The Atlanta area is a great place to build or purchase a new home and millennials (also known as Generation Y) are the top-growing section of home buyers according to a report by The National Association of Realtors. Millennials, or those born between 1977 and 1995, represent 25 percent of the U.S. population and more than $200 billion in annual buying power. They make up the largest share of home buyers, at 31 percent compared to 30 percent for Generation X, the second most prevalent. They are also the biggest generation of customers ever, at 80 million strong in the U.S., which means there are more millennials than there are baby boomers, and in some ways, they are an entirely different breed of customer.

One characteristic of a millennial is their acceptance of the internet as the norm. They use the internet, almost endlessly and often from a mobile device, but they don’t care about it like older generations do. To millennials, it’s not a distinct, nifty invention. Instead, it’s just the norm, just like flushing toilets and electricity.

Another characteristic of millennials is that family is very important to them, so much so that a 2010 Pew Research Center survey found that the number one goal of the majority of millennials is “to be a good parent.” But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many studies predict that millennials are destined to become America’s next greatest generation.

Shining stars of the millennial generation are Brent and his fiancée, Martha. Very recently engaged, Brent and Martha decided to build a new custom home together in the Sandy Springs area. This is not Brent’s first home, but it is their first home together. Although they have only been together for about two years, they both grew up in the Fayetteville area. Brent works as a project manager at Civil Site Services Inc., while Martha is a budget coordinator for The Southern Company. Brent also owns his own real estate development company, which is how he met Trevor Shonkwiler with The Water’s Edge Group. After searching the Atlanta area for just the perfect home site on the Chastain side of Buckhead, they found it in Sandy Springs.”We had to find a lot that was priced affordably, in the right area of Atlanta and we found it in Sandy Springs,” said Brent.

Brent and Trevor met about a year ago through a mutual friend and worked on multiple projects together, allowing Brent to see Trevor and Ian’s dedication to their clients. “They have exceptional attention to detail,” said Brent. “They are honest and ethical in the way they do business, and their craftsmanship is beyond excellent. Bottom line, they do exactly what they say they will do and are flexible to the client’s needs.” Overall, Brent would recommend this builder to anyone who cares about quality and craftsmanship.

Brent and Martha are excited to start building their new home in October. The home will feature four bedrooms, three full baths on the main level and it will have a finished basement with a guest bedroom, bath and custom-built recreation room. The home will also have a custom kitchen and custom master bedroom suite. One unique feature of the home will be the two-sided fireplace in the living room that also faces out to the deck, allowing you to enjoy the fire from both inside and outside of the home. Martha loves to entertain and can’t wait to hold a housewarming party when their home is completed.

Brent offered this advice to other young couples on how to set your stars on a new home and to succeed in life. “Save enough money for a down payment so that you don’t have to pay private mortgage insurance, live within your means, work hard and plan to live debt-free as much as possible,” said Brent. His plan is to pay off the mortgage in three to five years and be mortgage-free. Take some good advice from this young couple, who is destined to become the perfect example of America’s next greatest generation.