A cozy kind of place to start a marriage

Newlyweds Brent and Lindsay Lanier squeezed buying a first home into their wedding planning. They closed on a 1951 home in Chamblee’s Keswick Village four months before their August wedding. Lindsey, 25, a commercial lender with BB&T, and Brent, 27, a recruiter with Hire Accountability, chatted about their home.

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Photos by Christopher Oquendo / AJC Special

Lindsay and Brent Lanier found a home in move-in condition that backed up to a 30-acre park. They wanted to locate inside the Perimeter because of family and because of potential for a rise in value.

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The home on Hildon Circle in Chamblee was built in 1951. The kitchen and hardwood floors had been redone.

Getting there

From downtown Atlanta, take Peachtree Road about 9 miles to Buckhead. When it turns into Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, turn left onto Johnson Ferry Road. Travel about one-quarter mile. Turn right into Keswick Village.

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Q. How did you start your search?

Brent: Our Realtor e-mailed us a bunch of houses online. It was nice because during the week we could look at the Web pages and see what we wanted to see that weekend. It was efficient, time-wise.

How did you figure out how much you could afford?

Lindsay: Before we looked for something, we went and had the mortgage loan officer see what we could qualify for.

Brent: Once we were able to figure out what our monthly payment would be if we bought this priced house at what interest rate, we put together what our estimated costs would be and what we thought we had for savings. That helped show how much money we could spend.

How did you choose the location?

Lindsay: We thought something inside the Perimeter would probably appreciate in value more. Our families are both from Alpharetta. This area is inside the Perimeter, but isn’t too far from our parents, which is really nice.

What did you find on the market?

Lindsay: Some of the houses needed a lot of work.

Brent: We found some where the roof was bad. We found one house that would have needed a new frame. The house was not level.

What appealed to you about this house?

Lindsay: It had a very large fenced-in yard that backs up to a 30-acre park. It was in move-in condition. The kitchen had been redone. The hardwood floors had been redone.

Brent: We have a pretty neat back patio. We’re in the middle of the city, but we feel like we’re secluded.

Is there anything you did without?

Lindsay: A fireplace. We thought we could add a fireplace.

Do the neighbors hang out?

Lindsay: Brent just came back from a neighborhood softball game. I go to a supper club with a group of women in the neighborhood.

At a glance

Brent and Lindsay Lanier’s home has three bedrooms and two baths, and an updated kitchen featuring granite countertops, tile backsplash and a stainless steel refrigerator.

Keswick Village

County: DeKalb

Price range: $315,000-$649,900

Homes: About 50

Lot sizes: 1/4 to 1/2 acre

Standard features: Hardwood floors, fenced yards

Amenities: Adjacent to Keswick Park, which includes tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts and a playground

Homeowners fees: None

Builder: Most are existing homes; one new home listed built by John Willis Homes

Schools: Montgomery Elementary, Chamblee Middle, Chamblee High

More on DeKalb County schools on the ajchomefinder school guide

Information provided by Brooke Dixon with Harry Norman, Realtors

Want to brag about your community? Send your suggestions to writer Lori Johnston at lorijohnston73@charter.net.