Homes and Real Estate Magazine May 2023

3202 Pinecrest Drive- Covered Front Porch. Living Room with Stone Wood Burning Fireplace. Formal Dining Room with Detailed Molding and Coffered Ceiling. Kitchen with Granite Countertops, Tile Backsplash, and Stainless Appliances. Breakfast Room. Split Bedroom Floorplan. Master Bedroom with Door to the Back Porch. Master Bath with Tile Shower, Jetted Tub, Double Vanity, and Walk In Closet. 3 Additional Bedrooms. Irrigation System. Covered Back Deck. 2 Car Garage. Floored Attic with Tons of Storage. Fenced Yard. Seller is related to listing agent.

Rush Denson Owner/Broker 205.503.8655

Opelika

Home with a Basement!

Linda Zhang Realtor® 334.734.3341

458 South 10th Street, Opelika, Alabama (334) 759-7525

4 Bedroom 2.5 Bath Home in Pinecrest!

Lee County Housing Stats for March 2023

Michael Walton Assoc. Broker 334.610.6339

Morris Smith Assoc. Broker 334.740.5440

Tinker McCain Realtor® 334.748.0183

Scott Fuller Realtor® 334.737.8444

Lisa Thrift Assoc. Broker 334.444.8099

Serving Opelika, Auburn, and Lake Martin!

Stone Martin Builders Announces New Housing Community in Auburn, AL

Auburn, AL (April 3, 2023) - Stone Martin Builders (SMB), one of the largest homebuilders across Alabama and the region, recently announced it’s newest Auburn community named Oak Creek. The new community is conveniently located just 10 minutes from downtown Auburn which offers an abundance of shopping, places to dine, and nightlife.

Oak Park is a family-focused community with a covered pavilion and a brand-new community pool that is coming soon. Home buyers can design the home of their dreams by choosing from various home plan designs that feature three to five bedrooms, two to four bathrooms, and various exterior options.

“Deciding where your family will open the next chapter of their lives is one of the most important decisions you can make. When you begin designing your home at Oak Creek, you can trust our team’s unparalleled craftsmanship and dedicated customer service to make the process as easy as possible,” said Frank Plan, CEO of SMB. “We are excited to introduce more family housing options in Auburn that adapts to the unique lifestyles and needs for your home.”

All homes are designed with growing families in mind and are built for their convenience, functionality, affordability, and entertainment. Stone Martin Builders’ collection of homes includes one and two-story plans, spacious rooms, two-car garages, elegant flooring, granite countertops, energy-efficient appliances, smart home technology, and hybrid spray foam insulation. Residents can customize their home’s exterior with a variety of options to choose from for brick, paint, stone, and doors.

“The Oak Creek neighborhood in Auburn offers families quality and accessibility with great schools, employers, and recreational options in the community,” said Sarah Martin Vice President of Sales. “The Oak Creek community is perfect for anyone who prioritizes serenity, beautiful scenery, and convenient access to amenities.”

Oak Creek offers a welcome oasis of comfort. The new community is located near one of Auburn’s newest elementary schools and near the Yarbrough Tennis Center. It is also in close proximity to Auburn University. Homes starting at 1,900 square feet up to 3,200 square feet.

About Stone Martin Builders:

Based in the Auburn-Opelika area, Stone Martin Builders is dedicated to developing aspirational communities throughout Alabama and Georgia, including Huntsville, Athens, Prattville, Montgomery, Auburn/Opelika, Dothan, and Columbus, Georgia. Since its establishment in 2006, the company has quickly grown and in 2022 was ranked as one of the 100 largest home builders in the U.S. by Builder Online. More info at https://stonemartinbuilders.com

Beautifully Maintained!

800 Cutler Ridge Court- 4 Bedroom 2.5 Bath Home in Pinecrest Subdivision. Inviting Front Porch. Formal Dining Room. Living Room with Soaring Ceilings and a Wood Burning Fireplace. Kitchen has Granite Countertops, Stainless Appliances, and a Pantry. Breakfast Room. Spacious First Floor Master Bedroom with a Ceiling Fan and Crown Molding. Master Bath with Double Vanity, Garden Tub, and Walk-In Closet. The Second Level Features 3 Additional Bedrooms and a Full Bathroom. Back Patio. Fire Pit. Matching Workshop. Fenced Back Yard. 2 Car Garage. Private Lot.

