Builder: OTP modern 'dream homes' from $190K beckon first-time buyers

South of Atlanta, an interesting residential experiment is afoot that combines modern design, dirt-cheap land, and proximity to the growing downtown of what homebuilders call a “hidden gem” and one of Georgia’s "most promising, up-and-coming cities."

A group of partners with a new company called Griffin Modern has completed the first space-conscious, contemporary “dream home” of many planned in blocks near historic downtown Griffin.

Working with the Griffin/Spalding County Landbank, off-market sellers, and other landholders, the homebuilders have been buying abundant, vacant lots priced at less than $10,000—many of them far cheaper, often less than an unthinkable $1,500—within a 10-minute walk of downtown’s restaurants and shops.

According to Dennis Tidwell, a Griffin Modern partner, the idea is to pass savings to homebuyers—especially first-time buyers—who’ve been priced out of homeownership in other metro cities but still covet designs that buck cookie-cutter traditionalism. (Think: bold exteriors, glass balcony railings, floating staircases, oversized windows, and body-spray panels in frameless showers, et cetera).

The company recently finished its model home, the two-story Aura Plan, on Quilly Street. It sold for $275,000, which bought two bedrooms and two and ½ bathrooms in 1,204 square feet, with off-street parking in front and a patio behind.

Tidwell says Griffin Modern’s goal is to keep all homes attainable for buyers earning 100 percent of the area median income, or AMI.

“Having lots below $10,000 within a 10-minute walk to a vibrant downtown is unheard of,” says Tidwell, who also heads Atlanta-based Rockethouse Design+Build, the company behind an ADU finished near Atlantic Station last year. “This secret will not last long.” 

As the county seat of Spalding County and home to roughly 24,000 residents, Griffin is located west of Interstate 75, about 40 miles from downtown Atlanta, or roughly the same distance as downtown Buford. Griffin’s open-container downtown counts local spots like Safehouse Coffee Roasters, Lola Cigars, Bunjee’s Comics, and Piedmont Brewery, with Atlanta’s Fire Maker Brewing Company set to open a taproom in 2025.

Two more Griffin Modern homes are under construction near the model now.

Prices for current floorplans range from $190,000 (the two-bedroom Jones Plan, with a bathroom and ½ in 1,184 square feet) up to the deluxe offering at $365,000 (the three-bedroom Atlantis plan, with three and ½ bathrooms in 1,654 square feet).

According to Tidwell, each Griffin Modern product is considered affordable by FHA standards, and first-time homebuyers can qualify for $12,000 grants for down payments. For the Aura plan, that means a mortgage with no money down and all-inclusive monthly payments around $1,800 is possible, per Tidwell.

The Griffin homebuilding initiative “is transforming the local housing market by designing entry-level homes packed with modern features that were once thought impossible for first-time buyers,” reads the company spiel. “This home is not just a place to live—it’s a vision of the future.”

Swing up to the gallery for more context and a closer look at Griffin Modern’s first finished dwelling.

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• OTP news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)