Buying strategy pays off

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Ryan and Melissa Briley picked up their home search after their March 2009 wedding. The newlyweds knew how many bedrooms and baths they wanted, and they figured a garage would be a bonus.

“Ryan was in a one-bedroom apartment with one bathroom, and it was hard to have company,” Melissa said. “We knew we wanted at least two bedrooms, two baths.”

Another part of their strategy, says Ryan, who works for Accenture, was a suggestion by their agent, Suzy Smith, with Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta, to consider new places where they could be one of the first buyers or one of the last buyers, to get the best deal from the builder. They focused inside the Perimeter because of the access to shops, restaurants and their jobs.

Choice No. 1: Gorgeous inside, but close quarters?

The three-story Dresden Creek townhome, priced in the $300,000s, boasted details such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, a fireplace and columns in the family room. The two-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath unit in Atlanta near Clairmont Road also had a balcony, but they questioned the proximity to their neighbor’s balcony. The couple was concerned about the location, worried that it was too close, for them, to a transitional part of town.

Choice No. 2: Prime location and amenities

The Ashford Creek townhome in Brookhaven, originally priced for $349,900, had two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a two-car garage. Even though it was a townhome, they felt there was more space between units than other communities they considered. The amenities included a pool with a waterfall and hot tub, a workout room, a clubhouse and a gazebo near a pond, and it also was across the street from Blackburn Park (on Ashford-Dunwoody Road). The community was between Buckhead and Perimeter Mall, and also walking distance to restaurants, Starbucks and a grocery store. And it was near where Melissa’s aunt and uncle live. “Growing up, I always knew Atlanta as this part of town,” she said.

Choice No. 3: Updated home near favorite spots

The three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath townhome in Rosewood Plantation, on Roswell Road in Atlanta, was built in the 1980s, but had upgrades in the kitchen and bathrooms. The unit, originally priced at $262,000, also had a large patio. The location was close to Buckhead and they liked the nearby restaurants, including being walking distance to one where they enjoy playing trivia. It lacked one thing on their list — a garage.

The choice

No. 2. They stumbled on Ashford Creek on a Sunday, Ryan Briley said, and their agent, Suzy Smith was willing to quickly meet them at the unit. They made an offer the same day, and it was accepted.

“The list price was much higher than we could go,” Ryan said. “We basically said, ‘Here’s our offer, here’s as much as we could go. It’s take it or leave it.’ We had nothing to sell and could close in a couple of weeks.”

They purchased the home for more than $25,000 less than the listed price, which had been lowered from the original price.

“We say on a regular basis, ‘We love where we live,’ ” he said.