2469 Churchill Circle, Auburn, AL

So Much--So Little A 3BR, 2-bath American Craftsman in Lundy West will all the extras including vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, spray foam insulation, and more. Act now or it will be sold at such a great price! Offered at only $159,750!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubetZfdjuY

1722 Scarsboro Lane, Auburn, AL 36830

Turn the key and come home to this outstanding, like new, all brick home in desirable Camden Ridge. This 4BR, 2-full & 2-half-bath, double-garage residence with ivory kitchen cabinetry, bonus room/4th bedroom with custom built-in shelving, huge professionally landscaped yard and a long list of delightful features. You will love the feeling of spaciousness and warmth in this fine residence. Priced at only $299,900.  Call Sylvia today for a showing!

Pack and moving can be a pain. This article gives some good pointers

10 Things You’ll Regret Packing After Your Next Move

Popular wisdom has it that it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters. That aphorism is true in most scenarios — but not when it comes to moving. Whether you’ve inked a lease on a new apartment or closed on your first home, it’s natural to want to skip straight to the part where you kick back and settle in.

Store only the keepsakes that really mean something to you and recycle the rest.

But first you have to get yourself (and your stuff) there. Packing up everything you own is stressful, and the task of neatly securing all your belongings can be a sobering affair. You may not realize you’ve racked up 18 novelty coffee mugs until you’re trying to shove them into a single cardboard box.

According to professional organizer Ashley Murphy, cofounder of NEAT Method, a move is your chance to declutter and start fresh. Because clients often call on Murphy’s team after a move, she’s well aware of how much the “just pack it and deal with it later” mentality can hinder a chic new space.

“In a home, the goal is to have only what you truly need and use,” explains Murphy. “If your ice-cream maker hasn’t moved from the shelf in two years, why lug it to your new place?”

Point taken. To help you purge while you pack, we asked Murphy to share the things you shouldn’t even think about bringing to your new home.

1. Expired items 

Go through everything that can possibly expire — spices, condiments, medications, beauty products — and toss anything past its use-by date. Murphy puts it this way: “If you only used a centimeter off the top of a jar of paprika one time, in one recipe, in 1990, do you really need it?”

2. Well-loved garments 

The NEAT Method team coined this term to refer to threadbare and stained clothes that, while once wardrobe staples, are past the point of wearability. Anything akin to “a white T-shirt with yellowed armpits” should go.

3. One-time-only clothes 

This includes bridesmaid dresses and even old Halloween costumes. “Many people cling to costumes, even though they go as something new every year,” says Murphy. If you won’t realistically wear something again, it belongs in the charity pile.

4. Repeat offenders 

Do you have 20 black tank tops? Six wine openers? You might not realize it until you line them all up, but this is the time to take stock of duplicates and narrow your supply.

5. Trivial keepsakes 

Murphy is often surprised to see how many people won’t part with old greeting cards and wedding invitations. Store only the keepsakes that really mean something to you and recycle the rest.

6. Pens and pencils 

“I’ve come across households that had unknowingly accumulated enough writing implements to supply a school of 300 students,” says Murphy. Keep just a few and ditch any others that pop up in random drawers and storage bins as you pack.

7. Unused gadgets 

Think about how many times you’ve used your small appliances and gadgets (the aforementioned ice-cream maker, panini press, waffle iron). Once, twice, or never? Say goodbye. If you don’t use it in your current home, you probably never will in your new one, either.

8. CDs 

A digital music library lets you keep all the tunes you love but takes up virtually no physical space. Murphy suggests hiring a TaskRabbit to do the legwork of burning discs for you. A few hours and a few bucks later, and the deed is done.

9. Old magazines and books 

This one is obvious, but it makes such a difference in lightening your load. Donate anything you’ve already read (along with anything that’s sat unread for ages) to a local library, nursing home, or family shelter.

10. Borrowed goods 

Designate a “returns” bin as you pack, and throw in anything (books, clothes, pots, pans) that should go back to friends and family. “In going through clients’ homes, I can’t tell you how often I hear, ‘This belongs to so-and-so,’” says Murphy. “Before you move is the best time to actually make those returns. If you don’t do it now, you’ll forget.”

