Small-town feel an added bonus

Tim and Kelly Freet built a six-bedroom, six-bath home in Suffolk at Southgate, a community in Cumming’s Windermere development. Kelly, 33, chatted about their new home.

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Christopher Oquendo / Special

Tim and Kelly Freet, with son James, sit in the living room of their home at Suffolk at Southgate in Windermere, a development in Cumming. Kelly says the subdivision is very close-knit, part of the area’s appeal.

Getting there

Take I-85 north to Ga. 400 north to Exit 14 (Ga. 20) and turn right. Travel about 4 miles and turn right onto Windermere Parkway into the Windermere main entrance. Take the second left, onto Suffolk Drive. Turn left onto Sparling Street.

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Q. Where did you move from?

A. Duluth. We have a son who had just turned 4, and our home was our first home and it really wasn’t conducive to a kid-friendly neighborhood or a kid-friendly yard. My husband has two brothers that live in Atlanta and they moved up into Forsyth also. In fact, Tim’s brother lives right down the street, so we wanted to be close to them. So we started looking at Windermere.

How did Suffolk at Southgate stand out?

They had a lot of standards to offer versus paying for them as upgrades. We were looking for a cul-de-sac lot. We had just heard that this area, this particular subdivision, has a lot of younger kids.

What came standard?

Granite countertops. Molding throughout the whole house. This particular house, we could get a third story without getting a basement. That was a big sell for us.

What’s in the third story?

A huge bonus or media room and an attic.

I’m sure that’s helpful with a child.

Yes. The more storage, the better. We liked this particular floor plan because it had an open kitchen/great room in the back of the house. We also got to change some things about the house.

What type of changes did they make?

It’s half stacked stone on the bottom. They changed some roof lines a little bit. Then some windows. We also added extra windows in the house, like in the living room and in a stairway.

What did you like about Windermere’s amenities?

They have a terrific pool area. There’s a lot of extracurricular kids’ activities. We do not belong to the golf course, but we can still have lessons. It’s kind of like a one-stop shop.

What’s the community atmosphere like?

I came from a very small town in Minnesota, like less than 1,000 people. My son will get on the bus next year with no problems because he’ll know everybody on the bus, practically. It gave us a small-town feeling, which really appealed to me.

What’s your favorite thing about living there?

The best part of our house is the outside and all our neighbors. We have a really close-knit cul-de-sac group. On Friday afternoons we’re all out there, and the kids are playing, and we have barbecues.

Suffolk at Southgate in Windermere

Address: 3220 Sparling St., Cumming 30041

County: Forsyth

Information: 770-781-4541, Touchstone Homes

Price range: $370,900-$490,000

Homes: 198 homes in Suffolk (1,275 for Windermere)

Square footage: 2,800-4,000

Lot sizes: Three-quarters of an acre

Standard features: Granite kitchen countertops, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, tile floors in bathroom, sprinkler and security systems

Amenities: Pool, tennis courts, playground, parks

Homeowners fees: $825 annually ($500 initiation fee)

Developer: Newland Communities

Builder: Touchstone Homes

Broker: Touchstone Realty

Schools: Daves Creek Elementary, South Forsyth Middle, South Forsyth High

More on Atlanta schools: School guide on ajchomefinder

Recent sales

$468,945: 3950 Sweeting St., Cumming 30041. New five-bedroom, five-bath brick home with hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings on the main level, a basement, a media room and a front porch.

$475,815: 3920 Sweeting St., Cumming 30041. New five-bedroom, five-bath home with a stone front, a loft, a basement and a media room.

For sale

$459,900: 3975 Sweeting St., Cumming 30041. New five-bedroom, four-bath home with hardwood floors, a basement, an island in the kitchen, a stone fireplace, a loft and a front porch.

$429,900: 3610 Slater St., Cumming 30041. New four-bedroom, 3½-bath home with a master on the main, hardwood floors, two great rooms with a fireplace on the terrace level and a front porch.