January 2014

4611 Glenford Road in Sparta, Georgia is for sale for $50,000.   When this Georgia peach of a fixer-upper popped up among CIRCA's listings, I knew I just had to help get it into the right hands. This house makes me think of some of the downtrodden old buildings I pass by here in New York City that make me wonder, “Just what happened to you, ol’ gal?” Surrounded by acres of pecan trees and...

I'll admit -- it feels just a tad funny preparing this week's "10 Houses Under $50,000" post while waiting to watch Downton Abbey. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I've picked out 10 houses this week that, with a little elbow grease, I could grow to love as much as the Crawley's love their great estate. I hope you enjoy! (As always, click on the top photo of each property to be taken to the...

I have a house crush. And it's serious. As someone who's been able to craft a career around old house eye candy, I can assure you that I've seen my fair share of beautiful homes. But every once in a while a house comes along that is so special that it deserves its own CIRCA Magazine post. Saxton Hall, along the lovely banks of the Hudson River (just 50 miles from NYC!) is one such place. Best part? It's...

56 Shore Drive in Port Haywood, Virginia is for sale for $249,500. Hey, CIRCA fans: ever dream of getting away from it all? Then why not hop on your motor boat and take a tour of an historic 1894 caisson lighthouse with me?! This could be one unique house for someone looking for a little peace and quiet (with a dash of calming sea air mixed in). I’m already in love with the fact it’s just off the coast...

Yesterday, CIRCA received a big-time endorsement from Country Living magazine, which called us a "must visit site!" I have been reading Country Living for years, and their endorsement means the world. On behalf of all the old houses on CIRCA seeking families, THANK YOU COUNTRY LIVING!!!  ...

Being a historic preservation professional married to the director of a creative agency, I am constantly being challenged to appreciate the value of new things as much as I love the past (before I met Ethan, I would happily have plotted my overseas time travel to 1920s London and never looked back, even if it meant being dead by now). Ethan's perspective has opened my eyes to the incredible ways in which...

On Saturday, my husband Ethan and I spent the day "unplugged." This is something we had been doing religiously for several months a while back, but over time (and as our online lives took off!) it somehow slipped away from us. But this weekend we rekindled the tradition and spent the day doing things around the apartment that had been piling up for weeks, talking and playing with Banjo (who, as many of you...

607 N Main Street in Winton, North Carolina is for sale for $50,000. Every now and again I come across a heartbreaker of a fixer-upper, and today’s Queen Anne in Winton, North Carolina is just that. But, you know what? It’s a new year. And with a new year comes high hopes that someone out there has the vision and determination to turn things around for the c. 1890 Northcott-Jordan House. Have you heard...

In Going Home, the faces behind CIRCA share our personal stories of the old houses and historic places that have shaped our lives. Today, Cristiana shares her thoughts on her home in the Black Hills of South Dakota. As an added bonus, we've thrown in some old houses for sale around the area! (Photo above shows the City of Deadwood c. 1900, and is courtesy of the Library of Congress.)   Setting: Home...

Ah, Monday. Everyone's favorite day. Well, I have good news: It's 10 Houses Under $50,000 day! See, now doesn't that make things better? I promise you're going to LOVE this week's picks, all of which weigh in the low end of the economic spectrum. As always, click the top photo of each listing to be taken to the listing site!   This week's picks, right this...

702 Washington Street, Montpelier, Idaho is for sale for $51,500. While winter may not be my favorite time of year, there’s one thing I do love about it: the excuse to stay inside and sew to my heart’s content! And you can bet that when I saw today’s fixer-upper in Montpelier, Idaho I found the perfect place to do just that (plus, I’m a sucker for small historic bungalows). This modest Tudor...

In Going Home, the faces behind CIRCA share our personal stories of the old houses that have shaped our lives. Today, Dana tells of visiting her mother's childhood home in historic, Victorian Jersey City, NJ.   When I told my parents I wanted to make a career out of historic preservation they didn't quite know what I meant. "So, you'll be an architect," asserted my dad. "You mean fixing old bricks?"...