Happy with her commute, Beth Bixby wanted to remain in the Sandy Springs area, but was ready to purchase her first place. She was surprised to find the market flooded with other buyers snapping up properties before she could view the single-family homes and townhomes.
Bixby, 27, who works in the museum industry, chatted about buying a new townhome in Glenridge Heights, a Pulte Homes community in Sandy Springs.
Q: Why did you decide to buy now?
A: Interest rates are so low that it’s really a perfect time to buy. I was hoping that I could get a good deal.
Q: Was the housing market what you expected?
A: My realtor (David Lane with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage) would send me properties. I would go through them and pick the ones based on pictures and the listings that I wanted to actually go see in person. Often I would have this list of five or six homes. Probably half of those would be gone before I could go look at them. I thought, “Oh, it’s a buyer’s market, so I’ll be able to choose something that I really love.” Things were going so quickly. That was really surprising.
Q: How did your search evolve to buying a townhome?
A: When I first started, I was thinking more of a single-family home. What I found in Sandy Springs and Dunwoody in my price point (up to $300,000) was older homes that needed renovation and were really large. I realized I would have to put a lot of work into the homes, and I don’t really need that type of space.
Q: How did you find this community?
A: On my drive home, I kept seeing a sign for Glenridge Heights. I had gone out with our Realtor looking at properties and was a little bit discouraged by not finding what I really liked. I decided to drive over there. I walked in and was so in love with it. It’s the “Oh my gosh” feeling that everyone wants to feel when they walk into their house. I had looked at so much stuff before, that I knew immediately this was it.
Q: How many months had you looked before walking into Glenridge Heights?
A: About six months. I really was taking my time because I wasn’t going to be ready to move until March 2013. I took my time to find something I really wanted.
Q: What do you love so much about the townhome?
A: Some of the older homes I looked at, especially in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, have the more traditional-style (floor plan) where you have a separate kitchen, living room and dining room. This is a really open floor plan. I love how much space there is in the living area and master bedroom. You also have extra space for guests.
Q: What special touches are you bringing into your townhome?
A: The kitchen is where I did most of the upgrading. I did the gourmet kitchen package. It has a built-in gas, five-burner cook top and a built-in oven (the appliances are Kitchen Aid). I also have a microwave above the stove and a dishwasher.
Q: What’s a tip for buying a home?
A: Talk to your parents or people who have bought a home before that can explain certain terms you may not understand.
At a Glance
Beth Bixby’s new townhome in Sandy Springs’ Glenridge Heights community has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and about 2,518 square feet. She purchased it in February. Homes in Glenridge Heights start in the mid $300,000s.
