March 2023 | Volume 11 | Issue 6
Sun HOOVER’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE HOOVERSUN.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Smile on with braces for as little as $125 per month. SERVING HOOVER, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, MOUNTAIN BROOK, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS
Schedule a Free Consultation at BhamSmile.com
REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT Home sales slide in 2022 but demand still strong
By JON ANDERSON The residential real estate market in Hoover slowed down in 2022 as interest rates climbed, but it’s still a very healthy market, and the prospects look good for the rest of 2023, Realtors and home builders say. Total home closings in Hoover declined 18%, from 2,243 in 2021 to 1,844 in 2022, according to data from the Greater Alabama Multiple Listing Service. That includes a 19% drop in sales of existing homes (from 1,858 in 2021 to 1,512 in 2022) and a 14% decline in new home sales (from 385 in 2021 to 332 in 2022), MLS data shows. The biggest reason for the decline is the rise in interest rates, Realtors and builders say. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage had fallen below 3% after the COVID19 pandemic hit, dropping as low as 2.65% in January 2021. That was the lowest rate in history and encouraged many people to move or build because they could borrow money at a cheaper price and afford a bigger house.
See REAL ESTATE | pages A28-30
Surveillance video captures a robbery suspect entering the Walgreens pharmacy at 1801 Montgomery Highway on March 23, 2022. Photo courtesy of Hoover Police Department.
Homes under construction on Livvy Lane in the final phase of Landing Estates at Blackridge in Hoover on Jan. 23. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Robberies hit more than 20-year low in Hoover By JON ANDERSON
police Lt. Daniel Lowe said. One of the robberies of an individual was determined to be unfounded, and another was downgraded to a theft when it was prosecuted, Lowe said. Over the previous 21 years, the average number of robberies in Hoover per year was 56, and the number climbed as high as 105 in 2004, records show. Police are extremely pleased to see the drop, Chief Nick Derzis said. That’s
The city of Hoover had only 15 robberies reported in 2022 — the lowest amount in more than two decades, records show. The number of robberies reported fell 38% from 24 in 2021 to 15 in 2022. Six of those were robberies of individuals, six were robberies of businesses, and three were shoplifting cases that turned into third-degree robberies when force was used, Hoover
INSIDE
Sponsors............................................ A4 City...................................................... A6
Business..............................................A7 Events................................................ A13
especially true given that Hoover’s most recent population estimate was about 93,000 residents in July 2021. “That’s something I think all of us at the Police Department are very proud of. We start each year hoping we can keep our community safe. We work very hard to do it, and it’s kind of extraordinary when you see some of the things we were able to accomplish this
See CRIME STATS | page A26
Schoolhouse..................................... A13 Sports................................................ A16 facebook.com/hooversunnews
Summer Camp Guide
Spring Sports
Explore some of the fun-filled summer camps in the Hoover area.
The Jags and Bucs launch into softball and baseball seasons.
See page A14
WE FIX ROOFS
205-900-ROOF
See page A18