Shelby County, AL Real Estate, Homes For Sale, School & Area Information

New to Lay Lake? If so, if you are in or near Waxahatchee Creek and are hungry, stop by Layport Marina! They have great hamburgers and a fueling dock as well. Call ahead for easy pickup at (205) 669-7746.

The XTERRA event will be held at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, Alabama, May 21-22, 2016. This is the 11th year the race will be held at Oak Mountain State Park. This year the race is a part of the 10-stop XTERRA Pan American Tour for amateurs and professionals. This race will be a qualifier for the 2016 XTERRA World Championship to be held on October 23, 2016. Expert athletes will compete over a 1.5km swim, 30km mountain bike, and 10km trail run for $15,000 in prize money. There will be 51 spots for amateurs in the World Championship that will be held in October in Maui. A shorter distance sprint race - 750m swim, 15km mountain bike, and 5km trail run - will be offered as well as relay team opportunities.

Did you know that you can receive automatic notifications from the official Shelby County government's website by registering with your email address (see link to the website provided below)? You can opt in for notifications via email or text message about road construction/ conditions, emergency alerts, website updates, calendar events, water services news, training alerts, and more. This is especially helpful for those of us who like to stay informed up to the minute! Unsubscribe and manage your notifications at any time using your email address to sign in.

Join other runners Saturday, May 7th, for a 10K, 50K, as well as a 12 hour run. All proceeds from this event will go to benefit Camp Smile A Mile. (see link to Camp Smile a Mile's website below) Camp Smile a Mile is a program for children with cancer in Alabama.

The races will be held on the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail and the Lake Trail located inside of Oak Mountain State Park. Located at 200 Terrace Drive in Pelham, Oak Mountain State Park is a wonderful place to bring the entire family for fresh air, exercise, and on May 7th, to support a good cause!

U.S. News & World Report have named three Shelby County schools on the 2016 Best High Schools list for Alabama. The three schools are Spain Park High School at number 8, Oak Mountain High School at number 11 and Chelsea High School at number 24. All three schools were awarded a silver medal based on this ranking.

International music duo Four Shillings Short will be performing a St. Patrick's Day concert on Saturday, March 12th from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the North Shelby County Library located on Highway 119. Celebrating the traditions of Ireland through song, poetry, and storytelling, "kids" of all ages are sure to enjoy this special treat! No registration is required, but be sure to wear something green in honor of this celebration of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day.

Located on Doug Baker Blvd, approximately 13 miles from downtown Birmingham via Highway 280, the Village at Lee Branch serves the eastern 280 corridor including communities like Greystone, Highland Lakes, Brook Highland, Eagle Point, and Meadowbrook.

Developed in 2003, the open air shopping center has over 500,000 square feet of retail space. Publix, Academy Sports, Rave Motion Pictures, Hobby Lobby, hair salons, gift shops, and dozens of restaurants such as Bella Cucina, Taziki's, The Melting Pot, Five Guy's, Pablo's Restaurante and Cantina make The Village at Lee Branch a popular shopping destination.

Shelby County Commission has agreed to help fund the construction of more bicycle lanes in the Oak Mountain State Park. The "lanes" are planned to connect with a City of Pelham project, two miles from 119 to John Findlay Drive. Always remember to "Share the Road", but in the Oak Mountain State Park bicycling will be much safer after these projects are complete.

I moved to the Caldwell Mill/Altadena area about six months ago and it has proven to be the ideal location. It is ten minutes (max) from grocery, shopping, school, office, parks, interstate 459 and 65, and local restaurants. The convenience of this area has proven to far outweigh the concern of downsizing. It gives new personal meaning to "Location, Location, Location"!!

Did you know that on March 1 of 2016 there is a vote about the Shelby County Liquor Law in regards to Sunday sales? Did you know that in Shelby County liquor can be sold on Sunday at some establishments? Why is that? So is it about Sunday? Or money? You decide and then vote March 1.

The US 280 corridor -- an area in high demand. Many new subdivisions are coming to the area. Just to name a few ... Brock Point off Shelby County 41, Wide Oak Manor off Shelby County 47 and Laurel Grove behind Heardmont Park. The developers are starting to resurface with new projects.. a great sign that the Birmingham housing market is rebounding.

We've been headed east on Highway 280 and we've finally made it to Harpersville, but before you go over the hill into town be sure to look to the left. There, holding court over the metal yard art and pottery pieces for sale is the largest green metal frog you have ever seen. Twenty feet tall? I expect so. And she's sitting there, hat in hand, waiting to greet anyone who stops by. You can't help but smile as you pull over to take her picture! It's been a long trip so far, so when you reach the traffic light be sure to stop at Jack's for the best Bacon Cheeseburger and Peach milkshake in this part of the county!

