Tag Archive for: Madison County

Toyota reports strong EV sales despite overall decline in September U.S. sales

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported a 20.3% drop in U.S. sales for September 2024, with 162,595 vehicles sold. Despite the overall decline, electrified vehicle sales—comprising hybrids, plug-in hybrids, EVs, and fuel cells—rose significantly by 22.4%, accounting for nearly 48.4% of total sales volume. This reflects a growing consumer shift towards eco-friendly vehicles. In the […]

Rent control debate heats up: Why economists warn it could worsen housing crisis

It’s an election year, so there’s a lot of ideas and promises floating around to garner votes and win an election.  This election cycle includes the highly refuted idea of rent control. On one hand, if you’re a renter, rent (and the price of everything) is out of control.  Back before the Fed got involved […]

Alabama real estate market sees cooling trend as mortgage rates drop, report shows

The Alabama Association of Realtors has released their Alabama Economic and Real eState Report for the month of September 2024.  The report summarizes the state of the Alabama real estate market -the average of the entire state, not merely our own Huntsville/Madison County market – as ‘cooling, but robust.’  “As the traditional summer home-buying season […]

Drake State seeking community input to help bridge digital divide in North Alabama

Drake State Community & Technical College has initiated a new survey to assess broadband availability and digital access in Madison, Marshall, and Jackson Counties. This effort is part of a broader mission to address the digital needs of high-poverty and rural communities, ensuring equitable access to the digital tools necessary for success. As a central […]

Real Estate market adjusts in anticipation of Fed Reserve cuts 

Interest rates remained flat during the first week of September, slowing down a multi-week decrease that experts attribute to the market preparing for the much-anticipated Federal Reserve cuts expected to be announced at the Fed’s next meeting, on September 18.  “I do believe in anticipation of this cut, most of the reduction has been built […]

Navigating housing solutions: Huntsville considers Accessory Dwelling Units amid surplus concerns

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), have been a hot topic to help solve the national housing supply crisis of approximately 6 million homes. Housing supply is not easily fixed as it would likely take at least a decade to bridge the gap, assuming we were building at the right pace, which we are not. So with […]

Local, national markets steady as Federal Reserve considers cuts

Reports from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed a year-over-year decline in the rate of core inflation over the month of June, down to 2.5% from 2.6% the previous year.  This marks the third consecutive month of year-over-year declining rates of inflation, the first signs that the inflation crisis, which has been at the heart […]

Alabama monthly Real Estate Report indicates brisk activity

The Alabama Association of Realtors (AAR) has released its Alabama Economic and Real Estate Report for June of 2024.  The report shows several indicators that the real estate market across the state is maintaining a strong and healthy level of activity.  “The latest data underscores a positive trend in our housing market, driven by economic […]

ServisFirst Bank Huntsville announces New VP, Mortgage Loan Officer

ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE: SFBS), announced the appointment of Tammy Ehrle as Vice President and Mortgage Loan Officer for its Huntsville region. “We are thrilled to welcome Tammy to ServisFirst Bank and our Mortgage Department,” said Andy Kattos, Regional CEO of ServisFirst Bank Huntsville. “Tammy has had an outstanding career in […]

Rethinking education: The rise of vocational training in the face of soaring college costs

Cover image: Provided by Calhoun Community College In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, there was a major push for more post-secondary education, particularly college and university degree programs. With the creation of government direct loans and the expansion of federal student financial aid, graduate and undergraduate programs became accessible to more Americans than ever before.  […]