The City of Atlanta growing faster than suburbs (Roswell, Alpharetta: rent, houses)

[Tarzanman]

There is *definitely* traffic outside of 285. One difference is that most suburbs are newer and have been able to take the widening of roads into account when planning. It depends on where you are going, though. I just moved back ITP from Roswell. My 8.5 mile commute took me 20+ minutes during rush hour (all surface streets) and 15 minutes in light traffic.

Try making it from Roswell to Duluth, and THEN tell me that there isn't any traffic :-)

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

So your "first hand experience with the way modern homes are built" is based on your parents building their own home when you were 8 years old- that's impressive. Mine is based on having a bachelors degree in construction management and over 25 years of experience in the residential and commercial construction industry. My dad changed his own oil and did his own tuneups when I was 8, but I don't consider that as giving me "first hand experience in the automotive industry".....

sorry about that— i wasn't questioning your credentials, i was talking to someone else above. about the rest of your post, it's obvious you have a lot of experience in the construction industry and i'm not going to pretend i know better than you do on most of these issues— however i still contend that lath and plaster is a more solid construction technique than using studs and drywall.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

however i still contend that lath and plaster is a more solid construction technique than using studs and drywall.

Who would dispute that? It's obviously is more durable than drywall.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by JPD

Who would dispute that? It's obviously is more durable than drywall.

^ look above. that's my whole point. it's a more durable and longer lasting technique, but it's more expensive and isn't used in modern homes because size and amenities come before durability nowadays.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

^ look above. that's my whole point. it's a more durable and longer lasting technique, but it's more expensive and isn't used in modern homes because size and amenities come before durability nowadays.

More like "building something that's affordable while still meeting the needs of buyers comes before excessive durability nowadays".

Yes, lath and plaster is more durable than drywall, but so is steel plate. The question is, how durable does a wall need to be? Most people don't go around kicking their walls, so drywall is perfectly adequate for the use it's being given, which is basicallly to provide a flat surface for the wall or ceiling. It's also easier to get a smooth wall than with lath and plaster, easier to hang things, and easier to make modifications later like adding an electrical receptacle, cutting in a new doorway, etc.

Lets also not forget that finding people who can actually install lath and plaster is next to impossible today- it's a lost art. The few people that still do it specialize in historic preservation work, and charge quite a bit for their work since it's more of an "art" than a "trade" at this point.

[bryantm3]

drywall is adequate for the period of time the homes are expected to last. my point is, do you see people dying to move into homes and apartments built in the late 60s and 70s nowadays? most of them are ratty and are starting to show serious signs of wear. my point is that the shiny new homes of today in 30 years will look a lot like the homes built in the late 60s do now— worn and generally undesirable to a new generation, meaning even the homes in johns creek are not immune to age.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Let me just say there is a big difference in the quality of work in a two million dollar home in Buckhead vs. St. Marlo Country Club(it is kind of funny that they call it Country Club yet it is public!)(and I have been in a few of the houses in St. Marlo).

The style, quality, finishes, layout, etc. are so different.

Compare
http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...7_M50535-12768

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...ex=GA554062874

[BobKovacs]

No home is immune to age- do you think all of the homes in Inman Park, Va-Hi, Decatur, etc., are all standing exactly as they were originally constructed? Those homes have all been either fully renovated (at least once, if not twice in their lifetimes), or have had extensive maintenance over the years to keep them together.

BTW- most people don't buy or not buy homes based on when they were built- they buy based on the area- so your comment about the houses from the 60's/70's "getting ratty" makes no sense. If the area is desirable, people will buy homes there and renovate them- if it's not, the houses will sit and will not be renovated. There are plenty of houses from the 70's in East Cobb, and people buy and renovate them regularly.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Sugarloaf Vs. Buckhead

Compare:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...ex=GA531864594

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...7_M69911-12984

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Originally Posted by berkeleylake

Instead of real money, you probably mean "old money." I think most of the people in north Fulton are high income and not necessarily "old money."

Not that it matters, Alpharetta has a downtown and so does Roswell. And those areas are high income and pretty similar to JC. I think ATLTJL is probably right in his post. Johns Creek will be fine without a real downtown; it's a solid area even if it looks all the same (suburban bedroom-communities chocked full of large houses).

JC was only created in 2006 so that the entire area of North Fulton could incorporate into cities in order to keep some of their own tax revenue for their own communities and infrastructure. Not very unique, no, but upscale and affluent, it is and the area is very desirable for families relocating particularly from high cost areas like the Northeast to Atlanta. JC and the areas around it tend to attract younger people with children who make a very good income.

I did not say old money because that offends people here!

That is my problem with the Johns Creek culture. There are so many people buying huge houses for such low prices. But they forget the cost of furnishing them and when time comes around for renovations! It is an all flash no cash kind of culture. It is live in the moment kind of people vs. plan for the future people. I am not saying everybody up there does this but it goes on much more than in Buckhead, Ansley Park, Druid Hills, Brookhaven, etc.

If you look at the for sale properties in Country Club of the South you see so many of them need complete renovations. There are many listings in the development listed for over 1k days! Most others have been on for well over a year.