Finished basement, pool drew couple

Jeff and Katherine LeCraw and their 8-year-old daughter, Gabriela, moved just around the corner to a five-bedroom, 4½-bath home in Duluth’s Lakes at Sugarloaf. Jeff, 28, who works for Atlanta Biologicals, and Katherine, 28, a recruiter with Aetna, chatted about the March move.

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Christopher Oquendo / Special

Jeff and Katherine LeCraw look at a book with their daughter, Gabriela, in the living room of their new home at the Lakes at Sugarloaf development in Duluth.

Getting there

From downtown Atlanta, take I-85 north to Exit 108 (Sugarloaf Parkway). Turn right onto Sugarloaf Parkway. The community will be on the right at Sugarloaf Parkway and Old Peachtree Road.

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Why did you move?

Katherine: We needed more room.

Jeff: The primary thing we were looking for was a home with a basement because Katherine’s father was moving in with us.

Did you find a lot of selections?

Jeff: It became difficult to find something that was in the right area in the right price that had a suitable basement. In our particular floor plan, the basement is very intelligently done. It’s a very well-used space, as is pretty much the entire house.

How is the home laid out?

Katherine: It’s very open. You walk in and there’s a two-story foyer. One thing we really liked about the floor plan is it has both a study area and the formal living room. The stairs are in the middle, so everything else kind of wraps around it. The family room and the kitchen are one big open space. The living room and the dining room are kind of one big open space as well.

Did the builder finish the basement?

Katherine: It was actually a builder incentive. They were throwing in finished basements to encourage sales.

Were the amenities, like a pool and tennis courts, important?

Jeff: The essential thing for us was a pool. We had one in our old neighborhood. We liked having access to it. We had been close to a particular house in another neighborhood, but they weren’t going to have a pool, so that was the reason we walked away from that option.

Tract facts

Lakes at Sugarloaf

Address: 3469 Union Park Drive, Duluth 30096

County: Gwinnett

Information: 404-484-5691, McCar Homes

Price range: $360,000s-high $400,000s

Homes: 202

Square footage: 2,867-4,135

Lot sizes: ¼ acre or less

Standard features: Three-sides brick, architectural shingles, brick walkways

Amenities: Pool, tennis, cabana, playground, gated community

Homeowners fees: $800 annually ($750 initiation fee)

Developer/builder: McCar Homes

Schools: Mason Elementary, Hull Middle, Peachtree Ridge High

More on schools: ajc school guide - now with parent reviews

THE BUILDER SAYS

Plans for retail space adjacent to the community are expected to add upscale shopping and restaurants within walking distance, said Lisa Freiberger, McCar’s Atlanta division sales manager. “That ties in with the luxury lifestyle people look for,” she said.

Recent sales

$443,250: Six-bedroom, five-bath home with a finished basement, two-story family room and foyer and features such as a tankless water heater and a master with a tile bath, frameless shower and granite countertops

$380,000: Four-bedroom, 3½-bath home boasting a two-story family room with a 20-foot-high stacked stone fireplace, double ovens in the kitchen and a sunroom.

For sale

Here’s what’s on the market at Lakes at Sugarloaf.

$458,549: 2572 Carnot Court, Duluth. Four-bedroom, 3½-bath home with a full basement, sunroom and features like a double-sided fireplace.

$423,220: 2641 Carnot Court, Duluth. Five-bedroom, three-bath home with a bonus room and features like a frameless shower and granite countertops in the master bath.

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