From the early 1970s, these two are a little later than the homes I typically feature. But it is clear they were dream homes when built and still have a lot of panache. For $639,500 you get soaring ceilings, 14.5 acres, a barn and a private pond.
http://tinyurl.com/nfo3wq
If you can find a bit more change under the sofa cushions you can get this nifty Asian-inspired place with 44 acres and a bigger pond! A mere $695,000.
http://tinyurl.com/me7cbp
Now, let's come back into town. This one in Hoover is sort of traditional-ranch-meets-mod. So if you just want to dip your toe into the mod world, but have 6(!) bedrooms in a nice neighborhood, this is the one for you for $326,000. (Check out the mailbox -- it's a scale model of the house!).
http://tinyurl.com/mx4x5s
Now over to Vestavia for $319,500. To me, this one looks like a cover shot for Better Homes and Gardens, ca. 1967 -- landscaping and all.
http://tinyurl.com/m2tl7a
The next two are in Crestline Gardens, which is a city tract from 1958 that was built about the same time Eastwood Mall (R.I.P.) was built (the first air conditioned mall in the South!) It's really the only good-sized mod tract in Birmingham. The houses are small, often 2/1 or 3/1, and there are maybe 5 floor plans to choose from. But they are close-in, convenient to the interstate and have remain reasonably priced. Elder is the main drag through the neighborhood. Get yourself to Montevallo Road and Elder, go South on Elder, and you will be in amongst 'em.
For $209,500, a cute place and the right to say "I live on Cinnamon Street":
http://tinyurl.com/lmy2mn
And for only $149,000:
http://tinyurl.com/noj9vh
I really like this one in Forest Park -- probably the premier city neighborhood (folks in Redmont and Highland Park may argue the point, but . . . they don't have the mods) For $229,900, a deal.
http://tinyurl.com/m4xogp
And just to show that mods often appear where least expected, here is one in Smithfield, a city neighborhood that has its challenges. But this is a lot of hip for $60,500!
http://tinyurl.com/lwdffr
Awesome finds. There were a couple other ones I saw going through all the '53-'63 homes on MLS that I'll try to send links to you if you want them. What's so frustrating about the gorgeous MCM homes in Vestavia and Mountain Brook (which is mostly where the more open, spacious, glass-ladden MCMs are) is that you end up paying so much more just due to the desirability of their school systems. It would be amazing if you could track down any original home owners or architects of these houses and do an interview with them. I'm terribly interested in all this. I really love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI totally enjoyed going through these pictures. There's hardly any MCMs in this area, let alone that goes on the market. I don't know if it'd be wise for me to blog about it because it'd be such a dead blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all of these pictures and links! :)
I enjoy your modern meanderings! My boss John Fuller designed the Crestline Gardens houses (now Fuller & Thompson Architects, Inc.). We finally joined THIS century, though, and put up a website. There are some examples of John's modern and contemporary work up at www.fuller-thompson.com . Thanks for sharing your finds with us!
ReplyDeleteWe live in a very unique MCM home in old Hoover not far from the Hoover Country Club. We are only the second owners. We bought it from the architect who actually designed and built it for his family in 1959. It has been very well maintained and carefully updated. We have not yet officially put it on the market but plan to soon. I would love to send photos if anyone is interested in seeing it before we list it.
ReplyDelete