When James Prospero moved from Toronto to Atlanta for his job with SalesForce.com, he did not expect to put down roots in Georgia. When he met Laura Walker, however, his plan changed.
In 2015, he bought a home near his office in Buckhead and proposed to Walker, who works for eVestment, a financial software company in Marietta. Prospero, regional vice president of sales, worked with Susan Renno with Collette McDonald & Associates, a team with Re/Max Around Atlanta, in his home search in the DeKalb County communities of Brookhaven and Chamblee.
No. 1
Gated Community
A three-bedroom, three-bath townhome in the Buckhead Place neighborhood was less than 5 minutes to Prospero’s office. The townhome in the gated Brookhaven community offered a spacious master bedroom, rooftop patio and updated kitchen appliances. The couple was impressed with the high-end, tech-savvy features such as the heating and air system. Prospero was initially hesitant to view the home because it did not show well in photos. When they saw the townhome in person, however, they realized that the dark walls made the rooms appear smaller. The home, built in 2003, was initially listed for $470,000.
No. 2
Brookhaven Beauty
The townhomes in the Village Park at Brookhaven neighborhood were walking distance to shops and restaurants on Dresden Drive, which was a huge plus for the couple. The kitchen of a four-bedroom townhome they viewed featured luxury finishes, such as granite countertops, and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. They preferred a bigger master bedroom, though. The community, located inside the Perimeter, offered townhomes in the $500,000s.
No. 3
Personalized Option
The new three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath townhomes in Chamblee’s Turnbury Gates neighborhood were near shops and restaurants in Town Brookhaven. Prospero and Walker toured the stylish model home and were excited by the idea of selecting items for their own townhome. However, they would have to wait for the townhome to be built, which would have required extending the leases on their apartments. The neighborhood, by John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, had townhomes from the high $400,000s.
The Choice
No. 1. Although the couple wasn’t thrilled by the townhome’s color scheme, they knew they could repaint and decided to buy it after one visit. “I told my agent to write up the papers before we had left the house,” said Prospero. He closed on the townhome in August 2015, and the couple plans to get married in August 2016.
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