An ‘island’ of comfort, tranquillity

Our house hunter:

Ivinia Toussaint moved to Atlanta from the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica six years ago to pursue her career as an accountant. Toussaint loves HGTV. At a friend’s party, she met Realtor June Harland, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, and they talked house-hunting. She knew when she finished school, Harland would be the one to help her find her first place.

The process:

Although Toussaint had lived in the metro area for a while, she didn’t know all of the city well so she wanted her first house to be in the familiar north Fulton area. “I wanted a townhouse with three bedrooms and two baths, and close to work,” she said. Before they started looking, Harland recommended Toussaint attend a seminar for first-time buyers offered by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service. Then Harland “helped me decide next steps and really guided me,” Toussaint said, including giving her a checklist of things she needed to do, helping her narrow down her price range and working with her for preapproval of her loan. Then the house-hunt began.

Choice #1: Cozy community

A pricey option at $221,836 located in Alpharetta’s Rosewood Park complex, this three-bedroom, 2 1/2- bath Craftsman style two-story townhouse was built this year. Toussaint liked its open floor plan and oversize kitchen, which made it great for entertaining. It was in a smaller community, which made it feel friendlier. She also liked the incentives offered.

Choice #2: Good price

Semi-detached, this brand new three-bedroom, 2 1/2- bath in Woodstock’s Views at Woodlands community was listed for $169,990. “Since it was semi-detached, it felt more like a single-family home,” Toussaint said. She also liked the separate office, kitchen island and the home’s location, which was close to work. “The price was good and the homeowner association fees were reasonable,” she added.

Choice #3: Big master suite

Although it was also too pricey, this three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Craftsman style two-story townhouse in Alpharetta’s Hanover Pointe complex included some major buyer incentives. Built in 2007 and originally listed at $200,780, the two-story home had 9-foot ceilings on the main floor, a large family room and hardwood floors on the main level.

Which did she choose?

No. 3. Thanks to builder incentives and a two-for-one buydown, Toussaint was able to get her dream house. Among her favorite things are the huge master bedroom, bath and walk-in closet, as well as her marble fireplace. “I love, love, love my kitchen,” Toussaint said. While the community is still developing, Toussaint is enjoying her “nice” neighbors. And it’s big enough for guests from Dominica: she and her mom have already had a nice visit. “It’s awesome,” she laughed. “Every day I come home and I think, ‘I love my house … I’ll never sell it.’”