home upset of Texas A&M was the always the game to watch Saturday night even before you take into account Jordan Rodgers’ mania about corndogs.
In a 30-6 gentleman’s blowout, it was another day at the office for Bryce Young and company. So where does Alabama go from here?
THE REST OF THE SEASON
Is it “right” to feel like it’s the end of the world every time your team loses a game? Absolutely. Don’t let anyone – particularly your therapist – tell you any differently.
If your team loses one game these days, they still control their own destiny. Alabama is no different. If Alabama wins out, they’ll go to the SEC Championship game. They’ll play Tennessee or Georgia. If they win there, they’ll go to the playoffs.
CAN THEY DO IT?
Alabama has a knack for turning it all around after a loss, but the reason why it feels different this year is because the 1-point home win against Texas A&M two weeks ago felt like a loss.
The Tide is off this Saturday. After that, they travel to Death Valley for a date with an LSU team at its hottest point in the season. Then, they play Mississippi which has an offense built to shred Alabama in Oxford. Alabama wraps up the season at home with the dumbest and least predictable game of them all – Auburn.
Will they win all those games? Probably. But that’s why they play the games. A costly misstep could place Alabama outside the playoffs for only the second time in the post-BCS era.
If last year was a rebuilding year for the Tide. Not making the playoffs may as well be called a Dubose year.
MEANWHILE, OTHER PEOPLE PLAYED FOOTBALL
No. 18 LSU won a tale of two halves against No. 15 Mississippi, outscoring the Rebels 28-0 in the second half. Brian Kelly’s Tigers are somehow tied for first in the SEC West (Alabama).
Vanderbilt lost to Missouri for its 25th consecutive conference loss. Vandy’s gonna Vandy.
Almost half of the SEC took off this week, putting a spotlight on Jimbo Fisher’s fourth loss of the season for Texas A&M – further bringing to surface how very, very lucky the man is to have fleeced Aggie fans for nearly $100 million. So far.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag wherever you get your podcasts.
It’s been a couple days. How are Tide fans doing?
No. 3-ranked Tennessee’s dramatic 3-point victory Saturday night ended a 15-year drought against No. 6 Alabama, sending Tide fans into a spiral of existential doubt, sorrow, and at least five more stages of grief.
For your hosts of the Throw The Flag podcast, it’s difficult to write a recap of a loss so devastating to your own college football mental health.
But here we go.
PENALTIES. ALL OF THEM.
First, let’s start with the flags. Because Alabama sure did. The Tide drew four penalties in a single first-quarter drive. They officially committed a record 17 total penalties.
To put that in perspective, it took both Florida and LSU roughly 38 minutes into their game Saturday to draw their first flags of the night – on the same play.
Alabama’s 17 flags cost the Tide 130 yards on top of the 567 Tennessee traveled on their own.
Alabama ranks 129th in penalty yards per game, playing more disciplined than only Houston and Utah State. The Crimson Tide averages 9.4 penalties per game, costing them 80 yards every Saturday.
IS TENNESSEE, LIKE, A THING NOW?
Is Tennessee back? Yes. We said the Vols found their guy a few weeks back and clearly that argument has only gotten stronger.
Now all that stands in Tennessee’s path to a conference championship game and the playoffs is a date with Georgia in Athens on Nov. 5.
ALL RIGHT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE REFS.
We generally try to stay away from blaming the refs in this column and in the podcast. It’s not easy, and games like Saturday’s make it even harder.
Seeing the late-game pass interference call on Kool-Aid McKinstry side-by-side with a non-call against Tennessee makes not blaming the refs as an Alabama fan damn near impossible.
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Alabama is no stranger to dropping a mid-season conference game, then turning it all around into a playoff berth. The path is still clear for the Tide to win their division and conference, which would almost assuredly place them in the playoffs.
But it’s not enough to make it to the playoffs for Alabama. Just ask how fans feel about last season. And a one-loss season looks very unlikely if the team can’t get their act together.
