Many real estate agents tell stories of buyers seeing their ideal house and feeling that they’ve fallen in love – they know it’s right when they see it. For Larry Katzman and his wife, Linda, deciding to buy a townhouse at Turnbury Gates in Chamblee wasn’t quite as easy as finding love at first sight, but as some other love stories often go, the wait was worth it.
Last year, the Katzmans relocated to the metro area from Boston to be closer to their two adult children and three grandchildren who live in Atlanta. But instead of buying, they rented for a year and explored their options.
“We were trying to find a place we liked that was convenient to both our kids who are in Dunwoody and near Emory, said Katzman. “We saw Turnbury early in our search, but the model home didn’t quite hit us. So we kept looking.
But a few months later, and growing frustration at not being able to find what they wanted, the couple decided to give Turnbury Gates a second chance.
“We’d been out looking, and it had been a long day when we decided to go back,” said Katzman. “We found we really liked the unit we saw; it was a bit larger than the model, and it was a perfect location – midpoint from both out kids. So we bought it, and here we are.”
The three-story townhouse was in a corner of the small development the couple hadn’t explored before. “We overlook part of the pool, and behind us is a row of tall trees and a golf course,” said Katzman. “It’s very quiet. But we’re near Johnson Ferry Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, so it’s very accessible to the highway system.”
The floor plan of the unit was another draw. The lower level has a two-car garage and a guest suite. The main living space is an open design that flows from the living and dining rooms into the kitchen, the sunroom and a deck. The top floor features the master and two smaller bedrooms.
The gated community features 78 townhouses with two-car garages and open floor plans and finished terrace levels. Kitchens come with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and breakfast rooms. The main levels have 10-foot ceilings, great rooms with fireplaces and hardwood floors. The master baths are finished with soaking tubs, tiled floors and frameless showers. Outside their doors, residents will find a pool, pavilion and a gathering space around an outdoor fireplace.
“We love the openness of it and the fact that you can see from one end to the other,” said Katzman. “The high ceilings also appealed to us. And having lived for 38 years in a house from the 1920s that was lovely but old, it’s so nice to be living in something new. It’s something we never experienced!”
Turnbury Gates
Location: 2401 Johnson Ferry Road, Chamblee, 30341
Price range: from the mid-$400,000s
Number of homes when completed: 78
Styles: Traditional three-story townhouses
Square footage: 2,100
Amenities: Pool, entertaining pavilion, outdoor fireplace
Builder: John Wieland Homes
Schools: Montgomery Elementary, Chamblee Middle, Chamblee Charter High
Getting there: From I-285, take exit 29 for Ashford Dunwoody Road and turn south, inside the Perimeter. Continue two miles on Ashford-Dunwoody Road, then bear left onto Johnson Ferry Road. Continue 0.6 miles; the entrance to Turnbury Gates is on the right.
Contacts: Agent David Wood, 404-985-0134
Information: www.JWHomes.com