At a glance
Bob and Linda Taylor’s new home in Brookhaven at Johns Creek has three bedrooms, three baths and about 1,875 square feet. They moved in this summer. Homes are listed from the low $300,000s to high $400,000s.
Senior Living
Bob and Linda Taylor already were familiar with the Atlanta area when they decided to buy a home near their daughter and three granddaughters. The couple had lived in Duluth’s Sugarloaf Country Club for about 10 years previously, before moving to Florida.
Now, their home in Brookhaven at Johns Creek is only about 10 minutes from family. The couple chatted about their attached villa in the Jim Chapman community in Johns Creek, a north Fulton County suburb next to Duluth.
Q: What type of home or community were you seeking?
Bob: We were at a point where we wanted to get something that was more simple and easier to take care of and more cost-effective. We were trying to get rid of outside maintenance. We were looking for a unique kind of multifamily property. That’s what we found at Brookhaven. They’re designed as such that the garages of all of the four units touch. Each unit is on the corner. You have a degree of privacy.
Linda: We didn’t want to be in a high-rise. We wanted it to have access to the outside — a one-story on ground level. We still wanted a garage and we still wanted a houselike atmosphere, but we didn’t want the care on the outside, and we wanted it smaller.
Q: Why was the floor plan appealing?
Bob: There’s a lot of vaulted ceilings and volume. It’s also got a bonus room up over the garage, which creates a place for exercise and just kind of getting away.
Q: What are some of the favorite things you chose for the home?
Linda: We love our wood floors. It has a huge pantry in the kitchen, and a nice laundry room. In multifamily situations, many times you don’t have those separate areas. It has a nice little keeping room, like a sunroom. Some people have turned that into a dining room so they can keep their dining room sets. We have that as our TV room.
Bob: Also the 8-foot doors — it just opens up the unit. They really do have an extensive list of options. For the fireplace in the living room, I think there were five or six different options of mantels and types of materials. For the cabinetry, there were lots of choices, which allowed you to personalize.
Linda: That makes the interior different. You don’t feel like you’re in a cookie cutter-type situation.
Q: What tips do you offer for buying in an active adult neighborhood?
Bob: Don’t sacrifice certain kinds of functions. This had a two-car garage. Other properties had a single garage. This unit, off the dining area, has a space you can use for a variety of things. It turned into Linda’s office, and I am using one of those bedrooms for my office. Those are important spaces for us, and we didn’t have to give them up.
Linda: We both have been involved in different community activities. Bob has some business interests. We’re a long way from not being active, and having a space that you can operate out of is important.
Q: What’s the lifestyle like?
Linda: The clubhouse is beautiful. That was an attraction to us, too. It’s a place that you can have special events. They also have an exercise area. They have the machines that I need [for physical therapy] and the ones that a lot of our friends who have had different types of surgeries need. They have a garden. You see neighbors down there talking about their tomatoes and their peppers. They have bocce ball and croquet and just things that bring the community together.
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