relocating to atlanta suburbs from dc suburbs of maryland (Sandy Springs: condo, crime)

[Mike Jones 1999]

my wife and i are both lawyers. we are leaving maryland because the prices of homes here has gone through the roof. 300k in the maryland dc area will get you an older townhouse/condo.

we are concerned with issues like property taxes, schools, churches, crime ,etc... what metro areas of atlanta would you suggest? btw we are not too concerned about the night life in that we are looking to settle down.

[sweettea1]

While you'll get more for your money in Atlanta, many of the issues/concerns you discuss in your original post we are also facing here. Crime has escalated over the past year dramatically. That said, a newer home in the 300 range will be out in the suburbs...you can still get an older home (typically a 1960s ranch) in town for that price. Consider areas like Emory/Druid Hills, Smyrna, Sandy Springs, East Cobb or Roswell as nice 'burbs that are convenient to the city.

[goozer]

I think it's a testament to how ridiculously expensive DC has become for average folks when a pair of married lawyers look to move because housing costs have gotten too high. And even though people from other parts of the South complain that Atlanta has gotten expensive, you will find it infinitely more affordable than DC. If you will be working in the city, I recommend that you live intown (inside the perimeter). The biggest negative in Atlanta is the traffic, if you live close to where you work (or on a Marta line), that will eliminate the biggest negative. And the great thing is that these close in neighborhoods should still be easily affordable for a pair of attorneys. Unlike close in DC suburban neighborhoods like Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston, Alexandria, and Bethesda.

[Mike Jones 1999]

Originally Posted by goozer

I think it's a testament to how ridiculously expensive DC has become for average folks when a pair of married lawyers look to move because housing costs have gotten too high. And even though people from other parts of the South complain that Atlanta has gotten expensive, you will find it infinitely more affordable than DC. If you will be working in the city, I recommend that you live intown (inside the perimeter). The biggest negative in Atlanta is the traffic, if you live close to where you work (or on a Marta line), that will eliminate the biggest negative. And the great thing is that these close in neighborhoods should still be easily affordable for a pair of attorneys. Unlike close in DC suburban neighborhoods like Rosslyn, Clarendon, Ballston, Alexandria, and Bethesda.

...yea the traffic up here near both beltways (capitol & balt) is bad, especially during rush hr.

[BobKovacs]

So, do you know where you'll be working? Big firm in downtown? Smaller, local firms? Alot is going to depend on where you're working and whether you want to live intown (urban) or in the suburbs (suburban or even semi-rural). Are you looking for a brand new home? What's your approximate budget? Do you need a swim/tennis community? How much of a commute are you willing to tolerate to get the right location?

All of these questions need to be addressed before anyone can comment on schools, crime, etc., as they vary widely from one area to another.

[Mike Jones 1999]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

So, do you know where you'll be working? Big firm in downtown? Smaller, local firms? Alot is going to depend on where you're working and whether you want to live intown (urban) or in the suburbs (suburban or even semi-rural). Are you looking for a brand new home? What's your approximate budget? Do you need a swim/tennis community? How much of a commute are you willing to tolerate to get the right location?

All of these questions need to be addressed before anyone can comment on schools, crime, etc., as they vary widely from one area to another.

...on the work side the government for my wife and a small practice for me. we are looking at henry county, fayette, and dekalb. we are looking to spend around 250k for a detached single family. we are currently commuting 45 each way to work.

[BobKovacs]

Well, 250k isn't going to get you into the few decent areas in Dekalb, so that leaves Henry and Fayette. Henry County isn't really anything to write home about, so IMO, you'd be best off focusing on Fayette County, or even going west into Coweta County. You can look at places like Newnan and Spartanburg, and "maybe" find something in Peachtree City (though at $250k, you may not find much). The commute into town will probably be better from there than from Henry County too, since most of the government jobs (state and fed) will be in Atlanta proper.

[IntownHomes247]

You could probably find something in Tucker (DeKalb county), which would be a helluvalot closer commute than Henry or Fayette County.

Everyone is right, though, $250k for a house inside the perimeter will not by the same kind of house that it will buy in the exurbs. So if you either don't need to get in to the city very often, or don't mind commuting 45min to an hour each way, then you will be able to find a much larger home looking in the outlying counties might work for you.

[Mike Jones 1999]

...thanks for all the information guys!!!!!

[backfist]

Mike, if you don't have kids, then living either inside the perimeter or just outside would probably be ideal. Our office is in Buckhead, and we have partners that live inside the perimeter; in Alpharetta; Smyrna; one partner even lives in Athens. If you plan to work downtown, try and find a place near, say, the North Springs, Sandy Springs or Dunwoody MARTA train stations. You don't always have to ride the train, but it's nice to be able to ride when you don't feel like dealing with the traffic.