Seller's name: Samy and Jessica Rodriguez
The home: A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home built in 2007
Where: Loganville
Why they sold: The couple purchased the house in July 2011, getting engaged in the home the day they closed, but they wanted to buy a home closer to their jobs and activities. Jessica, 30, works in Decatur for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Samy, 29, works in Norcross for Atlantix Global Systems. They frequently play tennis out of courts in Dunwoody and Decatur. "We just wanted something that was closer to where we worked," said Jessica. "We wanted to be closer in town." The timing worked out with Jessica learning she was pregnant and wanting to move with enough time to prepare for the baby's birth, she said.
Time on market: 2 days
Original price: $164,900
Sale price: $152,000
What it took: The couple worked with Ariane E. McClure of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, who recommended that they remove all personal effects from their walls. They took down wedding photos, artwork with their last name and other decorations and stored them at Jessica's parents' house. The home looked more streamlined, and the couple also made minor repairs such as patching holes and painting.
They compared their home to others for sale in the neighborhood and felt good about their pricing based on their updates. “We put wood flooring and tile in kitchen and living room. Other houses didn’t have that. We also had granite and other houses didn’t have that. We had the largest fenced property in our subdivision,” Jessica said. “I felt like we weren’t going to have any trouble finding a buyer and we didn’t.”
They had two showings the first day the home was on the market. The buyer was an investment company that planned to rent the house, which didn’t surprise the couple. Other homes in the neighborhood had been purchased by investment companies and rented out.
The buyer gave them a 45-day window to close, which was enough time for the couple to find the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath house they purchased in Norcross. The two-story home, built in 2001, had an open floor plan, extras such as built-in shelves, hardwoods throughout the entire downstairs and a small yard for their dogs, Jessica said.
Potential stumbling block: After the inspection, the buyer asked to lower the price to $152,000 based on repairs. The couple was willing to agree, especially because they were not asked to pay closing costs.
Seller's hint: "We wanted to sell our house before we bought another one, obviously. We had to be patient as seller," she said. "When you're on the buying side, it's totally different. You have to do it right then because the houses are going so quick."
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