Lifestyle Community: Collier Gate

Bobby and Neema Oliver explored the metro area and asked friends and family members to recommend single-family neighborhoods as they moved from a one-bedroom condo in Chicago to Atlanta. Bobby, 33, who works in marketing and brand management, and Neema, 29, talked about their home in Smyrna’s Collier Gate neighborhood.

Q: What did you want in a home?

Neema: We wanted at least four bedrooms and at least three bathrooms. And we definitely wanted a basement. We wanted something that was built at least in the 2000s. We wanted something that didn't require any renovations.

Bobby: A backyard and a garage. We wanted [features such as] hardwood floors in the living area and an updated kitchen with granite countertops and nice cabinetry.

Q: What do you love about the home you purchased?

Neema: I love the neighborhood. It's off Atlanta Road, so it's convenient to a lot of things, but yet it's kind of secluded. Once you come into the actual neighborhood, it's very quiet. The neighbors are great. You have kids playing on the streets. It's a small subdivision.

Bobby: The floor plan worked out nice on the first floor. It's pretty open from the living room to the kitchen. They're distinct spaces, but at the same time it had an open flow to it. It didn't feel like you had to follow a maze.

Q: What features stood out?

Neema: When we came into the house, the kitchen looked a little bigger in person than it did in the pictures. The home was in great condition. It was beautiful.

Bobby: What was really nice that we didn't expect is the living room has coffered ceilings, which added a nice traditional effect. The master bath is huge, and that was a nice bonus.

Q: How did the backyard compare with other homes?

Bobby: That's one of the things that I actually had to compromise on our wish list. I was hoping for a flat, grassy backyard. We actually have one that is well-manicured but it is somewhat woodsy. A small creek goes behind it as well.

Q: Did you like that the basement was unfinished?

Neema: We can do exactly what we want. The ones that we did see, the layout was kind of like a maze. We saw some that we were like, "Well, this is going to need some work to get it how we want it to be."

Q: What are the benefits to living in Smyrna?

Bobby: There's a lot of great restaurants. We thought that was very nice because we love to explore different cultures through food. It's only 12 miles from Midtown. It's a nice commute for me in the morning. It's only 20 to 25 minutes at most. I don't even have to access the highway.

Q: You were able to purchase the home for lower than the asking price. What was the negotiation process like?

Bobby: You want to be considerate to the seller but at the same time make sure you get fair-market value. There were a few rounds of negotiations. We understand what it's like to sell in a down market. [Our condo] sold pretty quickly, but obviously for less than we would have liked to get. But that's the trade-off.

At a glance

Bobby and Neema Oliver’s home, which was built in 2004, has five bedrooms, five baths and about 3,465 square feet of livable space. They purchased it in August.

Collier Gate

Address: 3215 Collier Gate Court, Smyrna 30080 (See listing information below)

County: Cobb

Price range: $300,000s-$500,000s

Homes: 36

Square footage: 3,000-5,000, for listings on the market

Lot sizes: About one-third acre, on average

Amenities: Streetlights

Homeowners fees: $360 a year

Builder: Traton Homes

Schools: Brown Elementary, Campbell Middle, Campbell High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take I-285 to Exit 16 (South Atlanta Road) and travel north. Take a right onto Collier Drive into the Collier Gate neighborhood.

For Sale

$425,000: 3215 Collier Gate Court, Smyrna 30080. A four-bedroom, three-bath home built in 2003 with an island and cherry cabinets in the kitchen.

$575,000: 3210 Collier Gate Court, Smyrna 30080. A five-bedroom, five-bath home built in 2003 with a finished basement.