𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡: 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗗𝗔𝗬

Move to Auburn and you’ll quickly discover that Auburn, Alabama, can look very different on an ordinary Tuesday than it does on an Auburn football Saturday.

If you’re considering moving to Auburn, I absolutely think you should experience the excitement of a football weekend.

Come for Homecoming.

See Jordan-Hare Stadium filled with Auburn fans.

Walk around campus.

Experience the tailgating.

Visit Toomer’s Corner.

But then come back.

Come back on an ordinary weekday when there isn’t a football game, Homecoming parade or major Auburn University event.

Drive through neighborhoods.

Go to the grocery store.

Travel the roads you might use for work.

See what Downtown Auburn feels like.

Pay attention to traffic during normal commuting hours.

Because a football weekend shows you Auburn’s traditions and energy.

An ordinary weekday shows you something equally important:

What living here may actually feel like.

𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦

• Why Visit Auburn More Than Once?
• Move to Auburn: Experience a Normal Weekday
• Drive the Neighborhoods
• Test Your Potential Commute
• Visit the Grocery Stores and Shopping Areas
• Spend Time Around Downtown Auburn
• Look Beyond Distance on a Map
• Compare Auburn on a Weekday With Game Day
• Auburn Homecoming Weekend
• Jordan-Hare Stadium and Tailgating
• Thach and Haley Center Concourses
• Homecoming Floats and Alumni
• Toomer’s Corner After the Win
• Buying a Home in Auburn
• Selling a Home in Auburn
• Quick Q&A
• Auburn Real Estate Resources
• Work With Laura Sellers

𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡: 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗔 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗗𝗔𝗬

If you’re serious about a move to Auburn, try to experience the city under ordinary conditions.

A relocation trip does not have to be complicated.

You’re simply paying attention to the things that could affect your everyday routine.

What does traffic feel like around the time you would normally leave for work?

How long does it actually take to get from a neighborhood you’re considering to your workplace?

Where would you buy groceries?

How convenient are the places you expect to visit regularly?

What does the area surrounding a house feel like when thousands of football visitors are not in town?

My Move to Auburn guide is a good starting point if you’re beginning your Auburn relocation research.

𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗦

A house is more than bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.

Location affects everyday life.

If you have identified several areas that interest you, drive through them at different times.

See how the streets connect.

Notice the types of homes.

Look at the surrounding roads.

Consider the distance to places important to you.

Auburn has established neighborhoods, newer subdivisions, condominiums, townhomes and homes at varying distances from Auburn University.

You can start comparing communities through my Auburn subdivisions guide.

You can also read my Auburn and Opelika neighborhood questions and answers when you’re beginning to narrow your search.

𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗧𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘

A map can tell you how many miles separate two places.

It cannot completely show you what your daily routine will feel like.

If you are moving to Auburn for a position with Auburn University, consider driving from potential neighborhoods toward campus around the time you would normally commute.

If your job is elsewhere in Auburn or Opelika, do the same thing.

Try the route.

See the intersections.

Pay attention to normal weekday traffic.

Someone relocating for an Auburn University position can also start with my Relocate to Auburn guide.

𝗚𝗢 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗘

Yes, really.

If you want to know what living somewhere feels like, do some ordinary things.

Go to the grocery store.

Stop for coffee.

Drive to the pharmacy.

Get gas.

Have lunch.

Run a few errands.

Those ordinary trips can tell you something that a carefully planned weekend visit may not.

You aren’t going to spend every day at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

You are going to need groceries.

𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚

Where you choose to live can affect how convenient your regular errands feel.

Depending on the part of Auburn you’re considering, you may also want to drive toward Opelika and see the shopping and dining options around Tiger Town.

Do not simply ask, “Is shopping nearby?”

Ask yourself whether the location works for the places you personally expect to use.

𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡

Downtown Auburn on an ordinary weekday gives you another perspective.

Walk around.

Have lunch.

See what the streets feel like without a major football crowd.

Look at the relationship between downtown and the Auburn University campus.

If being close to downtown is important to you, experience it when you would realistically use it.

𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗦

Two Auburn homes can appear relatively close together on a map and still offer different daily routines.

That is why buyers should think about more than distance.

Consider:

• Your workplace
• Auburn University access
• Normal traffic patterns
• Grocery shopping
• Restaurants and shopping
• Property type
• Parking
• Yard and maintenance preferences
• Neighborhood or HOA restrictions
• Your preferred amount of activity around you

If schools are part of your decision, use official information from Auburn City Schools and verify the information that matters to your household.

𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗔 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗩𝗦. 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬

Both experiences tell you something useful.

Auburn on an Ordinary Weekday	Auburn on a Football Weekend
Normal commuting patterns	Game-day traffic
Everyday errands	Tailgating
Regular neighborhood activity	Thousands of visitors
Typical grocery trips	Busy restaurants and stores
Normal campus routine	Jordan-Hare Stadium crowds
Daily Auburn life	Auburn traditions and football energy

One is not the “real” Auburn and the other fake.

They are both Auburn.

That is exactly why I recommend seeing both.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚

Homecoming is almost the opposite of an ordinary Auburn weekday.

And that is part of what makes it special.

Alumni come back.

Parents and visitors arrive.

Students participate in traditions.

Campus fills with activity.

Orange and blue are everywhere.

Auburn football becomes the centerpiece of Saturday.

It is one of those weekends when you can understand why people remain connected to Auburn long after graduation.

𝗝𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗡-𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗨𝗠 𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗗

Jordan-Hare Stadium on a Homecoming Saturday is certainly not ordinary Auburn.

That’s the point.

