Buying is mostly knowing.
The right house on the right block is almost always findable. The harder part is knowing what you're really buying and what it will cost to own.
We walk first
Before listing decisions or offer math, we walk the neighborhood you're considering. Honest opinions arrive faster on a sidewalk than across a desk.
We read the house
Our partners have bought intown houses themselves — Drew has owned six, from his own home to investment properties. We tell you what's cosmetic, what's structural, and what's expensive before inspection.
We stay after closing
The transaction ends; the relationship usually doesn't. Most of our clients hear from us a year later with a comp check or a contractor recommendation.
How we work, in six places.
Coffee, before we look at anything.
We sit down (or walk) and talk about what you're actually looking for. Not the wishlist, the underlying questions: are you optimizing for schools, for a renovation project, for proximity to work, for long-term value? The right house follows from the right answer to that.
Neighborhood walks.
We walk two or three neighborhoods you're considering, on a normal day. You'll see the actual sidewalks, hear the actual street noise, and meet a few of the actual neighbors. By the end you'll know which neighborhoods are off your list before you spend a Saturday looking at houses there.
Targeted showings.
We show you houses that fit the criteria we agreed on, not whatever's easy to schedule. Three to six per week is the right pace for most buyers. We'd rather show you fewer good ones than churn through the bad.
The read.
When you find one you like, we go back. We walk through with a critical eye and tell you what we'd want a friend to know. Cosmetic versus structural. What the comparable closed at. What the inspection is likely to flag. What it will cost to own and to renovate.
Offer strategy.
We write offers that win without overpaying. The math comes first: actual sold comps, days on market, the seller's situation if knowable. Then we pick the terms that matter most to the seller and use them as leverage instead of just the number.
Closing and after.
We manage inspection, lender, appraisal, attorney, walkthrough. Most of it without you needing to be involved. Then a year later we check in: how's the house living, do you need a comp pull, is there a contractor we can recommend.
The questions worth asking.
Buying a house is mostly a series of decisions that look small in the moment. Each one compounds. The job of a good buyer's agent is to flag the decisions that matter most, before they pass.
What you're actually buying
The house, the lot, the block, the school zone, the zoning, the surrounding inventory. We walk each one of these explicitly.
What it will cost to own
Mortgage is the obvious one. Less obvious: taxes, insurance, maintenance, the renovation arc, HOA where applicable. We project five years out before you offer.
What you'd take on renovating
Some houses are five-figure projects. Some are mid-six-figure. We'll tell you the realistic budget for what you want to do, with the contractors we'd actually use.
What's a fair offer
You'll see the actual sold comps. You'll know the seller's likely position. You'll know the carrying cost of overpaying by 5% versus walking away.
How the closing actually works
Inspection negotiations, lender quirks, appraisal contingencies, the day-of-closing checklist. We've done this hundreds of times. You may be doing it once.
"We'd seen 30 houses with another firm without making an offer. Park Realty helped us realize we weren't actually looking at houses we wanted. We closed eight weeks later, on a block I'd never have noticed."S. PatelInman Park buy, 2023
The things buyers actually ask.
Not the polished FAQ for SEO. The questions clients have asked us in person, with the honest answer.
How much should I have saved?
For an intown Atlanta primary residence under $1M, plan on 10 to 20% down plus 3 to 4% for closing costs. For a renovation project, add 10 to 25% of the purchase price for the work itself. We'd rather you wait six months and have honest cash than rush in with a leveraged budget.
What's the timeline, realistically?
From first coffee to keys in hand, most of our buyers close in 60 to 120 days. Faster is possible when inventory is right; slower when it isn't. We'd rather find you the right house in 4 months than the wrong one in 4 weeks.
What happens at the inspection?
We'll be there with you and the inspector. We use a small list of inspectors we trust to be honest. After the inspection, we sit down and decide together what to negotiate, what to walk on, and what to just take in stride. Most houses have something. The question is which something.
Do I need to be pre-approved?
By the time you're writing offers, yes. We'll connect you with two or three local lenders we've worked with for years (not the big national brands). You'll get honest rate quotes and a real conversation about what makes sense for your situation.
How are you paid?
Standard buyer-side commissions, paid out of the listing-side commission at closing. There's no situation where Park Realty's compensation should change our recommendation to you. If you ever feel like it has, tell us directly and we'll show you the math.
Pick the stage you're actually at.
The first message can be short. We'll match how we respond to where you are.
Just exploring? We'll send a few neighborhood walks to consider. Have a neighborhood in mind? We'll meet for coffee and pick a route. Specific house already? We'll go walk it with you and tell you what we'd want a friend to know.
Our most-worked intown neighborhoods.
The first step is just a walk.
No commitment. We pick a neighborhood you're curious about, meet for coffee, then take a route based on what you're considering. By the end, you'll know if we're the right fit.