My New Home: First-time Homeowners Settle into Vollintine Evergreen

Chelsea Conlee and Anthoney Carter had been renting an adorable bungalow in the Vollintine Evergreen district. They had planned to be homeowners, but not quite as soon as it happened.

“Our owner decided to sell,” recalled Chelsea. “The market presented him with a good opportunity to sell, and so we trusted that it was a matter of fate for us to move and made our decision to buy our first home.”

Chelsea is a registered nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the ICU step down unit. Additionally, she is currently in school for her doctorate in nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. Anthoney is an interactive director at a local full-service design firm, Loaded for Bear. Staying in Midtown was at the top of their priorities. They also wanted two full bathrooms, and a large backyard that they could transform into their own space. And having a front porch was an absolute must for the couple.

“Midtown charm just isn’t complete without a front porch to escape the heat of the city in the summertime and enjoy spending time with friends,” said Chelsea. 

When it came time to choosing a real estate agent, the couple didn’t have to think about it very long — they turned to Chelsea’s aunt, Jenny Vergos, an agent with Marx-Bensdorf Realtors. 

“I am so thankful to have had her,” said Chelsea. “Her dedicated work ethic and determined mindset really helped guide us during this crazy market. We must have looked at approximately 20 properties and made offers on quite a few of them.”

“It helped that we were all looking,” said Jenny. “They had parameters set up on their computers to help them see properties as soon as they came on the market. At their price point, our biggest contenders were out-of-town investors with cash offers who were buying sight unseen to turn houses into rental properties. As a Memphian and as a realtor, I want people who are interested in building stronger communities, not just as housing investments (bricks and sticks), but as real homes.”

In the end, Chelsea and Anthoney located a great bungalow in the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood of Midtown. They paid $275,000 for just more than 1,700 square feet of living space. The home, c. 1932, offered four bedrooms and two bathrooms. 

“The former owner had renovated the house to make the floor plan more of an open concept,” explained Chelsea. “The rooms are spacious. I have to say, one of my favorite things, aside from the front porch, is the kitchen. We have new granite countertops, new kitchen cabinets and new appliances (refrigerator, dishwasher, range, microwave). We both love to cook, and coming home to an open space where we can cook, but stay connected to what’s going on in the living room, has been wonderful.”

Chelsea continued, “Also, the interior and exterior had been freshly painted and there was a new roof. So even though we bought an older home, we don’t anticipate a high level of maintenance right away. Both bathrooms had been renovated to accommodate walk-in showers. However, I’m a wine and bathtub kind of girl. So immediately we put in a HUGE, deep soaker tub, and it’s my dream come true. The house was beautifully updated, but the backyard was all gravel. So, we just re-sodded and landscaped the backyard, and we plan to add a fence. It’s a quaint space with a patio and tons of space for our miniature dachshund to roam around.”

When asked how this house differed from their previous home, Anthoney said, “Honestly, not by much. We have more room, equally nice neighbors, and we got that front porch we’ve always wanted. The real bonus is that we now have separate bathrooms. Plus, I have a space for a studio/workspace. There’s also a bonus room that we plan to convert into a flex room. Oh, and we have more room for plants! We have some beds planned for our front yard.”

As for their neighborhood, the couple agreed that they have always enjoyed the down-to-earth feel of Midtown neighborhoods. 

“The close proximity to work is a plus, but people and historic charm are what make a neighborhood feel connected. We love the diversity of ages, races, cultural backgrounds and lifestyles,” said Anthoney.

Chelsea added, “There are artists, doctors, musicians and lawyers. The neighborhood has a value that attracts people who like to live a relaxed lifestyle. There’s a special kind of connectivity in this. There are few frills; just moderately-priced homes which are nicely cared for in what we like to call a very unpretentious neighborhood. Little rows of bungalow-style homes, separate pockets of ‘secret parks,’ filled with more than 15 species of trees that are labeled for arboretum design, that connect portions of the Greenline, and all of this only a two-minute walk from our front door. Quaint qualities like these make Midtown the heart of the city and are the reasons why we wanted to call this area our home.”

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