Neyland stadium provided an atmosphere several degrees higher than your generic hostile environment in college football. That doesn’t change the fact that Alabama demonstrated a complete lack of discipline and readiness to a national audience.
And Vols fans showed the country that Alabama has a lot more to do than perfect a silent count to win on the road.
ALL CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
Let’s say something nice about Alabama’s opponent last week. Heck, let’s say four nice things:
- Hendon Hooker is the Heisman front-runner.
- Josh Heupel’s ability to pull together a dominant team in two short years is the only thing athletic departments seek these days.
- Tennessee fans deserve this win for the degree at which they showed up Saturday.
- Jeremiah Crawford’s barfing session-turned intimidation tactic was the closest college football has come to a GG Allin concert in the sport’s history.
Don’t worry. The link above isn’t to an actual GG Allin concert.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag wherever you get your podcasts.
College football’s Week 5 provided further separation between the contenders and pretenders in the SEC and across the country.
Alabama and Georgia remain favorites to win their divisions. However, they still have a few hurdles to jump before meeting in Atlanta. Here is your Week 5 college football notebook.
ALABAMA KEEPS WINNING THROUGH INJURIES, PENALTIES
Alabama treated fans to two separate blowouts in their road game against Arkansas this weekend. The game began looking like most matches against Arkansas under Saban. But the Tide let off the gas after halftime, needing a fourth quarter surge to deliver a convincing victory.
Injuries and continued problems with penalties will drive the plot as the Tide welcomes Jimbo Fisher’s circus this Saturday. Reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young’s shoulder injury created opportunity for backup quarterback Jalen Milroe and Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs to showcase their talents.
Young is expected to be back for Texas A&M this Saturday.
TURNOVERS DESTROY AUBURN IN LATE MINUTES
Auburn took a big step toward finding its backfield identity this week. It’s just a shame the Tigers couldn’t have been accompanied it with a win. After feeling fortunate to escape with a home win against Missouri last week, Auburn was on the business end of Lady Luck’s wrath in their game against LSU.
Sure, the play calling was questionable late for Auburn. The wide receiver sweep pass – if that’s what it was supposed to be – was head-scratching at best. But Auburn had every chance to keep the early lead or to come back in the game’s final minutes.
This kind of loss couldn’t come at a worse time for Auburn. They travel to Georgia this week in a game the Bulldogs will want to make a statement.
THE RACE TO ATLANTA
Alabama and Georgia are still favorites to win their divisions. And each team likely has only one team to worry about making a run to take their place in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta.
If Tennessee beats Georgia on Nov. 5, they’ll control their own destiny in the East – with or without a win against Alabama. If Mississippi can get past Alabama when the Tide visits Oxford on Nov. 12, they will likely have done so without tripping up earlier in their schedule.
Let’s be clear: none of this will happen. But it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?
THERE ARE OTHER CONFERENCES, TOO
Yes, it’s true. Other college football conferences will send teams to the playoffs, but only because the College Football Playoff committee is biased against the SEC.
In the Pac-12, USC is looking more like a team that’s built to last – at least until the playoffs. They still have plenty of hurdles on their way to the conference championship, but right now they’re the belle of the ball on the West Coast.
Nebraska can still make it to the Big Ten championship game. None of that matters, of course, because whoever wins the West will run into the Ohio State buzzsaw after the Buckeyes begin to separate themselves from the pack in the East.
The Big 12 is giving Oklahoma and Texas the worst kind of going away party. Still a couple of years away from exiting the conference, both have essentially taken themselves out of contention for a conference championship before the thick of October. True to our predictions, the path is clear for Oklahoma State.
Clemson did all they really needed to do this week, in beating North Carolina State, to make it to the ACC title game. The way the conference looks this year, that may not be enough to make the playoffs.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag wherever you get your podcasts.
We’ve played one-third of the season, and the sport has taught us one cold lesson: nothing is guaranteed in college football.
After a couple wacky weeks of upsets, this Saturday revealed that every top 25 team truly is only as good as their last game.
When the dust settled, there were 15 ranked teams involved in games settled by 8 points or less.
