The boom in suburban communities focused on baby boomers and senior adults gave Richard and Ellen Pine the option to downsize near Powder Springs, where they have lived for more than 15 years.
Richard, who works for Wyndham Atlanta Galleria Hotel, and Ellen, who is retired, chatted about their new home in Arbor Ridge at Marietta, which allowed them to continue to live near their children and a granddaughter.
Q: Why did you want to downsize?
Richard: We lived in Powder Springs, which is about 2 miles from here. We had a four-bedroom house and a lot to take care of. We decided we needed something a little smaller on one level. As we get older, I don't want to climb stairs.
Q: Where you specifically looking for 55-and-up communities?
Richard: There was a time where I said I would never move into one of these communities. It just seemed to be one in those places, especially in Florida, where it seems that you go there and die, like God's waiting room. But it grew on us. We wanted a small community where we could get to know people.
Ellen: We weren't looking for a community with a lot of activities (such as golf courses and massive clubhouses). We had to figure out, do we want to pay extra for lifestyle that those types of communities offer? One of the best things people can do is really shop around. We looked at several new 55-plus communities in this area.
Q: What did you like about the floor plan here?
Richard: The square footage is about 1,750 square feet, which is more than enough for the two of us. We have two bedrooms and a sunroom. Also a nice feature is that it has an upstairs (another 300 square feet) that you can use for storage or have as a hobby room.
Q: Was the home finished when you decided to buy it?
Richard: It was started. The slab was in. They had erected some of the framing walls. We picked out what we wanted. The builder, Dwayne Edde (with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage), was extremely accommodating. Inside the house, the crown molding, the trim work, everything is done with a little extra touch. He used the right materials for sound proofing, fire proofing, and did a great job on the insulating.
Q: What did he change for you?
Ellen: Going into the master bedroom closet, the door was a little too large swinging into the closet. So he agreed to change it out and put in a double-door unit that would swing out so there is more room in the master closet. Dwyane went the extra mile in working with us during the building stage to ensure that our needs and ideas were met.
Q: Now that you’ve downsized, what tips do you have for others?
Richard: Clean out your junk well in advance. All summer long we did nothing but clean out the attic.
At a Glance
Richard and Ellen Pine’s new home in Arbor Ridge at Marietta has two bedrooms, two baths, a sunroom and about 1,750 square feet. They purchased it in December 2013. Homes in Arbor Ridge at Marietta start in the $160,000s.
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