One can only say “Wow” while driving down Broadway these days. Former residents and Allen Mustangs Darren and Tina Gregory have purchased and remodeled the old Josie Chiles home at the southwest corner of Broadway and Baltimore Streets. The well-located house had stood mostly vacant since 1986 when our Miss Josie, a beloved teacher of the 2nd grade passed on. Miss Chiles taught 2nd grade for 40 years (so I’m told) and is still well remembered.

Daran and Tina bought the old house, which was showing its neglect and the wear and tear of many years of use and disuse. Floors had sagged, windows no longer fit, and everything about it had grown obsolete.

What do you do with a famous old Allen home like this? Well, some of the things they did included tearing out the floors for inspection. Major foundation piers had failed and can we use the word “Termites” in the living room here?

The house got everything renewed. New windows and new interior walls. The house was blessed with new floors. They are beautiful. The sagging house was jacked up and new foundation piers built and when completed, the house was level. Interior walls were opened-up and insulated. In fact, this house may well be the best insulated home in Allen. Good-bye high fuel bills.

Inside walls were also rebuilt. When asked why they even insulated the inside bathrooms I was told it was to provide soundproofing. Great idea. And the brand new bathrooms sport all new fixtures and step in showers. Everything thing all up to and beyond being up to date. All walls tightly sealed up and insulated. New heat and air unit, new laundry room and new kitchen cabinets. Even the sort of guest bedroom on the north end of the house is cozy and nice.

Another thing I appreciate in a small town house is a spacious front porch. Especially on Allen’s Broadway. A great place to spend time watching the local traffic we all enjoy so much go back and forth. Neighborhood visitation is great anywhere in Allen and this house has the best looking porch in town to host that visitation.

Everything in the “new” home is just that: brand new. Utility services are new too and that’s important if you want to live in a trouble free house. And this newly rebuilt house looks to be just that — trouble free living with low utility bills.

As a neighbor, let me say this: “Thanks, Darren and Tina.”