Finishing up graduate school at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and landing a job as an environmental scientist for a private environmental/engineering consulting firm caused Andrea Benson, 30, and her husband, Bradley, to search for a single-family home a bit closer to Atlanta.
With Bradley, 30, working at Nalley Lexus Smyrna, the couple desired to move closer to Cobb and Paulding counties, where they grew up. Assisted by Keyla Berry of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Atlanta, the Bensons desired to find a basement home with at least 2,000 square feet and a flat lot for their two dogs and cat. These three homes – within their $200,000 budget – appeared to fit their requirements.
No. 1
Cute Cape Cod
A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home on Johnston Road in Kennesaw offered hardwood floors, stained kitchen cabinets and backyard with mature landscaping that made it a beautiful home and lot, the couple said. The roof was new, as well as the kitchen appliances. There was some concern about how a county stormwater drain could impact the yard, said Andrea, who previously worked for the Cherokee County stormwater division. The home, built in 1994 in Cobb County’s Shiloh West neighborhood, was listed for $185,000.
No. 2
Older but updated
A three-bedroom, three-bath home on Longwood Drive in Marietta also was a Cape Cod style and had a finished basement, but the home was 45 years old. A cathedral ceiling in the great room and updates including hardwood floors, granite countertops, new kitchen cabinets and new carpet in the bedrooms caught their attention. The deck was larger than other homes, at 700 square feet. The roof and air conditioning systems were only 5 years old. The Dunleith subdivision in Cobb County would shorten their commutes, but the Powder Springs Road location could be busy to get in and out, Andrea said. The home, built in 1968, was listed for $200,000.
No. 3
Long commute
A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on Lowry Way in Euharlee had the outdoor space they wanted, with a half acre lot, and homes spread apart in the Shaw Woods neighborhood. A wraparound deck and screened-in porch also added to the outdoor space of the Bartow County home. Kitchen updates included granite countertops and custom cabinets. The neighborhood was near hiking trails, the Etowah River, and towns to the north they liked such as Cartersville and Rome. The home, built in 2004, was listed for $202,900.
The Choice
No. 3. “We walked into this house and I could tell right away that she really loves the house,” Bradley said. “I was the one kind of wishy-washy on it. I said, ‘It’s not really close to where we need to be. You need to make sure this is what you want.’” The Euharlee home was 45 minutes each way to Andrea’s office in Buckhead, but the home and location had a number of other things going for it, including new schools nearby. They closed on the home in June. “We saw the possibility for growth out in this area,” Bradley said.
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