Jill Russell

Jill Russell is an editor and content strategist living in Los Angeles, but hailing from Detroit. She has worked for Groupon and Martha Stewart Living, and written about lifestyle, beauty, and health for Lucky, Boston Common, and Philadelphia Weekly and dozens of other publications. You can usually find her eating or reading. She tweets @jillannerussell.

7 Sweet Homes In Alabama 2 of which are from our own 2 Realtors in our association. Take a look!

7 Sweet Homes in Alabama

If your ideal Thanksgiving table is dressed with spicy collards, cornbread dressing, and bourbon-laced pecan pie, you’re going to adore these beautiful, historical homes for sale in the heart of Dixie. The home state of our magazine headquarters offers a treasure trove of sweet, Southern architecture at every price point!

By Elizabeth Finkelstein

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Courtesy of CRC Realty

We’re crazy about the stately elegance of the Italianate style, which is why we’re so fond of the historical Timbleton Home. Located in the city of Florence, the house features original woodwork and crown molding throughout. We can just picture this one all dressed up for the holidays.

For more information and photos, visit CIRCA Old Houses.

Asking Price:  $327,000

Listing Agent:  Becky Newman, CRC Realty; (256) 718-0111

Courtesy of Bass Agency Real Estate

How’s this for a whimsical porch? Filled to the brim with original woodwork and stained glass, this lacy confection is a steal at just $110,000. 


For more information and photos, visit Bass Agency Real Estate.

Asking Price:  $110,000

Listing Agent:  Tripp Bass, Bass Agency Real Estate; (334) 222-3145

Courtesy of The Eufaula Agency, Inc.

It’s easy to see why old-house lovers flock to Eufaula — the city is home to Alabama’s second largest historic district. This ca. 1850 home packs in over 5,000 square feet of Italianate-style beauty, while the meticulously landscaped yard adds to the overall charm.

For more information and photos, visit The Eufaula Agency, Inc..

Asking Price:  $370,000

Listing Agent: Michelle Hawkins, The Eufaula Agency, Inc.; (334) 687-7001

Courtesy of RE/MAX Professional Partners

Rumored to have been built on a Civil War battle site, this ca. 1872 home in located in the city of Lanett. The classic beauty sits on three generous acres.

For more information and photos, visit CIRCA Old Houses.

Asking Price:  $395,000

Listing Agent: Ashley Miller, RE/MAX Professional Partners; (334) 826-7111

Courtesy of Prestige Properties

Looks can be deceiving! At 4,600 square feet, this restored, turn-of-the-century home is larger than it appears. The inside is simply stunning, from the authentic wooden trim right down to the antique fixtures. The home is located in the city of Opelika.

For more information and photos, visit Postlets.

Asking Price:  $382,000

Listing Agent:  Ashley Smith-Durham, Prestige Properties, (334) 559-8817

Courtesy of Conner-Lawrence Real Estate

Dating back to 1872, this charming home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s easy to fall in love with the wrap-around porch and gracious, historical interior. We’re talking 14 foot ceilings!


For more information and photos, visit The Eufaula Board of Realtors.

Asking Price:  $259,000

Listing Agent:  Camilla Shamblin, Conner-Lawrence Real Estate; (334) 355-4440

Courtesy of Bill Mackay Real Estate

How could you not feel warm and fuzzy coming home to this house everyday? The ca. 1840 Lockett-Martin Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the West Marion Historic District in Marion, Alabama. It comes with a bit of Southern history, too: Mary Lockett is credited with designing the first flag of the Confederacy — the “Stars & Bars” — in 1861. The best part of the house is the asking price of just $110,000.

For owner contact information and photos, visit Bill Mackay Real Estate.

