LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — At the end of a winding driveway and line of evergreen trees stands a five-bedroom, 10-bathroom beauty.
Its manicured lawn, swimming pool and tennis court scream modernity, but this home is rooted in history.
The Bethlehem Steel legacy home — it was built in 1939 for a steel company executive just a few miles from the city — sold for $6.2 million in a deal finalized on April 5.
According to the real estate company that completed the deal, it was the second-highest price for a residential property sale ever recorded in the Lehigh Valley.
"I think it's just a privilege to be able to do the work I do."Nancy Ahlum of Carol C. Dorey Real Estate Inc.
And the agent who handled the sale, Nancy Ahlum of Carol C. Dorey Real Estate Inc., also handled the Valley’s No. 1 residential sale — a $7.17 million property in Lower Saucon Township in 2022.
Out of respect for the privacy of her clients, Ahlum didn’t want to get into details about the buyers or sellers of the homes.
But she said her work over a 40-year career in real estate has been fulfilling.
"Oh, I think it's just a privilege to be able to do the work I do," said Ahlum, an associate broker and Realtor. "You get to help people and make others happy. What more can you ask for?"
Big-ticket sales specialty
The $6.2 million property covers more than 20 acres and includes the nearly 13,000-square-foot home with a 10-car garage and indoor spa.
Ahlum’s firm says she specializes in such sales. Of the 14 homes that have sold for more than $3 million in the region, she has represented 10 of them — and represented both buyer and seller for eight of them, according to the company.
Of the top 25 most-expensive homes ever sold in the region, Alhum was involved in 19, representing the buyer and seller in 11.
"We are just so proud of her," said Paige Curran, listing and marketing coordinator at Carol C. Dorey Real Estate. "It is just testament to how much of an amazing person and co-worker she is."
"We're all very close, so this feels like a victory for [the real estate firm], too."Paige Curran, listing and marketing coordinator at Carol C. Dorey Real Estate
Located in Springtown in upper Bucks County, Dorey Real Estate describes itself as a boutique agency that "specializes in representing the finest homes, farms, and estates in the Upper Bucks County and Lehigh Valley areas," according to its website.
The agency employs 16 licensed Realtors, two brokers and an office assistant.
"We're all very close, so this feels like a victory for [the real estate firm], too," Curran said.
Career crossroads
Ahlum joined the agency during a career crossroads. She was a doctoral research student at Lehigh University but said she wasn't sure what would come next.
"This was a time before computers, so my work was taking me away from people," Ahlum said.
She said she realized that real estate was the "perfect match" when she saw how it combined her love of socializing, research and education — all skills she said she harnessed while attending Lehigh.
She holds dual degrees from Lehigh, in English and psychology. She also was a part of the university's first graduating class of women, in 1973.
Through the years, she said, she has represented several Lehigh Valley executives and VIP relocations and has no plans to stop any time soon.
“I’m in a people-oriented profession and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ahlum said. “It’s just fun.”
