Right price and time for first home

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Luis Leon and Angela Florez focused on Alpharetta, where they were renting, during their search for a first home. The couple found what they were looking for at Hanover Pointe, a new townhome community. Leon, 32, who works as a quality assurance manager at a dental clinic, chatted about their new place.

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Christopher Oquendo, for the AJC Luis Leon and Angela Florez looked for their first home for four months. They chose a townhome in Hanover Pointe, a new community in Alpharetta.

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Christopher Oquendo, for the AJC The couple decided to buy now because of the lower prices. Leon said that having a good real estate agent is vital when venturing into the house search.

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Q: How long did you look for a home?

A: Four months.

Q: Why did you decide to buy now?

A: Basically because of the lowering of the prices. The builder gave us a really good price. They dropped the price of the townhomes and our agent asked for our lower price. They agreed on that. And the tax credit from the government. That was the main aid for us to buy the house.

Q: What did you like about the home’s features?

A: The kitchen is beautiful. You have the granite and beautiful (stainless steel) appliances. The hardwood floors on the first floor. The tile in the bathroom. Also, particularly with this townhome, it used to be the model home. It already had the refrigerator and the blinds. So even though it was new we didn’t have to pay for the refrigerator and the blinds.

Q: Did you look at other neighborhoods?

A: Some townhouses were not very nice or the community didn’t have a pool or the size of the townhomes was smaller. Also, Forsyth County has lower taxes and we are paying cheap bills. The insurance, the taxes for the car and house, everything was cheaper in this area.

Q: Were you looking for a community with amenities?

A: We were trying to find at least a pool. It has two pools. We were trying to find an organized or structured homeowner’s association with a community. We have met some people at the pool and they are very friendly, really nice people. Many are young families. Most of the people who live here are American. There are a couple from Brazil. We are from Colombia.

Q: What advice would you give buyers today?

A: Having a good agent is very important (they worked with Mauricio Plata of Virtual Properties Realty). It’s having someone who knows location, the features, the amenities, the conditions, the construction, all those things that normal people like my wife and I didn’t know before. Buying a house by ourselves, I don’t think it would have been as easy.

At a glance

Luis Leon and Angela Florez’s home has three bedrooms, 
2 ½ baths and about 2,772 square feet of livable space. They purchased it in June.

Hanover Pointe

Address: 1310 Faircrest Lane, Alpharetta 30004

County: Forsyth

Information: 678-697-8707, www.bowenfamily homes.com

Homes: 163

Prices: $194,900-$270,000

Square footage: 1,700-2,700

Features: Vaulted and tray ceilings, maple kitchen cabinets

Amenities: Two pools, clubhouse, cabana, four tennis courts, playground (some amenities shared with homes in Hanover Place, a single-family community)

Homeowner’s Association: $137.50 a month

Builder/developer: Bowen Family Homes

Schools: Midway Elementary, Piney Grove Middle, South Forsyth High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take I-85 north to Ga. 400 north to Exit 12B west (McFarland Parkway). Travel west on McFarland Parkway. Turn left on Union Hill. Hanover Pointe will be on the left.

For sale

$180,000: 1370 Faircrest Lane, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath townhome built in 2007 with hardwood floors and a two-car garage.

Recent sales

$224,135: 1255 Faircrest Crossing, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, 
2 1/2-bath townhome built in 2007 with a basement.

$220,992: 1265 Faircrest Lane, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath townhome built in 2008 with an upgraded kitchen and an upstairs loft.

$194,797: 1275 Faircrest Lane, Alpharetta 30004. A three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath townhome built in 2008 with a two-car garage.

Source: Sheila Willibey, Jenny Pruitt & Associates Realtors