The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 71

fthf CmnvUlr Nrus greenville piedmont ninfii Ilnwnrm (01 Section Real estate Classified advertising Sunday, July 20, 1986 n1 I 7r I 'Even though it's an old house, it's filled with life. One thing my daddy didn't want was a museum. He wanted a house full of Libbi Shore n. -J rw 1L. At home with history Vans? iawaxSmi iitfp 1 ..14 ft II i fc.

i 1 most of them original and all made from trees that grew on the property. The Shedd Room features an imposing four-poster bed, a tall armoire, a chest of drawers and a marble-top washbasin, all made of walnut. Much of this furniture was acquired from Upstate antique shops and auctions, with an eye toward preserving the understated antebellum atomosphere of the home, Mrs. Huff said. For that reason, the front of the house is not air- conditioned, for fear of damaging the ancient wood floorboards and antiques.

The grandfather clock and the armoire are among the last pieces of furniture original to the home since the 19th century, Mrs. Huff said. When her husband's grandmother died, the furniture was divided among the female heirs and removed from the home. The scarred armoire is evidence of the home's brush with the Civil War, Mrs. Huff said.

According to family tradition, stragglers from Gen. William T. Sherman's Union army camped at the Cureton-Huff home for two days in early 1865, and used the armoire and the chest of drawers as grain troughs for their horses. In the foyer, a weathered plank from a barn sits among the other antiques. The board is riddled with bullet holes, a splintered witness to a "Yankee" shooting spree, Mrs.

Huff said. By David Eskola The Greenville News SIMPSONVILLE History and tradition are so strong a presence at the Cureton-Huff home that Mrs. J.R. "Suzy" Huff, a fourth generation occupant, sees herself more as a caretaker than the owner. Built during the administration of President James Monroe, the home now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mrs. Huff lives in and owns the two-story frame farmhouse on West Georgia Road a few miles from Simpsonville. The original portion of the home is virtually unchanged from its construction in 1820. The National Register nomination notes the "federal-period details of the mantels and cornices, the nine-over-six and nine-over-nine window sash, the ox locks, the hall-and-parlor, plan, the braced timber frame with mortise and tenon joints, and the cut nails," all consistent with the home's construction date. That care is evident in the front rooms of the home.

Over the years, antiques of the period were lovingly ac-cumulated by Mrs. Huff and her late husband, James R. Huff. Visitors, and there are many, are greeted in the foyer by an old spinning wheel, a massive high-backed chair and a grandfather clock made in Scotland in the early 19th century. The floorboards are pine, I 1- future heirlooms rooted in the family tradition, Mrs.

Shore said. For all the house's dignity, protecting it from the ravages of time requires much effort. Renovations are carried out on a regular basis. The functional window shutters and the broad planks of pine siding, held together by pegs, not nails, constantly need repainting. And currently, two upstairs bedrooms and a downstairs bathroom are being restored to a period appearance, Mrs.

Huff said. But despite its history and concentration of antiques, the house is anything but a shrine. Six generations of children have roamed the house at will, and Mrs. Huff is frequently host to tours by church groups, Girl Scouts, and architecture buffs. "Even though it's an old house, it's filled with life," Mrs.

Shore said. "One thing my daddy didn't want was a museum. He wanted a house full of life." Although the intrusion by Union troops is undocumented, Mrs. Huff's nine-year-old grandson, Beau Hawthorne, has unearthed several artifacts with a metal detector. A piece of iron, possibly from a gun or uniform, inscribed "U.S.," and an old musket ball have been found among the house's weathered outbuildings.

Libbi Shore, Mrs. Huff's daughter, said her father was deeply committed to restoring the house to its original appearance. Working from old photographs, he replaced brick with the original pine columns at the front of the house, and renovated the front porch. Those renovations, the frame, paneling and cabinets of additions such as the modern kitchen and den, and even new furniture were hand-hewn by Huff from pine and walnut found on the property. In that way, the house continues to be a source of luft pfcaMfriflMr Miiy Am Omum The family room of the Cureton-Huff house near Simpsonville, top, features pine woodwork, exposed beam celling and a TV set tucked In between the rockers.

The outside of the house, above left, shows the simplicity of design of the structure that was built during the administration of President James Monroe. The front hallway, above, part of the older side of the house, features a spinning wheel. Ten questions to ask before buying a condominium roctrirtinnc tarjmqp the resale market is Ereatlv lim How many units are occupied by renters? If more than 25 percent of the condo units are occupied by renters, you may want to buy elsewhere. The reason is renters and the owners of their units often take little interest in the long-term maintenance of the condo complex. But a high percentage of owner-occupants indicates satisfaction with living in the condo development.

Does the condo developer still own any units? The condo developer's continued involvement with the condo complex can be a plus or minus. If he still See Condo, Page 5F hibitions against renting to tenants, occupancy by pets andor children, and limits on window decorations or porch enclosures. Before making an offer to buy, insist on getting a copy of the condo bylaws and CC and Rs (covenants, conditions, and restrictions). Then carefully read them. Are there any resale restrictions? The condominium owners association, to which all owners in a condo complex automatically belong, may have a covenant or bylaw requiring the condo to first be offered to the association before it can be sold to an outside buyer.

A 30-, 60- or 90-day right of first refusal greatly restricts resale opportunities. Some mortgage lenders refuse to finance condos with such By Robert J. Bruss Tribune Media Service Thanks to lower mortgage interest rates, sales of single-family houses are booming. This "hot market" has spilled over into the lethargic condominium market too. However, even if you have bought and sold a house before, special preparation is necessary to wisely buy a condo and avoid unexpected surprises later.

Here is a checklist of key questions to ask before buying a condominium (including a cooperative or townhouse): Are there any use restrictions? Many condominium covenants or bylaws hve pro ited. Required approval of a new buyer by the condo association directors is rare, but co-op apartments almost always have this restriction which hurts resales. How is the soundproofing? The number-one complaint of condo dwellers is poor soundproofing between adjoining units. Before offering to buy. insist on asking the neighbors to turn on their TV and stereos to see if you can hear the sound within the condo you are thinking of buying.

This five-minute test can save much unpleasantness after puryiase..