It’s been 25 years since Ajax Diner opened its doors on the Oxford Square. Randy Yates, owner, has found success with a great Southern comfort food menu, a funky, family-friendly environment and a fantastic display of folk art, featuring many of Lamar Sorrento’s works. It’s become a food destination in Oxford, and it’s ALWAYS difficult to decide which menu item to order!

Oxford and Lafayette county neighborhoods are looking pretty spooky! We are proud to announce our 2nd Annual Halloween Decorating Contest WINNERS! 1st Price goes to The Pannel Family in the Wellsgate neighborhood!

Some of our buyers specifically state that they do not want to live in a neighborhood that has a HOA (homeowner’s association), but many are happy to have a HOA because they say it keeps the neighborhood looking great. With the help of this realtor.com article, let’s look at what a HOA can actually do.

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. After two life changing experiences with Le Bonheur Hospital, Lauren Cleary, a longtime Oxford resident, wanted to make sure other families were provided both the support and expertise she and her children had received. So, in 2018, the Le Bonheur Kids of North Mississippi organization was founded. It continues to partner directly with Le Bonheur Children's Hospital to ensure all children and their families in the North Mississippi area receive world-class medical care and support.

When you purchased your home or condo, you signed and received a deed showing proof of ownership. The two most common deeds are a warranty deed and a quitclaim deed. A general warranty deed offers the most protection for a new owner, so why would one ever need to get a quitclaim deed?

When most people think of running errands, they think of traffic, long lines, heavy lifting and constant annoyances. One usually doesn’t think of running errands as providing a community service. But that’s exactly WHY Whitney Phillips, owner of Right on Time Errand Services, started her business. She saw a need to lend a helping hand to the busy families, hardworking students and senior citizens of Oxford and Lafayette county.

This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is Signature Flooring. Signature Flooring first opened 12 years ago in Olive Branch by 4 best friends: David Waddle, Bubba Stanton, Andy Stanton & Jason “Jake” Gray. They opened the Oxford store 8 years ago and have focused on providing great customer service and a fantastic range of products. We recently spoke with Jake in Oxford to ask him 3 questions:

As the weather gets cooler, the days get shorter and the sights and sounds of SEC football fill our Saturdays, we know Fall has arrived! With the start of Fall, it’s a good idea to prepare your yard for the winter ahead. Here are some great ideas from realtor.com.

We get this question a lot, particularly from first-time home buyers. What exactly IS earnest money and why is it needed? Let us help explain (along with realtor.com)!

This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is The Wood Shed by JJ. Allen “JJ” Jones was born and raised in Oxford, MS and was a three-sport athlete at Oxford High School. Getting a degree in criminal justice while also playing sports in college, he quickly discovered criminal justice was not for him. After getting sole custody of his 13 year old daughter, he found himself homeless and living with his daughter in his truck in the Walmart parking lot in northern Mississippi. He moved back to Oxford and found creative wood working to not only be his God given gift, but his passion that he has since turned into a successful business. We recently spoke with JJ in Oxford to ask him 3 questions.

Lee Cauthen knows a thing or two about running a successful restaurant on the Oxford Square. Before opening McEwen’s, he managed the popular Downtown Grill (where Boure is currently located). Lee’s cool, calm and kind demeanor are rare to find in a restaurant owner, but it’s what keeps his staff consistent and happy – and that consistency in both staff and delicious food is what keeps McEwen’s one of our favorite Oxford restaurants!

Hardwood floors are loved for their look, shine and durability. However, many people debate the best way to clean hardwood floors. There is definitely a responsibility to owning wood flooring, so let’s take a closer look at this realtor.com article for the best steps to maintaining these floors.

Jane Cross, owner of JANE on the Oxford Square, is the epitome of a successful business woman with fantastic style, and she is also a wonderful human being. JANE was opened 4 years ago with the goal of bringing fashion inspiration and everyday essentials to build the wardrobe of women of all ages. We believe she’s definitely accomplished that goal and helped to provide mentorship to her staff on a regular basis.

Many of our clients who are building a new home decide to put their current home on the market. But what happens when their current home sells and the new home they are building does not close at the same time? It could leave the homeowner homeless for a few months. This is a great scenario for negotiating a “rent-back” agreement on their current home.

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. The Oxford Civic Chorus holds a special place in my heart, as I was its Artistic Director for 5 years and sang in the choir while in college. It was founded in 1998 by University of Mississippi music department professor, Dr. Martha Hitch, and senior music student, Gabriel Statom. This excellent community chorus has been inspiring singers, enriching the community and expanding musical horizons ever since!

With home prices still high, many of you may have considered buying a foreclosure. Foreclosure purchases are up more than 150%! While you may be able to get a deal, you may also be stuck with a very expensive project. Thanks to this recent realtor.com article we can share the 4 most costly dangers to buying a foreclosure.

This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is Something Southern. Founded in 1996, Becki Huelse, ASID, opened her full service retail Interior Design Firm and moved to its current location on the Square in 2002. With her husband, Mark, and a team of great staff, they have retail stores in Oxford and Starkville and travel throughout Mississippi and neighboring states. Something Southern can help with any stage of your design project from initial plan review to final furniture layout and fabric coordination. Their main upholstery suppliers, Rowe Fine Furniture and Norwalk, are both USA based and are making great strides in supply chain issues, keeping their warehouse well stocked. Something Southern is the largest Hunter Douglas Window Covering dealer in the state, proudly representing the products since 2004. We recently met with Mark and Becki in Oxford to ask them 3 questions.

I am just finishing up a kitchen remodel at my personal home. It was a large scale project that we knew would be expensive, but we felt comfortable moving forward due to the fact that we had a wonderful contractor (Oxford Cabinetry and Stone) who explained everything in detail before we began the process. However, there are ways to spruce up your kitchen without breaking the bank. Thanks to this realtor.com article for sharing some tips!

Chef John Currence is known throughout Oxford for his four fantastic restaurants: City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, Boure and Snackbar. These restaurants helped to elevate Oxford’s restaurant scene and continue to draw visitors (and locals) year round. Snackbar continues to be one of our favorite restaurants in Oxford!

When some buyers (and realtors) hear the phrase, “This home is located in a FEMA flood zone,” many will not even look at the property for fear of having to deal with the dreaded flood insurance! But local insurance agent, Kyle Killens of Goosehead Insurance, breaks down exactly what a flood zone is and how flood insurance works.