Asking Price:  $110,000

Listing Agent:  Bill Mackey, Bill Mackey Real Estate; (334) 289-8470

Writer Elizabeth Finkelstein is a self-proclaimed old house addict on a lifelong hunt for her perfect historic home. From big Victorian fixer-uppers to tiny colonials to mid-century modern masterpieces, Elizabeth believes that the best homes show the charm of having been loved over time. She chronicles it all on her website CIRCA, which showcases beautiful old houses for sale across the country.

Run-down Warehouse converted into a stunning home.

Family-Friendly Renovation of a Brick Warehouse in Alabama

WRITTEN BY 

OLIVIA MARTIN

PHOTOS BY 

JEAN ALLSOPP

JUNE 17, 2014

In Alabama, a commercial building with a multifarious past begins a fresh chapter for a young family after a modern renovation.

SLIDESHOW

Architect David Hill, his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children (from left: Wade, eight, Luke, six, and Breyton, ten), have an unusual home by the standards of their college-town setting in Auburn, Alabama. Built in 1920, the industrial brickbuilding has had previous incarnations as a church, a recycling center, and a pool hall, among others. 

PROJECT 

Bragg House

ARCHITECT 

HILL works

“I wish people would not stick their heads into my living room and ask, ‘What kind of business is this?’” architect and landscape designer David Hill says with a laugh. This happens often, which is understandable given that his home, an industrial red-brick building, contrasts sharply with the student apartments surrounding Auburn University, where David is an assistant professor, and the typical cozy houses that populate Auburn, Alabama.

When David and his wife, Elizabeth, moved here from Virginia with their three children, it was the anomaly of a historic brick building off the main street that grabbed their attention. Built in 1920 as a mercantile space in a thriving African-American neighborhood during segregation, the building has since hosted several pool halls, a barbershop, a Baptist church, a few cab companies, several restaurants, and, rather dubiously, a “fish shop.”

Auburn city officials had deemed the neighborhood a “development district,” so the Hills received little pushback when reclassifying the commercial building for residential use. “We think the area is healthy and diverse, so everyone was supportive,” David says.

When the Hills purchased the building, they were unaware of its backstory —it was merely a termite-infested plumbing storehouse with a promising brick-and-concrete exterior. “During construction our neighbors kept coming up and sharing stories about getting their hair cut here, or eating here when it was a cafe,” David says. “We realized we had to be a little more careful. This thing had a life, a more interesting life, than we had ever imagined. We kind of stepped back a little bit and didn’t do some of the architectural moves that we originally thought we were going to do.”

Rather than change the existing walls, David, a principal at the Virginia-based firm D.I.R.T. Studio, worked within the existing spatial volume. Even though several interior walls were added to create bedrooms and bathrooms, David demarcated six significant masonry changes with steel cladding and trim. He ended up with a steel-clad fireplace, a steel-framed front door and trim work, as well as a custom half-ton steel sliding door separating the kitchen, dining, and sitting areas from the living room. “That’s a really fun piece of the house. We can literally close the kids in and have adult conversations, or close the adults in and have kid conversations,” David says. The door is one of several that delineate the public and private rooms, as well as the children’s and adults’ spaces.

David and Elizabeth salvaged as many of the original ceiling tiles as possible for the main living spaces and incorporated pieces of ephemera found nearby, including a Southern Delite cafe sign for the kitchen. The living, kitchen, and dining areas retained their original brick walls and plaster, which boasts a patina of paint layers, including a splash of red glitter from the building’s time as the King’s Kongo Klub.

In the master bedroom—once a cab mechanic’s station during another chapter of the building’s life—a French door now leads to the garden, through the same spot where cars once drove in and out. The decision to create a direct opening to the outdoors was “very strategic, because you can only afford to get this kind of connection between inside and outside in a couple of spots,” David says.

It is precisely the many careful considerations, from the sliding doors to structural orientation to historical sensitivity, that provide a sense of home. And, despite the unusual choice of building that garners, as David puts it, “a few funny looks from our friends,” a distinctly Southern tradition pervades. “We’re not all on top of each other,” Elizabeth says, “but I can cook dinner while one child is reading a book, and another is playing Legos, and the other is doing something else, and we’re all in this shared space. I just love it.”

