First-Time Homebuyer
Daniel Grupp decided to stop thinking about buying a home and actually purchase one when his job brought him from Kansas City to Atlanta last year. He rented in Buckhead to try out the area before jumping on a foreclosure in the high-rise Ovation complex, which offered the right price, location and layout. Grupp, a 29-year-old sales engineer for MSK Covertech, a manufacturer of packaging machinery in Marietta, chatted about his condo on Peachtree Road.
Q: How did you decide where you wanted to live?
A: I very much consider myself a city type of guy. I had heard some good things about Buckhead and Midtown. That’s kind of where I narrowed my search. I moved in with roommates in the Buckhead area for six months. Ultimately, I decided Buckhead.
Q: What was your price range?
A: I was looking at condos right around the $200,000 range.
Q: What steps did you take before becoming serious with your search?
A: Ben Hirsh (broker and owner of Hirsh Real Estate Specialists) guided me through what the processes need to be. First, I realized I needed to get my credit checked and get a pre-approval letter. I started my physical search in mid-January.
Q: What were your criteria during your condo search?
A: It had to be a minimum of two bedrooms, two bathrooms. I wanted a place that would be suitable for a roommate, to help with a mortgage.
Q: How did Ovation appeal to you?
A: It’s a very modern, upscale type building. The location and the views I get from downtown really sold me. Other than that, it was the fact that it was in really great shape, even considering that it was a foreclosure.
Q: What interior features won you over?
A: I really love the setup of it. The bedrooms are separated. The master is on one end, and the guest is on the other end. Each had their own private bathroom, which is key for a roommate. It was really updated. I didn’t want to move into a place that I would have to put a lot of work into. It had the granite countertops, the bamboo hardwood floors.
Q: What offer did you put in?
A: There was at least one other bid besides my own. Originally, we decided to go $10,000 over asking price and $5,000 toward closing. We did the research on other units. We decided it was a fantastic deal. I didn’t want to lose it. I advised Ben to do $20,000 above (asking price). This is where Ben did an amazing job. That evening, he did a little more research. He decided it was not necessary to increase the bid. The next day I called him. He said, “Don’t hate me for this. I ended up going with your original bid.” My original offer was good enough.
Q: Did you have to buy anything for the unit immediately?
A: I had to buy a refrigerator.
Q: What do you enjoy about living in Buckhead?
A: It’s kind of a young professional type of neighborhood. It’s got lots of great restaurants and bars. Whole Foods is literally across the street. Publix is a block down. It has everything you can possibly want.
At a Glance
Daniel Grupp’s condo, built in 2006, has two bedrooms, two baths and about 1,200 square feet. He purchased it in February. Units in Ovation range from the low $100,000s to the high $200,000s.
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