Shayna Steward and Courtney Whitaker started looking for a new home when they decided that they needed more room to raise their 5-year-old son, Jazz. Additionally, they wanted to find a quieter location after living in Downtown Memphis for several years.
Although they both work downtown, they decided to find a place in East Memphis. Shayna is a content manager at ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Courtney is a master barber.
Shayna shared, “We set our sights on finding a house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. We were hoping to find a ranch-style house with all the living space on one level. We also wanted to have a nice backyard. Overall, we wanted a place that could grow with us that was close to good schools.”
To start their house hunt, Shayna and Courtney connected with Regi Stephenson, an agent with Keller Williams Realty.
“Regi and I had been classmates from middle school through college,” explained Shayna. “We reconnected when I moved back to Memphis. I had expressed wanting to purchase a home at the same time that she was obtaining her real estate certification. Working with Regi was great because she understood my family’s needs, what was of value to me and what was feasible in the current economy. Regi is a first-class realtor. She was very well versed about the local market and provided meaningful recommendations.”
With Regi’s guidance, the couple looked at between 15 - 20 houses. They found the ranch-style house they were looking for in an East Memphis neighborhood near Harding Academy and paid $260,000 for just more than 1,700 square-feet of living space.
“Our new home had our requisite three bedrooms and two bathrooms,” said Shayna. “The house is 68 years old, but had some nice renovations completed by previous owners. The result was a classic ranch with modern updates and many on-trend design aesthetics. The original hardwood floors in the main part of the house had been preserved, but the bathrooms had received facelifts with new graphic tile flooring. The open concept kitchen was a big selling point, with white subway tiles, a large wooden beam and row after row of open shelving. Stainless steel appliances and a pair of sunny windows served to brighten the entire space.”
Courtney added, “The dining area sat just inside the front door and there was another eating area in the kitchen, courtesy of a breakfast bar. The living room felt light and airy and was spacious enough to offer options for seating and furniture arrangements. And the house came with a large, fenced backyard with several mature trees, a concrete patio and an attached one-car carport.”
“Although the house was in great shape when we moved in, we planned a few changes to make it more our own,” continued Courtney. “For instance, we have repainted some of the rooms and are planning to renovate the shower area in the primary bathroom.”
“As for our neighborhood, we love the area,” added Shayna. “We’re situated on a prime lot in a quiet cul-de-sac. And we’re close to many amenities, including retail shopping, grocery stores and major streets.”
Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ranch-style home couple sought turned out to be a classic ranch with modern updates.
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