A year later, Decatur's affordable downtown cottages sell out

A year after sales began, a “pioneering” pocket of housing near downtown Decatur that represents a “milestone in affordable homeownership” has officially sold out, according to project leaders. 

The colorful pint-sized community, Oak Cottage Court, replaced a wooded, half-acre site at 230 Commerce Drive with six standalone homes reserved for families and individuals considered middle-income earners. 

All six new homeowners are women—including a City of Decatur teacher who recently bought the last available unit, project heads noted. 

The cottages range from pint-sized (528 square feet) to perfectly adequate for a smaller family (1,582 square feet), with either one, two, or three bedrooms.

Prices ranged from $210,000 (a one-bedroom, one-bathroom house) to $325,000 (three bedrooms, two bathrooms), per site plans. 

According to Redfin, Decatur's median home sales price is $585,000. 

The project, developed and built by Fortas Homes, marked the first collaboration of its kind between the City of Decatur Development Authority, nonprofit housing developer Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, and nonprofit Decatur Land Trust. It had been in planning and construction phases for more than seven years prior to finishing construction last spring. 

“Six cottages, six inspiring female homeowners, one city with a vision, and an incredible team that made it a reality,” recapped listing agent Naruna Rangel, of Naruna Homes and Keller Williams Metro Atlanta, in a sell-out announcement. 

Project leaders provided commentary from new Oak Cottage Court owners, including: Courtney Hartnett, a teacher with 20 years' experience at Oakhurst Elementary and the first buyer, who said, “It’s been lovely having new neighbors move in. I was priced out of Decatur for a long time.” Added Rachel Dubruze, a nurse at nearby Talley Street Elementary and a first-time homeowner who moved in with her son: “It’s less than a 10-minute walk or a two-minute drive to my job and [my child’s] school. The school system is great. It seemed out of reach before this.”

From the outset, the project was intended to provide attainable, for-sale housing to Decatur’s city, school, and housing authority employees. The cottages were later made available to any income-qualified buyer, especially people renting or working in Decatur.

Beyond the home prices, project leaders pointed to the location’s 86 Walk Score—it’s within a 10-minute walk to MARTA rail and 10 different bus lines, they say—and close proximity to shops and restaurants, K-12 schools, and parks as attributes. Seven parking spaces, including one handicap space, were installed next to the community’s central green, according to plans.

DLT’s model goes that homes are sold to new owners, but the land beneath them will be kept in a trust. Should new owners sell in the future, the DLT’s ground-lease program is meant to ensure the properties retain their affordability permanently, officials have previously said.

Up to three sources of down payment assistance were also available for qualified applicants.

The project was designed by Mississippi-based architect Bruce B. Tolar, considered one of the country’s leading experts for missing-middle housing design and development. Tolar's company is known for developing cottage-style housing nodes as part of post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding.

The housing type has been allowed in Decatur since an ordinance passed in 2014, and Oak Cottage Court is considered a pilot project, in hopes it will succeed in generating other examples of relatively affordable, neighborhood-friendly housing in the city, according to DLT.

Swing up to the gallery for a closer look at how this pint-sized community came out. 

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