Maryashley Whitaker and Michael Fisher began searching for their first home while planning their November 2015 wedding. They closed before their nuptials and enjoyed finding places for their wedding presents in their new three-bedroom townhome in Cobb County.
Maryashley, 29, a regional operations manager for The Worthing Companies, which develops, builds and manages multifamily properties, and Michael, 30, a regional project manager for Worthing, chatted about their purchase in Smyrna’s White Oak neighborhood.
Q: Why did you decide to buy?
Maryashley: When Michael and I got engaged in December 2014 after dating for four years, he started searching for a home. I didn't realize how serious he was and didn't think we'd buy this year since we were planning the wedding. Nichole Beroset (with Keller Williams Atlanta Midtown) is a former co-worker who said she'd like to help us think about areas and neighborhoods. Three days later, we were under contract. It was a big whirlwind to close a month before the wedding, but it was a great setup and everything worked out.
Q: What were your priorities?
Michael: We didn't want an old home that needed a lot of work and started looking at new construction. We knew our top dollar amount and would have loved to stay in Brookhaven where we had an apartment, but had to branch out. We didn't think it would be possible to find a townhome with a backyard, but once we found this in Smyrna, it felt like home.
Q: How was the closing process?
Maryashley: Nichole was a peer and a friend who helped us along the way. She told us where we needed to be and what we needed to pick out. We were shocked to find out we only had a two-hour design appointment to pick out our interiors, and that was stressful, but we made quick decisions and didn't look at upgrades outside of our scheduled budget. In the end, I was surprised how easy the closing day was.
Q: How did you celebrate?
Maryashley: The day we closed was my grandfather's birthday and he passed away this year, so it was special because he would have been so proud that we bought a house. Right after closing, we went home, got dressed up and went to Dolce Italian, a new restaurant in Buckhead. The host asked what we were celebrating because we were dressed up on a Monday night, and he brought champagne to the table.
Q: What’s a tip for first-time buyers?
Maryashley: We heard horror stories about homebuying, and luckily, we had no problem. My advice is not to rush the process. Go with your gut and be prepared for the financial responsibility. If you have your finances and files in order, the process should be easy.
At a Glance
Maryashley Whitaker and Michael Fisher’s new Smyrna townhome has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms and 1,800 square feet. The townhomes by Rockyln Homes in the White Oak neighborhood range from the low to high $200,000s.
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