The Hunt
In Atlanta, Seeking a House With Ample Space Indoors and Out. Which Option Did He Choose?
With about $600,000 to spend, a first-time buyer searched for a house with ‘a lot of bedrooms’ and an ‘outdoor, country feel.’ Here’s what he found.
When AJ Dewberry began his search for a new home in Atlanta, he knew what he wanted more than anything else was ample outdoor space.
Having grown up about 40 miles south, in the small city of Griffin, Ga. — technically part of Atlanta’s metropolitan area, but as Mr. Dewberry is quick to explain, nothing like Atlanta — he always felt that being able to get outside in nature without much effort was essential.
“Griffin is the country,” said Mr. Dewberry, 29, the founder and owner of Level 10 Repairs, a popular mobile-phone repair company in Atlanta. “I’m used to privacy, having room outdoors and driving four-wheelers. I know I’m in the city and have to make some kind of compromise, but as long as there’s room outside — that was really important to me.”
In May 2021, he was also approaching his long-held personal deadline of owning a home by the age of 30. He would need a bit more time, but he started putting the pieces in place to buy a vacant lot and build a house of his own. He reached out to lenders, learned about the available options and spent the next year shoring up his credit and savings.
“I’m used to making money and spending money,” he said. “But I know that I need to start building assets with that money.”
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A year later, with bank approval for a $680,000 loan and a smaller cash gift from his aunt, Mr. Dewberry started looking for land. “I figured that with that approval I could really build my own estate and have all the land I wanted,” he said.
But after surveying the possibilities and considering the time commitments, he changed course. “I looked at 12 land lots and realized that wasn’t the fastest route,” he said. “I was ready to be in my home.”
The median home price in the Atlanta area over the summer was about $400,000, said Austin Fleury, a broker with Fleur De Lee Realty, who helped Mr. Dewberry with his search. For $500,000 to $600,000, Mr. Fleury said, a buyer could get a five- or six-bedroom townhouse or condominium.
“I knew that I wanted to still be close enough to downtown Atlanta, have a lot of bedrooms and still have that outdoor, country feel,” Mr. Dewberry said. He began looking at properties that were move-in ready or needed minimal work, and that could one day accommodate a swimming pool.
“The thing about Atlanta,” Mr. Fleury said, “is that it’s flexible that way. We knew that he could get space, a mansion of some kind, and be within a 20-minute drive from downtown, because a lot of places, like Marietta, Decatur, Sandy Springs, are really nice.”
Among his options:
No. 1
Three-Bedroom in Brookhaven
This 2,875-square-foot house was built in 1987 on 0.2 acres in the satellite city of Brookhaven, just north of downtown Atlanta. It had three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. With high ceilings, big windows and a double-height foyer, it was filled with natural light. The spacious back patio was great for entertaining, but the fenced yard was on the small side. The asking price was $600,000, and the annual property taxes were about $6,400.
No. 2
New Construction in Pittsburgh
This brand-new four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house was in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, just south of downtown Atlanta. It was about 2,100 square feet, with an open living-and-dining area downstairs and a balcony off the primary bedroom upstairs, as well as sleek new appliances and finishes, and a small concrete patio out back. After years of neglect, the neighborhood was seeing a lot of construction, with a spate of new businesses and homes. The house was listed for $590,000, and the annual property taxes were about $5,400.
No. 3
In Need of Repairs in Cascade Heights
This six-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom 1997 house was on almost half an acre at the end of a cul-de-sac in leafy Cascade Heights, about seven miles west of downtown Atlanta. It was about 3,300 square feet, with two kitchens, hardwood floors, a double-sided fireplace in the primary suite, generous outdoor space and a deck. A 135-acre nature preserve was within walking distance. But the house was in terrible condition and needed extensive repairs. (“The smell was unbearable,” Mr. Fleury said.) It was listed for $450,000, and the annual taxes were about $3,700.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
Three-Bedroom in Brookhaven
New Construction in Pittsburgh
In Need of Repairs in Cascade Heights
Which Did He Buy?
Three-Bedroom in Brookhaven
New Construction in Pittsburgh
In Need of Repairs in Cascade Heights