Veterinarian Genine Ervin rented a townhouse when she moved to Atlanta after earning her master’s degree in public health and international medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Once she settled in her job at Banfield, a pet hospital in Lilburn, she started her home search. Ervin, 30, chatted about her first home in Grayson’s Haynes Crossing.
Q: How did you decide where to buy in metro Atlanta?
A: It depended on the school system first (for her son, Dylan, 8). A friend of mine let me know which areas were best, and I did research on Web sites such as greatschools.net. I looked at some particular schools that were not too far from my job.
Q: Did you find a lot of choices?
A: There were a lot of homes in the area. There were just not a lot that I liked in the area. Once we narrowed it down to what I was looking for specifically, Melanie Carawan (a real estate agent with Harry Norman Realtors) started showing me those in that price range. I needed a back yard for my son to play in. After that, it was just the amount of space for us, rooms for he and I and a guest room.
Q: What stood out about the home you chose?
A: It stood out because it's a corner lot. It looked very nice when driving into the community. It seemed to be a little different from the homes I was looking at that were right on the main road or the side street and you just look for the mailbox.
Q: What was the negotiation process like?
A: I pretty much set the first price and she took it. The house had been on the market for about a year. It was initially listed [for] $25,000 more than what I paid for it.
Q: How did you get prepared to buy a home?
A: I made sure I didn't make any large purchases before I bought the home, getting myself financially set to make that purchase.
Q: What was the significance of buying a home at this point in your life?
A: I've been in school for so long. It's just been a lot of schooling, a lot of book work. Right now, I'm working and I'm doing things that I can do on my own. So purchasing this home was the next step for me.
At a glance
Genine Ervin’s home has three bedrooms, 21/2 baths and about 2,350 square feet of livable space. She purchased it in July.
Haynes Crossing
Address: 2623 Haynes Meadow Court, Grayson 30017
County: Gwinnett
Information: 404-835-9100, Ext. 199, www.Hayneshoa.com
Price range: $136,000-$199,000
Square footage: 1,900-2,400
Lot sizes: 1/4-1/3 acre
Standard features: master bedroom with French doors, hardwood and marble floors, two-story foyer
Amenities: pool, tennis courts
Homeowners fees: $440 annually
Schools: Grayson Elementary, Bay Creek Middle, Grayson High
More on schools:
schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take U.S. 78 east through Stone Mountain. Turn left onto Ga. 84 (Grayson Parkway). Turn right on Lake Meadow into Haynes Crossing.
For sale
$159,000: 1244 Haynes Club Way, Grayson 30017. A three-bedroom 21/2-bath home built in 2001 with hardwood floors and a two-story foyer.
$150,000: 2623 Haynes Meadow Court, Grayson 30017. A four-bedroom 21/2-bath home built in 2001 with a formal dining room and living room.
Recent sales
$160,000: 2575 Haynes Club Circle, Grayson 30017. A three-bedroom 21/2-bath home built in 2001 with hardwood floors in the kitchen and a family room with stone fireplace.
$160,000: 1395 Tullifenney Court, Grayson 30017. A three-bedroom 21/2-bath home built in 2001 with a full basement.
Source: Melanie Carawan, Harry Norman Realtors. Information compiled by Peyton Marsh.
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