relocating to GA/have a few questions (Atlanta: hoa, rental)

[loveydovey1]

Hi
Looking to relocate to GA, Gwinnett County within the next 6 months and I have read several threads but still have a few questions

I have seen a lot of subdivisions that all look alike, my husband and I are prett savvy with home repairs and construction..what is the process if you want to modify the outside ..brick front, etc..in your subdivision..coming from NYC you can do just about anything to your home as loong as you have a permit..but I hear that in the south you cant make many changes and also the homeowners assoication has to agree

also...am scared of snakes and here that this can be a problem..is this true for Gwinnett county..I have three children, one is a toddler..dont want him out back and get bitten by a snake..

one last thing..how about weather..when there are really bad storms are there storm shelters, etc...

[forresthills]

Hey lovely,
Here in gwinnett, if you are in a hoa neighborhood you do have to submit a plan for any changes to the structure or grounds. I have lived here since the 90s and have seen very few snakes. You should be more concerned with the traffic and rude people that are here now. We have a great climate here but the occasional bad weather is the price we pay.feel free to ask me questions about gwinnett.

[LoveinGA]

Like most of suburban Atlanta, Gwinnett has a LOT of different subdivisions. If you're looking for a home that you can make significant changes to, look for homes that have no HOA or ads that say "no restrictions." I lived in just such a subdivision in another county and I could have painted my house pink if I wanted to.

As for the snakes, you really shouldn't worry about that at all. I've lived here for 10 years (and raised 2 kids here) and I've only actually seen 2 snakes - both harmless.

The weather here is really unpredictable - no area is "safe" from storm damage. The good thing is, almost all newer homes here have basements - that's what you'll use for a "storm shelter."

[Georgia]

Gwinnett is full of many cookie cutter developments with the vast majority being under a HOA. Though some may differ I prefer a tight HOA, being an ole southern boy I can tell you from experience that if you don't have an HOA in the Southern states you may find your neighbors house develop a WV state flower "one of them there giant TV dishes in the front yard" you may find a car lot in what used to be a driveway, in other words an illegal alien boarding home, etc. etc. etc.

The above may sound far fetched but with the Atlanta area being the #1 growth location with 100,000+ new residents per year you will find all kinds rolling in. Another is the run a muk developers themselves dropping homes where ever there is a blade of grass to bulldoze. Gwinnett County's development chairman happens to be one of Georgia's largest developers. Now isn't that special Conflict of interest anyone? By having this "issue" Gwinnett, along with the rest of the Atlanta metro area has a housing glut with over 100,000 homes currently on the market. Take all the above and what do you get? Rentals galore, again, remove an HOA and your facing consequences.

Weather, it's hot and very humid. Today alone was 93 degrees in the shade with 94% humidity. Storms due happen with the largest issue and rare is what I refer to as Southern Ground Boltz. Strong lightening that hits the ground with a violent force. I have seen this at close range 2 times in 3 years.

Snakes. You will have snakes in any warm humid climate. In this area it is mostly old milk/barn and black snakes. They won't hurt you, and they keep the rodent population down.

Good Luck

[loveydovey1]

Thank You All so much for all of your answers and advice. All points well taken and all of my questions have been answered thoroughly! I really appreciate these threads , its been a tremendous help