It seemed like a large request: Joan Ray and Kellie Ryan wanted to downsize their mortgage but not their house.
“We loved our house in Avondale but looking toward the future, we have two kids going off to college in a couple of years,” Joan said. “We wanted to be fiscally responsible.”
They posted a query for real estate agents on the Nextdoor Avondale website (avondaleestatesga.nextdoor.com). Many agents responded, but Susan Fuller stood out, saying she previously sold the Avondale Estates home they wanted to sell.
Working with Fuller and her sister, Carol, of Alma Fuller Realty Company, the couple put their pool home on the market and searched for a cheaper home with at least three bedrooms and no pool to maintain. Ray and Ryan looked at Oakhurst, Edgewood and Inman Park, and expanded their hunt to Kirkwood and Tucker where homes in the mid-$200,000s and up appeared to be more spacious.
No. 1
Kirkwood Craftsman
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Warren Street in Atlanta’s Kirkwood community had been lovingly restored, they said, with a master suite addition. The layout also had a smart use of space, since the living and dining spaces opened to the kitchen. The home had original hardwood floors but new windows, HVAC, driveway and a cedar gate. The home, built in 1928, was listed for $259,000.
No. 2
Historic house in unexpected location
A nearly 150-year-old home on Idlewood Road in Tucker offered historic character and modern details. For example, the original ice box is now a vanity. The master bathroom also was updated with a claw foot tub and tile shower. As a bonus, the three-bedroom, two-bath home had a studio for Joan’s artwork. The home, built in 1866, was listed for $259,900.
No. 3
Two-story with space
A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home on Hosea L. Williams Drive in Atlanta was walking distance to Kirkwood Village, a park and schools. The master suite boasted a walk-in closet, and double vanity with granite countertops and vessel sinks in the bathroom. The home, built in 1925, was listed for $319,900.
The choice
No. 2. Both Kirkwood properties went under contract before they could consider putting in an offer. “There was very little on the market at that time so anyone that wanted to move was snatching them up when they went on the market,” Kellie said. The Tucker home popped up for sale on a Saturday morning. Ray and Ryan remember their agents asking them if that location would work. They visited and immediately decided to make an offer. They closed in April. “Moving a little bit farther out was so much more house,” Joan said.
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