RETURN TO HOMEA conversation with Mara Hawks, First Realty, Auburn, Alabama
AUBURN ALABAMA, a rising star…
Becoming best known for its University and top-ranking SEC Football, Auburn, Alabama is rising rapidly in the charts with increasing, national recognition for its year-round benefits for families and retirees.
In 2009, U.S.News & World Report reviewed Auburn with other growing towns across America, and ranked Auburn as the 2nd best place to live. This town scores big for its southern charm and collegiate vigor, but that is only icing on the cake of community development and layers of a historically sound economic growth.
Auburn’s proximity to world class golf courses, a state park, a flourishing small business network that facilitates vital, community outreach, the preservation of cultural arts, and a consistent, national rating for one of the top 100 school systems in the nation, all contribute in making Auburn Alabama a wonderful place to live.
But it wasn’t always this way. . .
Judging a city by its YEARS
HISTORY – a brief timeline, a bright future
CREEK INDIANS are the indigenous people of the Alabama land now known as Auburn. The young men played a game called afvcketv (pronounced ah-futch-kitt-uh), a stickball game, similar to lacrosse. There was no football.
1836 – The first settlers arrived in the moon of wintertime, from Harris County, Georgia.
1839 – Auburn, a town of two square miles, was incorporated. Still, there was no football.
1856 – State legislature chartered a Methodist college, the East Alabama Male College in Auburn.
1859 – The college, now known as Auburn University, opened its doors, offering classical and liberal education
1861 – Auburn quickly emptied with the advent of the Civil War. All of the schools closed, and most businesses shut down. The town became the site of a hospital for Confederate soldiers. During this time of war and unsettlement, fires gutted the downtown area of Auburn.
1872 – The college was turned over to the state, and was given a new direction as a land grant institution, and renamed Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College (A&M College).
1892 – The college became the first four-year college in Alabama to go co-ed, with implied acknowledgement of women as intelligent, interested learners and equal members of the human race. This leap of awareness, along with growing interest in scientific agriculture and engineering, allowed Auburn to begin expanding once again, with new funding from business licensing.
1910– And then there was football . . . and the enrollment of women who cheered the team on to SIAA Conference championships, bringing attention and economic support to Auburn.
1920 – Economy began to relapse with the collapse of cotton prices, followed by The Great Depression of the 30’s. The state could no longer fund the college. The domino effect for Auburn residents, who had grown with the economy that was tethered to the college, began to barter and exchange services for goods, and reaching out to each other. The heart of the community was fortified.
1939 – World War II turned Auburn’s campus into a training ground for technical specialists in the armed forces.
1945 – Auburn was bombarded by soldiers returning to school on the G.I. Bill, triggering a steady surge of growth that carried on through the 60’s.
1957 – Construction of Interstate 85 began, creating a shorter distance between Auburn and footBall. More football games could be played as HOME games, with easier travel and road access. Major roads paved a springtime to tourism, an ever strengthening component for Auburn’s economy.
1960 – The college was renamed Auburn University
1970 – A series of state budget cuts woke up local leaders to the fact that Auburn’s sole, economic reliance on the University was basically holding the city’s sustainability hostage. They began contemplating a plan to reduce this risky business and plan for a solid, economically sound future.
1980 – A mayor-council structure of government was implemented, replacing an ineffectual city council. Jan Dempsey was elected as mayor. With a new government in place, and an artistic visionary behind its wheel, the city began aggressively pursuing industry, leading to a nearly 1,200% increase in the number of industrial jobs over the next twenty years. As public satisfaction with the city administration reached record levels, Auburn began rapid residential growth.
1990 – Auburn public school system is applauded in the top ranks, statewide and nationally. This ringing school bell attracted phenomenal growth.
1999 – The Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center was constructed to better serve the artistic needs of our community and provide residents and visitors with access to an outstanding schedule of art exhibitions, orchestra concerts, lectures, art and theatre classes, art education programs and special events for children and adults. A pivotal leader for Auburn’s growth, Jan Dempsey’s original mission included the intent to ‘exceed expectations’ in promoting art initiatives and participation in the community.
