The search
Julian and Jorri Marchi sought homes in Gwinnett County because of the county’s strong schools and the perception that homes were more affordable than other areas of Atlanta.
The couple’s must list included four bedrooms, a long driveway, and his and her closets in the master bedroom, said Jorri, 26, a speech and language pathologist. They knew what they wanted for themselves and their little girl, Milani, but they weren’t prepared for the frustration of trying to buy a short sale.
“You can get a lot more for your money going with some of the short sales than you could for new construction. We kind of dove into the short sale market and were really disappointed with our first [offer],” said Julian, 27, a manager at Target.
But real estate agent Debby Braun with Keller Williams Realty-First Atlanta encouraged them to keep looking at properties.
No. 1: Big floor plan, little land
The five-bedroom, three-bath home on Scenic View Trace had the most square footage -- about 3,400 -- of the homes in Lilburn’s Scenic Overlook neighborhood. “The house had a bedroom on the main floor, which would make it easy when [family] came over for holidays and to stay with us,” Julian said. The home also had a basement and upgrades like granite countertops in the kitchen and tile bathrooms. The home, built in 2005, was listed for $195,000. The home had a smaller lot and driveway than they desired but was near shopping at The Avenue Webb Gin.
No. 2: Lawrenceville short sale
The four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home on Misty Lake Lane was built in 1995 and needed new countertops and appliances. The gutters and chimney needed to be cleaned, and some rooms had flowered and bird-themed wallpaper. Looking past those outdated details, the couple discovered it had the space they were seeking and extras such as a deck big enough to entertain. The home had dropped from $200,000 to $185,000 because it was a short sale. The home, which had a basement and three-car garage, was in the Edgewater swim-tennis neighborhood and close to shopping and strong schools.
No. 3: Newer traditional
The four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home on Great Shoals Circle was another Lawrenceville option. The home in Great River at Tribble Mill, a swim-tennis neighborhood, was built in 2005 and listed for $167,900. It also had a full basement and bonus room, and up-to-date features including stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors. But the couple was concerned about whether it would be heading to auction and if a proper inspection could be done in time.
The choice
No. 2. The couple first placed an offer on No. 1, but after two months of waiting for a response from the banks, they moved on. They got in at the right time, as someone else who placed an offer on No. 2 had to back out. They tried to negotiate a little below the asking price, but since the sale price of $191,000 had already been approved, they offered full asking price. It went fast -- within 10 days of making the offer, they closed, on Jan. 31. “The home itself, it was built very well. It’s holding up and it looks a lot better outside and inside than some of the newer homes we found,” Julian said.
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