DEL.ICIO.USThe Search
Traveling bachelor finds a home
For the AJC
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Our house hunter:
Topher Roberts has a sports fan’s dream job: He makes the travel arrangements for and travels with the Atlanta Falcons. After “shadowing” his coaches at the University of North Carolina and a couple of “lucky” internships, Roberts landed the job right out of college and hasn’t looked back. Housing wasn’t an issue at first; the Falcons put him up for a year and then he shared an apartment with a buddy who was always on the road. But the combination of the housing market’s dip and his roommate’s impending nuptials signaled the time to buy.
The process:
Roberts kept hearing about a Realtor who had once played with his weekend soccer team and who had helped several of his teammates buy or sell homes. About the time he decided to look, he heard another glowing report about “Seeby” from a teammate who’d worked with the Realtor for a second successful time. Roberts decided to call this legendary Seeby — Justin Seeby, the broker and owner of 9 Mile Trolley Realty — and discovered that he’d found the perfect coach. Roberts’ parents came down from Greenville, S.C., and Seeby took the three of them through a brief but thorough course on home buying. “My parents had bought their house over 20 years ago,” Roberts said, laughing, “and the market has definitely changed since then.” After the orientation, Roberts decided to look for intown condos with easy access to I-85, since he works 40 miles north of town in Flowery Branch. He and Seeby targeted the Martin Manor and Brookhaven area.
Choice #1: Great Location
This three-bedroom, two-bath garden unit at Walden on Lenox was built in 1983 and originally listed for $209,000. Roberts thought that the location was ideal. The condo had an open floor plan, a large sunroom and an office, and the living room had a fireplace. It also had outdoor space: private front and back porches.
Choice #2: Two-Car Garage
Listed at $200,000, this three-bedroom, 2½-bath, two-story condo in the Hampton Way complex was built in 1974. The unit was large and also had a patio and a courtyard with a water feature. It also boasted a roomy two-car garage that Roberts liked.
Choice #3: Move-in Ready
With two bedrooms and 2½ baths, this 1982 townhome in Cedar Chase listed for $186,900. Roberts liked the open floor plan of the downstairs living space and its hardwood floors. The unit also had new appliances and a spacious eat-in kitchen that opened onto a back patio.
Which did he choose?
No. 3. Since he’s a young man whose life revolves around sports, the downstairs — from the living room to the back patio with the ideal place for his grill — was the perfect entertainment space for game-day parties. “I walked in and immediately knew where the TV would go,” he said, laughing. In fact, he christened his new home with a football party that featured not one, but two TV sets (and two games, of course), and plenty of comfortable seating for his 20 or so guests. “It worked out great,” he said. Roberts has also welcomed out-of-town guests: His dad recently visited and got the full game-day treatment.
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