My New Home: A Peaceful Place to Call Home

May 28, 2023

John and Theresa Monteleone moved to Memphis from Mobile, Alabama, because their daughter and son-in-law were moving here. "We've always lived close to one another so we couldn't let them leave Alabama without us," said Theresa.

"After arriving in Memphis, we decided to become a part of our new community by becoming local business owners. We bought and opened a franchise, Mo' Bay Beignet Co. Memphis, in Midtown on Cooper Street.

But first on our agenda was to find a house. We were connected to Leslie Pickett, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway, by a referral from our son-in-law's parents. They had Leslie as their agent and had been extremely pleased about working with her."

As a family with five kids, with one still living at home, the Monteleones knew that they were looking for a sizable house. And they wanted a large yard, too.

"Our goal was to have Leslie's guidance to help us find a nice, clean neighborhood," said Theresa. "We looked at over two dozen properties. We found a contemporary, two-story brick house we really liked in the Riverwood Farms neighborhood in Cordova."

The home the Monteleones purchased for $384,000 offered more than 3,400 square feet of living space, including four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The house was built in 2013 and was in move-in condition.

"This home differed from our previous house in Alabama in several ways," said John. "Our home in Alabama was a log cabin that was only 1,900 square feet in size and sat on seven acres. It was very private. It was out in the country and our neighbors were more than several hundred yards away."

Theresa added, "Special features we liked about this house were the large master bathroom, the almost one acre yard and the large bonus room. Although this house was in good shape, when we moved in we did make several changes. We changed all the light fixtures, appliances, ceiling fans and repainted the interior."

The couple was also attracted by the home's curb appeal. There was a nicely landscaped front yard, and a two-car garage that loaded from the side of the house, instead of the front. A pair of beautiful wooden front doors with glass insets led into the home and provided natural light to the entry. Gleaming hardwood floors unified the first floor of the home, with an open floor plan that placed the living room just off the kitchen and breakfast area. There was also a separate dining room.

The vaulted ceilings added to the overall sense of spaciousness. Dark cabinetry, coupled with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and a mosaic tile backsplash, gave the kitchen a contemporary feel. The home had a separate laundry room on the first floor. The primary bedroom was downstairs and felt like a retreat with an en-suite bathroom that had a double vanity, an oversized, walk-through glass shower and a separate tub. There was also a walk-in closet that provided plenty of storage. The other bedrooms were upstairs and had access to a perfect space for the kids, a bonus room.

And outside there was a fenced backyard that surrounded a covered patio well suited for outdoor grilling and entertaining. "We liked this neighborhood because it seemed to be quiet and family friendly—a peaceful place to live," said John. "Also, the common green spaces were well-maintained. We liked that there was a large lake with a walking trail around it. It's just a beautiful place to call home. Another thing we liked was that we were moving close to family as our daughter and son-in law live in this same neighborhood and so do our daughter's in-laws."

Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.