ALABAMA IS COMING TOGETHER JUST IN TIME. MAYBE.
The Crimson Tide was always going to win the game against Vanderbilt. Something Alabama fans have been waiting to exhale about all September is the cohesiveness of this team.
We saw leadership emerge in Alabama’s receiving corps with Ja’Corey Brooks’ impressive numbers. The offensive line gelled to an extent and there were fewer penalties overall, with the Tide pulling six flags for 55 yards. Still, the defense held Vanderbilt to 129 total yards.
Is it enough? We’ll see when Alabama begins the meat of its conference schedule next week against Arkansas in Fayetteville.
BRYAN HARSIN REALLY WANTS TO GET FIRED
Bryan Harsin has been in trouble ever since he set his suitcase down. His job security has been a top story line from day one and now it looks like he’s actively trying to get fired.
Auburn tried to lose on every play Saturday. Missouri was having none of it.
For Missouri, it was the missed field goals. The penalties on special teams. The heartbreaking fumble at the end of overtime. The “Show Me State” Tigers had every chance to win this game and blew it.
Ultimately Auburn emerged in Pyhrric victory, 17-14. Of course, it didn’t feel like a win.
An inability to move the ball, inconsistent involvement of Tank Bigsby, and a quarterback room headquartered in “Nowheresville” all spell trouble for the Auburn Tigers in the weeks ahead.
The team clearly hasn’t given up, though. That’s a good thing for Hugh Freeze, Deion Sanders, or whoever coaches Auburn next year.
WEEK FOUR LOSERS
Sixth-ranked Oklahoma’s defeat to Kansas State was the highest-profile loss this weekend.
Miami gave up big play after big play to lose to MTSU at home. Texas dropped to Texas Tech in Lubbock, making Alabama’s struggle win against the Longhorns look even less impressive.
And poor Arkansas. Poor, poor Arkansas. The plucky Razorbacks dropped a heartbreaker to Jimbo Fischer’s latest clown show by less than a field goal.
Things won’t get easier for Arkansas, but the program is moving in the right direction.
WEEK FOUR WINNERS
Tennessee is back. Josh Heupel is the right guy at the right time in Knoxville. They have a stable coaching staff for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Can they beat Alabama and Georgia? Probably not. But that’s why we play the games.
The Volunteers beat Florida for the second time in 18 years, joining a litany of teams who emerged victorious in one-score games.
No. 4 Michigan rallied to beat unranked Maryland, 34-27. It took overtime for No. 5 Clemson to put #21 Wake Forest away, 51-45.
No. 7 USC inched past Oregon State by a field goal. No. 8 Kentucky held on against Northern Illinois by eight.
Mentioned above, 60% of ranked teams were involved in games decided by 8 points or less.
It’s a sure sign we shouldn’t be ranking teams until October.
It also shows that nothing is guaranteed in college football.
SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO
What’s next? Week five brings us more SEC matchups where anything can happen. No. 7 Kentucky visits No. 14 Mississippi, Arkansas hosts No. 2 Alabama and LSU will try to win on the road against Auburn.
No. 1 Georgia is scheduled to absolutely steamroll Missouri at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Outside of the conference, we’ve got No. 4 Michigan and Iowa in a dumb Big Ten contest that won’t matter because Ohio State will win the conference. No. 10 North Carolina State will visit No. 5 Clemson.
West Virginia could put a stake in the heart of Texas’ season. Southern Cal will try to keep an improbable 2022 campaign going against Arizona State.
Oklahoma State and Baylor play in what will probably be a preview of something called the Big 12 Conference championship game. Never heard of it either.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag below or wherever you get your podcasts.
College football is a reality show. Each week, we see story lines unfold and the playoff picture comes a little bit more into focus. Still, in the first month of the season we’ve seen the coaching carousel begin and several teams begin to tell us who they are.
Here is what we learned from week three of college football.
ALABAMA IS FRIGHTENING – AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY
Alabama is a good team. They scored all the points they needed to beat Louisiana-Monroe in four minutes after Will Anderson’s pick-6. But man, those penalties are a problem.
