Lifestyle Community: Orchards of Sweet Apple

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Kathryn Barger packed up her belongings in Morning Sun, Iowa, a town of about 800 people, and relocated to Atlanta to be near her daughter earlier this spring. Barger, 74, chatted about the condo she purchased in the Orchards of Sweet Apple, an active adult community in Alpharetta, with the help of Michelle Miralles with Keller Williams Realty-First Atlanta.

Q: Had you been thinking of moving to Atlanta for a long time?

A: This was just really spur of the moment. When I visited in December for about a month, we saw an open house on this condo.

Q: Why did the condo layout appeal to you?

A: It was one story. I had a farmhouse with five bedrooms and I just didn’t want to crawl up and down the steps again. It’s real pretty. I happen to have one of the lots where part of it has trees along the back.

Q: Did you look at other units there?

A: I looked at one other in the same condo complex, which was a two bedroom. I liked this one because it was a three bedroom, and I could make one my office.

Q: Did you like the community’s maintenance-free feature?

A: I’ve always liked to do yard work, but there comes a point where I can’t keep doing it. They take care of everything on the outside, and I take care of everything on the inside. There is a little garden plot that I can plant if I want to.

Q: What’s one of your favorite areas in the condo?

A: It’s beautiful out in the sunroom. It has windows all around and it’s more open to the outside, which I love.

Q: Have you made many changes since moving in?

A: We’ve (Barger and her daughter, Jean Jones) just updated a few minor things. It was painted really pretty colors on the inside. So we just had to downsize from my big house to this smaller condo.

Q: What steps did you take to downsize?

A: I had a yard sale before I moved. What I didn’t sell, I had to bring along. I went through it again and still had to get rid of some more things. I’ve made many trips to the Goodwill with everything I can’t use.

Q: How close does your daughter live?

A: She lives in the Roswell area (less than 2 miles away).

Q: Are you happy with your recent purchase?

A: I’ve had a pleasant experience. I’ve just been real fortunate that people have helped me along the way.

At a Glance

Kathryn Barger’s condo, which was built in 2004, has three bedrooms, three baths and about 1,700 square feet of livable space. She purchased it in March.

Orchards of Sweet Apple

Address: 1302 Sweet Apple Circle, Alpharetta 30004 (See listing information below)

County: Fulton

Information: 404-290-2330

Price range: Low to high $200,000s

Homes: 92

Square footage: 1,550-1,750

Standard features: Walk-in closets, stepless entry, two-car garage

Amenities: Pool, clubhouse, gym and exterior maintenance, garbage, termite coverage and water/sewer covered by homeowners association.

Homeowners fees: $240 a month ($480 initiation fee)

Builder: Orchards Development

Getting there

Take Ga. 400 north to Exit 7B (Holcomb Bridge Road West-Roswell). Turn right onto Crabapple Road. Turn left into Orchards of Sweet Apple.

Recent sales

$245,000: 1500 Sweet Apple Circle, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, two-bath condo with a sunroom and two-car garage.

$215,000: 302 Sweet Apple Circle, Alpharetta 30004. A two-bedroom, two-bath condo with a vaulted ceiling in the great room and a sunroom.

For sale

$269,900: 1302 Sweet Apple Circle, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 2004 with hardwood floors, cherry cabinets and granite countertops.

$249,000: 106 Sweet Apple Circle, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, two-bath condo built in 2004 with granite countertops and walk-in closets.

Community information provided by Michelle Miralles with Keller Williams Realty-First Atlanta and Geri Beckmann with Orchards Development.