Online tools such as YouTube help some out-of-town house hunters move quickly when homes in popular areas receive multiple offers.
Why Atlanta?
Greg and Kirstin Forbes relocated for their jobs in strategy and finance with Mercedes-Benz, which is building a new headquarters in Sandy Springs and has temporary offices in Dunwoody. The couple flew to Atlanta five times, over a six-week period, to view homes. “We absolutely wanted to be in Dunwoody,” Greg said. “We wanted a really compact lifestyle, figuring that was the only way to beat the traffic.”
Putting down roots
The couple, who have two children, Khai, 3, and Liem, 1, were set on finding a ranch home, which they owned in New York. Their first real estate agent made it seem as if that would be impossible in Dunwoody and told them they should expect to buy a brick two-story home, Greg said. “We were feeling a little discouraged about finding a ranch,” he said.
Another agent, Lauren Silberman (The Silberman Team) of Chapman Hall Premier, Realtors, was willing to show them the small pool of ranches available in Dunwoody. They were moving from a three-bedroom, two-bath home with 1,600 square feet and looked for less than 2,500 square feet, to reduce time spent cleaning, keep utility costs low and keep the family in touch, the couple said. With young kids, they were not interested in a formal dining room or ornate features, such as columns, Greg said.
In between their visits to Atlanta, Silberman shot and narrated videos of potential homes and uploaded them to YouTube. “It was easy for us to access from any device,” Greg said.
On the couple’s last house-hunting trip to Atlanta, they planned to tour four homes. Early in the morning, before their evening flight to Atlanta, Silberman called about a contemporary ranch in Dunwoody that was new on the market. By 10 a.m., she had uploaded video of the exterior and interior to YouTube. By that evening, the home had more than six offers. Driving to the airport, they discussed the offer with Silberman. When they landed in Atlanta and turned their phones back on, they learned they were under contract. When they saw the home in person, they loved details such as its vaulted ceilings.
“We trusted Lauren,” Greg said. “It’s exactly what we had in mind and we were glad to snag it.”
They closed in May on the four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home, which is about 50 percent larger than their New York house, but has a 30 percent smaller mortgage. They moved in during summer 2015, after a contractor refinished the hardwood floors, removed the popcorn ceilings, and reconfigured the kitchen and dining spaces to create an open concept.
Relocation tip
When you’re new to town, make sure your real estate agent can recommend service providers and contractors. The Forbes expected to buy an older home, and Silberman connected them with electricians, contractors and other service providers.
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