Sean Jackson focused his home search in Marietta so his sons could stay in their schools, and that specific geographic boundary helped him find his first place. Jackson, 43, an electronic technician for Carrier Corp. who previously was in the Navy, chatted about his home.
Q: Where did you move from?
A: I've lived in Marietta for the last 15 or 16 years. I've been renting for those years that I've been here. I have two sons and I just felt like this was a good time to purchase a house. The market was good, and of course there were the tax incentives as well.
Q: What features did you want in your home?
A: We really needed more space. They're (sons Sean Thomas, 17, and Jayce, 12) getting too old to be roommates now. We've always had a two-bedroom house or a duplex.
Q: How did you go about looking for a home?
A: I did a lot of riding around the neighborhoods I was familiar with in Marietta. Lisa Mills (an agent with Harry Norman, Realtors) sent me some listings. As soon as I saw the listing for this house, I was familiar with it because Jayce was going to school next to that house. I had seen the house before it was even for sale and I liked the yard. Right away I jumped into my car, and sure enough, there was a for sale sign in the yard.
Q: How did things progress from there?
A: I was driving by there almost every morning just to check it out. The lady who owned it explained that she was about to retire and the house was in really good shape. Lisa set up an appointment to see it, and, sure enough, the house was immaculate. We had the inspection done and we started the negotiations. It wasn't long before we had come to a settlement (he got nearly $15,000 off the original asking price).
Q: What attracted you to the interior?
A: It has a large kitchen. It has plenty of cabinet space. She left the refrigerator, the stove, the dishwasher. All I had to do was pretty much move in. The master bedroom was an add-on, so it's huge and has its own bathroom.
Q: What is your commute like?
A: I'm at work in 10 minutes, which I love. I can't stand being in traffic.
Q: What advice would you give other first-time buyers?
A: Take your time and definitely get an inspection. Make sure that when you start looking, that you get your [loan] preapproval so that when you do find something you really like, you can act on it quickly. Being a veteran, they're [the government] backing up the loan, so that was very helpful. That made it a lot easier for me.
At a Glance
Sean Jackson’s home has three bedrooms, two baths and about 1,280 square feet of livable space. He purchased it in August.
Victory Heights
Address: 816 Mimosa Drive S.E., Marietta 30060
County: Cobb
Price range: $90,000-$155,000
Homes: 93
Square footage: 1,000-2,600, according to county tax records
Lot sizes: One-third to one-half acre
Amenities: Park
Homeowners fee: No homeowners association
Schools: Park Street Elementary, Marietta Middle, Marietta High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take I-75 north to exit 263 (Ga. 120 Loop/South Marietta Parkway). Travel west toward the Marietta Square. Turn right onto Aviation Road.
For sale
$154,500: 816 Mimosa Drive S.E., Marietta 30060. A three-bedroom, one-bath home built in 1942 with a sunroom.
$170,000: 211 Merritt St. N.E., Marietta 30060. A four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 1943 with a bonus room.
Recent sales
$115,000: 773 North Park Drive S.E., Marietta 30060. A restored three-bedroom, one-bath home built in 1942 with a fenced yard.
$90,000: 150 Aviation Road S.E. , Marietta 30060. A renovated two-bedroom, one-bath home built in 1942 with a new deck.
Source: Lisa Mills, Harry Norman, Realtors
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