Our house hunters:

Brad and Cathy Hamilton have lived in five houses in four different cities over the past eight years. But with three children —- Katie, 7; Jackson, 5; and Emma, 3 —- and two cats, it was time to put down roots. The Hamiltons had lived in the Leafmore neighborhood of DeKalb County before, and knew they wanted to return to that area. To finally have a home, and not just a house, they were looking for four to five bedrooms, a quiet street, a good school district, and a family-friendly neighborhood.

The process:

Brad, who works for SunTrust, and Cathy, a stay-at-home mom, turned to Joan Kaplan of the Chuck and Marshall Group, Re/Max Metro Atlanta. They had met Kaplan before, and appreciated all of her community connections and activities. Kaplan was perfect, Cathy says, "so thorough, and willing to do anything for us." And Brad appreciated the company's cutting-edge approach. "Marshall and Chuck are very avant-garde. . . they know that a lot of homes sell on the Internet, and they really have that and the communications part of it figured out," Brad explains.

Choice #1: This four-bedroom, two-bath ranch was built in 1963 and was priced at $419,500. It had been well-maintained, but not updated. It's on a cul-de-sac and within walking distance of Oak Grove Elementary. The neighborhood was definitely family-friendly, boasting nearly 20 young children.

Choice #2: Built in 1955, this four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath ranch had been totally renovated in a style the Hamiltons liked. Priced at $579,000, this house had an unexpected bonus: one of their friends' backyard backed up to theirs.

Choice #3: This five-bedroom, three-bath house was listed at $574,500 and was, Cathy says, "just about perfect." Built in 1963, the house had a terrific yard and a full basement that was beautifully done and included a playroom, TV room and bedroom.

Which home did they choose? The Hamiltons decided that No. 1 fit the bill, and they're renovating and eager to move in. The house's history is also important. Brad says that the previous owners, the Newharts, lived there 42 years and raised their children and welcomed their grandchildren to that house. "That's exactly what we want," Brad says. "We want to make the memories Jack Newhart and his family did, and we'll be making our family's memories in our home."

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