The Search
After 10 years of living in a Post Properties community in Buckhead, Heidi Davee decided it was time to buy her own place.
She considered making a purchase about seven years ago when a condo in Virginia-Highland caught her attention, but the prices appeared to be too high, so she waited.
When Davee, 41, who works for the Georgia Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, received her renewal information in 2011, she learned her rent was going up by another 5 percent.
“I immediately decided, you know what, this has gotten out of control. I literally decided [to buy] weeks before I moved. It was really quick,” she said.
Davee, working with her best friend, Nicole Ricker of Vision Quest Realty, searched in Buckhead and the Perimeter Mall area, at first considering foreclosures and short sales.
“They were just way too much for me to take on. They were in pretty bad shape,” she said.
Davee had to decide between new construction and existing condos in narrowing the choices to these three properties.
No. 1
Middle of shopping
The two-bedroom, one-bath units in Villa Sonoma at Perimeter Summit placed her near shopping and dining in the Perimeter Mall area. The new condos came with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in the kitchens, and other features like ceramic tile in the bathrooms, crown molding and hardwood floors. But it would be the longest commute. The condos, on Perimeter Summit Boulevard, were priced in the $120,000s.
No. 2
New in Chamblee
The two-bedroom, two-bath condo in 5300 Lofts, on Peachtree Road, had a different style for Davee. “I’m not a super modern person as far as my furnishings go,” she said. Loft features, such as 10-foot ceilings with open ductwork, combined with hardwood floors to create a homey feel, she said. The community was close to her office and near other transportation options, like the Chamblee MARTA station. The condo, built in 2006, had never been occupied and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to negotiate on the price, which was in the $120,000s.
No. 3
Cute, but small
The two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath unit in Lakemoore Colony Condominiums – built in the 1950s – stood out with its mid-century modern design. The north Buckhead community, off Roswell Road, offered a setting with sidewalks, a pool, clubhouse and well-kept landscaping with mature trees. But since the unit, priced in the $120,000s, was older, it would need repairs.
The Choice
No. 2. Once Davee visited 5300 Lofts, she knew “there was no need to look anywhere else.” She went with the offer price (the builder paid closing costs) and moved in during September. “Chamblee itself is so cute and really up-and-coming. I’ve talked to a lot of residents that say over time, Chamblee is just coming along,” she said. “It was just a really great opportunity to get in there.”