2003 – It was noted that, since the dawn of Jan Dempsey leadership in the City of Auburn City Council, Auburn’s population had grown by 65% and the economy had expanded 220%.
2009 – U.S. World and News Report named Auburn Alabama number two on its list of small town, best places to live in America.
2010 – In spite of national and world economy, Auburn remains on a winning streak… in football, in education, in hospitality… in the presentation and cultivation of arts and goodwill, in research with primary areas of focus in wireless engineering, molecular biosciences, transportation, aquaculture, and forest sustainability…in a strong spirit of community that seeks to learn and strives to portray the heart of this land, which is green and growing and giving… and most essentially, sustainable.
Judging a city by its HOUSING
At least one third of Auburn’s approximately 60,000 residents are University students. The housing market accommodates a diverse population of families, students, professionals and retirees, offering condominiums, duplexes and townhomes, from basic to deluxe, and a broad range of single family homes, from historical and renovated to a lot of newer construction homes with. Steady commercial growth continues to develop, increasing employment opportunities and greater economic immersion in world commerce activity.
GAME DAY properties are also popular sales with loyal fans and alumni who no longer live in the Auburn area.
The average median home sales price for a single family home in Auburn, from January through October of 2010 is $210,750 and $105 per square foot. The number of residential sales so far is 230, with 150 of these being brand new construction.
Condominium, attached and townhome sales for this same timeframe is 173, of which 16 were new construction. The median sales price is $129,000 and $100.81 per square foot.
The sliding, national economy has meant sliding sales and home prices in the past two years, creating a current buyers market (2010), and the lowest interest rates ever recorded.
It’s indeed a great time to buy a home in Auburn Alabama, because you can buy some of the area’s best homes with an unheard of mortgage rate!
Property taxes in Lee County are based on land use, rather than land value, which is a most attractive factor, too, for buying a home. In states like California, once you find a home you can afford, you often learn that you cannot afford the steep taxes, which are based on the supreme value of land in many areas.
My best advice for BUYERS in one of the last of two buyer beware states left in our country, is summed up in two pictures, valued at 1000 words apiece:
Judging a city by its NEIGHBORS
Growing alongside of each other like fraternal twins, Auburn and Opelika are a closely related pair, comprising the main geography, history, economic and housing development, and cross-cultural arts menu for all of Lee County Alabama. Opelika borders Auburn’s northeast side. You really can’t talk too long about Auburn without introducing Opelika, because they are closely intertwined, just like family.
Auburn is less than a gas tank away from surrounding cities of Columbus, GA (40 miles) Montgomery, AL (60 miles) Atlanta, GA (109 miles) and Birmingham, AL (120 miles).
Plenty of lakes, rivers and creeks can be found in this region, right in Lee County or in less than a half-hours drive from Auburn. Lake Condy, Lake Harding, Lake Martin, Great Rock Lake, West Point Lake, Chattahoochee River, Saugahatchee Creek, Flat Shoals River, Lees Lake, and some beautiful waterfalls at Chewacla State Park. And it’s a half-day drive to Gulf Shores.
The last foothill of the Applachian Mountains lies in Chewacla State Park, located in southern Auburn. This is where 1.05 billion-year-old Appalachian rock meets the coastal plain, a totally awesome inclusion in the diverse geology and topography of the Auburn Alabama region.
Judging a city by its TREES (green factor)
I learned of a recent home for sale in Auburn that harbors what is most likely the oldest water oak tree in the State. It was recently restored with removal of ivy and trimming back of branches, and reviewed, I was told, by researchers from the Forestry Department of AU, who were able to determine this status.
