Southern Living – Finding a House in The Backwoods

        Housing is not always hard to find in Northern Florida.  Ole Jim Walters had some fairly good salesman, apparently, and his matchbox wonders can still be found littering the land.  There are about four types of houses in the northwest corner of Florida.  First off, there are the fancy low slung brick ranchers.  You know the kind, with a porch that stretches the whole front of the house, with 4-6 rockers or a glider comfortably placed for “setting’ a spell.”  Always a very classy wreath that matches the season decorating the front door, a few classically placed shrubs for foundation planting.  These all owned by middle class farmers, ranchers, or preachers of the area, and some come complete with swimming pools, equipment barns, livestock or grain bins, and acres and acres of land.

                The second choice is the other odd assortment of historic home or old homesteads, often built by settlers, sheltered by ancient oaks or beautiful pecan trees.  Many times of log or board and batten construction.  These too are equipped with shady porches, but much more practical, being screened, and without even trying to have a “country” motif, hold antique furnishings that your neighbor up north would pay a ransom for.  You almost never see these houses for sale.  They are passed down from generation to generation, family homes, full of warmth, memories and pure country folk.

                On down the line, there are the do-it-yourself shelters assembled during the early years of the “back to the land” movement, built from recycled materials; refurbished chicken houses, gone by the wayside motels and defunct churches.   These most often are inhabited by ageing hippies, living their lifestyle more often than not with the aid of the government as they collect their disability or pension checks.

                Finally, in our price range, it was back to the Jim Walter Home.  Now old Jim had some pretty pursuasive salesman in the south during the past 20-30 years.  A couple of acres here, and a couple of acres there, slap up a shell; you finish it off, save all kinds of money.  You know the spiel.   Never pay rent again, don’t buy someone else’s dream, build your own.