First-Time Homebuyer
A basic decision when buying is old vs. new. Once Moses Diaz, whose family had been living with his sister in Roswell, toured a new home, he was sold on being its first owner.
Diaz, 35, who is retired from the U.S. Army, chatted about the home he purchased in Lawrenceville’s Arnold Mill Station, a Wilson Parker Homes community, for his wife, Yahaira, 32, and kids Yarielys, 11, and Moses Jr., 4.
Q: You were living in north Fulton County, but bought in Gwinnett County. How did you decide on a location?
A: I checked at first in Fulton County, but I saw that it was pricier and also they were older houses. The traffic in Fulton, it was crazy. I like that Gwinnett County is not that crowded. It has an excellent school system. Those drew me this way. This neighborhood is pretty close to a bunch of schools, and Gwinnett Medical Center is pretty close. Then I'm also near Discover Mills and Mall of Georgia.
Q: Were you looking at new construction the entire time?
A: We looked at previously owned houses. This is the first one that we saw that was new construction. Then after I saw this one, I checked all new construction. But I always had this one in my head. None of them compared to this one.
Q: What features stood out?
A: I wanted it to be very open. I like having the laundry room upstairs and a two-car garage. We also wanted to have not a huge yard, but some space for kids. All these houses have that. Also, in Arnold Mill, there's not a lot of houses [the community will have 81 homes], so that's good, too.
Q: What’s one of your daughter’s favorite things about the home?
A: She definitely likes her walk-in closet with the window. That's something that's very different from the other homes I saw -- you have a little window inside your closet, so you don't have to use a lot of light.
Q: What was the builder offering, in terms of incentives?
A: They paid the closing costs. That definitely helped me out. We didn't have to put as much [into the purchase of the home]. Plus it came with all appliances, also a washer and dryer.
Q: What is one thing that a new homebuyer should look for?
A: What I like about Arnold Mill is the guarantee for the houses. They've got this first-year [builder warranty] coverage, and the second year, they will cover some amount of the house. After that, you've got a 10-year [homeowners warranty] that will cover major things like the roof.
Q: What is the benefit?
A: If something breaks, like the air conditioner or things you don't expect, you've got to pay the guy to come just to check on it and labor. With that, you don't have to worry about that.
At a glance
Moses and Yahaira Diaz’s home in Lawrenceville’s Arnold Mill Station has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and about 2,192 square feet. They purchased it in August. Homes in Arnold Mill range from the $140,000s to $180,000s.