For the third and final leg of our journey from Chelsea to Harpersville we've passed the White House and crossed Highway 55. Just down the road on your left is Rambo Marine, one of the largest and most family-friendly boat dealerships in Alabama.

Another 1-1/2 miles past Rambo Marine is Rock School Road on the right. Turn there and take the first dirt road on the left. In several miles you'll find The Westervelt Company's little known Yellowleaf Mitigation Bank along Yellowleaf Creek (which flows to Lay Lake). This 547 acre land bank project is undeveloped land that remains in its natural state and provides developers an alternative solution for stream and wetland impacts while sustaining forest and wildlife. Protected within its borders are two extremely rare and endangered mussel species and the Cahaba Lily plant.

Back to "civilization" and Highway 280. Caution, check your speed! You're approaching Harpersville and the speed limit suddenly drops to 55 and then quickly down to 40 in less than a mile.

Next time - a tour of Harpersville. There is a rich history to be discovered and several attractions that will surprise you, so plan to spend some time seeing what this small town has to offer!

Have you ever wondered what's in Shelby County past Chelsea? Come with me on the second leg of our tour!

Not quite two miles past the Clock Tower at Highway 55 in Westover is the 1875 home known as the White House. Look for the big For Sale banner on the side.

Until several years ago the White House was home to an antiques store and formal tea room that served High Tea every day on the enclosed side porch. I always felt so elegant as they served dainty bowls of soup and brought finger sandwiches, little scones with lemon curd, fruit and tiny dessert bites on tall three-tiered china serving plates while presenting a different tea in delicate china teapots with every course served.

Next time - County Road 55 to Rock School Road

Have you ever wondered what's in Shelby County past Chelsea? Everyone is familiar with North Shelby County, but there is a rich culture still waiting to be discovered in the 17 miles from Chelsea to the county line at Lay Lake.

Before you hit the road, start in Chelsea with lunch at Hartley's Down Home Kitchen, a meat-and-three cafeteria that will rival your grandmother's Sunday dinner (be sure to get the peach cobbler)! Heading out of town look on the right for the Clock Tower at Chelsea Park, a landmark the 'locals' use to express distance (as in I'm on Old Highway 280 directly across from the Clock Tower as the crow flies).

Built by Signature Homes, Edenton contains individually styled buildings each housing two to five townhomes. The green spaces separating most buildings creates a park-like atmosphere and have been used for weddings and celebrations. The private pool is a great place to meet your neighbors. Each home has two to four bedrooms and two car garages (most on the main level except for the basement homes). Homes are priced from the mid $100's to the mid $200's. Located just off Hwy 280, you'll be 5 minutes from I-459 and the upscale Summit shopping area.

ELofts are the newest addition to Edenton. Each has New York-style loft ceilings, European designed stairwells, brick interior accent walls and many upgrades you won't find anywhere else in this price range (mid to high $100's). Two and three bedroom units, courtyard patios and parking at your front and/or rear door. There is nothing like these in Birmingham and yet only 15 minutes to downtown.

Situated between Oak Mountain and Double Oak Mountain, Greystone Farms is a gated community of 400 acres of beautifully wooded, rolling terrain. Comprised of six distinct neighborhoods, Greystone Farms has something for everyone. Choices include garden/patio homes to a neighborhood with basement homes for the growing family Each neighborhood has a different architectural style and prices range from the mid $100's to the mid $400's. The Farmhouse (club house) is available for socializing or can be used for hosting lake front parties. The lake is 14 acres and is fully stocked for the fisherman. Students attend the award winning Hoover Schools.

Built by Signature Homes, Beaumont consists of manor homes and cottages reflecting the architectural grandeur of Charleston, SC. All homes have either wrap-around porches or balconies and some overlook beautiful Lake Heather and a nature trail for those quiet walks. Prices range from the low $200's to the upper $400's. Conveniently located just off of Hwy 280, neighborhood shopping is less than a five minute walk away. The Summit Shopping Center at the intersection of Hwy 280 and I-459 is a short five minute drive.

Begun in the late 1980's, Brook Highland has over 1,000 homes on 700 acres of rolling, wooded hills. A number of homes located on the ridge have magnificent views of Oak and Double Oak Mountains. Resales are currently priced from the mid $200's to $700,000. Swim and tennis memberships are available at a reasonable cost. Very convenient to shopping and restaurants including The Summit (an upscale mall).