Just when Boyd Nealy was ready to call it quits on his home search, a Douglasville home popped up on the market, and their offer was accepted. The months-long search involved nearly 200 homes and competing with multiple buyers.
Boyd and wife Violet worked with Al Hunter, who spent 21 years in the Marine Corps and is an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, which provides training and mentoring for veterans seeking to work in real estate. Boyd, 65, who retired from the passenger railroad industry, chatted about their home in Chapel Hills, a golf course and country club community in Douglasville.
Q Why did you move to Atlanta?
A: We moved (from New Jersey) to be near the grandkids in July 2012. My son has a townhouse in Clayton County so we moved into his townhome for a few months.
Q: What were some of your criteria during your search?
A: I wanted a basement. I wanted an upstairs/downstairs. I wanted a manicured yard. I wanted four bedrooms. The only thing that I didn’t get is a three-car garage. We settled on a two-car garage.
Q: What was your search like?
A: We actually started looking for a home February 2012. We looked in Newnan, Peachtree City, Villa Rica and Douglasville. We would find a home, bid on it and get outbid. Or it didn’t pass inspection. This is how Mr. Hunter comes in. He was so devoted to us finding a home. He said I don’t care how long it takes, I will find you a home. With the situation with the banks now, it’s not really easy to get a mortgage. That took us a while, too, to get financing (they rented their New Jersey home). But we were determined and we stayed with it.
Q: What about this home appealed to you?
A: I can tell you want my wife likes. We have white carpet throughout the house and she fell in love with it. When she saw this carpet, I think it was a done deal. Personally, I liked the basement. It wasn’t finished, but within the last three months, my basement is finished. I put in a theater room. I have a bedroom, bathroom and an office. We have a sitting room.
Q: What did you like about the Douglasville location?
A: It was the proximity to my son’s home. He lives in Fairburn. That’s the next town over. I wanted to be close to a shopping mall, hospital and interstate. With Douglasville, we got all three of those.
Q: How quickly did you put in an offer?
A: Right away. My house was on the market for four days. As soon as we found it, I called Mr. Hunter and we were knocking on the door.
Q: Were there any price negotiations?
A: He (the seller) felt that he priced it to sell. He would not negotiate one cent less than what he listed it for. The home was move-in ready. All we had to do was get the truck and unload.
Q: What’s your lifestyle like now?
A: I love it. I get (to see) my grandkids every weekend. We have a blast. We have access to three or four swimming pools. We have a golf course, so now I’m taking up golf.
At a Glance
Boyd and Violet Nealy’s home , built in 1994 in Douglasville’s Chapel Hills community, has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and about 2,385 square feet. They purchased it in October. Homes in Chapel Hills range from the mid $100,000s to the mid $300,000s.