Originally published

in 

Modern Across America

as 

New Old Fashioned

This is pretty cool.  Coming from someone like me that wasn't born or raised here its interesting to see things like this and how Lee County has developed over the years.  

Fascinating footage from the thirties includes unique glimpse of Auburn University & Toomer’s Corner

By Donna R Causey on January 23, 2014

In 1937 the Department of Interior made a film about Alabama’s State Parks. This 1937 film showcases some of the works of the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps in Alabama. The CCC was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25 as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal.

It’s probably one of the earliest videos of Auburn University. The famous Toomer’s Corner, at the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue can even be seen in the film. Students are also seen filing out of Langdon Hall and strolling around campus.  Toomer’s Drugs has been a landmark at the University since 1896. This corner until recently was the location of twin, century-old oak trees and has been the spot for thousands of students and alumni who have “rolled Toomer’s Corner” as a celebration occurring after a significant Auburn victory. The oak trees are no longer there, but the tradition at the corner continues.

Prior to becoming Auburn University, the college was first East Alabama Male College. The college next became a Land Grant College, established by the Morrill Act of Congress, approved July 2, 1862, that donated lands to the several States “for the endowment, support and maintenance of at least one college, where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including Military Tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts…in order to promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.”1

The state of Alabama accepted this donation on December 31, 1868, and appointed a commission to sell the land script received from the United States and invest the proceeds. The sale was completed and an investment in the amount of two hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars which constituted the original endowment fund of the college.

The East Alabama Male College in the little town of Auburn belonged to the Alabama Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and was offered to the legislature for the location of the new Agricultural and Mechanical College and the legislature approved the offer on February 26, 1872 and the new College was organized in March with the faculty of the old college and two new professors as well as a commandant. The senior class of 1872 was the first class to be recognized as graduates of the new Agricultural and Mechanical College.

William F. Feagin was a cadet at Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn, Alabama. Feagin graduated in the class of 1892. He served as Alabama’s superintendent of education from 1915 to 1917, and as the Montgomery County superintendent from 1917 to 1920.

The period from 1882 to 1892 was an era of growth and development. The first state aid to the college of $30,000 was made February 28, 1883 to improve the main building and erect Langdon Hall, enlarge the library, purchase the experiment farm and other apparatus and equipment. The Professor of Chemistry was also designated the State Chemist.

The main building, with all its contents, burned June 24, 1887, but it was a blessing in disguise. The insurance company with a donation of $50,000 from the legislature enabled the college to rebuild and the main building and include a well equipped chemical laboratory. The college continued to expand and additional courses were added over the next years. In 1892, the college became the first four-year coeducational school in the state.

The legislature changed the name of the college on January 27, 1899 by an Act to Alabama Polytechnic Institute and the work of the Institute was devoted

Dr. Charles Coleman Thach was president of Alabama Polytechnic Institute from 1902 to 1920.

in “great measure, to the study of the natural sciences and their application to practical life.” The military emphasis was still evidently important as seen by the cadet drill in the 1937 film.

In 1960, the college’s name was again changed to Auburn University to acknowledge the varied academic programs and curriculum of the major university. “Auburn is among the few American universities designated as a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research center.”2 Chewacla State Park is near Auburn University and today is often a popular place to stay for football weekends.

Wright’s Mill is also mentioned in the film. It was a popular recreation area for more than 100 years near Auburn. In the 1890’s, a club house was built on the hill between Wright’s Mill and the Gin-Saw Hole.

Valley creek state park mentioned in the film is now Paul M. Grist State Park near Selma, Alabama. The park was renamed after Paul Malone Grist, an active community leader and long-time YMCA director. A Civilian Construction Corps (CCC) camp was established within the current park boundaries. They built the park roads, trails, and the dam.

Does anyone know what happened to this unique and very smart dog?  And what are the names of the beautiful young ladies at the end of the film?

Dixie Bibb Graves as a young woman

Another interesting thing that happened in Alabama in 1937, when this film was made, was that Dixie Bibb Graves was sworn in as the first woman from Alabama in the  United States Senate.

