My New Home: Small town living in Millington
Having grown up in Memphis, Latoria Jenkins said she was a city girl. However, she felt she was also a “homebody” who was happiest living in a small town. “I have lived in two small towns in the past and I fell in love with small town living and the peace it brings,” explained Latoria. Latoria is program manager at one of the Residential Treatment facilities for Youth Villages.
In addition to knowing that she wanted small-town life, at the top of Latoria’s list of requirements for her new home was her expectation of having a comfortable kitchen. “Simply put, having a kitchen that meets my every need and desire, is a must for me,” said Latoria. “Every time I’ve looked for a place to live, the kitchen has been the first room that had to meet with my approval. If I can see myself cooking in the kitchen comfortably then, and only then, can I start to see what the rest of the place feels like for me.”
To begin her house hunt, Latoria turned to Lisa Hendrickson, an agent at Keller Williams Realty. “Lisa and I have been best friends since the eighth grade,” explained Latoria. “Suzanne Williams, her coach at Keller Williams, helped Lisa throughout the entire process, as this was her first sale of a new build. Both of these ladies provided me with the best customer service and care throughout the entire process. With their support and advocacy, they ensured that I was able to get what I wanted, in the area I wanted, and that I was treated fairly throughout the entire process.”
Lisa and Latoria looked at close to 50 properties in areas that ranged from Atoka to Munford, Millington, Bartlett, and Cordova.
“I struggled to keep up with the fast pace of real estate,” recalled Latoria. “That made me miss out on making some offers because I was looking to fall in love with the home first before making an offer. If I found a home that I liked, I would then want my parents to come out and approve. When Lisa suggested a new build, I didn't think it would be possible. I'm so thankful she knew what was best for me because this process was so much easier than searching through older homes and battling to make the best offer. I could shop around without the fear of being rejected based on my offer or anything else. It was simple. When my offer was approved and I showed I had the necessary funds, all I had to do was pick my location.”
For her newly built home, Latoria paid $298,990 for 1,774 square feet of living space in the Barrett Oaks subdivision of Millington. The traditional one story, painted brick home had four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The home featured an open floor plan of rooms with 9-foot ceilings. Most importantly to Latoria, the home had a fabulous kitchen, with Whirlpool stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a tile backsplash, a breakfast bar/island with a sink and plenty of room to enjoy cooking. There was also a large pantry.
“What I loved most about my new home was that the kitchen gave me the same feel of the condos that my family and I have stayed in when we traveled,” said Latoria. “As a child, I fell in love with watching my parents cook and getting us involved by teaching us to cook. My father was the chef of the family and my inspiration for showing people love by feeding them.”
Another special feature that Latoria liked about her home centered on her location.
“As much as I liked so many things about my home, my favorite feature was my view. I had four choices when I was selecting my lot. I could face the adjacent main road, a neighboring apartment complex, the area lake or train tracks. Everyone said, ‘Pick the lake view.’ But my heart said "no, go with what you want. "I have loved the sound of trains since I was a child. I was scared of the dark, and the soothing sounds of a nearby train became my security blanket.”
Latoria continued, “The kitchen was my next favorite feature. And lastly, I loved that my master bedroom was set off away from the other bedrooms in the home.”
As is typical of new construction, home maintenance was at a minimum for Latoria. The home featured easy-to-care-for Mohawk Reywood flooring in the living areas. Other amenities included an oversized walk-in shower and a double vanity in the master bathroom, and a standard shower/tub combo in the other bathroom. The living room sat right off the dining area and kitchen, so Latoria could easily enjoy interacting with company while she cooked. And there was a separate den towards the back of the house, for TV watching and quiet time. An attached single-car garage added more storage capacity for the home, as well as security. Other electronic upgrades included a keyless front door entry, a video SkyBell, and a panel that allowed her to control settings throughout the whole house.
Being a first-time homeowner has been an exciting endeavor for Latoria. Having lived exclusively in apartments since graduating high school, she now has the opportunity to really make a place her own. “I plan to fence the backyard and maybe even add a deck and a pool,” said Latoria. “If not a pool. then a nice size hot tub, for sure.”
As for her neighborhood, Latoria said, ”I like that it’s quiet and outside of the city. I also like that it's in a military town. A lot of my neighbors are retired military families, so I get to meet people from all over.”
Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: My New Home: Small town living in Millington
