Wynlakes is a golf and country club neighborhood in Montgomery, AL.  Developed in 1986, and located off of Vaughn Road, it is in the heart of what is now called “East Montgomery.”

Wynlakes has several “neighborhoods” within the development, so homes here range from smaller garden-style homes to larger homes, to much, MUCH larger homes.  The gated community has 24 hour security surveillance and an HOA.

Wynlakes Golf and Country Club is in the center of the neighborhood, and memberships gives access to the 200 acre, 18 hole golf course, large pool area, tennis courts, fitness center, dining areas and newly-built ballroom facility. Membership is not limited to residents of Wynlakes neighborhood.

According to the Montgomery Area MLS, as of today, March 26, 2009, there are 23 homes for sale in Wynlakes, ranging from $225,000 for a 1,666 sq. ft. home, to $995,000 for a 5,935 sq. ft. home.

If you are interested in homes for sale in Wynlakes, you can search the MLS for free using the “Home Search” tab at the top of this page, or let us help you by contacting us at the  number above or the  “Contact Us” tab.

What should you expect in a Deer Creek home?  We shot this video when we had a home for sale in Deer Creek in Montgomery, AL  in May 2008.    And it sold (thankfully) in only three days!

Ours was a medium size Deer Creek floor plan, built in 1999.  It’s pretty representative of what you’ll find there – modern, open floor plans ranging from 1,400 to 3,000 square feet.  I looked today and there are 50 homes listed on the  Montgomery MLS in Deer Creek (I don’t have a count of FSBOs).  If you want to check out other homes in this (or any) neighborhood, click on the Home Search tab at the top of this page and look for homes in the 36117 zip code.

If you’d like to walk through any of the homes in this area, contact us.  We know it well, and would love to help.

10 years ago, Bridle Brook Farms was WAY out in the country.  In 2009, it’s still in the heart of Pike Road, but it’s definitely no longer out in the country.  Bridle Brook is 5 minutes from I-85, so it’s short jaunt to just about anywhere in Montgomery.If you’re driving east on Vaughn Road, cross Pike Road and Bridle Brook will soon be on your left.

So what’s the allure this particular neighborhood?  Two things come to mind: 1) affordability, and 2) a rural environment.

Let’s start with affordability.  Pike Road is an up and coming area of Montgomery County, and that means a lot of the developments are pretty pricey.  When the Pike Road school system gets off the ground, Bridle Brook homes will be some of the more affordable homes in the school zone.  In my mind, that will make them very desirable for families with school-age kids.  My curbside estimate puts these homes between 1,700 and 2,500 square feet.

But the school isn’t here just yet (so be sure to check your zoning with MPS).  So what has attracted families to Bridle Brook for the past decade?  It was developed by Watts Builders and Strickland Builders, and has a community pool, softball field, tennis court, a fishing lake, and picnic areas.  But the feel is decidedly rural.  There are lots of trees and a look that is less manicured and rigid than other neighborhoods in the area.  Here are some pictures I took this week:

A street in Bridle Brook Farms

Bridle Brook clubhouse (Carriage House) with pool and tennis court.

Bridle Brook Farms fishing pond.

Are you looking for a new construction home? Or a lot to build on?  In East Montgomery?  Maybe in Pike Road?   Maybe you’d like to try Pike Road, but don’t want to live way out in the “country”?  If you want lots of options, try Lochshire – it is of ALL the above.

Lochshire is located at the corner of Vaughn and Pike Roads, and has had a patchwork of Montgomery and Pike Road addresses.  When originally built, owners could choose to be in Pike Road, City of Montgomery, or Montgomery County.  More and more of these homes are being annexed into Pike Road, however, probably because of the push to create a Pike Road school system.  For the latest update on Lochshire zoning, contact the Town of Pike Road town hall.

Lochshire is not completely built out, but is an established neighborhood.  My curb estimate puts the homes at over 2,000 sq ft. (some a good bit more than that).  There are no amenities – pool, playground, etc. – but the common areas are nicely landscaped and well maintained.  There are lots for sale in the back of the neighborhood, and many of these lots back up to a wetlands area that is owned by the neighborhood.  A few spec homes remain on the market, along with the regular home for sale, so there is a lot to choose from.

Lochshire, like many homes in Pike Road, is 5 minutes from I-85, so access to anywhere in Montgomery is easy.  It’s a couple of minutes from Chantilly Parkway, and a short drive down Vaughn Road to anything in East Montgomery.

