The Hunt
Outside Atlanta, a Mother-Daughter Duo Wanted a House to Share (With Enough Room for Some Privacy)
Having poured thousands into an older house with maintenance issues, a single mother aimed her $450,000 budget at something newer and nicer for herself and her teenager. Here’s what she found.
After six years of living in her first home, in a suburb northwest of Atlanta, Keeva Haynes was ready for a bigger and better place — preferably one zoned for the high school that her eighth-grade daughter, Jaida, wanted to attend.
Ms. Haynes, 44, a divorced single mother, had tired of her house in Powder Springs, Ga., especially after shelling out thousands of dollars for repairs.
“It was an older home, No. 1, so there were a lot of issues that I had been uncovering, like plumbing and septic-tank stuff that was costing me so much money,” she said. “No. 2, my daughter really wanted to be in a more diverse school district.”
Ms. Haynes longed for a recently built four-bedroom house with a fenced backyard for her dog and cat to enjoy. A senior manager at an accounting firm, she works from home and hoped to find a two-story house with enough space for separate living and working areas.
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“In my old house, my daughter could hear my phone calls,” she said. “Now she’s a teenager; she needs to have her own space.”
It didn’t take long for Ms. Haynes to receive an offer on her house, but that meant she was in a hurry to find a new one. It was already late September 2023, and her closing date for the sale of her home was Nov. 1. With a budget of $450,000 and a Federal Housing Authority loan, she set out to find a house she could live in for a good 20 years or longer.
Her deal-breakers were polybutylene pipes, which were the subject of a class action lawsuit decades ago and cost $6,000 to replace at her current house. She didn’t want a septic tank, either.
“For Keeva, this was all about getting something a little bit bigger than what she had,” said her agent, Pat Arzet, who works with the King Team at Atlanta Communities Real Estate Brokerage. “The first house she bought was a modest three-bedroom, two-bath with a basement.”
Among her options:
No. 1
House With ‘Teen Cave’ in Powder Springs
This four-bedroom, three-story house built in 2000 was 2,255 square feet, with a family room, an office that had built-in cabinetry and a formal dining room. The top floor had a recreation room that would make a good “teen cave.” Out back, there was an impressive yard with a gazebo and an in-ground pool. The house was zoned for the high school that Jaida was set to attend, but not the one she wanted. Also, Ms. Haynes didn’t love the kitchen, and the previous owners had been smokers. The asking price was $425,000, with $5,404 in annual taxes and an annual $220 homeowner association fee.
No. 2
Fixer-Upper in Acworth
This four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, 2,445-square-foot house was built in 1991. It sat at the end of a cul-de-sac in a sought-after subdivision called Brookstone, in the small city of Acworth. With its ample backyard, screened back porch and deck, Ms. Haynes could see the potential. There was an eat-in kitchen with a breakfast bar and a family room with a fireplace, but several rooms needed updating. The house also smelled of the sellers’ cats, and it wasn’t zoned for Jaida’s preferred high school. The asking price was $399,000, with taxes of $5,100 and an annual $700 homeowner association fee.
No. 3
Renovated Three-Bedroom Outside Marietta
This three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, 2,378-square-foot house was built in 1999. It was on a cul-de-sac just outside Marietta, another city north of Atlanta. The house had a beautifully renovated kitchen and a double-height lower floor with four family-style rooms, including a living room with a fireplace. The fenced backyard had a patio, but the yard was fairly small, and Ms. Haynes didn’t like the tight shower in the primary bathroom, which felt outdated. Still, the house was zoned for Jaida’s preferred high school. The asking price was $459,999, with annual taxes of $3,543 and $350 in homeowner association fees.
Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:
Which Would You Choose?
House With ‘Teen Cave’ in Powder Springs
Fixer-Upper in Acworth
Renovated Three-Bedroom Outside Marietta
Which Did She Buy?
House With ‘Teen Cave’ in Powder Springs
Fixer-Upper in Acworth
Renovated Three-Bedroom Outside Marietta