Southern California residents Lenox and Julie Hawk visited Atlanta every two to three years for family reunions. Retirement and owning a home roughly 50 years old also caused the couple to consider metro Atlanta as more than just a vacation spot.
Why Atlanta?
When Lenox retired, metro Atlanta was one of the places that popped up on their list of potential cities. “The housing market was good. You get a bigger bang for your buck,” said Lenox, 55, who retired from UPS. “I wanted a little bit slower pace of life. Atlanta offers all those things.”
Putting down roots
The Hawks’ home in California had three levels and was built in 1964, but in metro Atlanta they wanted a younger house that had a brick exterior. A single-story layout also was important, said Lenox, who has had both of his knees replaced.
The challenge was the timing. Their California home sold in one day, and the buyers wanted to move in within 30 days. The Hawks flew to Atlanta and spent a week viewing homes with Shirley Y. Simmons of Prudential Georgia Realty’s Midtown Office. They looked in Fayette, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties because of the availability of affordable one-level homes. But Conyers stood out because of an abundance of choices, convenience to the interstate and familiarity from previous visits to Atlanta.
“The No. 1 thing we needed was a single story,” Lenox Hawk said. “It seemed like there were more to choose from out in this area.”
Some homes were too big, while the room sizes in others caused them to be concerned that their furniture wouldn’t fit. But during their five-day search, the Hawks found a home built in 1988 with a spacious kitchen and ceilings spanning more than 15 feet in the living room, Lenox said. The 2,459-square-foot home is about the same size as their residence in California, but the rooms are bigger.
The house in the Lost Valley subdivision also has a new roof, double-pane windows and a Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. As a cost-saving benefit, the shutters in every room were remaining.
“They took very good care of the home,” Lenox said. “It was in move-in condition.”
The only thing that popped up during the inspection was a question about when the septic tank was last cleaned, but otherwise, Lenox said the inspector told him, “Man, you need to buy this house.”
“Everything went so smooth it was scary. We kept waiting for a hiccup but there (weren’t) any,” he said.
After living about 25 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, Hawk appreciates the proximity to Atlanta but also the serene setting in the Conyers neighborhood of 38 homes.
“I’m out in the suburbs but I can be downtown in a half an hour if I want all the action,” he said. “If I don’t want it, I can sit right here in the peace and quiet.”
Relocation tip
When you find the house that fits what you’re looking for, don’t wait. “If you wait, it might be gone,” Lenox said.
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