Lifestyle Community: Views at Lenox Crossing

Matt Goldberg searched three years for his first home, getting close to making decisions time after time. The tax credit was among the factors that persuaded him to finally become a first-time buyer this year. Goldberg, 32, who works for Delta Air Lines, chatted about his new condo in Atlanta’s Views at Lenox Crossing.

Q: How long have you rented in Atlanta?

A: I’ve been renting at a Post property for the last seven years.

Q: What kept holding you back from buying?

A: Every time I saw a place, I liked it, but I got cold feet because it wasn’t absolutely perfect. I kept saying to myself, “If there’s one thing wrong with it, I don’t want it.” I would go a see a house and I would like it, but I wouldn’t even call (agent Aaron Allen with Keller Williams Realty Premier Atlanta/Buckhead) for a few months. I was interested and then I was disinterested.

Q: Did you see prices being lowered?

A: I kept an eye on some places I had looked at before, remembering what the price was initially and what it had dropped to. I wasn’t intentionally gambling with the market to see how low it could go, but I wasn’t in a hurry to buy a place.

Q: How did you find the Views at Lenox Crossing?

A: It was unintentional. When I restarted my search back in January, we were driving between two sites and we passed it.

Q: How did the neighborhood and its townhomes stand out?

A: I liked that it was brand-new construction. It was four miles further of a commute, but you spend less time on the side streets where all the traffic is, so my commute actually is faster.

Q: What features stood out?

A: You walk in, and there’s gorgeous hardwood floors, which is a nice touch. I love to cook and I like a big kitchen. A lot of places I saw, the kitchen was tiny. That was a deal breaker for me. This kitchen is massive. It has a lot of room to move around, a lot of counter space. It came with stainless steel GE appliances. Even the washer and dryer came with it. It was exactly what I was looking for.

Q: What did it take for you to realize it was time to buy?

A: The combination of the home market being such a buyer’s market right now and the realization that I basically was paying rent as money I’m never going to see or get back again. I basically grew up and said it’s time to buy a place, especially as a fantastic investment. They came down in price and threw in closing costs. It was too hard to resist. I think I timed it perfectly.

Q: What it’s like to have your own place?

A: The first couple of weeks, each morning I woke up, I almost had to pinch myself to remind myself where I was. Waking up in a big master bedroom on the third floor of a townhouse, I had to smack myself to remind myself where I was. It’s boosted my self-confidence to say I own my own home.

At a Glance

Matt Goldberg’s home has three bedrooms, three and a half baths and about 1,743 square feet of livable space. He purchased the home in late March.

Views at Lenox Crossing

Address: 2322 Limehurst Drive, Atlanta 30319 (Sales center)

County: DeKalb

Information: 404-869-3225, www.pulte.com

Price range: High $200,000s-low $300,000s

Homes: 139 (six remain for sale)

Square footage: About 1,743

Standard features: Hardwood floors, fireplaces, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances

Amenities: Pool, dog park

Homeowners fees: $163 a month ($600 initiation fee)

Builder: Pulte Homes

Broker: Pulte Homes

Schools: Woodward Elementary, Sequoyah Middle, Cross Keys High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take I-85 to Exit 89 (North Druid Hills Road) and travel northwest on North Druid Hills Road to Briarwood Road. Turn right onto Briarwood Road. The Views at Lenox Crossing is about a half mile on the right.

For Sale

$308,124: 2339 Limehurst Drive, Unit 7, Atlanta 30319. A new four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath townhome with a fireplace and hardwood floors.