Atlanta Area Retirement?? (Dawson, Cumming, Forsyth: for sale, townhouse, school)

[rpick]

My wife and I are nearing age 62 (no kids) currently living in Santa Clara, CA just south of San Francisco. We plan to retire within the next 18-24 months and leave the state. Although it is almost impossible to beat the weather and many things to do here, the cost of living is absolutely off of the charts anywhere in California!! We pay more for almost everything here and the cost simply cannot justify the benefits when you begin living on a fixed income. We have considered several possible retirement locations but for various reasons believe that perhaps some nice community outside of Atlanta within a 30-45 minute drive might be the a good consideration? Aside from a fair amount of internet research, we don't know anything about this area but we a planning to spend a week there at the end of July to evalute the good, the bad, and the ugly! On this trip we plan to do an overall evalution of the area to see if it would be a good choice for retirement and then to try to determine which city would be best? We're just middle class folks seeking a nice, clean, safe, community with a reasonable cost of living in the Atlanta area..............any advice about a good cities to check out for retirement??

[Calcbunny]

You should go North, Dawsonville, Dahlonega, and Forsyth County. I know Forsyth does not charge school taxes to those of retirement age, so it is like and 87% discount. Lake Lanier is near these areas and it is so pretty, as well as the mountains. Atlanta is approx 40 miles from me and I am in North Forsyth/Cumming.

[rpick]

Thanks so much for the reply. I thought I also read somewhere on this forum that cobb county gave seniors a tax break but I don't know anything about the cities there.

[sweettea1]

What are your interests and/or hobbies? There are lots of communities sprouting up that cater to retirees, specifically with golf, tennis and other amenities. If you're looking for a peaceful and picturesque lifestyle, I agree with Calcbunny about heading North towards the mountains. It's really beautiful and you can come to Atlanta for recreation as opposed to a daily lifestyle.
If you really don't know the area at all and are coming in for an extended visit, Asheville, NC and the surrounding areas (Hendersonville) would also be a wonderful place to visit and look around.
Atlanta is nice and affordable but the surrounding areas are much nicer if you don't have to be here day to day!

[rpick]

Aside from playing a little golf we don't really have anything that I would call hobbies. We enjoy traveling and exploring areas to discover new things and would like to be able to devote time on the homefront to do some gardening and things around the house. We live in a townhouse with no yard or ability to do things that you can do if you have a house and yard. The land here in California is so expensive that almost any home has a tiny yard and your neighbors are very close.

I know what you mean about the Ashville, NC area. I have been there and it is nice, but not really near a major city. We don't want to live in a major city, but we want to be able to be close so we can make a short drive there.

[CityFan]

As people grow older, they need easier access to medical facility. If you live in a rural area, it takes longer to see doctor. I don't think the cheaper the better, but I think the more convenient the better.

[sweettea1]

rpick, check out this link:
Georgia 55 Plus Retirement Communities For Active Adults, Atlanta, Best Places To Retire in Georgia, North GA, South, Coast, Homes For Sale, GA Retirement Community Living - Homes For Sale

[OhioNative]

Try the new Del Webb subdivision in Hall County, northeast of Atlanta. Access to the mountains, Lake Lanier, and good healthcare.

[ceverett2000]

Check out the N. GA Moutains.
For instance, the Talking Rock Creek area near Elljay is hot, and only 1 hour from Atlanta. Also, the governor is pushing legislation to reduce or eliminate property taxes for retirees. I don't know if that will happen, but it could be a nice benefit if it does.

[lawmommy]

I have several friends who's parents have retired and relocated to Cumming to be near their children and grandchildren. I'm not sure why Cumming, but it is a pattern among my friends' parents. Perhaps it is because it has lots of land for developers to build empty-nester garden homes?