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The Hart family — Porter, Sharon and Katelyn, 19 — knew they had found home when they found their new builder home in Millington. Better yet, the Harts were able to trade their former home in Cordova toward the purchase.

Sharon and Porter Hart didn’t just buy a new home — they bought a new neighborhood, a new town, a new way of life.

“This house, you can get it in Fayette County, you can get it in Shelby County, Tipton County — you can get it everywhere,” Porter said.

But when they found it in Millington, they knew they’d found home.

Photo by Brandon Dill
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The exterior of the Hart’s 3,000-square-foot family home in Millington.

Photo by Brandon Dill
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This bright dining nook is connected to the Harts’ kitchen, which features granite countertops and a preparation island.

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The living room is flooded with natural light.

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The master bedroom features a bay window and a tray ceiling.

“Millington is a hidden gem in Shelby County,” said Porter, who was led to the community by old friend and Millington proponent Larry Jackson, president of Patriot Bank. “I’m impressed by the neighborhood and the city of Millington, and quite honestly, it surprised me.”

The Harts were living in the Cordova home they’d raised their family in when they embarked on their home search late last year. They wanted to find a home with a downstairs master bedroom that would meet their needs as they move toward retirement age.

Their major requirement? They wanted to trade for it.

“That was the only thing I wouldn’t negotiate,” said Porter, who had participated in a home trade years earlier. “In this market, I wasn’t going to finance anything. In a tough economy, these things can be discussed.”

So when the Harts began looking into the possibility of a trade, they found Jackson an invaluable source. He put them in touch with Realtor team Tommy and Ginger Whitlock of Re/Max Right Way and got the ball rolling with a builder who had available homes in a new Millington subdivision.

“If Larry hadn’t put this deal together, we’d have moved to Fayette County,” Porter said.

However, with the help of Jackson and the Whitlocks, in no time, a deal was in the works.

“We never had a hiccup,” said Porter of the transaction, in which their former home went to the seller of what is now their new four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home in the Thornhill Estates neighborhood.

The transaction happened so quickly, in fact, that it took the Harts by surprise.

“This came up right around Christmastime, and the next thing I knew, I was ordering 400 boxes to pack,” Sharon said.

The couple closed on the 3,000-square-foot home in mid-January at a selling price of $289,900.

They immediately adapted to their new community.

“We lived in Cordova, and it was a great place, but the people out here are outstanding,” Porter said. “I guess it’s because of the Navy base, but it’s so patriotic out here. There are flags everywhere.”

Nearly 80 percent of their new neighborhood, in fact, is composed of retired naval officers and their families, a fact the Harts have embraced.

“Sharon’s dad worked out here at the Navy base for 28 years as bursar,” Porter said.

Not only are they happy with the neighborhood, which came complete with a clubhouse, fitness center and community pool, but they love their new town.

“There’s everything you want out here, nice restaurants, a nice Kroger,” Porter said. “The people are nice everywhere we go to do business in town. When I went to City Hall to the water department and utility department and was signing up for all that, I was amazed at how much everyone went overboard to help me.

“That’s why I’m excited about being here.”

Sharon is also excited about the open spaces and family friendly layout of her new home.

“I love the openness,” she said. “The kitchen and the family room flow together.”

The couple also was happy to find a home with hardwood floors, ample storage space and an ideal home office space for Porter, who works primarily from home in his role as partner and vice president of sales for C&C Rentals, a construction equipment rental company.

Upon entering the home, a formal dining room painted a warm terra cotta is set off by a series of round interior columns. To the left of the arched entry, French doors lead to Porter’s home office.

The spacious living room features a fireplace with a wall of built-in bookshelves beside it. The space opens to an eat-in kitchen, which sports mustard-colored walls, stainless steel appliances and a furniture-style center island with built-in storage.

The downstairs master suite has space for a large, four-poster bed, an armoire and dresser and a seating area set into a bay window niche. The attached bath features ceramic tile floors, a whirlpool tub with separate shower, granite countertops and an oversize closet with built-in shelving.

Two other downstairs bedrooms are joined by a Jack-and-Jill style bath. Upstairs, another large bedroom with an attached bath is ideal for their younger of two daughters, Katelyn, a student at the University of Memphis. The room, decorated in a palette of green and white, has space for a round table with four chairs, creating a spot for Katelyn to study.

Outside, the home’s large, partially covered back patio has room for two sets of tables and chairs, and the fenced yard offers space for the family’s three dogs: Sophie the maltipoo, Lucy the basset hound and Maggie the cocker spaniel.

All in all, the family couldn’t be happier with where life has taken them.

“We’re at a stage of our life where we just wanted to have a nice home,” Porter said. “We’ve worked 40 years for it. And we’re just real happy with the whole lifestyle. It’s been a very positive move.”

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