Here are some pics I took today of homes and lots for sale in Lochshire.  If you’re interested, or just want to know more about this area, contact us at the number at the top of the page.

“Half the size, but twice the amenities of Deer Creek”.  This is the description I heard in the sales office of the new east-side Lowder development, Woodland Creek.  (For those of you not familiar with Deer Creek, it’s a large planned community close by that’s been around 10+ years in East Montgomery).  I drove through and took some pictures today, and I posted them below.

It seems that the best of what works in Deer Creek was poured into Woodland Creek – aptly named because the property is wooded ( a big deal in East Montgomery).  It also seems like it is in Pike Road, but according to the developers, is in the city of Montgomery (residents have Montgomery City sewer, police and fire protection, etc.)  Take Vaughn Road east, cross Pike Road, and you’ll soon see it on the right.

The architecture of Woodland Creek is a take on Craftsman style (rustic, simple materials), but the floor plans of the homes inside are modern and open. There are several price ranges, lots sizes, and home styles, but the grounds are what really caught my attention.  The streets wind through the neighborhood, and so many trees have been left!  There is a huge clubhouse, pool area, kid’s playground, bark park, walking trails – the harshness of new development does not seem so strong here.  Beyond the rooftops there is nature, not just rows and rows of rooftops.

Check it out and see for yourself.  It’s about 4 minutes from Woodland Creek to I-85, and that means it’s not far from anywhere in Montgomery.  Plus, commercial development is springing up all around Woodland Creek: the Fine Foods Market, Pike Road Public Library, Crockmier’s, a new gas station, CVS.  It’s a convenient little area.

If you’re interested in seeing the homes in Woodland Creek, contact us at the number at the top of the page.  We’d love to help you get to know this River Region neighborhood.

Woodland Creek Has Trees

A Home in Woodland Creek

Another Woodland Creek Home

Woodland Creek Playground

I’d heard the Town of Hampstead would be the Seaside of East Montgomery, but I had my doubts.  How can you create the intanglible presence of a place like Seaside, FL along the cow pastures of Taylor Road?

Well – it’s been done.  I drove by today and was shocked.  Hampstead is COOL.

What you see from the Taylor Road are the mixed-use buildings of High Street’s Town Center. This is the retail and office area of Hampstead that houses businesses, new restaurants like Number Sixteen (opening in November), and Y’s Up (YMCA) at Hampstead.  The Town of Hampstead website calls these live/work structures, so apparently there is living space in these buildings as well.

The Town of Hampstead was designed by DPZ, the same group responsible for Seaside, FL, and the same “rules” apply here:  it is walkable, encourages human interaction, and the buildings “are appropriate for their surroundings.”  A third of the the development’s 416 acres is green space.  There is a bocce court, a farm where produce for the restaurant will be grown, a boating lake, a tennis area, playgrounds, and a spectrum of high-end home plans to choose from.

Village Homes

Number Sixteen restaurant outdoor dining area

Town Center

Row houses

View from Taylor Road

If you are intrigued, it’s easy to check out Hampstead this weekend.  The Parade of Homes is Oct 24-26th from 1:00 to 6:00pm, and the first Farmer’s Market will be held on High Street this Saturday from 8am to 2pm.  For more information, here’s an article from Montgomery Living Magazine.

If you go, let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Okay – I’ll admit up front that we lived in Deer Creek for almost 9 years.  So I know a little about this East Montgomery neighborhood.  It is the colossus of planned communities on this side of town, and if you haven’t driven through, check it out next time you are headed east out Vaughn Road.

Here are 5 reasons I think it’s worth a peek:

1) Security. There are limited entrances and exits (3) which means that even though Deer Creek is in a prime east side location, there is little thru traffic.  It was planned that way.  Deer Creek also employs a private security service; you’ll see them driving around in their security car or at the front gate.  There is simply little reason to be there if you are not heading to or from a home.

2)  Price Ranges.  Garden homes to sprawling family residences.  You can do small, medium, or large.  Same goes with the yard.  According to the Deer Creek website, there are up to 1600 lots on 800 acres.  The lots are divided into 21 neighborhoods.  It’s big, but it’s highly organized, and there is a lot to choose from.

3) Room to Roam.  I loved that we could get the kids on their bikes and ride for an hour without a) crossing a major road or encountering traffic,  b) getting too far from our home, and c) seeing the same thing twice.   The public spaces, sidewalks, and landscaping are well maintained, and that makes the roaming pleasant.

4) Amenities.  We could ride our bikes or walk to the pool, splashpark, playground, tennis courts, etc.  Enough said.