In 1999, the Auburn City Council recognized the real estate development threshold that Auburn was standing upon, about to be carried over into the new century with significant growth. They established a Greenspace Task Force that studied existing sidewalk and open space conditions and proposed a greenway master plan. Today, this master plan identifies corridors for alternative non-motorized transportation and enhances environmental protection of natural wildlife and fauna. In 2001, the task force was restructured as the Greenspace Advisory Board for the City Council. This Board advocates Auburn’s history of interest in and concern about open space preservation, and advises on all real estate development and methods for land acquisition. They also continue to maintain a system of development incentives that assist in conserving greenspace, natural resources, parks and walking and biking trails in Lee County.
When I moved here from a big city in 2003, I was impressed with the vast forests in this state, and have since learned that Alabama plants and re-plants more trees than any other one of our United States. One of the things I love about living in Lee County is the farmlands. While not working farms, many still keep cows and horses, goats and sheep in their pastures. These rural scenes are all over Auburn, creating poetic contrasts for the residential neighborhoods, and you never feel like you’ve wandered too far away from inherent roots of simplicity. Besides the tree population, you have plenty of four-legged neighbors. If you are walking on some of the trails along Highway 14 or Shug Jordan Parkway or Moores Mill or Ogletree Road, you can often greet them ‘good day’ because you are that close! (And they always smile back at you.)
Speaking of famous trees in Auburn, I can’t fail to mention the oak tree at Auburn’s infamous Toomer’s Corner. It’s an icon for victory, as roll after roll of toilet paper has flocked the branches after winning games since the 1940’s. This is not a victory for the oak tree, however, as the constant ruckus and cleanups have clearly taken their toll on a living, breathing tree. Hopefully a new and alternative victory dance will soon become a new tradition and let this lovely tree have its own victory with a much needed rest. Maybe a virtual tree with a supersized, live screen positioned on the corner, catching all the war eagle streams of text messaging, or perhaps a life-sized, polymer model of the tree, planted in its place—with a flush handle!
Judging a city by its BOOKS *
Being a lover of books and stories, I discovered that Auburn Alabama has a strong, literary spine.
Ralph Brown Draughon Library (Alabama’s largest library)
The Ralph Brown Draughon Library is named in honor of Ralph Brown Draughon, president of Auburn University from 1947 to 1965, and a moving force behind the construction of the original portion of the Library. With the completion of a 207,000 square foot addition in 1991, the Library has a seating capacity of 2,500 designed to serve the study, teaching, and research needs of Auburn students, faculty, and staff.
Charles Cary Veterinary Medical Library
The Veterinary Medical Library provides services and collections which primarily support the teaching, clinical applications, and research of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Secondarily, the Library assists other Auburn University faculty, staff and students, especially in the fields of agriculture, biological sciences, home economics, nursing and pharmacy.
Library of Architecture, Design, & Construction
Located in Dudley Hall Commons adjacent to the Graves Amphitheater at the end of Bibb Graves Drive, the Library of Architecture, Design and Construction houses a collection of materials covering architecture, interior design, building science, industrial design, landscape architecture, community planning, and art. The 35,000 volume collection complements but does not duplicate fine arts materials held in the RBD Library and includes over 85 current periodicals
Media and Digital Resource Lab
The Media and Digital Resource Laboratory (MDRL) at RBD Library was established in 2004 to help Auburn University students and faculty create and use multimedia materials in their class assignments, projects and scholarly research. By providing access to the latest multimedia hardware and software, together with the on-site technical expertise needed to use these resources, the MDRL has become a centerpiece of learning through technology at the Library. The MDRL staff consists of four full time employees each of whom brings a unique level and range of skills. The staff is supported by student employees from many different academic areas who work one on one with patrons to help them make their ideas a reality, and hopefully, teach them something about the technology along the way. The staff and students in the MDRL are committed to serving the multimedia technology needs of Auburn University students and faculty in all academic disciplines
Special Collections & Archives
The Special Collections & Archives Department of the Auburn University Libraries is located on the Ground Floor of Ralph Brown Draughon Library and houses published and unpublished materials which, because of their uniqueness or condition, require special care and handling.
The Learning Commons
The Draughon Library provides students with a Learning Commons, a one-stop, flexible space configured to provide a conducive and inspired atmosphere for individuals or group study. A Caribou Coffee center provides warmth and aromatherapy for bookworms, with easy access to The Miller Writing Center, Study Partners, Office of Information Technology help desk and library reference services.
