Tired of seeing the “same old homes” with other real estate agents, Betty Jeremie was becoming frustrated as her house hunt continued month after month.
“I had already looked with three or four Realtors before and I was not satisfied,” said Jeremie, 50, who works for Year Up Atlanta, a non-profit that provides skills, experience and support to urban young adults seeking to further their education and careers. “I was really disillusioned after six months.”
An online listing for one home, however, kept her from giving up and connected her with Danielle Alleyne, a Realtor with Prudential Georgia Realty who had that home listed. No spoiler alert - that wasn’t the home she bought. She shared, however, what she was looking for - high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and a spacious master suite.
“From that moment she really listened to the type of homes I wanted,” she said.
These homes in the south Fulton County area were contenders.
No. 1
Eye-catching exterior
A five-bedroom, three-bath home on The Great Drive in Atlanta’s Greenside/Union Crossing neighborhood offered beautiful exterior touches, such as pillars, she said. The huge bay windows and an open floor plan linking the family room, dining room and the kitchen also were on her wish list. Being a foreclosure could result in a bidding war, though. The home, built in 2004, was listed for $166,000.
No. 2
Affordable opportunity
A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on Sequoia Avenue in Atlanta’s Regency Oaks neighborhood, an established swim-tennis community, was built by John Wieland Homes and offered plenty of space for the money. The home, built in 2003, was listed for $165,000, and it was a short sale situation.
No. 3
Stately and spacious
A four-bedroom, three-bath home on Red Maple Road in Atlanta’s Regency Oaks offered amenities such as a side-entry garage that appealed to her. The two-story home also was outfitted with hardwood floors on the main level. The home, built in 2004, also was a foreclosure, with bids starting in the mid $100,000s.
The Choice
No. 1. She first put an offer on No. 2 (the Sequoia Avenue home), but her bid wasn’t accepted. She offered above the asking price on No. 1 and moved in during December 2012. “The homes in the style that I was looking for were just disappearing as soon as they came into the market. That’s where Danielle did such a great job,” she said. “She was on top of the homes that were available. With her being so expeditious and so aware of the inventory and constantly searching and looking, we were able to secure the house.” The Great Drive ended up being a great address, too.
