Major milestones in 2013 for Ramsey and Beth Midkiff included the birth of their daughter, Sally Kate, in January, and purchasing a newer, larger home in Canton.
The priority
The couple had lived in their Roswell home for four years before deciding to sell. “We needed more space,” said Ramsey, 30, an account manager for Waste Management. “We were ready to start our family.”
They originally listed the three-bedroom home (with one bedroom being used as an office) on the market from March 2012 to November 2012 with another agent, but took the property off as Beth’s due date approached. “We didn’t want to have showings when the baby was right at home,” Ramsey said.
The couple re-listed the home in April 2013 with a new agent, David Mills of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. They had several showings one day after it went on the market, followed by two offers and a signed contract the next day. They closed on the home in May.
The Midkiffs had made about $3,000 in improvements during winter 2013, putting in granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, for example. “Before, everybody said it was great, except the kitchen wasn’t updated. That was the same recurring theme we heard,” Ramsey said. “We realized it wasn’t going to cost us that much money to update it. In my opinion, I think it worked.”
The search
When they were trying to sell their home in 2012, the Kidkiffs toured a couple of neighborhoods and instantly liked BridgeMill, a swim, tennis and golf community in Canton. The same weekend they put their home on the market in 2013, the couple returned to BridgeMill. They viewed eight homes that day with Mills, including the one they purchased.
While searching, the couple saw that other sellers had not taken the time to remove personal items. Mills had recommended they take that step when putting their home on the market, and they had done so. With some homes, they walked in, turned around and walked out. “It is hard to walk into a house and see everyone else’s stuff,” said Beth, 28.
The home
Built in 2003, their Cherokee County home has four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. They desired four bedrooms plus an office, and the layout fit. They also were hoping for a home priced in the mid $200,000s with a basement that was partially unfinished for Ramsey, who builds furniture. BridgeMill has homes listed from the mid $100,000s to mid $600,000s.They closed on the home Memorial Day weekend.
“The house we bought was one of the houses that we looked at and immediately fell in love with it,” Beth said. “It was perfect, exactly what we were looking for.”
The lifestyle
The location is still close to Beth’s job as a teacher in Cobb County, and the community amenities fit with the family-friendly setting they were seeking. BridgeMill has a 2-acre pool with slides and diving boards, tennis club with 25 lighted courts, tennis pros, kids and adult programs and leagues and a 18-hole golf course. “I grew up in a swim-tennis community, and I wanted that for my children,” Beth said.
About the Author
