Andy and Sarah Zabinski had slowly upgraded the size of their rentals in Atlanta and were ready to move from a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath home to buy a house with at least three bedrooms and two baths.
Staying inside the Perimeter was a focus for the musically inclined couple, who also needed room for Andy’s violin studio. Andy, 43, is assistant concertmaster of the Savannah Philharmonic and a violin instructor whose family has lived intown for generations, and Sarah, 36, is director of development for the Atlanta Opera. Working with Bonnie Wolf of Harry Norman, Realtors, they viewed homes, including these three choices.
No. 1
Strong location
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Fairway Circle was convenient to shops and dining in Town Brookhaven and MARTA. The ranch was renovated, featuring stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen. They were concerned that it would be too small if they had children, and it lacked space for Andy’s music studio. The home, built in 1955 in the Hillsdale neighborhood, was listed for $350,000.
No. 2
Brick ranch
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Poplar Grove Drive in Atlanta boasted refinished wood floors and extras such as a bonus room and screened porch. There were his/her closets in the master bedroom of the DeKalb County home. The location of the Briar Hills neighborhood was appealing, with stores such as Kroger nearby. The home, built in 1954, was listed for $379,000.
No. 3
Old-school style
A three-bedroom, two-bath home on Melinda Drive in Atlanta offered a basement for Andy’s violin studio and a party-worthy backyard with a deck and room for their dog, Augie. The home also was near St. Pius X Catholic High School, which Andy attended. “Growing up, I always loved the houses in this area,” he said. The kitchen appliances and rooms such as the bathrooms needed to be updated, but the couple liked the idea of doing DIY projects in the home, which was far below their budget. The home, built in 1960, was listed for $310,000.
The Choice
No. 3. They first put an offer on No. 1, but withdrew the contract after looking at the size of the home and comparing it to the house they ended up buying in March. “The day we put an offer in on the Brookhaven house, the thing that really was a red flag for me was I immediately started searching for other houses. I did a random search on Truila and found a hit, which happened to be this,” Andy said. “I think we lucked out.”
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