More buying power than she thought
Jamie Branch’s friends, parents, and even her bosses, told her she was being “ridiculous” and needed to buy her first home as soon as possible.
“I was a little nervous and apprehensive about the whole thing because I didn’t know how much I could afford,” said Branch, 26, who works for Wright Medical Technology.
Once she told her friend, Leigh Thompson Koffler with Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Battle, her price range, she realized it was time to start looking because deals were available. Koffler and her mom, Susan Thompson with Keller Williams, helped Branch hone in on listings close to the home she was renting in Buckhead. She narrowed her choices in less than three weeks.
No. 1: Cozy cottage
The first picture Branch saw of the three-bedroom, one-bath home on Fearn Circle N.E. in Atlanta’s Drew Valley neighborhood was of the kitchen. She figured the front of the house was ugly if the sellers weren’t using the front as the main photo in the listing. But she was pleasantly surprised by the brick home, which was built in 1952 and had an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The street was kept up and the neighbors were friendly, both of which stood out during her search. “Some houses we looked at, the streets were questionable,” she said. “They would have a nice house, a nice house and then a car on cinderblocks.” The home, originally listed for $269,900 and about 5 minutes from her rental, had only one bathroom, but the lot was large enough for an addition.
No. 2: Renovated ranch
Another home on Fearn Circle in Atlanta’s Drew Valley neighborhood had three bedrooms and 1 ½ baths and the same layout as choice No. 1. The home, also built in 1952, had hardwood floors. The kitchen featured granite counter tops, new hardware and stainless steel appliances. The seller also had recently updated the heating and air conditioning system and put in a new water heater. The home was within walking distance of Town Brookhaven, a mixed-use project under development. Originally listed at $299,900, it was at the top of Branch’s price range.
No. 3: Brookhaven bungalow
A three-bedroom, one-bath home on Thompson Road N.E. in Atlanta’s Grant Estates Brookhaven neighborhood was “super cute,” Branch said. “It was a happy, chic, girly home,” she said. It sat on a level, fenced lot, and had a fireplace in the living room, a separate dining room and a bonus room off the kitchen. The home, built in 1950, was listed for $295,000. The bathroom also had been renovated, but Branch was looking for two bathrooms. The three bedrooms also were clustered, which might have been a problem if she had a roommate.
The Choice: No. 1
The lower-priced home on Fearn Circle stood out because the size of the lot allowed to her expand the house, and she’s adding a master bathroom, half bath, sunroom and a deck. She was able to negotiate a little off the asking price, and the seller paid closing costs. Branch jokes that she placed more counteroffers than her agents had ever seen. “I had an idea in my head and I’m pretty persistent. He came down so much the first time that I thought I would get him down to my asking price,” she said. “I finally had to lose just a little bit (off what she wanted the final price to be), even though I ended up winning in the long run.” She purchased the home at the end of April and repaired some water damage before moving in. “I didn’t think that I would ever care about my flowers or grass, and last night, I went and bought a sprinkler system because my grass isn’t green,” she said. “You really pay a lot more attention when you own something.”
