Doing your homework

Grayson and Meredith Norman were looking for more space for their family — which now includes daughter Maggie — and community amenities like a pool and tennis courts as they searched for a home in the Roswell and Dunwoody areas. But they also wanted just the right fit with the neighborhood they chose.

Within a month they found a three-bedroom, three-bath resale with an extra room for an office in Spring Ridge, a Roswell neighborhood. But before they jumped on it, they did their homework.

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Photos by Christopher Oquendo /Special

Meredith and Grayson Norman hang out with their daughter, Maggie, in front of their home in Spring Ridge, located in Roswell.

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Meredith and Grayson Norman play with Maggie at their new home in Roswell. By checking out neighborhood directories, buyers like the Normans can learn whether their kids will have other playmates.

Spring Ridge

» County: Fulton

» Address: 139 Ridge Way, Roswell 30076

» Information: Spring Ridge Homeowners Association

» Price range: $280,000s-$330,000s

» Number of homes: 315

» Square footage: 2,400-3,200

» Lot sizes: about 1/2 acre

» Amenities: pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, playground

» Homeowners fees: $575 annually (no initiation fee)

» Schools: Northwood Elementary, Haynes Bridge Middle, Centennial High

» More on schools: ajchomefinder school guide

For sale

Here's what's on the market in Spring Ridge.

» $289,900: 500 Ridgemont Drive, Roswell. Four-bedroom, 2½-bath contemporary home built in 1984 with new concrete siding, deck, gutters and paint inside and out.

» $339,900: 515 Spring Ridge Drive, Roswell. Four-bedroom, 2½-bath home built in 1986 with hardwood floors on the main level, stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen and a finished basement with a media room. For more information, visit ajchomefinder and look for Web ID 2443904.

Getting there

From downtown Atlanta, take I-85 north to Ga. 400 north to Exit 7A (Holcomb Bridge Road East-Norcross) and turn right. Take a left onto Old Alabama Road. Travel a mile and a half and take a right into Spring Ridge.

They were able to try out the neighborhood, particularly checking the time it would take to commute to work. It’s something agents, buyers and sellers recommend taking the time to do before falling in love with a community.

“For obvious reasons, you would like to limit the element of surprise after you move in,” said Robin McWalters, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage who also lives in the neighborhood. “It’s not a bad idea because it is a huge investment. And once you buy, it’s too late.”

It’s a strategy that buyers have done for years, but in this sluggish market, some sellers are doing more to make buyers feel welcome in their homes and neighborhoods.

“The market has changed so tremendously that we’re trying to create new opportunities for buyers and sellers,” said Cheryl Iski, an agent with Northside Brokers.

Coming and going

Iski, who sells homes in the Braselton area, said she was approached by an agent in early August about having her clients stay for longer than a walk-through in a vacant home they were considering.

That way, they would not only be able to see what it’s like to live in that home, but also test the drive to a grocery store, schools and work, as well as potentially meet neighbors.

“Because the sellers have another home, they go back and forth. She suggested that they live in the house for the weekend,” Iski said. “It’s kind of like trying on an outfit. It looks good on a hanger, but you don’t know if it’s going to fit.” While the Normans were negotiating their contract, the couple roamed the roads to make sure the community was the best fit for them.

“We actually drove up in the morning before work to kind of test out the commute,” Meredith said.

One concern was having no stoplight to exit the neighborhood. They wondered how long it would take to reach Ga. 400, which is about two miles away. “We were kind of curious about how easy it would be to go left or right out of the neighborhood, what the traffic’s like to get on the interstate,” Meredith said. “If you sit for a long time, that could be frustrating,” Grayson said.

The Roswell location is a central point for Grayson’s job with Colonnade Custom Homes, which takes him to cities such as Canton, Dunwoody and Gainesville. Meredith’s commute was about 30 minutes to Buckhead and didn’t change much when her office switched to Sandy Springs.

“If it had been over an hour, that would have been bad news,” said Meredith, who works for Gregory Greenfield and Associates.

But the Normans admit it would have been difficult to walk away, even if the test run hadn’t been so positive. Their home features a charming screened porch, and the neighborhood has a clubhouse, tennis courts, pool and playground, which have been recently renovated. “If you love the house, it’s kind of really hard to talk yourself out of it. It just seals the deal if the commute [is] OK,” she said. “If it had been awful, I wouldn’t necessarily say that would rule out the house.”

The subdivision test

Agent Robin McWalters suggests five ways to test out a subdivision before purchasing a home there.

1. Clock the commute: Try this at various times of the day and on weekends.

2. Be social: If there’s a pool, tennis courts or clubhouse, head down there on the weekend to meet neighbors and ask them about the good and bad about the neighborhood. If those amenities aren’t available, don’t be intimidated by the thought of stopping a resident while they’re working in their yard or out for a walk. “We put a glow on things because [it’s] our job. We’re not going to be the doom and gloom,” she said. “But the neighbors will tell you the nitty-gritty. One will be a cheerleader, and the other one will be like, well, if my neighbors’ dog will shut up …”

3. Associate with the association: Most communities have homeowners association sites online, where the covenants, rules and calendar of activities are listed. Call a homeowners association board member (your agent or the seller should be able to give you a contact) and ask about the subdivision. Or attend a HOA meeting for an update on what the community is doing and the type of discussion among neighbors.

4. Snoop around: Ask the seller or a member of the homeowners association for a copy of the neighborhood directory. That will give you an idea of whether there’s a large or small number of kids, the diversity in the neighborhood and who may even be available for baby-sitting. You also can observe the number of kids in the neighborhood by visiting in the morning or afternoon to see how many kids are dropped off by the bus.

5. Sign up: Neighborhood swim and tennis teams sometimes are open to those who don’t live in the subdivision. Having yourself or your children join one of those is a way to get to know residents in advance.

Watch this

‘Sleep on It’

This HGTV show features potential buyers spending the night in homes they’re considering. Episodes air at 6 p.m. Sundays, with repeats during the week. Tonight’s scheduled episode has a blended family with five kids looking at homes in Minnesota. For more information, visit Sleep On It.

‘Date My House’

Bob Guiney, who didn’t find true love on ABC’s “Bachelor,” plays matchmaker in this TLC show that also has buyers “dating” the house, through parties and other gatherings with friends in the home. Episodes air at 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, although the TV schedule for the month of August doesn’t have any listed. For more info, check out Date My House.

Find the home of your dreams on ajchomefinder.