John and Maria Pfeiffer owned six previous houses and knew what they wanted in their seventh. They found it in a style of home completely different than they had ever owned – a Craftsman-style home. The couple moved from North Carolina for their jobs, attracted by Tributary at New Manchester’s architecture and activities such as pool parties, poker and jazz concerts in the Douglasville community. John, 58, and Maria, 56, who both work in health care, chatted about their six-hour closing and why their new kitchen island reminds them of the TV show “Dexter.”
Q: How long did you look for a home?
Maria: We had been looking for a good three months.
John: As soon as we pulled past the gate of the community, I was like, “I like it already.” Then they took us to multiple houses.
Q: What did you like about the community?
Maria: The community itself. They were all Craftsman-style homes and some old Victorian types. It’s a fun little community. People are very, very friendly and very dog friendly. (Ours) is out there with eight or 10 dogs every night, just having the time of their lives. We have never lived in a place that was like this.
Q: What features spoke to you?
Maria: I love the kitchen. That was a big plus. It’s a smaller yard, which we liked. We had bigger yards and lots of acreage and we were tired of it. We wanted to be able to come and go and not worry about the house that much anymore.
Q: What did you like about the kitchen?
Maria: It’s all windows. I’ve never had a kitchen that’s been all windows. It’s different style cabinets. They’re kind of like washed yellowy beige and beadboard. All of our other homes have had white cabinets or cherry cabinets.
John: The one thing that grabbed me about the kitchen was the island. The island was 48 by 96. My first thought was the TV show “Dexter.” I can get on this and somebody can cut me open.
Q: Were there counteroffers?
John: The price of the house was listed. Maria Bartlett (of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage) said on a foreclosure this is what you normally suggest to bid – x amount of dollars below it. We didn’t want to go that low. We just went in between.
Q: How was the negotiation process?
John: This house was a foreclosure.
Maria: It went very smoothly until the actual closing day. Then there were a few little glitches.
John: We spent six hours closing, which was unheard of.
Maria: But it was worth it.
Q: How long is your commute?
Maria: About 40 minutes (to Southern Crescent Women’s Healthcare in Fayetteville). The drive time is nice little backroads and it’s wind-down time really. I listen to some music and drive home.
Tributary at New Manchester
Address: 3270 Darby Drive, Douglasville 30135 (Sales center)
County: Douglas
Information: 678-391-0026, www.tributaryga.com
Price range: High $100,000s-$600,000s
Homes: About 2,500 when complete
Square footage: 1,600-more than 3,000
Lot sizes: Less than a quarter of an acre to about 1.5 acres
Standard features: Front porches, hardwood floors, two-car garages
Amenities: Playgrounds, skate park, dog park, bocce park, Founders Park, activity centers, pools, basketball court, tennis court, athletic field complex, mountain-biking trails
Homeowners fees: $190 a month
Developer: Douglasville Development
Builder: Touchstone Homes and O’Dwyer Homes
Broker: Tributary Realty
Schools: New Manchester Elementary, Factory Shoals Middle, Lithia Springs High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take I-20 west to Exit 46A (Riverside Parkway). Continue to the four-way stop sign, turn left, crossing Riverside/Thornton Road. Tributary is 4.5 miles on the right.
For sale
$199,000: 3261 Founders Way, Douglasville 30135. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2- bath bungalow home built in 2005 with a loft area and fenced backyard.
$209,900: 9895 Colchester St., Douglasville 30135. A two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 2008 with the master on the main and a front porch.
Recent sales
$170,000: 3181 Ashton Old Road, Douglasville 30135. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 2007 with a courtyard and high ceilings.
$224,900: 9914 Mancunian Way, Douglasville 30135. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 2006 with a large front yard and custom hardware.
Community information provided by Maria Bartlett of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and Jennifer Dodson with Tributary Realty and compiled by Delaney Young.
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