Buying an older house often doesn't allow new residents to delve into the history of the home. Background about current and past residents can be sketchy. And as we all know, walls really can't talk.

Every now and then, though, the doors open to a home with an interesting and well-known past. Buyers intrigued by the story are often easier to hook than others, said Randall Loehrig with Harry Norman, Realtors. "I think it's just an extra benefit when they're comparing this home to possibly another home in that price range," he said. "I don't think people would pay an exorbitant premium just because it has a history, but it sets it apart from other homes."

Chalotte DeMarco (ENLARGE)

Wood Creek Road: Selling points at this house in Williamson: An updated kitchen and a past that includes the shooting of 'Fried Green Tomatoes.'

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

116 Peachtree Circle: The Salwens try their elevator: (from left) Joan, Kevin, Hannah and Joseph.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

116 Peachtree Circle: Eight fireplaces, Corinthian columns, hardwood floors and a host of other great features make the property stand out.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

This Peachtree Circle home was once the residence of the daughters of a Rich's founder.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

3767 Vermont Road: The former home of author Anne Rivers Siddons has wood beam ceilings and a remodeled dining room and kitchen.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

3767 Vermont Road: Gardens, a pool, a screened gazebo and a mosquito misting system are among the outdoor amenities featured on the 1.25-acre lot.

Photo Gallery: See more photos of these homes

Some folks set out to buy such a house. Selling them requires different tactics.

"It is a blessing and a curse," said Bob Glascock, an agent with Prudential Georgia Realty.

He has listed a Brookhaven property that once belonged to author Anne Rivers Siddons. But some potential buyers have inquired about tearing it down with intentions of rebuilding on the valuable intown property.

"It's such a neat house, and it has our Atlanta culture built into it," Glascock said. "She wrote her most acclaimed novels in this house, and it really should be preserved."

Here's a look at that listing and others with a unique place in the region's history.

RICH IN HISTORY

Address: 116 Peachtree Circle, Atlanta

Listed for: $1.895 million

Background: One of the founders of Rich's bought the five-bedroom, four-bath Ansley Park home one year after it was built in 1912. Frances Rich and Rose Rich, daughters of department store co-founder Daniel Rich, lived in the home for more than 50 years (Rose passed away in 1968). "I think it's good karma to live in a home that was owned by a family that gave so much back to Atlanta," said Loehrig, who is co-listing the home with Sally George.

Touches old and new: The sisters installed an elevator that enabled them to dress upstairs and descend in the elevator to greet their guests in formal attire, Loehrig said. The home, which has Corinthian columns, six patios and porches, hardwood floors and eight fireplaces, also has retained the original tile roof. The home was restored in 1995, with new plumbing and wiring and updates, including the kitchen and bathrooms.

Selling strategy: In addition to Internet and print exposure, the property has hosted a cocktail party for top Atlanta agents and a neighborhood soiree. Also worth noting is that the current owners plan to donate half of the proceeds from the sale to villages in Ghana through the nonprofit Hunger Project.

Seller's viewpoint: The home's presence from the street and Georgian architecture attracted Kevin and Joan Salwen to the home about 10 years ago. "A lot of cars stop because the exterior is so grand, and it looks like Atlanta," Joan said. The home has also hosted functions for groups such as Habitat for Humanity, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Atlanta Girls' School. "We feel like as owners of this home, we kind of had a responsibility to give back to the community in the way that the Riches did," she said.

Buyers could be ...: An executive who wants to avoid a commute, Joan said. "Living there enabled me to come home and to even see my children at lunchtime, or to be home very quickly after work to be with them."

NOVEL APPROACH

Address: 3767 Vermont Road N.E., Atlanta

Listed for: $1.325 million

Background: Author Anne Rivers Siddons was the second owner of the four-bedroom, five-bath English cottage in Brookhaven, residing there from 1965-1988. During that time, she added a guest cottage, a great room off the kitchen and a master suite. The home is featured on the book jacket of "John Chancellor Makes Me Cry," a collection of essays.

Touches old and new: The home, which was built in 1933 and is known as Hidecote, has heart-pine paneled walls and wood beam ceilings. Updates have included remodeling the dining room, and adding new appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen. The home sits on 1.25 acres, with gardens, a pool, screened gazebo and mosquito misting system among the outdoor features.

Selling strategy: Playing up the home's age and connection to bookworms. He said some people have attended open houses with no intent of buying, but just to see where the author wrote her books, mostly in the basement. "The architecture is so unusual and coupled with Anne Rivers Siddons having that house and doing a lot of the renovations to it, we would like to keep that historic property intact," said Bob Glascock, an agent with Prudential Georgia Realty. To drum up interest, Glascock held an event for agents in which he gave out copies of Siddons' book "Peachtree Road" to every fifth agent who walked through the door. About 75 showed up, and some were standing outside, waiting to be the fifth agent, he said.

Seller's viewpoint: Glascock said the sellers, who have moved out, are "in it for the long haul to find the right buyer, because we definitely are not going to have this house torn down." Marketing efforts have included running an advertisement in the Rambler, a publication by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The current owners bought the home from Siddons for $850,000, and the home is listed $275,000 below a September 2007 fair market appraisal, Glascock said.

Buyers could be ...: Someone who appreciates the home's woodwork, stonework and other features, and maybe even a fan of the author. "They come in and adore it and love it, or they just don't get it. It is one of the homes where you've got to appreciate the character of the home," Glascock said.

MOVIE SETTING

Address: Wood Creek Road, Williamson, about an hour south of downtown Atlanta.

Listed for: $2.5 million

Background: Some scenes from the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" were filmed at the antebellum home that sits on more than 100 acres. The three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home was built in 1850 and moved to the current site in 1971 and restored.

Touches old and new: The home has eight fireplaces, an outbuilding, back and front porches and heart-pine floors. During the restoration, changes included modernizing the kitchen.

Selling strategy: The movie is mentioned in the first sentence of every ad and listing Prudential Georgia Realty agent Charlotte DeMarco places online and in print publications. "I make sure that people are aware of that right away. Even if they're just skimming over ads, they'll see 'Fried Green Tomatoes' and go, 'Hmmm, what is that?'"

Seller's viewpoint: Owners Larry and Marlene Boddie, who are retiring and plan to move out of the area, bought the home in 1973. Preparations for filming the 1991 movie took three to four months, and the actual filming spanned four days. "There's an element of people who would like that, yeah. It ain't going to hurt it, that's for sure," he said, of it being seen on the big screen.

Buyers could be...: Someone like Oprah Winfrey, DeMarco said. "If she got wind of it, she might think, 'Wow, it's one of my favorite movies,'" she said. Or it could be someone interested in the property as a home, horse farm, bed-and-breakfast, or even subdividing it for other purposes. "In this real estate market, there are not as many people willing to spend two and a half million on anything, whether it be a mansion in Alpharetta or Buckhead or 100 acres of property. The buyer pool has shrunk a little bit," DeMarco said. "Because the seller knows this, he's not worried if it doesn't sell in three months, six months, a year. He's going to let us market it until the right person comes along."