The foreclosure statistics for the half year 2009 are out and Alabama stands at 30thplace in foreclosure activity. In the last six months Alabama State has turned out 9,657 properties for foreclosure filings. One in every 221 housing units received foreclosure impact by way of default notice; scheduled foreclosure action; and repossession after foreclosure sale public auction.

In comparison, the foreclosure activity in Alabama State during this half year in 2009 is 179.75% higher than January — June 2008 and 125.47% higher than the half year July to December 2008. The meaning of this statistical figure is the impact of foreclosure crisis in Alabama is getting worse gradually. More and more numbers of properties are being made available for distress sale.

As of today there are 5485 properties available in Mobile County, of which 1939 properties are Bank-owned; Jefferson County total 8076 and Bank-owned 2096; Madison County total 2034 and Bank-owned 968; Montgomery County total 2306 and Bank owned 927. These are the Counties where home buyers and investors are searching properties most popularly from the Real Estate sites.

Similarly there are major cities and towns where home buyers are searching for Alabama Bank foreclosures. The statistics for these cities are — Harvest in Madison County total properties 127 and Bank owned 59; Huntsville in Madison County total properties 1183 and Bank owned 576; Saraland of Mobile County has a total of 158 properties foreclosed, of which 42 properties are Bank-owned and repossessed; and Birmingham in Shelby County has 4890 properties in total and out of them 1635 properties are Bank-owned.

The above figures are only indicative of the foreclosure scenario obtaining in Alabama and properties are made available from all the Metropolitan Areas of Alabama. The total population of 4.66 millions in Alabama is spread over these Combined Statistical Areas.

Home buyers can search for the desired locations from out of the above major cities and towns of Alabama for Bank foreclosures. The foreclosure laws of Alabama permit both judicial Court foreclosure process and non-judicial out of Court foreclosure process. Mortgage lenders ensure a power-of-sale clause inserted in the Deed of Trust, whereby a Trustee Sale takes place to conduct the public auction. In Alabama Court proceedings are rare and almost all the foreclosure processes are routed through the non-judicial way to complete the process quickly. A typical foreclosure process ends within 2 to 3 months.

This is the reason why there are 10,798 Alabama Bank foreclosure properties presently. Attractive bargains are available considering the average price of these Alabama Bank foreclosures at $86,159, compared to median home prices of $169,900.

Alabama has a long and storied past when it comes to welding and Alabama welding school. When Birmingham first came to prominence, the large quantity of raw steel produced in the ‘Magic City’ consequently led to demand for finished steel products such as steam boilers and industrial lathes. This led to the first boom in welding schools, although at first they were quite primitive. The first accredited and nationally recognized welding schools came to Alabama during the Second World War, as Mobile became a major manufacturer of ships for the merchant marine. While shipyards in Boston or New York are more famous for their production of “Liberty Ships,” Mobile produced the vast majority of the ships used in the trade between the United States and South America, which was the primary source of rubber used by American war machines.

Welding’s Role in Alabama Today

While worldwide trade and the decline of American heavy industry has led to a decline in Alabama’s welding schools, there are still many notable schools located in areas where industry is still practiced, especially in the realm of auto manufacture. Companies from Mercedes to Toyota to Hyundai have all chosen to produce cars in Alabama due to abundant labor and inexpensive real estate. While these factories are largely automated, a lot of the more delicate work (and all of the robot repair) must be done by hand. Therefore, Alabama welder programs have shifted away from teaching students about large-scale industrial welding in order to allow them to focus on delicate, detail welding, as is needed in auto manufacture.

What to Look For in a Welding School

This makes it easy for would-be welders to find a school that offers them the best chance at later employment. Not only should the classes ideally be small, they should offer courses in the sort of detail welding and spot welding necessary for auto manufacture. A good way to tell if the class is appropriate is to see whether or not the class has access to real car doors, bodies, and other parts with which to practice welding. It is also important to find out where the graduates of various schools end up. If you want to work for a certain auto plant or industrial welding facility, ask current employees where they got their education. Many employers will aggressively recruit from a handful of schools which they trust, and therefore looking at who is already employed and where they learned their trade is a great way to ensure that you receive the same education from a trusted institution.

Residents of Alabama enjoy a wealth of recreational and cultural outlets, quaint small towns, and cities filled with cosmopolitan flair. Today, over 4.7 million Alabamians call the state home making it the 23rd largest state in the country.  Birmingham is the largest city in the State with over 230,000 residents and, according to the 2009 US Census Bureau report, more than 1,212,000 live in the greater metropolitan area. Once one of the largest industrial centers in the south, Birmingham has re-established itself as a business center and one of the nation’s major banking hubs.  Birmingham is located in the Jones Valley at the end of the Appalachian foothills and it enjoys a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. Home to the University of Alabama Birmingham, Samford College and several other secondary education outlets, Birmingham maintains that youthful vibe that helps make the community such a unique place to live, work, and play.

If you are looking to live closer to the coast, be sure to take a look at Mobile, Alabama which is located along the Mobile River. Filed with cultural influences from a diverse group of residents with Spanish, French, and Creole bloodlines, Mobile offers it residents unique cultural opportunities including one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations outside of New Orleans. If you are interested in living in the city proper, be sure to check out the community’s amazing historic districts which are home to Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.

The “Rocket City” of Huntsville, Alabama has also grown into one of the most desirable places to live in the State. Located in the Tennessee River Valley in Madison and Limestone Counties, the Huntsville Metropolitan Area is now home to over 405,000 residents. The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command is located nearby at the Redstone Arsenal which houses over 2,000 people. In 2010, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Huntsville one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010. Accordingly to an article in al.com, Trust officials recognized the city “for offering cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination.”

The capital city of Montgomery is another fine Alabama urban center worth exploring. Montgomery is home to Maxwell Air Force Base and some of the state’s most well known universities such as Alabama State, Troy University,  and Auburn University-Montgomery just to name a few. Montgomery rests along the banks of the Alabama River and is filled with plenty of great, interesting neighborhoods such as the Historic Capitol Heights and Cloverdale-Idlewild communities.

Other large cities in the State include Tuscaloosa (pop. > 90K), Hoover (pop.  > 72K), and Dothan (pop. > 65K). If you are planning a trip to the State, be sure to check out the Alabama Tourism Department’s web site at alabamatravel.com. The site offers a comprehensive list of activities, attractions, events, places to stay, dining outlets, and resources to help you plan your trip. Whether you are looking to settle in the Alabama mountain region or down along the Gulf Coast, enjoy your move to the Yellowhammer State.