Buying a home slashed the amount Regina Rogers was paying on housing in half, from $725 a month for a one-bedroom apartment to $335 a month in a mortgage.
Rogers, an insurance agent, didn’t expect that much in savings when she started what she calls her “quest” to purchase a home. To get to that point, she had to navigate the house hunting and lending process, by the time her lease ended in 2012. Working with J. Denise Crumpler, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, these three choices were among her options in south Fulton County.
No. 1
Close enough to Wal-Mart?
A three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home in Palmetto’s Carlton Pointe neighborhood was in such good condition that it looked almost new, Rogers said. But she questioned the convenience of Palmetto’s small town location, south of Atlanta, to stores such as Wal-Mart. The home, built in 2003, was listed for $42,000.
No. 2
Sold as-is
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Arran Point in Fairburn also offered space for a home office for Rogers. Walk-in closets and a garden tub in the master bathroom also were among the features in the home, which was located on a cul-de-sac. The home, built in 2006 in the Fairhaven III neighborhood, was listed for $52,700.
No. 3
Move-in ready ranch
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Camden Way in Fairburn was move-in ready, with 9-foot ceilings, a fireplace and a black kitchen appliances. The home, in the Camden Place neighborhood, had a level lot to maintain, but the size - about a third of an acre - wasn’t overwhelming to Rogers. The home, built in 2005, was listed for $59,900.
The Choice
No 1. “When we came into this house it just kind of felt right. I said, ‘You know what? I think this is the one,’” she said. But after Rogers put in the offer on the house, she was surprised to learn that some lenders were not as willing to finance a purchase under $50,000. She finally was able to get a loan with Bank of America, and she closed on the purchase within 45 days. Since moving in, she has repainted the shutters and pressure washed the home, but she hasn’t had to paint inside or make any other repairs. “Now that I’m in the house, it just feels right,” she said. She’s also come to appreciate Palmetto’s setting, which she described as quaint and laid back.
