A job change caused Kizzy Bailey’s commute to shift from the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Cobb County. So she decided to move closer to her new job and to son Caleb’s school, Kennesaw Charter Math and Science Academy. Bailey, 31, a communications representative, chatted about her home in Kennesaw’s Barrett Knoll neighborhood.
Q: How long did you live in your previous home in Austell?
A: For 14 months. It had white walls and white carpet. I went in and I updated a lot of things (she switched out the faucets, painted the walls and added crown molding). My plan was to stay. Then ... the offer with Lockheed Martin came through and my son got accepted to the Kennesaw school. I was in traffic literally for an hour and a half on the East-West Connector to go up to the Kennesaw area. It was ridiculous. I told my Realtor, “It looks like we’re going to have to move to the Kennesaw area.”
Q: How quickly did your home sell?
A: We put the sign out on a Sunday afternoon. I asked God, please send someone who would take care of it and be an asset to the neighborhood. My Realtor (Tom Polsley with AmeriDream Realty) called me Wednesday morning at 10:15 and said the house was sold. I got full asking price in three days. What’s more important is that the lady who got my house was going through (a program with) the Marietta Housing Authority. It helped this first-time home buyer, while allowing me to move into my dream home in Kennesaw.
Q: Why do you think your previous home sold so quickly?
A: A lot of the houses in that neighborhood, they were going for $110,000, $120,000. At the same time, a lot of them needed work. Mine was move-in ready, and I can’t stress how important that is. I relied on my Realtor to make sure we were putting it on the market (for the right price). It sold for $135,000. It appraised for $134,900.
Q: Why was the Kennesaw home your dream house?
A: I have a master on the main. I have a double-sided fireplace in the kitchen and family room. The neighborhood is great. It has a good multicultural mix. I’m right beside the pool. My older home was pretty much a starter home; this is where we’re going to be for some time. The only time I’m ever going to move again is if I get remarried and he wants a basement.
Q: How did the negotiations on the Kennesaw home go?
A: When I sold my home on that Wednesday, I put an offer on my dream home that Friday. They didn’t like my offer because I wanted them to pay my closing costs. They upped the (offer) and said no closing costs. I backed away. They called my Realtor back that following Tuesday and asked if we could revisit the offer. We went back and forth on the price. My Realtor said, “You’ve obviously got an emotional attachment to the house, so we have to find a way to meet this man halfway.” The house was on sale for $209,000. We went down to $200,000, and they paid half of the closing costs.
Q: What is your commute like now?
A: I’m 15 minutes away from my job. I am 1 minute and 30 seconds away from my son’s school.
At a glance
Kizzy Bailey’s home, built in 2003 in Barrett Knoll, has four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and about 2,848 square feet of livable space. She purchased the home in July.
Barrett Knoll
Address: 1966 Barrett Knoll Circle, Kennesaw 30512 (See listing information below)
County: Cobb
Price range: $200,000s
Homes: About 50
Square footage: About 2,000-4,000
Lot sizes: One-third to one-half acre, on average
Standard features: Two-car garages, 9-foot ceilings, hardwood floors
Amenities: Playground, pool
Homeowners fees: $550 a year (no initiation fee)
Schools: Hayes Elementary, Pine Mountain Middle, Kennesaw Mountain High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take I-75 north to Exit 269 (Barrett Parkway) and turn left onto Barrett Parkway. Cross over Cobb Parkway and take a right on Old Highway 41. Take a left onto Stanley Road. Turn left into Barrett Knoll.
For sale
$229,000: 1966 Barrett Knoll Circle, Kennesaw 30512. A four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 2003 with a fenced backyard.
$269,900: 1969 Barrett Knoll Circle, Kennesaw 30512. A five-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home built in 2003 with a master on the main.
Recent sales
$235,000: 2011 Barrett Knoll Circle, Kennesaw 30512. A four-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath home built in 2002 with a sunroom.
$258,950: 1919 Barrett Knoll Circle, Kennesaw 30512. A five-bedroom, three-bath home built in 2002 with hardwood floors on the main level.
Community information provided by Tom Polsley with AmeriDream Realty and compiled by Delaney Young.
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