She was appointed on August 20, 1937, as a Democrat by her husband, Governor Bibb Graves, to fill the vacancy by the resignation of Hugo L. Black who was appointed to the U. S. Supreme Court.

- See more at: http://alabamapioneers.com/film-of-early-auburn-university/#sthash.TRN6oGsi.Kp8rk4KX.dpuf

City Council bans parking along residential streets near Auburn High School - OANow.com: News

If you have kids that attend Auburn High School make sure to tell your kids not to park on Terrace Acres Drive, Terrace Acres Circle, Eagle Circle, Tisdale Circle, Flowers Avenue, Flowers Circle and a portion of Green and Oak streets.  



City Council bans parking along residential streets near Auburn High School - OANow.com: News

Turn the key and come home to this outstanding, like new, all brick home in desirable Camden Ridge. This 4BR, 2-full & 2-half-bath, double-garage residence with ivory kitchen cabinetry, bonus room/4th bedroom with custom built-in shelving, huge professionally landscaped yard and a long list of delightful features. You will love the feeling of spaciousness and warmth in this fine residence.

Lee County Real Estate Market is going strong!

Monthly Sales: Lee County residential sales totaled 107 units in September, a significant improvement in sales growth of 39.0 percent from the same period a year earlier. September sales were 13 units above our monthly forecast. The year-to-date sales forecast through September projected 1,090 closed transactions while actual closings were 1,116 units.

View full sizeLee County residential sales rise 39% in September from last year. Housing Inventory has been reduced by 39% from the September 2010 peak. Infograph courtesy of ACRE. All rights reserved.Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE) 

Supply: The Lee County housing inventory in September was 800 units, a decrease of 8.4 percent from September 2013 and 39.2 percent from the month of September inventory peak in 2010 (1,315 units). 

September inventory in Lee County also decreased by 2.4 percent from the prior month. This direction is consistent with historical data indicating that September inventory on average ('09-'13) decreases from the month of August by 4.7 percent.

The inventory-to-sales ratio in September was 7.5 months of housing supply. Restated, at the September sales pace, it would take 7.5 months to absorb the current inventory for sale. The market equilibrium (balance between supply and demand) is considered to be approximately 7.5 months during the month of September so Lee County is a market where buyer and seller currently enjoy equal bargaining power. 

Demand: As expected, residential sales decreased by 24.6 percent from the prior month. This direction is consistent with seasonal historical data indicating that September sales on average ('09-'13) decreases from the month of August by 4.8 percent.   

Existing single family home sales account for 64 percent (up from 60% in Sept'13) of total sales while 24 percent (down from 32% in Sept'13) were new home sales and 12 percent (up from 8% in Sept'13) were condo buyers.

Pricing: The Lee County median sales price in September was $180,000, a 10.8 percent decrease from last September. The higher than normal of condo sales may have skewed, in this case, lowered the September median sales price. The September median price did rise 7.0 percent compared to the prior month. Historical data ('09-'13) indicates that the September median sales price traditionally increases from the month of August by 2.0 percent. Pricing can fluctuate from month-to-month as the sample size of data (closed transactions) is subject to seasonal buying patterns so a broader lens as to pricing trends is appropriate and we recommend contacting a local real estate professional for additional market pricing information. 

Industry Perspective: "The September National Housing Survey shows a slight recovery in consumer housing sentiment after a two-month setback, bringing us back to the modestly positive trend we've seen over the last year," said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. "It might be too late to save this year's home sales from posting the first decline in five years. However, the return to an upward trend in housing sentiment, combined with this month's positive news on the jobs front, suggests that a broad-based, albeit measured, housing recovery is on track to resume in 2015. The results of the past few months show that consumer optimism remains cautious and somewhat volatile, and we'll likely continue to see bumps on the housing recovery path reflected in our survey results." For full report, go HERE. 

See how Lee County compares to other Alabama real estate markets.  Information provided by ACRE http://blog.al.com/acre/2014/10/lee_county_area_residential_sa_10.html