Marietta house hunting (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell: condo, townhome, employment)

[LionT]

Thanks for all the wonderful information. We will be moving to Atlanta beginning of next year. We will be house hunting, most likely in the area of Marietta.
Some basic infomation about me:
1. Budget
$250-350k

2. House/Condo/Townhome?
House. Family of 4. 2 kids in middle school. Husband travels a lot so mainly me and the kids living there. We don't need such a big house. Pref less than 2500sf built up. But kids want a big yard/space. Yes, 1 acre would be nice!

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
I work from home

4. Children(public school vs. private)
Private school. Haven't decided on which one.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two
Suburban.

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?
Not important.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.
Not important, but safety is paramount as it would be mostly me and the kids at home.

Would appreciate any information/leads as to where to start looking.
Any reading the tea leaves when is it good time to start hunting?
Thank you!

[lastminutemom]

Figure out the school first -- lots of Atlanta private schools are intown. What kind of school are you looking for?

[LionT]

Thanks for responding.
Actually that is one of my top concerns too. I have shortlisted a few, based purely on web search.
I was looking at Woodward, but it is really out of the way.
I am also looking at Pace and Lovett.
I would like a school with a rigorous academic program, with a strong high school division. My eldest is going 7th grade, it wouldn't be too long before he reaches high school.
Do you have any school in mind?

[roxyrn]

If you move to East Cobb, than you will get a rigorous academic program at a high school such as Walton, without the admissions angst, while saving tuition money for college.
If your husband travels include flying out of the Atlanta airport, I would recommend a more eastern suburb such as Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Roswell with access to the MARTA. You may think you'll never need it, but there are times when your flights are in the midst of rush hour and MARTA is the best way to get to and from the airport (albeit more of a hassle when flying internationally after next month).

[LionT]

Thanks, roxyrn. Yes, I've heard of East Cobb being hot because of school district.

Digressing a little. I am new to this. Sometimes I hesitate talking about this private vs public topic because people get so worked up over it. How does Walton compare to the likes of Woodward. 20k a year, they must surely give you something more?
Please, I hope noone gets defensive, just a curious fact-finding question.

[roxyrn]

It all depends on your child, your finances, your public school, distance from private school and your need to be exclusive. Also, the fact that you may not gain admission to the school of your choice.
My three oldest children attended a top private school in Minneapolis until we moved to Connecticut when the oldest was in 7th grade. The public schools there were almost as good as the private one we paid over $20,000 per year per child.
There are also very good public schools in Roswell, Milton, Alpharetta and Johns' Creek.

[LionT]

Yes, I understand that "exclusivity" factor.
Back to public school, does it mean if I stay in the school district, I would 100% get into that school? What if that grade is full? What happens?

[futureATLien]

public schools dont work that way. Every child in that zone is accepted

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by LionT

Back to public school, does it mean if I stay in the school district, I would 100% get into that school? What if that grade is full? What happens?

Admission to Cobb County schools is based on your address. If you live in a particular school's district, that's where you go. As people have moved into the area, the county has built and opened new schools to accommodate the new students. You cannot be denied admission to your zoned school.

[roxyrn]

However- the zones can change via redistricting. I don't think that is on the boards right now for Walton HS cluster, but I would certainly check that out.
Also, by living a long distance from your private school, your kids do lose out on some of the neighborhood friendships as well as the bus-stop bonding between moms/dads. And, you do a lot more driving for birthday parties, sleep-overs, play-dates. I still swear that my kids found their best friends by figuring out who lived the longest distance away.