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Wednesday, August 8, 2001 Smaller is sometimes better First-time buyers, empty-nesters have plenty of choices in Fayette By MONROE
ROARK
If one were to attempt to describe the prototype Fayette County home, it would be difficult. Perhaps the most common type would be the large family home on a large lot or in a swim-tennis community not extravagantly expensive, but not cheap, either. Whether that assessment is correct or not, there are a lot of different home styles and sizes in Fayette to suit every imaginable lifestyle. And while Fayette Countians pride themselves on having homes with lasting property values and high resale potential, anyone assuming that more affordable housing is not available would be mistaken. "The county has a wide variety of home prices," said Donna O'Kelly, a broker based in Fayette who deals with a lot of first-time homebuyers. "Prices have gone up, but there's still a large market." It is becoming more difficult to find houses near $100,000 in Fayette, she acknowledges, compared to surrounding areas. But many people, when considering such factors as schools and other amenities, are willing to purchase a slighter smaller home than what could be had in an adjoining county for the same price, she adds. While first-time buyers are perhaps the most likely to be looking in the lower price ranges, the other end of the spectrum the empty-nester is also there more and more often. Having made maybe three or four home purchases over two or three decades, couples whose children are grown and have left home often find themselves looking to downsize and make what might be their final home purchase. The type of home they are seeking is often very similar to those purchasing a house for the first time. Other lifestyle considerations figure into home purchasing decisions for these older couples. One couple who recently purchased a home in Peachtree City from O'Kelly found a relatively small two-bedroom unit with a one-car garage too small for many, but perfectly suitable in this case since the couple, who bought here to be near other family members, plans to be in the area only six months out of the year. Developers and builders in Fayette have hurried to capitalize on the empty-nester market, with a large number of subdivisions now available with smaller homes on smaller lots with little or no maintenance required by the homeowner. Of course, the lack of maintenance is more and more appealing to homebuyers, many of whom prefer to let others take care of the lawn and exterior repairs. This is often a relief to the grown children of these residents as well, because they know the work will not fall to them if their parents become incapacitated.
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