Cameron and Rachel Arnold were eager to buy, but quickly learned that steps such as getting preapproved for a mortgage and learning about the homebuying process were crucial.
The couple, who got married in 2010, desired a master on the main, focusing on ranches with basements. Cameron, 27, a manager at Tires Plus, chatted about the foreclosure they purchased in Cherokee County, which offered a 20 to 30 minute drive to their jobs in Cobb County and affordable homes in the low $100,000s.
Q: How did you approach your search?
A: We looked on our own before we decided to get an agent. We were advised that getting a professional was the best way to approach it. Ann Sander (with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty) helped us navigate where to get preapproved and certain processes once we put the offer on the house. If we wouldn't have been with someone so experienced, we would have been clueless.
Q: What sold it for you?
A: It's a ranch on a basement. It's exactly the kind of floor plan we were looking for. It has a big fenced-in backyard; it's almost an acre lot. The fenced-in backyard was definitely something we wanted (they have a 3-year-old boxer, Piper). She loves her little kingdom back here. It has a nice, roomy front porch. We pulled up and were like, "Yeah, this is awesome." It was empty, which made a big difference.
Q: What was the benefit of viewing a vacant home?
A: A couple of homes had people living in it, and (with) the condition and somebody else's stuff there, it was very off-putting. When we walked in this house, immediately Rachel was seeing things she wanted to do to it (such as adding hardwood floors). We could see it transforming into something we could stay in for a long time.
Q: Sometimes foreclosures have damage. What was the condition of this home?
A: It was almost just like literally someone packed up their stuff and moved out. There was no drywall damage. There was no water damage. Not even the blinds were damaged. It was a needle-in-a-haystack kind of find.
Q: How fast did you put in an offer?
A: We looked at the house, and we looked at one immediately after that. We got home, slept on it and put the offer on it the next afternoon.
Q: Were you competing with other bidders?
A: When we offered, there were actually three offers within 36 hours. We came in just a touch higher on our offer.
Q: Was the home at the top end of your budget?
A: I wanted to stay somewhere between $130,000-$140,000. We ended up getting it at $136,000. It fell right in budget.
Q: What's a tip for buyers?
A: If you are patient and wait for something that really … just takes your breath away, it's definitely worth it in the end.
At a Glance
Cameron and Rachel Arnold’s home, built in 2002 in White’s Highland View neighborhood, has three bedrooms, two baths and about 1,730 square feet. They purchased it in October, assisted by Donna Murphy and Ann Sander of the Murphy-Sander Group with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Homes in White range from the $80,000s-$400,000s.
