Historic West End (Atlanta, East Point, Gordon: mortgage, budget, apartments)

[hmcclellan]

Personally, I'm so happy I ran across this thread whether it's about West End or Westview. I have been looking in SE Atlanta for a couple of weeks now and have been in search of more information on certain areas like Edgewood, East Atlanta and Old Fourth Ward. I stumbled upon this thread and was interested b/c I had originally looked around where the quarry was since I had read about the Beltline. Unfortunately, that area seems to be a little too transitional for me and I basically decided against the West side of Atlanta.

One thing that has drawn me back to the West side of Atlanta now is this thread. Seeing the community involvement and comradery is so refreshing. Community is very important to me and that is one thing I couldn't find around Edgewood and turned me off about the area.

It's nice to see surrounding areas working together as whole communities supporting each other. I will be taking a drive around the area this week to check out the area and hopefully can make it to a meeting.

[VirtualM]

Hi, hmcclellan - I, like you, had pretty much given up on the SW side of Atlanta for my next home purchase, but after driving around the area extensively, attending the WEND meeting (I was extremely impressed in November when the meeting was standing room only, full of concerned citizens), and meeting my new neighbors, I must admit I'm really excited about the area. I know it's transitional, but the people in the area seem to genuinely want things to change for the better. (Plus, the house we just bought has the potential to be absolutely amazing.) Best of luck!

[utsikt]

LETTER TO AJC Writer Maria Saporta in response to her dreary, pessimistic, look to government for help, housing foreclosure & general doldroms article:
Hi Maria,

Your article about foreclosures is interesting in a conventional point of view, but there is a silver lining...and, in our case, in West End...many opportunities.


West Enders are working doubly hard to engage the community in a variety of participatory events for the purpose of marketing ourselves to a wave of new homebuyers who are buying up the vacated houses at bargain basement prices. Events includes a fantastic turnout for the ground breaking of the first mile of the Beltline Path in October, a neighborhood Christmas party that is all out, and the planning of a re-invigorated and redefined West End Tour of Homes and May Day Celebration.


We're actively working on a Marketing video with our sister neighborhood Westview. The theme is another "hot" I-20 neighborhood: Castleberry, West End, Westview. It will run from uTube and be grass roots marketed in ways that will set a new theme for guerilla marketing (eg1. bumper stickers on "For Sale Signs").

In a way we prefer that it remains a secret; that the growth and resurgence of the West End be organic, spontaneously happening from the urban grapevine of value information. On the other hand, aiding and abetting this process while fending off government intrusions into the marketplace is also a worthy objective.


I think the verdict is out whether foreclosures will be a bad thing turned good, or a bad thing that "depopulates" neighborhoods. I encourage you to look deeper and away from the ever bungling hand of governments, whose failures and meddling caused much of the foreclosures anyway. For example, Fulton County takes up to a year to record property sales! That was one of the pre-conditions of mortgage fraud: non-transparency in the "flipping" arena. How about sub primes? Think of the government encouragement of home ownership at any cost. Even now programs seek to pave the way for home buyers with down payment grants, repair grants and all kinds of other gobbledy-**** about affordable housing in order to get houses filled with loving homeowners.... Home owners again mortgaged to the hilt with out the slightest idea of the exigencies of property ownership or the renovation process and who won't be stakeholders for a long time while (if) equity appreciation returns again (it will).


In West End we hope the buyers who buy our foreclosed deals with conventional loans are DIYers recognizing a good value whose labor and hard work does create instant equity - instant stakeholders.

Out of curiosity and to learn more, I am inviting you to the West End Christmas party next Saturday Dec. 15. Come see for yourself the many new home owners who will mix with those of us who have been here a lot longer. ".....t will be an event to remember. It might even provide a glimpse into the heart and soul of neighborhood vitality, which is so often overlooked in our "End".

[sd4202]

Hi! I'm new to this forum and new to Atlanta too. Just 6mths! My husband and I have a pretty small budget (about 180K) and our realtor was realllly pushing East Point to us. We're originally from Miami, so we're familiar w/ intown living. Just a little background on us...my husband is 39 and I'm 32 - no kids YET, but soon. We drove through and drove to some of the properties. We were kind of thrown off. She said it was a really nice area and although the homes were absolutely full of character and just the types of homes I like, the area kind of shocked us. Are there any areas we can drive to that will give us a better impression? Whenever I mention East Point to anyone that's lived here a while they cringe. I love older homes that are full of character as I studied Design in school, but I really want to feel that I can walk our pups and eventually the baby too. What are your thoughts?

[hmcclellan]

SD4202 - Was it East Point or WestEnd or Westview?

East Point is further SW of Atlanta than WE or WV.
WE and WV are closer to Atlanta; SW of the city. WE and WV are neighboring communities.

I'm sure someone knows the exact streets that border these communities, but I don't off hand.

[sd4202]

She sent us to East Point...should we look in West End?

[hmcclellan]

It all depends on what you want in a home. I've been looking with my realtor for about a month now in the areas around Atlanta and ran across this forum recently and will be checking out the West End and Westview area in the next couple of days.

Personally, East Point is too far from the city for my liking. I've looked East of Atlanta (Edgewood, Kirkland, Reynoldstown, East Atlanta, Old Fourth Ward) but haven't had good luck finding what I'm looking for in my price range. My price point is about 200k and in East Atlanta, the neighborhoods that have already transitioned and are considered safer than the less transitional are obviously out of my range. The ones that are in transition are still a little to sketchy for my parents liking. Me being single and living alone, trying to pioneer the wild wild west (or east in this matter) doesn't sit well with the family

What I like so far about the West End and West View area is the community involvement, the strongest I think I've seen since hunting, the homes, the location and the costs.

[sd4202]

Thanks! I will definitely take a look. Any pointers for that area? Nice streets to look into, etc?

[jkmewright]

This is a great thread be it Westend or Westview lol Our town is doing some similar work and it's nice to see so much excitement over these lovely old homes and neighborhoods. Bravo!

[Wren17]

OMG! I've lived in the West End for almost 20 years! I'm originally from L.A., but been here off and on for almost all of my life. Compared to Cali, GA is a different laid back way of life. However, the West End has some beautiful streets, I can give you some that have homes built in the 1890's that are also for sale.