At a glance
Leslie Kuban’s condo at Paramount at Buckhead, which was built as apartments in 2004 and converted to condos in 2006, has one bedroom, one bath and about 1,303 square feet. She purchased it in October, assisted by A. Caroline Wilson with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. One-bedroom condos at Paramount at Buckhead range from $175,000-$250,000, and two-bedroom, three-bedroom and penthouse units are listed from $250,000-$1.1 million.
Leslie Kuban tested out high-rise living, by renting a condo in Paramount at Buckhead for four years. Once she decided she was ready to buy a condo in the city, Kuban didn’t want to leave the area and neighbors who had become her friends.
Kuban, 39, a franchise specialist with FranNet, chatted about her purchase.
Q: How did the timing work out, to end your lease and buy?
A: The timing worked out very well. My lease was coming up, and rents are expensive. I realized it’s a great time to buy. I had the perfect unit under contract within a week.
Q: Views are important for Atlanta condo buyers. What is your view of?
A: I have an amazing view. It’s the view you want when you are in a high-rise, of downtown Atlanta, so I’m very happy. It’s the floor plan that has the large balconies in the building, which means it’s the perfect venue to not only see the Lenox Square Fourth of July fireworks show, but other fireworks shows in the horizon.
Q: What else did you like about the floor plan?
A: It’s a large one bedroom. It has an extra den area. I work from home, so it allowed for me to have a home office. There’s a dining area and the den area. The dining area is right next to the window where I have this amazing view, so I’m switching that out. The office is going where the dining area was. The den area is going to be my dining room.
Q: What’s the sense of community like?
A: My neighbors have become my primary social circle. The amenities here are fabulous. We have a wonderful social director here. The building does a great job of having community events, like happy hours on a regular basis. We had a pool party (during the summer) with a DJ. We had a big Halloween party. The amenities and the building management foster socialization.
Q: What are some of your favorite amenities?
A: First of all, it’s a beautiful environment to live in. The aesthetics are beautiful. I’m proud to live here. My favorite part is definitely the grilling area. That is where I socialize and have become close with my neighbors. That can be a really fun Friday or Saturday evening when you’re all grilling out and enjoying each other.
I own my own business. We have a wonderful business center set up. I frequently have clients come here, and I meet them in the conference room. It’s not an extra cost that I have to incur (the amenities are included in the homeowners association fees).
Q: How did you think long term in purchasing the condo?
A: I plan to keep this unit, whether it’s my primary residence or not. I do franchise consulting. I want to get into more international work, but I like the idea of having a place that is mine and having a place of stability in Atlanta because my family is here.
Q: What changes are you making to the condo?
A: I’m not doing anything major structurally — new paint, new countertops. I hired an interior designer (Dawn Sanders-Myers with DSM Design Studio). I moved into my rental with nothing. She helped me pick out everything from the paint to the throw pillows to all the art on the walls.
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