Profile of an Allen Edwin Home Buyer - Fourth in a Series

Allen Edwin Homes

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Fourth in a series

“The homes are so much more affordable . . . It’s a much better lifestyle here.”

Nigeria. Barbados. Brooklyn. Manhattan. For Efeosa and Jennifer Idemudia these were stops along the route to their new home at 6492 Caddam Woods in Buckham Highlands, a new Allen Edwin neighborhood off Ninth Street.

With such exotic locations in their past, there must be an intriguing story that links them all together, right? Yes, but the story of how the Idemudia family came to be here is every bit as engaging as where they have been.

“We’re moving to Kalamazoo.”

Efeosa is a Nigerian immigrant. His wife Jennifer is originally from Barbados. Just a few months ago, they were living in Brooklyn with their three children, ages 16, 6 and 3. Efeosa worked for Chase Bank in Manhattan. Jennifer worked as a paralegal for a law firm on Wall Street in Manhattan. She now works from home in Kalamazoo.

The Idemudias were approved for an $800,000 home and were ready to buy in Brooklyn when an item on ABC’s World News Tonight changed everything. “I watch it every night,” says Efeosa.

When he saw a clip about the Kalamazoo Promise, he couldn’t believe it. He was so impressed that he used his TiVo to freeze a frame showing a For Sale sign in front of an Allen Edwin home. He called the number, and two weeks later they were in town to check things out.

Efeosa laughs when he remembers. “Jennifer,” I said, “we’re moving to Kalamazoo. She said, ‘Where’s that?’”

A new home in a new town

The Idemudias actually looked at about eight houses and were ready to buy a pre-owned home. Ready, that is, until it came to the part of the disclosure documents that mentioned lead paint.

“We didn’t want anything to do with lead paint,” Efeosa said. “The houses are so much more affordable here we could afford to buy something new and avoid the lead paint problem altogether. We had looked at this house earlier, and after the paint issue, this became our first choice.”

The Allen Edwin 3,016 square-foot house on Caddam Woods is now the Idemudia home. Since the house was already built, the family did not participate in the Allen Edwin design program. “The whole buying process went smoothly, and everyone at Allen Edwin was very helpful. We have had a few little things in the house needing attention, and they have been quick to address them.”

How did Efeosa and Jennifer go about selecting this particular Allen Edwin neighborhood? “We liked this home. But we especially liked the Home Owners’ Association here,” says Efeosa. “Things like the lawn, snow removal and garbage are all taken care of and I like that. Besides, it’s pretty close to the schools for the kids.” (Chyme Elementary and Kalamazoo Central.)

“People are friendlier here.”

That was Jennifer’s overall impression of life in her new home. “It’s also quieter and the schools are better. The teachers are very caring.”

Efeosa is still making adjustments. “Everything is far apart here,” he laughs. “In New York, when someone says, ‘It’s just down the street’ it is. Here, when someone says, ‘It’s just down the street’ it could be five miles. It takes some getting used to.”

But those are small things, minor adjustments to new life in a smaller city. All in all, the family is happy. Perhaps Efeosa said it best in a brief article in the Kalamazoo Gazette about his family’s move here.

“The houses are so much more affordable here. In my new home, there’s lots of space. I can walk with my arms spread out and not hit anybody. It’s a much better lifestyle here.”