Brandon Roberts brought the knowledge he gained helping his parents renovate and flip homes in Alabama to his Atlanta house hunt.
“I said, by the time I’m 25, I want to have bought my own place,” said Roberts, 24, who graduated with a finance degree from the University of Alabama.
Roberts, who moved to Atlanta in 2012 for his job with AT&T, focused on Buckhead, but found a “seller’s market” for single-family homes there.
“There wasn’t a lot on the market. What was on the market, if it was priced what I thought was fair, they were going under contract that day,” he said.
Roberts considered 80 to 90 homes, including these three, with his agent, Christine O’Neill of Harry Norman, Realtors, and made offers on a dozen homes.
No.1: Great neighborhood, big issues
A three-bedroom, three-bath foreclosure on Lookout Place was in Garden Hills, one of Roberts’ top two neighborhood picks. The floor plan was guest- and roommate-friendly, with two bedrooms on the main floor and one bedroom upstairs. The lot opened out onto Garden Hills Park. “That’s something you don’t find in every neighborhood,” said Roberts, who has a 7-year-old Labrador retriever, Charlie. But he would need to replace at least the heating and air conditioning system, siding, and some windows and doors, and the home begged to be repainted. The home, built in 1942, was listed for $389,900.
No. 2: Incredible condo
A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath condo in 2500 Peachtree was thrown into the mix, even though Roberts originally didn’t want to look at condos. “We went into this condo, and it was gorgeous,” he said. “Everything was over-the-top nice.” The bedrooms and kitchens were so spacious that it didn’t feel like a condo, he said. The community had a 24-hour concierge, valet service, gym, pool and other amenities, but the homeowner’s association fees were steep, at $1,000 a month, he said. The condo, built in 2000, was listed for $342,950.
No. 3: Too small?
A two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on Darlington Road was in Atlanta’s Peachtree Park neighborhood, another top neighborhood for Roberts. The cottage-style home wasn’t the fixer-upper he expected, with an updated kitchen, hardwood floors and features such as two fireplaces. The home had one fewer bedroom and bathroom that Roberts desired, but had the potential for an addition. The home, built in 1947, was listed for $372,400.
The Choice
No. 1. Roberts put an offer on No. 2 and No. 3 but was outbid. Roberts toured the Garden Hills home the day it came onto the market and competed with nine other offers. He offered $24,000 over asking price (including about $12,000 in closing costs) and won. Roberts started renovations the day after he closed on the home in March, spending at least $25,000 before moving in. "It needed a lot of work. I wanted something to make my own," he said. Some changes emphasized the setting — he installed six-foot French doors to open onto the deck with park views. He also refinished the kitchen cabinets and floors, and replaced windows, doors and even outdated outlets. He plans to gut and expand the kitchen and to reposition the stairs, creating more living space. "I'm glad I found a home that's an investment, but I always wanted something I would be comfortable in," he said.
