When Kim and Ryan Joyce moved to Georgia from New York a few years ago, they didn’t expect to be here long enough to buy a house.
“Ryan was stationed at Fort Benning, and we only planned to be here for six months,” Kim said. “Then I found out I was expecting, and we had Jack. Those six months became five years.”
The Joyces rented in Newnan and Alpharetta and then bought a four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home in Roswell.
The priority
The checklist was typical of a growing family: a finished basement and at least four bedrooms. Ryan and Kim, who were expecting another son in late March 2016, initially wanted to build a new home. But Keller Williams Realty Consultants agent Roxie Hernandez of the Hernandez Group suggested they consider a resale in the Roswell area. In addition to the city’s multiple parks, Kim and Ryan favored Roswell because it is just a half-hour from Atlanta but they could have a bigger yard.
The home
The couple attended an open house for a home that needed repairs to the roof and floors. The kitchen also was outdated but the couple was charmed by the large backyard with a path that led to a lake. Hernandez Group agent Tracy Coles advised them to see the potential in the cul-de-sac house.
“Tracy told us we could maybe knock down a wall, put in new floors, get a new backsplash in the kitchen,” said Kim, sales manager for national digital marketing firm ReachLocal.
The Joyces learned that because the house had been on the market for a while, the owners were motivated to sell it at a lower price. The Parc at Pine Grove Bluff, in the Roswell North Elementary, Crabapple Middle and Roswell High district, has homes built in the 1990s that range from $400,000-$550,000.
“When we started out, we honestly didn’t think we could afford this house,” Kim said. “It being on the market for so long was to our advantage.”
They purchased the home in April 2015 and made improvements during the first month, such as a new roof. They installed granite kitchen countertops, a custom backsplash and pendants, resurfaced the floors, and added a fire pit and dock.
Two kid-friendly spots are Leita Thompson Memorial Park and the Chattahoochee Nature Center. They’ve already found some favorite restaurants in Roswell. “When our friends from New York come down to visit, we take them to Canton Street,” Ryan said. “Two of our favorite places to eat are Little Alley Steak and Mac McGee Irish Pub.”
The tip
Ryan, now a client value manager for security company AlliedBarton, recommends that buyers who have served in the military explore Veterans Administration financing options.
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