BEST OF VESTAVIA TIMES TWO

Gang, we need your help! Method Mortgage is in the running for "Best Mortgage Company" in Vestavia Hills, AND your favorite mortgage guy is up for "Best Mortgage Agent" too. That's two chances to vote and show some love with just a few clicks!

Voting is open now through April 11th, and the best part is that YOU can vote every single day between now and then. So, this isn't a one-and-done deal. Every vote genuinely counts as we work to defend Method’s title as the reigning champ. It takes just a few seconds, costs you nothing, and means the world to us. But listen, go through and take some time and vote for some more of the awesome individuals and companies that are vying for recognition on there.

Click the link below, cast your votes, bookmark it, set a daily reminder - whatever it takes! We are so grateful for your continued support of THE SMARTEST WAY HOME.

CRAZY STORIES

Here are two stories that BOTH sound like April Fool’s day jokes, but even our cracker jack team of writers and editors couldn’t have dreamed these up because you simply cannot make this stuff up.



First up: someone in Europe pulled off a chocolate caper, or Candy Crush, or took the theme song to heart hearing, “break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar.” Thieves broke off more than a piece… making off with more than 400,000 KitKat bars, weighing around 12 tons, after hijacking a truck that was making deliveries from a factory in central Italy to Poland. Each bar is traceable by its batch number, so KitKat is asking anyone who spots a match to alert the company. KitKat's own spokesperson quipped that while they've always encouraged people to "have a break" with KitKat, the thieves took that message a little too literally. Cargo theft is apparently on the rise across Europe, so this is no laughing matter — even if it absolutely sounds like one.

JOBS OPPORTUNITIES Y’ALL

We've had some fun job postings in previous editions, but this one might just take the croissant. HBO is filming The White Lotus Season 4 in Saint-Tropez, France, at the stunning Château de La Messardière on the Côte d'Azur. While I can’t pronounce a quarter of that previous sentence, we CAN tell you that HBO is actively looking for extras over the age of 16 to appear in scenes filmed throughout the Riviera. A "spring casual chic" look is recommended for auditions, with applicants being photographed and asked to fill out a registration form. The season stars Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Coogan, and Vincent Cassel, so the company you'd be keeping is pretty spectacular. Production kicks off in this month, so you better hurry and click below.

While this next one isn't on any official job board, between your unspoken secret desire to be a social media influencer AND airports needing some good news… It’s a DANCE OFF! Not sure if this will happen again, but Delta may have an opportunity for you. A gate agent at the Salt Lake City airport found herself with two empty first class seats and an exhausted upgrade list, so to determine who got it, she held a breakdance contest, NATURALLY! The two winners each popped and locked their way into a free upgrade into first class. The crowd loved it, the video went viral, and honestly? Best. Boarding. Ever. Check out the video below and start practicing in case they put on, “It Takes Two” by Robb Base… you will be READY! 

REAL ESTATE TO BEHOLD



With Easter in a few days, if you're looking for a slightly more permanent way to get closer to church… how about buying a former papal residence? A stunning 17th-century palace in Rome, once home to Pope John Paul II during his student days, just hit the market for a cool $30+ million.



This isn't your average "historic charm" listing either. We're talking about a 32,000-square-foot palazzo with 40 bedrooms, fresco-covered ceilings, and its own deconsecrated church built right into the home. Located near the Trevi Fountain, the property dates back to the 1600s and even features a private garden (which, in the middle of Rome, is basically real estate gold). If your Easter plans include a little reflection AND a $30 million budget, you could literally be living in a piece of history. Or at the very least, hosting the most impressive dinner party of all time. Click below to see more.

If you didn’t get the Barbie Experience you felt like you deserved at Barbie Dream Fest, you could have another chance to make good with Santa Monica’s BARBIE HOUSE.



Yes, this is a real place, and no, it's not a movie set. This iconic beachfront home sits directly on the sand in Santa Monica and is one of the most recognizable houses on the California coast. And the best part? You can actually live there… if you've got about $38,500 per month lying around. The house is about 2,800 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling glass, and multiple oceanfront decks staring straight out at the Pacific. The outside screams Barbie to its core, but the inside is sleek and modern, so you can live your dream life without feeling like you're trapped in a toy box. If Malibu Barbie wasn't already on your 2026 vision board… it NEEDS TO BE! Click below to see the full listing on Zillow.

Finally, what better place to enjoy A TON of Kit Kats than… the Mediterranean Coast!

This jaw-dropping modern villa tucked into the Greek islands of the Cyclades is basically what happens when "vacation" turns into a full-time lifestyle. Located on the island of Paros, the home delivers unreal sunrise views over the Aegean, the kind that make you question every life decision that led you to NOT owning this place. The setup includes six bedrooms, multiple guesthouses, a massive pool with a sunken lounge and fire pits, a pool bar, outdoor dining, and a tennis court overlooking the sea. It's less "house" and more "private resort you accidentally own." And because it's Greece, everything blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, so whether you're hosting friends or crushing your 47th Kit Kat of the day, you're doing it with ocean views in every direction. Click below to see more!

