First-Time Homebuyer
Tina Taylor set a goal to purchase a home in 2011, and when she learned her apartment rent was increasing $60 a month, she put her plan into action.
Buying a home also was connected to her decision to pursue her master’s degree in public administration. Taylor, a 28-year-old research consultant and full-time student, chatted about her purchase in Atlanta’s The Villages at Sandtown Center.
Q: What did you do before starting the process?
A: I pulled a credit report in the beginning of 2011. I was looking for things that may have been a discrepancy … just really making sure that if there was anything on my credit, I disputed it.
Q: How did student loans factor in?
A: I was reading about if you’re currently enrolled in a program and it’s full time and your loans are deferred, it won’t count in your debt-to-income ratio, if you’re trying to apply for a loan. I had intentions of going back because I wanted a degree in policy. I figured it was a perfect time to do it.
Q: Did you have ideas about what type of home you wanted?
A: I knew I didn’t want a lot of maintenance, so I was looking more toward a townhome. I was looking for something at least over 1,500 square feet.
Q: Why did you want that amount of space?
A: I thought it was good for resale. And I didn’t want it to look anything like an apartment. If I was going to be paying a mortgage, it needed to be at least double the space I had.
Q: How did you determine where you wanted to live?
A: I began thinking I wanted to live in northeast Atlanta [she was renting in the North Druid Hills Road area]. I was finding homes in that area in my price range [low $100,000s], but many of them were short sales or foreclosures that required some improvements that would cost me time that I didn’t have because my lease was ending. That's when Keyla [Berry with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage] recommended the Camp Creek area to me, and realizing these were brand new townhomes, not a foreclosure or short sale, I couldn't turn down a great offer. The townhomes in The Villages at Sandtown Center were actually in the $140,000 range when I purchased, but Keyla helped me negotiate a price in the low $100,000s.
Q: What did the community have that meant a lot to you as a buyer?
A: It was brand new and it had warranties. Secondly, the community had amenities. It had a pool, it had a tennis court, it had a big field with kids out playing. It really seemed like a good community-oriented place to live.
Q: What’s one of your favorite spots in your home?
A: I really like my living room. I’ve had a housewarming. People have come to watch football. I’ve even shown a fight since I’ve been here. It’s big enough for everybody, but it still has an intimate touch in it.
At a Glance
Tina Taylor’s home, built in 2010 by D.R. Horton in The Villages at Sandtown Center, has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and more than 1,800 square feet. She purchased it in July. Townhomes are in the low $100,000s.
