Angel Mario lived and worked for most of her life in the San Francisco Bay area, where homeownership wasn’t financially feasible.
When her son, Jacob, 22, started college in 2013, she moved to South Carolina with her company and then to Atlanta in December 2014 to be closer to her sisters. She knew it was time to buy her first home.
Mario, 46, a financial services and retirement planning counselor, talked about the three-bedroom townhome she bought in the Suwanee Station neighborhood.
Q: Why did you decide to buy?
A: I always wanted to own my own home, but it wasn't affordable before. Knowing the area and the prices, I thought it was time to purchase a home. Since my sisters live here and I've visited them before, I knew what I was going after.
Q: What were your priorities?
A: As a single woman, I wanted a safe neighborhood and a move-in ready home that didn't need upkeep. I looked for enough room to spread out since I had been in the Bay area, where you pay a lot for a small space. Overall, I wanted a sound, well-maintained home that had room for my son to come home and a guest to stay.
Q: How did you find this home?
A: I worked with Pam Roe (with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties) and was proactive about searching online. My brother-in-law took me to places in the Suwanee area since I knew I would be working in Gwinnett County. When we drove into the neighborhood, I had a good feeling about it. This home was initially listed outside of my price range in January, but when we looked at it again in March, I was happily surprised to see it was lower.
Q: How was the offer and closing process?
A: My first offer was rejected, and the seller almost didn't counter. Pam is a great real estate agent and calmly said that we would appreciate a counteroffer. During the paperwork process, I made an appointment with the lender to explain details face-to-face before signing documents that deal with the next 30 years of my life. The closing day itself went smoothly.
Q: How did you celebrate?
A: My sister and brother-in-law took me to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, and my son flew in to help me move two days later. It was special to me to move into the house together and for him to have a place to call home. The first morning I woke up in my bedroom and knew my son was down the hall, everything felt right with the world.
Q: What do you love?
A: I love the whole house. It has turned out to be a great place to come home to every day. It has a neat eat-in kitchen with a bay window that is great for afternoon light. When all of my family was playing a game at the table, I stepped back and realized this is what I always dreamed owning a home would be like — having my family around my table in my house.
Q: What’s a tip for first-time buyers?
A: Be organized with your documentation. It's partly my nature to be organized, but I kept good records and had all of it in place going into the search process. As soon as the lender asked for another document, I didn't have to run around trying to find it. That's why my escrow process went smoothly, I was told.
At a Glance
Angel Mario’s townhome, built in 2005, has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and 1,800 square feet. Townhomes in Suwanee Station range from the high $100,000s to mid $200,000s.
About the Author