THE ECONOMY AND REAL ESTATE

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report for March dropped this morning, and the headline number turned heads. March payrolls came in at 178,000 jobs created, almost three times the estimate of around 60,000, which sounds like a big win. But let’s take a closer look before we run our victory lap.

Other private payroll reports from ADP and Revelio told a very different story – showing only 62,000 and 19,000 jobs created respectively. When you factor in that the BLS reported 18,000 government jobs lost in March, their private sector number would actually be closer to 196,000, which is dramatically higher than what the other reports are showing.

The BLS report has also been pretty volatile lately. February's job losses were revised from 92,000 down to 133,000, meaning the two-month combined total is only about 45,000 jobs, or roughly 22,000 per month.

Within the report, healthcare and social assistance accounted for 89,000 of the jobs added, with almost 35,000 of those being workers returning from a strike rather than brand new positions. Healthcare is not an economically sensitive sector, and it has been carrying the bulk of job gains for months now.

There are actually two surveys inside the jobs report. The business survey produces the headline jobs number, and the household survey is where the unemployment rate comes from. Those two told very different stories this month. The unemployment rate did tick down slightly from 4.4% to 4.3%, but the household survey showed 64,000 jobs were actually lost in March. The rate only improved because the labor force shrank by nearly 400,000 people who stopped looking for work. The broader U6 unemployment measure, which counts those folks back in, actually rose from 7.9% to 8%.

So, while the headline number looks encouraging, the details paint a more cautious picture.

Gang, we'll keep watching the data closely, but all eyes (including the Federal Reserve’s dual mandated eyes that are focused on maximum employment and price stability) turn to NEXT Friday’s Consumer Price Index, the first report on inflation since the start of the Iran War. 

The data is worth watching closely, but regardless of what the economy is doing, families we work with EVERY DAY remind us that life's biggest decisions don't wait for perfect conditions. Which brings us to something worth reading if buying a home is anywhere on your radar. Our editors found a recent blog from the folks at Keeping Current Matters that they felt would be a great reminder for folks that are focused on their housing goals. So, keep reading the blog below talking about the best thing to do first (HINT: it’s get Pre-Approved) with a post titled, “Before You Fall in Love with a House, Do This First.” 

Have you started looking at homes online yet? Well if buying a home is on your radar – even if it’s more of a someday plan than a right now plan – you don’t want to wait until later to tackle this important first step and get pre-approved. Because here’s what not enough people know:

No matter what you’ve heard, pre-approval isn’t about commitment. It’s about clarity.

Getting pre-approved before you start house hunting isn't about rushing into anything. It's about knowing your numbers so your search actually makes sense. Here are the two big ways it sets you up for success.

You Know Your Numbers Up Front

A lender looks at your income, debts, and credit score and tells you exactly what you can borrow. That means no falling for a home that's out of reach, and no missing out on ones that actually are within your budget. That clarity alone can save you weeks of frustration and heartbreak down the road. If you're just browsing online and guessing at your price point, you're essentially shopping blindfolded. Getting pre-approved takes the blindfold off before your search even officially begins.

You Can Move Quickly When You Find the One

Here's the other big reason it matters: today's market moves fast. If you find the one and you're not already pre-approved, you'll be scrambling to pull documents together while someone else who did their homework walks away with the keys. In a competitive market, that gap between "ready" and "almost ready" can be the difference between getting the house and getting a consolation prize.

Pre-approval letters are typically good for 30 to 90 days and can be renewed if your timeline shifts, so there's really no reason to wait. Getting pre-approved doesn't mean you're committed to buying right now. It just means that when the right home shows up, you're not scrambling.

Think of it like showing up to the starting line ready to run, shoes tied and warmed up, while everyone else is still finding parking. You can't control when the right home shows up. But you absolutely can control whether you're ready for it when it does.

Bottom Line

Ask yourself this: if your perfect home popped up tomorrow, would you be ready to make a move?

If the answer is no and you want to buy, it may be time to get pre-approved. You don’t want to feel behind before your search even officially kicks off.

RATES:

Pricing and rates remain erratic and volatile. Confirm rates & pricing directly with your loan officer.

Check out the trivia below and remember, there is a drawing to enter to win a gift card. This is your chance to enter for a chance to win the gift card awarded every other month. This trivia question is for the March & April drawing/card.

TRIVIA QUESTION

While the launch of Artemis II this week has all of our Science and Space editors hopeful that we’re entering a new era of exploration, it also reminds us that some brave astronauts will soon become household names. As you know, Neil Armstrong (a Purdue grad) was the FIRST person to set foot on the Moon (or a soundstage in Burbank). But who was the LAST person to set foot on the Moon—who, coincidentally, was also a Purdue grad and one of more than 30 astronauts from Purdue? (Boiler Up!)

a. Gus Grissom

b. Gene Cernan

c. Roger Chaffee

d. Jerry Ross

e. David Wolf

Click here to EMAIL ME YOUR ANSWER.

**Email your answer to me to have your name entered in a drawing for a gift card at the beginning of even months and YES you can go back and answer previous weeks’ questions if you have not answered them already AND if we have not unveiled the answer yet***