± 1.31

Acres!

917 Crawford Road- This Charming 4 Bedroom 2.5 Bath Home Offers and Comfortable and Inviting Living Space. Relax on the Covered Front Porch. Entry Foyer. Spacious Living Room with Wood Floors, Fireplace, and Stone Accent Wall. Formal Dining Room. The Eat In Kitchen Features Ample Cabinet and Countertop Space, an island, and a pantry. Laundry Room with Cabinets. Den with Tile Floors. Master Bedroom has 2 Closets and a Spacious Bathroom with Large Jetted Tub, Walk In Shower, and Awesome Vanity Space. 3 Additional Bedrooms. Covered Back Porch. In Ground Pool with a Slide and Diving Board. Pond. Workshop.

Nestled on ± 9.63 Acres, Don’t Miss The Video Tour!

Let There Be Light

I bet recently you have gone to the store to grab a light bulb, right? You get to the store and then see an entire aisle of lightbulbs in variations of size, strength, and warmth. Who in the world has the time to stand in this aisle figuring out “all the things” you need in a bulb when you just want to replace what you had? Let’s keep this short, to the point and give you the information you need and a little “cheat sheet” to help you out in the future.

I am not an expert in lighting - yet, as my Aunt Sonya taught me through 20+ years of home design apprenticeship - Did you know the “right” can make or break a room? I promise, you have already noticed this throughout years of walking around into your or another’s home or office and getting different “vibes or feels” from lighting. So - we are going to take a quick course in lighting lumens, Kelvens and wrap up with watts. Guess what? Those strange words above actually will bring one of the cheapest and most beneficial decor to your home.

Let There Be Lumens

Yep - one of the most important aspects of a light bulb is lumens. Simply put - lumens are a measurement of brightness. Bulbs with higher lumen give off more light and vice versa. Don’t worry - in the chart below you can easily decide what “lumen” you need for each area of your home. A lot of people figure lumens and watts are the same - they are not - “watts” measures how much energy a light bulb uses.

Run A Temperature Check

Kelvin? Not just a man’s name - actually a “Kelvin”(K) measures the warmth of the light. Color warmth ranges from around 1,000 to 10,000. To give you some context, a candle gives off around 1,900K light, while a blue sky is 10,000K. This is where you will want to think about the aesthetic of the room, as warm light tends to be cozier, and cool light bulbs are usually brighter and making it better for task lighting.

The Crazy Crafty Chick

Now that we have Lumens and Kelvin’s understanding, we head to the lighting section and still - too many options. There are choices between LED and incandescent bulbs and while the incandescent bulbs are cheaper. Sherri Monte is a Seattle based interior designer at Elegant Simplicity. Monte says to go for the LEDS. The LED bulb lasts 25 times longer and uses 75 percent less energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“LEDs are the present and the future in our book,” Monte explains. They not only last longer, but they offer that gorgeous warm glow to a room. Not to mention, they don’t run as hot. While they’re more of an investment upfront, their life expectancy and energy savings are worth it in the long haul.

I promised a cheat sheet - so here is it. Grab your phone and take a shot so you are not wandering up and down the light aisle next time.

Wanna know the best light you can get without looking at lumens and Kelvins - Philips Huegives you the best of both worlds. And Monte, after some serious research, does suggest sticking with Phillips brand of light bulbs for your “go to” bulb.

So there it is, all you ever wanted to know about lighting and never asked!

I am CRAZY EXCITED to announce that I am officially a contributing author in the NEW book collaboration Girl, Don’t Count Yourself Out: Moms Edition - compiled by Visionary Author, and AWESOME friend Sabrina Thomas. This book is a compilation of 16 diverse stories with women who share lessons learned, inspirational stories and their personal journey of a being mom.

I’m so blessed to be a part of this anthology with such FABULOUS women!

• My chapter is titled “Everything is Figureoutable Except Motherhood”

• Virtual Launch is Saturday, April 29th via Zoom.

• More info coming soon on my personal and business FaceBook Page and Instagram.