Sturbridge, a popular neighborhood in east Montgomery, has two big ponds at its Vaughn Road entrance.  I was shocked to see that one of them is nearly completely frozen over in about half inch thick ice.

Buyers relocating from up north might say, “what’s the big deal?” But let me tell you, for central Alabama, a frozen pond is a rare occurrence.  This recent cold snap is breaking records.

I was running errands with my kids yesterday in the Vaughn Road area and was surprised to see some bigger kids playing at the edge of the pond.  They were breaking off big hunks of ice and throwing them back on the iced surface.  We paused to take some pictures and the below video.  For Alabamians, this is surreal.

Hey readers – does anyone else have some good cold weather photos and videos, in Sturbridge or the rest of Montgomery? Leave a comment or reply below and let the rest of us see!

The dirt was moving in Cawfield this morning.  Yep – tractors were out pushing the red soil around in this east Montgomery neighborhood right off of Pike Road.

Today (January 7, 2010) the Montgomery Area MLS shows there are 25 lots for sale in Cawfield for $59,900. There is currently one house built in the subdivision.  According to the MLS, all lots are at least 85′ wide and there is a 2000 sqaure foot minimum for new homes. Cawfield is zoned for Halcyon Elementary, Georgia Washington Jr. High, and Jeff Davis High School

Cawfield is next to the Lochshire neighborhood on the portion of Pike Road  between Vaughn Road and Hwy 80.  It’s also close to Bridle Brook, Woodland Creek, and Merry Station, and right across Pike Road from Grace Episcopal Church.  It’s about a 5 minute drive to the Shoppes at East Chase, the Chantilly Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and I-85.

The subdivision was sold to a new developer in September 2009.  It should be noted that lots in Cawfield have a Montgomery street address and claim City of Montgomery sewer service on the MLS.  In this section of East Montgomery, neighborhoods/lots can be zoned for the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County, or the Town of Pike Road. It’s kind of a patchwork, so if you have a preference, be sure to ask when looking for real estate in this area.

If you’re interested in building a new home in Cawfield, we’re not the listing agent, but we can help buyers with any property in the Montgomery area.  Give us a call and let us help you make an informed real estate decision.

Good news for homebuyers in the Montgomery, AL area . . .

The $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers has been extended to April 30, 2010.

The program has changed a little, though, from the initial incentive that expired November 30.

If you want to know details, this Q & A article from The Wall Street Journal explains the revised incentive program well: “Q & A: The Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension.”

If you’re looking to purchase a home in the next few months and would like the benefit of a Realtor to do the legwork for you, give us a call.  It costs the buyer nothing, and it puts a professional in your corner.

Today I took my kids to eat at one of our favorite lunch spots: Chappy’s Deli in Peppertree Shopping Center. We had a great lunch and it was fun to be “off” of work. However, I guess I ruined someone else’s fun today, because when I got back to my truck, I found this note tucked under the wiper:

I guess I should be thankful there was no cursing. Actually it was pretty polite (see “please”). It is way too nice to submit to a site like PassiveAggressiveNotes.com.

Here is my parking job, the shadow hurts the shot but you can see the offending entry on the white line:

Here’s a shot from directly in back. Snoopy is right, I broke the barrier:

The irony is not lost on me that normally this time of year, Snoopy’s in a great mood. He’s on TV a lot, doing Christmas specials, etc. But here he is back to his dejected position on the dog house, looking straight up at what the person had to write. Clearly, I have disappointed him.

I would like to say to this person: I was wrong. I did a bad job parking there. Please know I will pay more attention in the future.

Maybe the moral to this story is that Montgomery is such a nice town, even the “nasty” notes people put on your car are pretty polite.

Oh by the way….. Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!!

It’s that time of year – time to apply for magnet and private schools for the 2010-2011 school year.

If you’re wondering what public magnet schools in Montgomery have to offer, consider the honors recently bestowed upon Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School (LAMP):

20th best high school in the NATION

and

4th best magnet school in the NATION.

That’s pretty strong.

“U.S. News and World Report” considered data from over 21,000 public high schools to come up with this ranking.  And it’s not the first time LAMP and other Montgomery magnet schools have received such awards (see last year’s ranking here).  Booker T Washington and Brewbaker Technology Magnet High Schools were also ranked nationally.

Click here to read the entire Montgomery Advertiser article about these awards.

FYI – Montgomery has public magnet schools for grades K-12.  For more information check out the MPS website. Applications are usually available on their website in mid-January and must be returned in early February.

Related article:

Head’s Up! School Registration in Montgomery is Around the Corner

Santa is making a stop this Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Deer Creek Clubhouse!   There will be cookies and face time with St. Nick, plus, the Deer Creek Women’s Association will be collecting unwrapped gifts for The Family Sunshine Center.

One catch:  it’s for residents of this east Montgomery, AL neighborhood only.  Since it’s a pretty big neighborhood, there are two “shifts.”  Check the homeowner’s website to see if your family goes at 5:30 or 6:30pm.

As a former Deer Creek resident, I can say that the homeowner’s association does a great job of  providing fun, family- friendly holiday entertainment – year round (Easter, Halloween, 4th of July).  So if you live in Deer Creek, take a minute and drop by.

