The search
Downsizing wasn’t the only focus for Mike Herndon, 53, a regional manager for LabCorp. He desired to live in a walkable setting.
He was coming from a 4,800-square-foot home with a full basement equipped with a home theater and rec room. The Brookhaven area, in DeKalb County, appealed to him for the short drive to Buckhead, Midtown and Virginia-Highland, but also because it’s a community where residents enjoy strolling to restaurants and shops.
“It’s an up-and-coming area. I thought there were some good deals to be had there,” said Herndon, who was assisted by Cynthia Goodman with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.
No. 1
Brick in Brookhaven
The all-brick exterior of the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home on Canoochee Drive immediately impressed Herndon. Inside, it had an open floor plan between the kitchen and family room, and he liked the idea of being able to cook and see the TV at the same time. The setup also had a room for his baby grand piano. Details such as plantation shutters and detailed trim were extra touches. The home, built in 2001 in Atlanta’s Village Park at Brookhaven, was listed for $475,000. Although the backyard wasn’t huge, the home was close enough to walk to restaurants such as Haven Restaurant and Bar and Valenza, in Brookhaven Park Village.
No. 2
Basement and backyard
The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home, also on Canoochee Drive, had a full basement and was near Village Place Brookhaven and TOWN Brookhaven developments, as well as MARTA. The hardwood floors on the main level had been refinished, and a keeping room next to the kitchen had a stone fireplace and built-in shelves. The redone deck led to a fenced backyard, but in the front yard, Herndon thought the driveway might be too steep. The home, built in 1995 in Atlanta’s Brookhaven Fields neighborhood, was listed for $400,000.
No. 3
Sharing walls
The four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath townhome on Fernwood Circle also met Herndon’s requirement for being able to walk to shops, restaurants and MARTA. It was a contemporary unit, with exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Fernwood Park. But while it might have fit many of Herndon’s requirements, he had to consider if frequently playing the piano would disrupt his neighbors. The townhome, built in 2000, was listed for $399,900.
The choice
No. 1. Herndon put an offer on the townhome, but the seller wouldn’t accept his lower offer. But the Village Park at Brookhaven home -- just 2 miles from his previous home -- also was one he saw the first morning he viewed homes. That was unusual for Herndon, who looked at more than 100 homes for his previous purchase. “So I got a little lucky in what I was looking for,” he said. Herndon closed on the home in May. The variety of different foods in the Buford Highway area as well as living near shops and restaurants in Brookhaven are pluses. “It’s a change of lifestyle,” he said. “If I’m not doing anything one evening, [I can] walk up and have dinner somewhere. I have friends over and they just come over and we can park and walk to a restaurant, and they tend to like that.”
