Mitch Marlyere started his house search intown, but he decided to seek a suburban location because it would be closer to work and might mean lower taxes. Marlyere, 27, who is in business-to-business sales for Best Buy, chatted about his home, a foreclosure in Loganville’s Autumn Meadows neighborhood.
Q: Where did you move from?
A: I was renting a home in Lawrenceville.
Q: Why did you want to buy now?
A: I was tired of flushing money down the toilet. I got a job promotion at the end of '07. I had a very lucrative year in 2008, where it started to make sense to look into home ownership.
Q: What were you looking for?
A: I like the Craftsman-style homes. I was looking for something that had the custom appeal, the crown molding, coffered ceilings and hardwood floors. I wanted either a large ranch or a traditional two-story as long as the master was on the main level. It needed a big enough yard for my dogs.
Q: What did you like about the look of the neighborhood?
A: It honestly looks like that street on "Desperate Housewives." They're all four-sided brick homes, but they have the Craftsman appeal. Everything (in his home) was in perfect condition.
Q: How did you find and negotiate on the foreclosure?
A: It happened very quick. I was looking at a brand new home to buy (in another neighborhood). They did more of the cookie-cutter type of home, but I wanted it customized. The salesman kept telling me, "You don't want to do that, it's too much money, we can't do that." I was like, "I'm the buyer. If I want it, I expect for there to be cost associated with it, but don't tell me what I do and do not want." This was the last one on the list. We went in and saw it and I was like, 'This is it.' I put an offer in December. They counter-offered. On Christmas Eve, we countered, and they accepted.
Q: Did you get a deal?
A: It was already $100,000 less than the (original) asking price. Then they came down another $15,000 and paid the closing costs.
At a Glance
Mitch Marlyere’s home has four bedrooms, three baths and about 2,600 square feet of
livable space. He purchased the home in February 2009.
Autumn Meadows
County: Gwinnett
Price range: Low $200,000s (for foreclosures listed in the neighborhood)
Lot sizes: One-third to one-half acre
Amenities: Sidewalks
Homeowners fees: None
Schools: Trip Elementary, Bay Creek Middle, Grayson High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Source: Kellee Bass, Avenues of Atlanta
Getting there
Take I-85 north to Ga. 316 to the Sugarloaf Parkway exit and turn right. Travel Sugarloaf Parkway for about 7 miles and turn right onto Ga. 20. Travel 1.7 miles and turn right onto Rosebud Road. Travel about 1.5 miles and turn left into Autumn Meadows.
For sale
$230,000: 752 Autumn Meadow Drive, Loganville 30052. A five-bedroom, 3 ½-bath home built in 2006 with a master on the main and granite kitchen countertops.
$226,800: 801 Autumn Meadow Drive, Loganville 30052. A four-bedroom, 2 ½-bath home built in 2006 with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and tile backsplash in the kitchen.
Recent sales
$217,000: 791 Autumn Meadow Drive, Loganville 30052. A six-bedroom, three-bath home built in 2006 with a security system and stainless steel kitchen
appliances.
$210,000: 781 Autumn Meadow Drive, Loganville 30052. A five-bedroom, 3 ½-bath home built in 2006 with an irrigation system and granite kitchen countertops.
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