The Search
Mike Gesnaldo wanted a more spacious home than the one he owned in Grant Park.
“I wanted a bigger kitchen. I wanted a bigger entertaining space. I just wanted bigger,” said Gesnaldo, 31, who works for security technology company McAfee.
As he searched with Emily Freeman, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Atlanta-Peachtree Road, Gesnaldo kept an eye out for new construction with at least three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and an intown location.
No. 1
New, inspired by the past
The new three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home was built in Atlanta’s Woodland Hills neighborhood by Tim Allen Homes, and it had the architectural details and characteristics of an older home. The home boasted a front porch and side deck, as well as a two-car garage, on less than a third acre. The home, originally listed for $559,000, had a brick and frame exterior with a floor plan that included a breakfast bar in the kitchen and a separate dining room. But Gesnaldo wanted to look at other homes built by Allen, too.
No. 2
Short sale situation
Another three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home built by Allen in Woodland Hills, near Emory University, looked like the home he owned in Grant Park from the outside. But the new home had nearly double the square footage, with about 2,700. Inside, there were hardwood floors, built-ins in the family room and a screened-in porch. The home, which was originally listed for $559,000, also had a den Gesnaldo could use as his office. He would have to negotiate, however, on unfinished details such as the upstairs floors.
No. 3
Hip neighborhood
The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath brownstone was in the award-winning Glenwood Park neighborhood, known for its new urbanism features that include a live-work-play setup, walkability and sustainable building. The home, built in 2007 and originally listed for $439,900, had energy-efficient features and details such as 10-foot ceilings, granite countertops and marble floors. Although it was in a new development, the home had been lived in, and it didn’t have a basement.
The Choice
No. 2. “When I saw the picture of it, I was like, this has got to be too good to be true. I fell in love with it, just looking at the pictures online,” he said. By the time Gesnaldo looked at the home, the price had dropped to $499,000. He put in an offer at $465,000 and asked for $10,000 in closing, and the seller countered at $460,000 with no closing. “It was a very easy negotiation,” he said. The builder also worked with him to finish the floors, and Gesnaldo purchased the home in November.
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