The combined collections of the Auburn University Libraries contain over 3 million volumes as well as 2.6 million government documents, 2.5 million microforms, and over 148,000 maps. The Libraries receive over 35,000 current periodicals, many which are available online.
The library also provides access to over 227 electronic databases and has over 10 million archival and manuscript items.
* [With exception to The Learning Commons text, information on Auburn University Libraries is reproduced from http://www.lib.auburn.edu/about/]
The Auburn Public Library hosts story-related youth activities, for toddlers through teens. Cardholders and visitors have access to an extensive collection of books, audio books, CD’s, video tapes, and many other resources including Wi-Fi, digitally-based reference materials, and the Alabama Virtual Library.
The Gnus Room, located at the corner shops on Gay and Samford Streets, makes me feel as though I have entered the hidden away home of a hedgehog, with rolling wafts of Mama Mocha’s Coffee drifting through nooks of books and around dog-eared cornered pages. Like a forest of secrets with endless discoveries, The Gnus Room packs its shelves with Used, Rare & Out of Print Books. There’s a lot of traveling one can do from an armchair, with a cup of freshly roasted coffee. This wonderful hideaway houses the only coffee roaster in Auburn. A drink with a think and Gnus you can use!
Judging a city by a few other INTERESTING FACTS
Ø The Southeastern Raptor Center of Auburn is the Southeast’s only full-service medical and rehabilitation center for birds of prey in the Southeast.
Ø The United Nations selected Auburn University as their lead academic partner in their campaign for war on world hunger.
Ø Auburn is one of five universities in the country with the capability and expertise to conduct research into nuclear waste storage for recycling
Ø Auburn students are involved with the world-renowned Rural Studio that builds inspiring, innovative and practical homes to benefit citizens of west Alabama.
Ø An Urban Modeling Lab is helping the town of Cheng Du, China, rebuild from the massive 2008 earthquake.
Ø The United Nations World Food Program chose Auburn University as its lead academic partner in the international War on Hunger campaign.
Ø Auburn is home to the training of wounded soldiers in the science of digital forensics so they can become cyber security investigators. Auburn is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) and will assist in the training.
Ø Auburn represents the State as the recipient of the Southern Growth Policies Innovator Award. The University’s Natural Resources Management & Development Institute offers its outstanding program that encourages economic opportunities relating to bio-products, alternative energy, and energy efficiency.
Lee County is waiting for YOUR story. Thinking of moving anywhere? Consider Auburn, Alabama. For starters, we offer excellent education and a winning football team. But that’s only the beginning… WAR EAGLE!
About Mara Hawks: Since moving to Auburn in 2004, she joined the team at FIRST REALTY, the #1 Real Estate Team in Lee County, Alabama, and the leader in professional real estate services in the Auburn-Opelika area since 1976. Her goal as a licensed REALTOR® is for you to experience excellence and results with her unrelenting commitment to you, whether buying or selling property. The author greets change and challenges with a positive attitude and an energetic outlook. Continuing education in real estate is vital to her success and yours, and she continues to learn and stay up to speed with market shifts and tools of the trade. Her attention to details, ability to communicate clearly, and a team member of a vast pool of knowledge of the Lee County and surrounding areas, ensures that you are in capable, professional hands. Mara is a trained Buyers Agent and active member of LCAR, NAR and AAR. Having the experience of living in small towns, metro cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver) and several years working overseas (South Africa), she has a heart for world cultures, a learned ability to address varied dimensions of need and concern for corporate-owned properties, investment properties, and families relocating.
“I offer you excellence in the services I can provide as your REALTOR®. HOW MAY I HELP YOU?”
Mara Hawks
FIRST REALTY, A RealtySouth Company
1725 E University Dr
Auburn, AL 36830
(O) 334.826.0111
(M) 334.524.2220
http://auburnalabamahomefinder.com
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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com