Teresa Badke thought it wasn't possible to buy a first home, especially one in town, but realized that loans were available to help her make that move. Badke, 29, an architect with Summer/Wise & Associates, chatted about her Kirkwood bungalow, which she purchased in May.

Q Why buy now?

A Obviously, because of all the benefits right now for a first-time buyer. I

started (searching) about a year ago. My mom had mentioned that I might as well try it and see what happens. I was scared I didn't have enough money.

When I realized what was available, I realized it was a possibility.

Q What were your must-haves in a home?

A I wanted at least two bedrooms. I wanted two full bathrooms. I needed a fenced-in yard. I have a big dog.

Q What in-town neighborhoods did you search?

A I was living in East Atlanta, which is right across the highway, basically.

I narrowed it down to East Atlanta, Kirkwood, the Grant Park area. Because my budget wasn't as big, I had to go through some of the bad stuff to get to some of the good ones. I rarely found something that wasn't a foreclosure. I had (a contract on) another house that fell through, in Reynoldstown. It had too much damage and I couldn't afford to fix it.

Q What did you like about the style and location of your home?

A It had a cute front porch. There were sidewalks. It's a really diverse neighborhood, which was important to me. I like living in town for that reason.

Q What type of financing did you get?

A An FHA 203(k) loan (the Department of Housing and Urban Development's primary program for the rehabilitation and repair of single-family properties). That enabled me to have some renovation money. I got about $18,000 extra added to my loan amount. I didn't have a lot of money to put into my first house.

This kind of helped smooth over any of the scary big things.

Q What type of repairs are you making?

A One of the bathrooms was in the middle of renovation. I'm having to finish

out the bathroom. A rotten window needed to be replaced. My furnace and HVAC were stolen.

Q What was frustrating about the process?

A As a first-time buyer, this is a big deal to you; you haven't done it before. You're dealing with people who do it a million times a day. You want everything to happen perfectly, and now. Sometimes that's very trying.

At a glance

Teresa Badke's home, which was built in 1925, has two bedrooms, two baths and about 1,000 square feet of livable space. Other features include moldings, hardwood floors and a fenced-in back yard.

Kirkwood

Address: Kirkwood Road, Atlanta 30317

County: DeKalb

Price range: The 101 active listings range from $29,900 for a total rehab to

$629,900, said Sarah Hodgdon, a real estate agent with Keller Williams

Atlanta Midtown. Of those, 41 houses are on the market for less than

$250,000.

Styles: Two-bedroom bungalows dating to the 1920s to two-story new

construction with five bedrooms.

Schools: Toomer Elementary, Coan Middle, Crim High

More on schools: www.ajchomefinder.com/schoolguide

Getting there

Take I-20 east to Exit 61B (Glenwood Avenue) and turn left. Turn right onto

Memorial Drive, the south boundary of Kirkwood.

Recent sales

$155,500: 313 Eleanor St., Atlanta 30317. A 2-bedroom, 2-bath home built in 1946 and updated with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

$429,500: 70 Kirkwood Road N.E., Atlanta 30317. 3-bedroom, 2-bath restored bungalow built in 1892 with 12-foot ceilings and original hardwood floors.

For sale

$629,900: 24 Kirkwood Rd N.E., Atlanta 30317. A 5-bedroom, 4-bath home circa 1924 with original bookcases in the living room and a terrace level media room.

$180,000: 1721 Fairway Hill Dr. S.E., Atlanta 30317. A 2-bedroom, 2-bath

home built in 1947 with renovated bathrooms and hardwood floors.

About the Author

Featured

UPS driver Dan Partyka delivers an overnight package. As more people buy more goods online, the rapid and unrelenting expansion of e-commerce is causing real challenges for the Sandy-Springs based company. (Bob Andres/AJC 2022)

Credit: TNS