When you commit a pre-snap penalty on the first play of the game, discipline is an issue. As the conference schedule approaches, Alabama’s offensive line still hasn’t gelled. It’s terrific that linebackers and the secondary are chomping at the bit to hit somebody, but that’s translating into dumb flags that could cost a game against Georgia or even Tennessee.
Yes, it’s only week three. Yes, Alabama still won by a comical margin. But improvements need to be made if this team wants to win another championship, and the Tide travels to Fayetteville in 12 days.
AUBURN SHOULD JUST TAKE THE YEAR OFF
There’s not a lot that can be said of Auburn’s blowout home loss to Penn State this weekend. They couldn’t move the ball at home for the second straight week, they can’t cobble together 15 minutes of competent quarterback play, and the SEC buzz saw is knocking on the door.
Auburn will lose more games this year, but this loss will stay with the team. What’s happening down there isn’t moving in the right direction. When Tiger fans celebrate their band not leaving the stadium or how nice they were to opposing fans instead of anything on the field, it’s not a good trajectory.
Of course you were nice to Penn State fans. What are you going to do? Trash talk when you’re down by four touchdowns?
Auburn should just take the year off. And Liberty coach Hugh Freeze should start looking for real estate in Lee County.
OTHER SEC ACTION: GEORGIA IS GOOD AT FOOTBALL
Georgia looks like a better football team every week. Their defense again held its opponent to single digits despite lining up against a competent quarterback, albeit one wearing a South Carolina jersey.
Texas A&M bounced back after last week’s embarrassing loss to beat No. 9 Miami at home. That’s great for the Aggies, but Jimbo Fisher’s offense is flat and can’t score the points they need to win games in the SEC.
Is Tennessee back? They’ve blown out two cupcakes and showed their mettle on the road in a win against Pitt. They’re not a playoff team, but the Vols are doing what they’re supposed to. And that’s the most we’ve seen out of Tennessee in decades.
Kentucky has an excuse to be optimistic about their season. Fans should enjoy it while it lasts because Georgia will make them looks like, well, Kentucky when the two meet in November.
As always, Arkansas is a weird, inconsistent team. They can look like a top 10 team or they’re a squad that needs all 60 minutes to come back against Missouri State. Their next big test is next week when they play Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Florida visits Tennessee in a quintessential 2:30 p.m. CBS game.
Clemson visits Wake Forest in a game that will probably decide the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
The Arkansas – Texas A&M game will end stupidly in a score of 11 to 9 1/3.
Missouri visits Auburn and Vanderbilt travels to Tuscaloosa.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag below or wherever you get your podcasts.
(Courtesy of 256 Today)
“I don’t want to wish the summer away, but I sure do wish football would come back tomorrow,” my father would say to me, without fail, most days in the months before any college football season. Now, I say that to anyone who’ll listen.
From playoff expansion to marquee battles, college football was back over the Labor Day weekend in exactly the way we wanted.
Here are the stories and games we clocked last weekend.
PLAYOFFS EXPANDED (EVENTUALLY)
In the waning hours before Saturday’s official kickoff of the season, the College Football Playoff (a real organization)‘s board of managers (a real job) unanimously voted to expand the playoffs to 12 teams by 2026 – and potentially earlier.
A 12-team playoff bracket involves the top four teams receiving a bye week and the other eight fighting to make it to that “Elite 8” round. For perennial playoff teams, it means one more postseason game. For those who would’ve been playing a meaningless Citrus or Outback bowl, it means everything.
(2) OHIO STATE beats (5) NOTRE DAME, 21-10
The Buckeyes probably needed a game like this to stay humble for the rest of the season. After taking on Notre Dame, Ohio State has only Michigan State and Penn State to worry about in their path to another Big Ten crown and playoff berth. Notre Dame put up more of a fight than what was expected – and looked more like a top 10 team than we gave them credit for. Heisman favorite CJ Stroud struggled but has the rest of the season to rack up style points on his way to the trophy.
