Need Help with Rentals in Atlanta (Doraville, Norcross: rental homes, condo, townhouse)

[JCanFla]

Hi, my wife and I live about 35 miles east of the city in Loganville. I work in Peachtree Corners, so I have about an hour and a half commute each way. Any ideas on where we can live inside the Perimeter that is relatively safe? My wife and I are in our early 20's.

1. Budget : Right now we pay $800 for a 3 level, 4 BR townhouse. We would like to stay in that range, but we can go up to $900.
2. House/Condo/Townhome? : We would rank them House >>> Condo >>> Townhome. We're really looking for a 2+ BR.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) : I work in the office and from home, so it doesn't really matter.
4. Children(public school vs. private) : None yet, but we plan to have kids within the next couple of years.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two : We like both, but urban more than suburban.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? : Yes, we would really like to be within walking distance of a MARTA station.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. Trees, other young couples/families, relatively safe and pet friendly!

[red92s]

That much space for $800 is going to be a realllllly tough criteria to meet inside the perimeter. Are you willing to downsize? Why on earth does a young couple with no kids need 4 bedrooms?

[researchnerd]

red92s, the OP said they were looking for 2+ BR.

ITP *is* going to be tough at that price. However...if you weork in Peachtree Corners...have you considered Norcross or Doraville? You should have no trouble finding a rental house in that price range.

If you have your heart set on ITP, you might look in Brookhaven, East Atlanta, Kirkwood, or Edgewood. They will probably be less gentrified than you are used to in Loganville, and you'll want to pay close attention to the near neighborhood - some streets and blocks are fine, others are less desirable - but there are some nice, affordable rental homes.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by researchnerd

red92s, the OP said they were looking for 2+ BR.

Reading comprehension failure on my part. I figured "We would like to stay in that range" on the first item in the list applied to size and price. It'll still be tough. $800-900 in most of the more desirable in-town locations will put you squarely into the studio and 1 BR size. Maybe a couple 2/1's, but significantly few and far between compared to 1 BR's.