5) Public Schools.  Elementary age kids are zoned for Wynton Blount Elementary which is right behind Deer Creek on Ray Thorington Road.  Carr Middle School is being built next door to Blount Elementary.  There is obvious demand for these neighborhood public schools, and Deer Creek is in the thick of this zoing area.

Like I said, I’ve lived here.  Anyone else have any thoughts on life in Deer Creek?  Let us know by commenting below.

If you’re looking to buy a home in the area, give us a call at the number above.  We’d love to show you any homes in Deer Creek on the Montgomery MLS.

If you’re looking for a great location, Sturbridge Plantation is close to just about everything east in Montgomery.  I’m often envious of its position right in the heart of retail, restaurant, and residential development along Vaughn and Taylor roads. It’s hard to get much closer to grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping, movies, gas stations, banks, etc. and still have the privacy of this neighborhood.

Sturbridge is big, but it doesn’t feel big.  It’s new enough to offer modern amenities (pool, fitness center, playground, etc.), and old enough to have a little history (as far as east Montgomery goes) and a little foliage!

Sturbridge is divided into subdivisions, so there’s a little of everything:  the colorful Cottages near the entrance, the traditional homes in the Plantation, the large stone and stucco homes of Rockbridgse, the estate lots on Payne Road.

Bottom line: People in Sturbridge do a lot of living there.  They are zoned for two new schools: Wilson Elementary School and Carr Middle School They take swimming lessons sponsored by the YMCA at the pool.  They host holiday craft markets at the clubhouse (which are well attended).   I’ve been to a Super Bowl party at the clubhouse and I’ve met friends at the park for play dates.  I get a real sense of community when I’m in Sturbridge.

Would anyone else agree?  Help us out and let us know!

If you’d like to look at a home for sale in Sturbridge, let us know by calling the number at the top of this page or sending us an email.

If you’re mapping out a house hunt based on Montgomery public school zones in East Montgomery, Breckenridge could be on your short list.  Throw a rock from a Breckenridge home and you could easily hit Blount Elementary School, the construction site of Carr Middle School, and the Ray Thorington baseball complex.  Ray Thorington Road has become a major corridor for new development, so who knows what else that rock will hit in 2 years?  5 years?  Bottom line:  It’s close to good public schools and convenient to east Montgomery shopping and attractions.

My family was in Breckenridge the other day for a birthday party at the pool/clubhouse.  It’s a big facility, with all the bells and whistles a new neighborhood (e.g Deer Creek, Sturbridge, Woodland Creek) has these days:  pool, clubhouse, playground, green space, sidewalks, etc.  The kids loved the zero-entry pool.  The parents loved the shade at the pavillion.  The amenities were definately more than anticipated.

I also went along with John to show a house one Saturday.  To me, the houses looked pretty big, and in a higher price range than some neighborhoods off Ray Thorington Road.  The home I was in had features that were a notch above the traditional spec house – built in cabinetry, more extensive molding, high end finishes in the kitchen.

Curious about where your rock will hit?  Give Breckenridge a look.  We’ve been there and can help you.  Contact us at the phone number or email address at the top of this page for a showing of any River Region home!

People moving to the River Region (military families, relocators, etc.) have caused Prattville, AL to explode in the last decade.  Once a rural commuter town, Prattville is now a solid city.

Prattville residents now shop, eat, and play at home.   10 years ago this wasn’t the case, but now my family loves to take a shopping trip to Bass Pro Outdoor World, and then have dinner at Jim ’n Nicks BBQ in Prattville.

So why do some people choose Prattville?  For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts:

1) Small town feel – The City of Prattville says the population in 2002 was 25,500, and it’s growing steadily.  But that’s a lot smaller than Montgomery’s 200,000+ count.  Plus, there’s a lot of history and civic pride in this community.  Check out their website here.

2) Public Schools – The Autauga County school system has a solid reputation from K-12th grade. These include the schools in Autaugaville, Pine Level, Marbury, Billingsley, and the City of Prattville.

3) Proximity to Montgomery and military bases – Hop on I-65 south and it’s minutes to Maxwell AFB and downtown Montgomery.

4) Residential and commercial development- Prattville has new residential communities with similar amenities to new neighborhoods in east Montgomery. There’s a Target (enough said), new restaurants, and the Robert Trent Jones Capitol Hill golf complex.

Like I said, these are merely my observations.   Any Prattvillians want to add your two cents?  Let us know about life in Prattville by leaving us a comment.