Volunteers from the North Hill Property Owners Association helped out with the maintenance and clean up of the entrance of the subdivision this past Saturday, July 11th. It was an extremely hot morning, but residents who care about their subdivision showed up to assist in weeding, pressure washing, trimming, and clean up to spruce up the main entrance of North Hill.

Market Update - June 2009

The June mark is a good time to assess how our market is holding up. Over the past year, there have been 5 properties sold, with most of these homes having under 3,000 square foot living area. Our average price per square foot is now up to $119.00. If you remember from my previous post, this is up from $104/sq ft.

North Hill has always been a desirable neighborhood, and I think the average Days on Market reflects that, with the average being 31 days (over the past year). Pricing is always a key factor in determining the length of time a property sits on the market, and these houses have demonstrated that if the property is priced right, it will sell. These homes sold an average of 96% of listing price.

For a 2443 sq ft house (heated and cooled), the value is currently at $290,717. This is great news for our community, because we have continued to appreciate in value over the past year.

If you have any questions about today's market, or the figures from above, please call Michelle Fradella at Pinnacle Real Estate Services - 601-799-1848 or 601-569-0075.

Quarterly Meeting Held

Our Quarterly meeting was held for the North Hill Property Owner's Association on May 23rd, 2009, at Coast Electric. We had a larger attendance this meeting than we had at the Annual Meeting held in January. President, Michelle Fradella; Vice-President, Alan Murray; Treasurer, Sonny Hedges; and Member At Large, James Fleming, were in attendance.

Items discussed were the increase in membership dues, insurance quotes for the new pavilion and walking trail in Phase V, committee volunteers for the ARC (Architectural Review Committee), and committee volunteers to help maintain the front entrance until the end of the year.

Anyone wishing to volunteer for the ARC or the front entrance maintenance, please call Michelle Fradella at 601-569-0075.

We were also priviledged to have in attendance our District 5 County Supervisor, Sandy Kane Smith, who spoke to us about the road maintenance and repair that will be going on at the front of the subdivision where there has been some road deterioration which has become an emergency situation. Funding from a State Project grant will be used to fix the culverts and roadway. Mr. Smith also handed out his business cards and encouraged any property owners to call if they have questions. His office number is 601-403-2300 and his cell phone number is 601-916-2317.

North Hill Market Perspective

You hear the media - the real estate market has tanked . . . prices are the lowest they've been in years. . . all the depressing stories that the news media would have us believe.

BUT . . . let's put this all into perspective. How is OUR MARKET today? The national media has grouped all areas of our fine Country into one big database, allowing the overinflated numbers of the decline in value that California and Florida have experienced, to set the stage. But what if we focused on just our neck of the woods? The North Hill Subdivision, in Carriere, MS, is a well established neighborhood, which continues to thrive, even in today's market.

Let's turn back the clock, and look at the market we were experiencing before Hurricane Katrina blew in and altered our world. During the year 2005, from January 1st to August 15th (and I use August 15th because Katrina hit on August 29th), the average price per square foot for a home in the North Hill community was $92.13. This is the calculated price of the heated and cooled area of the home, based on the sales that took place during that time frame.

Now let's look at the numbers for what has been deemed the "worst real estate market in over 50 years". Currently (based on sales from January 1st to today, 2009), the average price per square foot is $104.40 (based on sales of homes with 2200-2500 sq ft living area). This is almost a 13% increase in value over the 2005 figures.

I feel it's important to look at these numbers, removing the over-inflated numbers that Hurricane Katrina caused in our area because of the demand for homes for those that lost their properties in the New Orleans and Gulf Coast regions. Most people's perceptions are that the property values in our area have tumbled. When looking at what property values were in 2005, and what they are today, we can see that we continue to appreciate at a normal rate.

If you would like to know more information about the value of your home, please call me, Michelle Fradella, at Pinnacle Real Estate Services - 601-799-1848 - for a FREE Comparative Market Analysis.

Situated on over 5 acres of land, this house is truly a unique property in the North Hill Community! This executive home has all the bells and whistles. 14 foot ceilings, hardwood flooring, formal dining room, large chef's kitchen with keeping room, 5 bedrooms, a huge master suite . . . you name it. The inground pool has an infinity edge overlooking the back acreage. The grounds are maintained by a commercial grade irrigation system.

Priced at $479,000. Come see why this home is perfect for your large family!

See the Visual Tour of the home here.

NHPOA General Meeting and Board Elections

North Hill is a special community and what makes it special is its members. We are responsible for following our covenants, for keeping the image we have, and for maintaining the reality that is North Hill. The North Hill Property Owner's Association (NHPOA) would like to commend everyone for their efforts this past year.

It's almost time for our 2009 NHPOA Board elections. The Board will have three (3) openings this election season, so come out and run for a position! The procedures for this will be exactly as described by our by-laws. Please go to www.nhpoa.com for details.

• Nomination Meetings will be held on January 24th, 2009 and February 21st, 2009, and the elections will be held in March.
• The meeting will be held a the Coast Electric building on Hwy 11 North at 10:00am until 11:00am.

Anyone interested in becoming a Board member must attend the meeting on Saturday, January 24th or Saturday, February 21st, 2009. Confirmed candidates may campaign from January 24th to the deadline on March 21, 2009, at 12:00 noon.

The meeting on Saturday, January 24th will also be our General Membership Meeting (10:00am). General information will be discussed and Board member nominations can be made at this meeting.

North Hill POA Picnic - November 2008

The North Hill Property Owner's Association Picnic was a great success this year! Thanks to our sponsors we had great BBQ from FatBoys in Picayune, a 24' dry slide from Fun Jumpers, live entertainment by the BayouSelf Band, and a wonderful property to hold it on, provided by Ron and Diane Kent at 41 Briar Cliff Drive.

The weather was extraordinary, and we had a wonderful time. Thanks for all those who came out to enjoy the day with us!!