Auburn football brings tens of thousands of people together in the middle of town.

Tailgating begins hours before kickoff.

Families and friends gather.

Alumni return.

The band, shakers, Aubie and familiar Auburn traditions are everywhere.

You can learn more about the stadium through Jordan-Hare Stadium on Auburn Athletics.

𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡’𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗦

Homecoming weekend brought plenty of tailgating around Auburn University.

Tents covered areas around campus.

There was food, football, music and people spending the day together.

If football is one of the reasons you love Auburn, experiencing a Saturday like that matters.

If you are considering living close to campus, seeing that level of activity matters too.

 

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘

The Haley Center area is another place where you can see the contrast.

Homecoming brings alumni, visitors and football-weekend activity.

A regular weekday brings students moving through their normal schedules.

If you are relocating because of Auburn University, seeing campus under both conditions can be worthwhile.

𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

Homecoming floats add something different to the weekend.

They are part of a celebration designed around Auburn people coming home.

Current students participate in traditions that alumni remember from their own Auburn years.

For someone new to Auburn, Homecoming provides an introduction to the relationship between the university, alumni and community.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗡𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞

The alumni tent tells another part of the Homecoming story.

People may graduate and move hundreds of miles away.

Years later, many still return to Auburn.

They walk familiar parts of campus.

Meet old friends.

Bring their families.

Attend the football game.

And make another set of Auburn memories.

𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗖 𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞

There was also live music around the Plainsman Park area during Homecoming weekend.

That is another example of how much can be happening around Auburn during a major university weekend.

The football game may be the centerpiece, but activity spreads across campus and into downtown.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗪𝗢𝗡

A Homecoming win gives Auburn another reason to celebrate.

And after the game, the celebration moved downtown.

𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡

Toomer’s Corner was rolled.

Students, alumni, families and fans gathered downtown.

Toilet paper filled the trees.

People took pictures and celebrated another Auburn Homecoming victory.

It is one of those unmistakably Auburn scenes.

𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗜𝗘

Aubie dancing around a rolled Toomer’s Corner after a Homecoming victory is about as far from an ordinary weekday as Auburn gets.

And that is exactly why seeing both sides of the city is worthwhile.

Experience the celebration.

Then come back when Auburn is simply going about its day.

𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘

Suppose a buyer visits Auburn for a football weekend and falls in love with the energy around campus.

They immediately assume they want a house as close to Auburn University as possible.

Before buying, they return on a weekday.

They drive from several neighborhoods to work.

They visit the grocery stores they would use.

They look at homes with different lot sizes and property types.

They experience ordinary traffic.

After doing that, they may still decide that being close to campus is their top priority.

Or they may discover another Auburn neighborhood works better.

Either way, they are making the decision with more information.

𝗕𝗨𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡

Once you have spent some time here, we can make the home search more specific.

What is your budget?

What type of property do you want?

How many bedrooms?

Do you need a home office?

How much yard?

How much maintenance?

How important is proximity to Auburn University?

What commute works for you?

Do you prefer newer construction or an established neighborhood?

What are your parking needs?

Those answers help turn “I want to move to Auburn” into an actual home search.

You can browse additional Auburn real estate information at AuburnOpelikaALRealEstate.com.

𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗔 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡?

Maybe you’re on the other side of the transaction.

You already live here and are considering selling.

I help Auburn and Opelika homeowners with that side of real estate too.

Selling involves decisions about preparation, pricing, presentation, showing activity, offers, negotiations and closing.

You can start with my Auburn home selling information or read what I tell first-time Auburn sellers.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗤&𝗔 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴?

If possible, yes. Spending time in Auburn can help you understand locations, travel patterns and everyday conveniences before choosing a property.

𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁?

It can be a great way to experience Auburn traditions and game-day activity. If you are considering moving here, try to visit under ordinary weekday conditions too.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁?

Drive through potential neighborhoods, test your likely commute, visit grocery stores and shopping areas, spend time downtown and experience the places you expect to use regularly.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲?

That depends on your priorities. Some buyers value proximity to campus while others prioritize space, property type, commute, parking or a different location.

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲?

Yes. I work with people relocating to the Auburn–Opelika area, including Auburn University faculty and staff relocation.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹?

Yes. I work with both buyers and sellers throughout Auburn and Opelika.

𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦

If you’re preparing to move to Auburn, start with my Move to Auburn guide.

For relocation information, visit Relocate to Auburn.

To compare communities, explore my Auburn subdivisions.

For more neighborhood information, read my Auburn and Opelika neighborhood Q&A.

Homeowners considering selling can start with my Auburn home selling resources.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡?

Come experience Auburn when it is exciting.

Come for football.

Come for Homecoming.

See Jordan-Hare Stadium.

See Toomer’s Corner.

Walk through campus.

Enjoy the traditions.

Then, if you are seriously considering moving here, come back on an ordinary weekday.

Drive the neighborhoods.

Test your commute.

Buy some groceries.

Have lunch downtown.

See what Auburn feels like when it is simply Auburn.

Because choosing a home becomes easier when you understand both the big Auburn moments and the everyday routines.

Laura Sellers is an Auburn University alumna who has lived in the Auburn–Opelika area since 1988 and has been a REALTOR® for over 20 years. She is an Associate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Real Estate — the Official Real Estate Partner of the Auburn Tigers.

If you are planning to move to Auburn, relocating for Auburn University, buying a home in Auburn or Opelika, or preparing to sell a property you already own, I would be happy to help.

Call or text Laura Sellers at 334-332-7263.

AuburnOpelikaALRealEstate.com

Homes, y’all!