One weekend was all it took for lifelong Pennsylvania residents Drew and Kelcie Higgins to find a home in metro Atlanta.
Packing tours of 16 homes into that trip gave the Higgins a chance to compare homes and act quickly in order for their 5-year-old daughter, Taylor, to start kindergarten in Georgia in fall 2013.
Why Atlanta?
Drew, 28, was offered a new position when his employer, Earle M. Jorgensen Co. (a supplier of steel and aluminum bar, tubing and plate to manufacturing companies in North America) opened a warehouse in Atlanta. Kelcie’s employer in Pennsylvania allowed her to continue her sales job in the high-tech industry from home in Georgia. The warmer weather and Southern hospitality also were among the reasons why they took the plunge and moved, Drew said.
“The opportunity was so great we couldn’t pass it up,” he said.
Putting down roots
The couple found their agent, Stephanie McCarty of Prudential Georgia Realty, while viewing home listings online in Pennsylvania. The Higgins focused on Gwinnett and Walton counties, which would shorten Drew’s commute to the warehouse in Lithonia (in DeKalb County).
“We flew down for a long weekend. Our mission was to find a house because we realized school started three weeks earlier than it did up north,” said Kelcie, 27. “That weekend, we found this house, made an offer and that was pretty much it.”
The Higgins looked for a home with these features: at least four bedrooms (to accommodate visiting family), a master suite with a bathroom, an office, and a kitchen that wasn’t cut off from the living room.
The home they bought in Loganville, listed in the high $100,000s in the Golden Meadow subdivision, originally wasn’t on their list of potential favorites.
“The moment we drove up, we knew this was going to be different,” Drew said.
The five-bedroom, three-bath brick Walton County home, which had nearly 3,000 square feet, was built in 2006. The home had been freshened up with new stainless steel appliances, sink and faucet, granite countertops and glass mosaic backsplash in the kitchen, as well as new carpet and light fixtures. The deck also had been restained. The cul-de-sac location and nearly 2-acre lot added to the home’s peaceful setting, and they purchased it in late July.
Relocation tip
Find a real estate agent who will educate you about specific schools in the county or city you are searching. McCarty answered their school questions in detail, they said. The Higgins also used GreatSchools.com to view school ratings and parent reviews.
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