Families are moving up into larger homes by taking advantage of the still-recovering housing market, which continues to have short sales, foreclosures and low interest rates. But some parents, such as Marco and Jennifer Kuysten, find the options can be limited if they desire to stay in the same school district.
The priority
The couple started off their search in 2011 targeting north Fulton County cities such as Alpharetta and Johns Creek. They also were looking in southern Forsyth County, where they had owned a four-bedroom, 2 1/2-half bath home in Cumming since 2007.
But by November, they were so happy with the teachers, administration and parents at Brookwood Elementary in Cumming, where their oldest son, Ian, was in kindergarten, they didn’t want to leave the school district. “We loved this area. We knew we didn’t want to get far from this area,” Jennifer said. “That’s when we refined our search a little bit.”
If they could find the right location, they were seeking a home with an extra full bathroom for out-of-town guests and a finished basement.
“We had an unfinished basement previously. The decision for us was, does it make sense to put money into a house we bought five years ago that has not maintained the value or just start fresh?” Jennifer said.
They looked over the pros and cons and decided the best direction was to start fresh by buying a home with a finished basement.
The search
“We heard it’s a great time to buy, prices are great, and there were decent prices. But what we found was the inventory was lower than what we expected,” Jennifer said. “Although prices were incredible, the good ones, when they came on the market, they were gone quick.”
Because of the school criteria, the Kuystens and their real estate agent, Julie Barnes with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, focused on one neighborhood — DeerLake, in Alpharetta but Forsyth County. They viewed three houses, but two of them were on the main street, and they were unsure about being on a busier street because of young children. The third was a foreclosure, which ended up being taken off the market (even after they put an offer on it).
In the process of putting an offer on the foreclosure, a five-bedroom, five-bath house built in 1997 with about 4,800 square feet came on the market in the same neighborhood. It had a full finished basement, with a bedroom, full bath and two rooms (for a playroom and game room), plus storage shelves and a small workshop for Marco. Desirable extras included having the laundry room downstairs (most of the homes they viewed had them upstairs).
“It was such an easy decision,” Jennifer said.
The negotiations
They faced competition — 10 offers — for the foreclosure, which was priced below market value. “We about fell over when we found out,” Jennifer said. “We made an offer, held our breath and crossed our fingers.”
When the sellers called for their best and final offer, they revised it, offering well over the asking price.
“That sounds insane,” she said, “but they had priced it quite below what homes in the neighborhood had gone for.”
Although the home didn’t have a three-car garage and the backyard is not completely flat, she added that what they got far outweighs some of the “wants” they had to sacrifice.
Meanwhile, they decided to rent their existing home. They bought the new home in May. Homes in the neighborhood currently are listed from the high $300,000s to low $500,000s.
“Marco and I both agree: We are not moving again,” Jennifer said. “It felt like home from the minute we put our first piece of furniture in it.”
The lifestyle
One of the best things about the floor plan is that the kitchen is open to the rest of the downstairs, which allows them to see the boys when they are playing on the main level. The laundry room is spacious enough to serve as a mudroom and have a large pantry. Having a finished basement gives Ian and 3-year-old Luke — and their toys — a place to have as their own.
“The house fits us so well and I believe we love it even more now than when we first moved in this summer,” Jennifer said. “It took us a year to find this house, but it was worth it.”
About the Author