If you’re looking for a home in the Deer Creek area, let us help you!  It costs buyers nothing to have a Realtor do the legwork for you!

Farmhouse Kitchen in the Town of Hampstead in Montgomery, AL, is a gem of a restaurant. We knew it had a good chance of being cool simply because it’s part of this unique East Montgomery development, but what about the food?

We ate dinner there last night and it exceeded our expectations.  Here are 4 reasons we love Farmhouse Kitchen:

1) Staff – This has to be #1 on our list because the service and hospitality were excellent.   We ate as part of a large group, but the servers and staff took care of our every need with ease.  I even got a hug when we left!  It’s not contrived hospitality – it’s the real deal.

2) Food – We tried the shrimp and grits, and it was fabulous.  Easily one of the best renditions of this dish we’ve had.  The skillet cornbread that’s brought to the table before the meal was fought over, and the homemade vanilla ice cream on top of our pecan pie was far better than any we’ve made in our own ice cream churn.

Fresh tomato, cucumber and onion with vinaigrette

Shrimp and Grits in a HUGE bowl

Chocolate cake

3)  Atmosphere – Open and casual, you would not mind bringing your kids for lunch or dinner.  The decor is simple and comfortable, but not hokey or contrived to be “country.”  It serves a purpose and does not get in the way of the experience (which is the food).

4)  Location – If you haven’t been to Hampstead, head south on Taylor Road and take a tour.  We had fun walking the main street and enjoying the architecture before the rest of our group arrived. It’s definitely an escape from the strip mall experience.  We both commented that it would be fun to live in Hampstead and have a great place to eat within walking distance.

Forget chain restaurant, greasy, “country” cooking.  Farmhouse Kitchen is more like eating at your grandmother’s. And the service is just as good!

For a menu and hours of operation, click here.

It’s already scorching in Montgomery, AL.

It’s the second day of summer.

How does a family survive?

Here are a few ideas for free (or very cheap) ways to keep your kids entertained this summer while NOT suffering a heatstroke.

Public Libraries: Where are they and what special events are going on?  Here’s a link to library summer events next week. Check back with local branches for more activities. Storytellers, singers, art – sounds fun.

Kids’ movies at The Capri: Every Thursday and Friday at 10 am and 1 pm, you can take your kids for just $1 a ticket.  Click here for their summer schedule, and get there a little early because it fills up quickly.

Kids’ movies at the Rave: Similar to the Capri, but FREE!  Click here for the summer roster.  They’re showing free kids’ movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 am for eight weeks this summer.  Like The Capri, no reservations are taken, so show up early to get a seat.

Artworks Gallery at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts: Air conditioned, fun, room to wiggle – all good things in 100 degree weather.  There is a box for donations at the front door of the museum, but there is no entrance fee. It’s a large, interactive space for kids to explore art with their families.  You can spend hours . . . click here for more info.

Riverwalk Splashpad: Located in the Riverwalk amphitheater park in downtown Montgomery, the splashpad is (for lack of better terminology) a large play area with water shooting out of the ground.  Like a big fountain.  Although this is not an air conditioned venue, it’s wet and FREE, and anyone can use it (although sometimes it’s closed for private parties.  Open until 7 pm everyday.  Click here for address and phone number.

I’m sure there are some I have overlooked, so feel free to add to the list by commenting below.  Good luck staying cool and saving money this summer!

Carr Junior High School, Montgomery, AL

It’s finally time to head on over and make it official. If you live in the new Jim Wilson Elementary and Carr Middle School school zones, you can register your kids starting today.

Don’t expect to tour the  new facilities yet, though – you’ll actually register in Blount Elementary’s lunchroom. From today until Thursday, you can come from 9 am until 1 pm.  From June 22-25, come between 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

Wilson Elementary School, Montgomery, AL

If you miss this two week registration period, you can still register your child – but it will happen closer to the beginning of the school year at the new school itself.

Not sure if you’re affected by these new school zones? Click here for MPS zoning maps.

For more info on what to bring with you, see the Montgomery Advertiser’s article “Registration Starts Today for New Schools.”

I have a great home for sale in Sturbridge.  I took my real estate assistant over there to put out some more flyers today and encountered my first lemonade stand of the summer:

I wasn’t surprised to see one here. Sturbridge is a great neighborhood in east Montgomery, one with an apple pie, American feel.  Kids ride their bikes around there.  Moms power walk. Teens play ultimate frisbee in the “green space.”

What I was surprised about was how good the lemonade was.  It was actually like a limonada – sort of a blended, Icee consistency, with just the right amount of sweet and sour.  Worth every bit of the 75 cents and 25 cent tip.  What’s up? Do the kids in Sturbridge have some sort of secret recipe? I will return to that one.

Even though I am one of the cheapest humans alive, I will always stop at a kids’ lemonade stand.  It is free enterprise in action. It fires me up that capitalism is alive and well, no bailouts in the lemonade stand industry, no sir.

While I’m on the subject, let me point out one more great reason to stop a lemonade stands: Make A Stand – Montgomery’s own Pat & Elizabeth Adams are involved with this effort to bring awareness and raise money to fight pediatric brain cancer.