Downtown Roswell’s restaurants and access to the Chattahoochee River appealed to Greg and Tina Perkins after they were married in June 2013.
Greg was living in Marietta, but his first home had been in Roswell, and Tina was renting a townhome in Johns Creek and working in Alpharetta. As they blended their families, the schools for their teenage girls also were important.
“Obviously, the schools are fantastic. But it’s a very active community, and that’s one of the reasons why wanted to get back,” said Greg, 48, who works for The Honest Kitchen, a California company. “We love the river. We love being able to go down there. We both love the active outdoors.”
The market also was active when they searched with Connie Cunningham of Solid Source Realty.
“Homes were not staying on the market for very long in Roswell. When we did find and express interest in a home and inquired about it, oftentimes it would go under contract in that time frame,” said Tina, 48, who works for LocumTenens.com. “We knew that when we were actually ready to put an offer in, we would have to act fast.”
No. 1
Big brick on corner
A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on Bellemeade Place in Alpharetta was on nearly an acre. “We wanted a home that was wasn’t crowded by other homes,” Tina said. The master suite had two walk-in closets. But, with no basement, they were concerned about storage space. The kitchen would need to be remodeled. The home, built in 1999 in Forsyth County’s Bellemeade neighborhood, was listed for $279,999.
No. 2
Near historic Roswell
A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home on Farm Trace was close to shops and restaurants in historic Roswell and in the Roswell High School district. They immediately liked how the home was set back from the street with a well-landscaped yard, Tina said. There was room for Greg’s home office, and the basement also was finished with a bedroom. The kitchen had been remodeled, but they identified small cosmetic changes in the home. The home, built in 1987 in Roswell’s Habersham Woods, was listed for $275,000.
No. 3
Wooded setting in Roswell
A five-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home on Gilhams Road had the Roswell address, but the Hedgerow neighborhood was in Cobb County. A screened porch and deck were attractive outdoor features, and the floor plan also had a bonus room. The couple saw updates were needed, but because of their schedules, they didn’t have a lot of time to fix up a home, Tina said.
The Choice
No. 2. Other buyers viewed the home before and after the Perkins, so the couple knew the home wasn’t going to stay on the market for long. “We decided to go in over the asking price in order to become the best bidder. As it turns out, they ended up getting multiple offers that night,” Tina said. Their offer was accepted, but they renegotiated after the inspection identified chimney and deck repairs. Since moving in during 2013, they replaced the windows and the carpet with engineered hardwood floors. When the city of Roswell had to replace a pipe under their yard, the couple also repaired a crack in the driveway. The family believes the neighborhood was the right choice for them. “We wanted to move into a neighborhood that had kids in it and had other families,” Tina said. “The neighbors are really friendly. We all look out for each other.”
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