(19) ARKANSAS beats (23) CINCINNATI, 31-24
It wasn’t the game we asked for. It was the game we needed. Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks made a statement Saturday that, not only can they hang around in tough games, but they might be more of a problem in the SEC West than we thought.
(3) GEORGIA beats (11) OREGON, 49-3
After the off-season sound and fury questioned if Georgia could recover from losing a record number of players to the NFL draft, it signified nothing in week one. Is Georgia really this good? Was Oregon way overrated? This is why we shouldn’t rank football teams until October.
NORTH CAROLINA beats APPALACHIAN STATE, 63-61
This was the game of the week. There’s no argument. Go watch the replay.
FLORIDA beats (7) UTAH, 29-26
Just kidding. This was the game of the week. The outcome wasn’t a shock – Utah was probably ranked higher than they should’ve been. But seeing first-year coach Billy Napier and quarterback Anthony Richardson lead a Gator squad that absolutely refused to give up is what opening weekend is all about.
AUBURN beats MERCER, 41-16
We’re obligated to include a bit about Auburn. TJ Finley threw two interceptions, which is troubling in a game like this. Tank Bigsby looked good with nearly 150 rushing yards. Along with next week’s contest against San Jose State, this game doesn’t do anything to answer questions about anything. Let’s loop back when Penn State comes to town in two weeks.
ALABAMA beats UTAH STATE, 55-0
What can you say about Alabama’s performance? Bryce Young played only one series in the second half. There were no injuries. Plenty of kids received playing time. You can’t find out how good you are in Week One games like this. You can only find out how bad you are. If this game was any indication, Alabama isn’t bad. But we already knew that.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag below or wherever you get your podcasts.
(Courtesy of 256 Today)
The impending college football season will see more parity in the SEC than we’re used to.
The SEC West will feature new faces near the top. Georgia might have more trouble strolling back into the conference championship.
This season, there are several games that could set off a butterfly effect that upend things. Here are five underrated SEC games that could change the season.
KENTUCKY at FLORIDA (SEPT. 10)
Florida has some leeway with first-year coach Billy Napier, but things could get out of hand fast. Kentucky travels to Gainesville in week two and, if the Wildcats win, it could set the scene for a disastrous season for Florida that doesn’t get them any closer to contending with Georgia annually for the East crown. The series is tied 2-2 over the last four games. This game is a true coin flip.
ARKANSAS vs. TEXAS A&M (SEPT. 24 in ARLINGTON, TEXAS)
While it may not seem like it, this game will go a long way in determining the future of both programs in 2022 and maybe even beyond. If Arkansas prevails on this neutral site, Sam Pittman could take that motivation and do some big things with it for the Hogs. If the Aggies drop another very winnable game under Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M will see the season’s ceiling at nine wins. Again.
AUBURN vs. LSU (OCT. 1)
Both Tiger squads are at a crossroads. While the winner of this game won’t necessarily be on a dramatically better path than the loser, this is a must-win for both teams. Neither coach will be on the hot seat at any point this season. But a loss could be the first domino in setting either program back a year if they can’t bounce back.
MISSISSIPPI vs. ALABAMA (NOV. 12)
Ole Miss could shock the nation in 2022. Not only by beating Bama, but by winning the SEC West. This is a pivotal year for Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin and this game, if the Rebels have gone undefeated up until that point, could bring the program and the coach to the next level. Not only in 2022, but beyond. Alabama could absorb the loss and still win the conference and/or make it to the playoffs.
TENNESSEE at SOUTH CAROLINA (NOV.19)
This late season match up could be a saving grace for either team. Both could show up in Columbia, South Carolina in mid-November needing a win to simply be bowl eligible. This game will mean more for the Gamecocks and transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler as they play Clemson the following week. Tennessee goes on to play a decidedly less sexy rivalry game against Vanderbilt.
What did we get wrong? What games are you looking forward to? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram. Listen to Throw the Flag below or wherever you get your podcasts.
(Courtesy of 256 Today)