Moving To ATL...all info for Fulton County accepted (Atlanta: sale, foreclosure)

[manuellamartin]

Hello,

I am a single mother with three children. I am looking to change my environment. I currently live in Portland, Oregon. I have viewed a home in Fulton County that I am interested in (not fully set on house location) looking for a home priced around $500,000 and would like to know any info that would give me an idea of this area...Weather, Schools (children are grade and middle school aged), Do's and Don'ts...any info is appreciated.

I have never been to ATL before so this will be totally new for me. Lay it on me, the good /bad...I am not a bug/critter person is there anything I should know, lol!

Thank you,

Manuella

[Galounger]

What part of Fulton county are you looking at?

Fulton county is a pretty big diverse area (529 sq miles close to a million people). It includes north Fulton (surburbs north of Atlanta), most of the city of Atlanta itself with all its various neighborhoods, and South Fulton south of Atlanta. Each of these areas are very different.

If you really hate bugs the entire Southeast quarter of the U.S. may not be the best place for you.

[manuellamartin]

Lol on the bugs comment (I will survive)...Walden Blvd. 30349 zip code.

Thank you, for responding.

[lastminutemom]

Some of 30349 looks awfully close to the airport. I also think it is one of the high foreclosure areas in Metro Atlanta. Even if you are planning on buying a foreclosure to live in, many investors are swooping in, doing minimal work and renting them out until the market improves and they can flip them.

South Fulton schools are improving but aren't considered as strong as N. Fulton schools to the North or Fayette County schools to the south.

While test scores aren't the only indicator, you probably need to come visit. South Fulton schools are not diverse at all and this may be a shock to some people.

[manuellamartin]

Thank you, for your response.

I don't know much about home buying and such...learning though...So if I buy a house in a high foreclosure area the worth of the home I buy goes down as new properties come? Is this correct? Tell me more Do tell (smile) Thank you! I will definitely visit first, before I make a move

Ps...The schools I am seeing in this home area are...Stonewall Tell and Sandtown ??? Maybe this will give you a better idea...is this North Fulton?

[lastminutemom]

No. You are looking S. Fulton. North Fulton is north of the city of Atlanta.

Yes, it is very likely that if there are a high number of forclosures in your neighborhood, your property value will be negatively impacted. First, the homes that sale in foreclosure will sale for less than your property. Second, most will be purchased by investors who have no intention of ever living in them. They will rent them out. Neighborhoods with high numbers of renters generally aren't well cared for.

In your price range, you will have lots of options. Do you have a job lined up? Or will you be working from home? Commuting here is terrible -- so job location should influence your housing choice.

[manuellamartin]

Oh ok... I plan to start a business...so once I get there I have a lot of work to do as far as (public) business location (entertainment) ...any suggestions welcome.

Is it complicated to get familiar with the streets? Is freeway travel necessary? Like California? I lived there once, it didn't take long to figure my way around, but where I lived there was a long trip to work.

[Tdiddy0027]

DEspite the foreclosure crisis, south fulton is going strong. It is likely the fastest growing area in metro Atlanta. I'm guessing that you're moving into Walden Park; if so I'd have to say that it's a very nice upscale neighborhood thats close to everything but still in a more tranquil rural area, although it probably won't stay that way for long. The housing slump will correct itself eventually and homevalues there will again continue to skyrocket, if they stopped going up at all!

[manuellamartin]

Awesome...Thank you I see another possible home at Barrington Trace Circle...can you tell me anything about this area?

[Galounger]

Originally Posted by manuellamartin

Oh ok... I plan to start a business...so once I get there I have a lot of work to do as far as (public) business location (entertainment) ...any suggestions welcome.

Is it complicated to get familiar with the streets? Is freeway travel necessary? Like California? I lived there once, it didn't take long to figure my way around, but where I lived there was a long trip to work.

I found Atlanta to be a little more confusing to find your way around than in alot of other major cities that have a complete grid system. Most towns in California, for instance, have a grid system with say most aves running East West and most streets running North South or vis. vs.). Atlanta has a semi grid system with many streets running as described above but many other streets wind and meander their way through the city like crooked rivers (similar to Boston). But, still it doesn't take to long to get your bearing.

Yes, you will have to frequently use the freeway system if you live in South Fulton and work, shop, etc. in any other part of the Atlanta area.