Real Estate Investing: Choose Johns Creek or S. Forsyth?? (Atlanta: section 8, short sales)

[mrpanda]

For a buy and hold investor with a 5-10 year horizon, which area will have the best potential for an investor concentrating in SFR investments? Currently Johns Creek has a 10-15% premium over S. Forsyth. It appears that Johns Creek is pretty much built out with hardly any available land to build on, whereas Forsyth County has a lot of land.

When the economy recovers, will all the new developments in the next 5-10 years going to happen in Forsyth County?

[mrpanda]

Let me ask you guys this question. 10 years from now, If we have a housing recession as bad as 2007-2009, will home prices in Johns Creek hold up much better than the surrounding areas like Suwanee, Duluth, and Alpharetta in the next down turn?

Let me be more specific. If my choices were to buy an SFR investment property between the subdivision Gates of Johns Creek and subdivision Hillside Trace in Forsyth Suwanee which would be a better investment for a 5-10 year hold. The homes in the Hillside Trace has bigger lots and you get more square footage for your money than the Gates. Gates is in the north fulton country whereas Hillside is in S. Forsyth. The Gates in Johns Creek is the lowest new home entry point that feeds into the top tier Atlanta schools: Shakerag, RiverTrail, and Northview.

Between the two subdivisions: The Gates of Johns Creek and The Hillside Trace of Forsyth Suwanee... Which is a better investment for a 5-10 year buy and hold? and why?

[peachstatehomegal]

Forsyth is experiencing a lot of new building at the moment. There's been an impressive amount of pre-sales in the past month - not bad for wintertime market.

That being said, there's also pockets of foreclosures.

Gwinnett has their fair share of foreclosures and short sales going on as well. I will say that a lot of these are then turning into rentals. If you're wanting to be a landlord, I'd say Gwinnett.

I think a lot would depend on how much you're planning on investing - i.e. a $150K 'great deal' in Gwinnett vs a $250 'great deal' in Forsyth.

[BringBackCobain]

1. S. Forsyth
2. Johns Creek
3. Alpharetta
4. Suwanee (Gwinnett County)
5. Duluth (Gwinnett County)

[Tresninas]

I can't tell you what I think would be better. Except to say that The Gates of Johns Creek is a mixed single family home/townhome community (in case you didn't know that already) and that the entire subdivision is made up of South Asians. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing.

My next door neighbor does real estate investing. He buys his properties South of Atlanta. He just bought a new 4-bedroom, 3-bath house in Jonesboro for $60K. His other properties are all South of Atlanta, about the same size and price. He rents them out to Section 8.

[ATL Golfer]

Depends a plethora of other factors.

As a whole, I would say JC over SF. Closer you are to the center (Atlanta), the better.

[mrpanda]

Originally Posted by Tresninas

I can't tell you what I think would be better. Except to say that The Gates of Johns Creek is a mixed single family home/townhome community (in case you didn't know that already) and that the entire subdivision is made up of South Asians. I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing.

My next door neighbor does real estate investing. He buys his properties South of Atlanta. He just bought a new 4-bedroom, 3-bath house in Jonesboro for $60K. His other properties are all South of Atlanta, about the same size and price. He rents them out to Section 8.

You make a good point about the south Asians. 95% of the Gates are South Asians. Though they are an educated, high income group among Asians, I'm wondering if investing there has a negative effect as there is such a high concentration of one race. Anyone willing to chime in on this observation?

[mrpanda]

Originally Posted by BringBackCobain

1. S. Forsyth
2. Johns Creek
3. Alpharetta
4. Suwanee (Gwinnett County)
5. Duluth (Gwinnett County)

ATL Golfer seems to think that Johns Creek would be a better investment for the long term, but you think that S. Forsyth would be better than Johns Creek? Can you please explain why?

From my observation, S. Forsyth seems newer than Johns Creek. I also appears that I can also find more value for my money in S. Forsyth.

[BringBackCobain]

Originally Posted by mrpanda

ATL Golfer seems to think that Johns Creek would be a better investment for the long term, but you think that S. Forsyth would be better than Johns Creek? Can you please explain why?

From my observation, S. Forsyth seems newer than Johns Creek. I also appears that I can also find more value for my money in S. Forsyth.

South Forsyth has virtually no apartments, and while Johns Creek does not have as much as Alpharetta, they do have a few. Once those apartments get a decade or so on them, the schools could begin to change. This is especially important since it is a long-term investment.

Also, Johns Creek may be closer-in, but it does not have as good highway access as South Forsyth does (GA 400). South Forsyth is directly north, while Johns Creek is northeast. This makes it harder to get into town, since you either have to go west to 400 or east to 85, and then south, or south on 141, which has the traffic of 400 plus a bunch of stoplights.

Lastly, I have nothing against South Asians, but I don't think it would be a positive (from a resale/investment point of view) for one group to dominate a subdivision.

[mrpanda]

BringBackCobain.. thank you so much for this info. Your ranking is exactly how i would of ranked them.