When Mike and Valerie Almand’s home in Gainesville sold, the buyers needed to move in quickly, leaving them about two weeks to pack and move.
“Rather than jump into something because we weren’t sure exactly where we wanted to live, we wound up renting a house in east Cobb,” said Valerie, 52, who works as a court reporter throughout metro Atlanta. “We found out that we loved the area and wanted to stay here.”
More than three years later, they decided to buy a home. During their search, the couple focused on neighborhoods in Marietta so Mike, 56, also a court reporter, could be close to the Cobb County Courthouse, where he often works. Valerie needed a location where she could access I-75, I-285 and Ga. 400 for her job.
No. 1
Cul-de-sac setting
The Mitsy Forest neighborhood’s pool attracted the Almands to a three-bedroom, three-bath ranch on Mitsy Walk. The home was in a quiet cul-de-sac, and a deck overlooked the tree-filled backyard. The sellers also had put new granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, but the couple wasn’t sure there was enough space for themselves and their three grown children who live with them. The basement had a bathroom, but it might not have been big enough to carve out another bedroom. The home, built in 1979, was listed for $269,500.
No. 2
Significant updates
The four-bedroom, 21/2 bath on Willeo Ridge Court was the only house they considered with a private pool. The home had been redone, with new oak floors, appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen, carpet in the finished basement, light fixtures and plumbing fixtures. The sellers also had updated the roof, heating and air-conditioning system, deck and fence. But the pool took away from the yard space they desired for their three dogs. The home, built in 1974 in the Willeo Ridge neighborhood, was listed for $329,000.
No. 3
Big kitchen
The four-bedroom, 21/2 bath home on Woodberry Terrace in the Willow Point neighborhood had an outstanding kitchen, with an island, built-in desk, and new stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. There also was enough room to put in a love seat and coffee table for people to socialize in the kitchen, Valerie said. Although the home had the bonus of being on nearly a half acre, the backyard bordered Lower Roswell Road, which they learned was going to be widened. “They were going to be taking down the fence and parking equipment on the property,” she said. The home, built in 1973, was listed for $299,900.
The Choice
No. 2. The couple made a trade-off by buying the Willeo Ridge Court home. “It was, ‘Get the house with the pool and let the dogs sacrifice, or give it up and find a nice yard for them to run around in.’ We opted to let the dogs sacrifice,” Valerie said. There wasn’t much negotiating since the sellers had already lowered the asking price by $20,000. Valerie feels like they got an almost-new home in an established neighborhood. “They really came in and did a beautiful job of refurbishing the house,” she said. The Almands, who were assisted by Ed Robeson with Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta, closed in January.
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