Family relocating from California to Atlanta area

[cali2ga]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Good comments.

Though, the OP did state that her husband's retail job was being transferred to Sandy Springs, so he will not have to look for work after they move here.

With the OP's husband being transferred to a retail job in Sandy Springs (to what sounds like a middle-management job in retail), the OP seems to be on the right track in looking for a home in areas like Dallas, Hiram, Kennesaw, Acworth and Woodstock where she might have the potential to find a house in her price range of $200k and under.

Atlanta_BD does make an excellent point that finding a larger house with some land for $200k or less will likely be very-difficult in the North Metro Atlanta suburbs where many (though most certainly not all) of the schools are regarded to be some of the best in the entire Southeastern U.S.

The OP will most-likely not find a large detached single-family home with a substantial amount of land in the areas that she is looking, but her chances of at-least finding either a smaller detached single-family home on a relatively very-small plot of land or a smaller attached single-family home (attached rowhouse or townhome) in her price range of $200k or less does at-least seem to be somewhat fairly good.

The OP does seem to understand that she is not necessarily going to find anything for $200k and under in an area of high-quality schools within a very-close commuting distance of where her husband will be working in Sandy Springs.

With the OP's husband working off-rush hour shifts most of the week, the OP and her family will also have more choices available to them that may be a little farther out from where he will be working in Sandy Springs as he will not always have to battle the absolute heaviest traffic on his commutes to and from Sandy Springs everyday that he works.

Thanks Born 2 Roll. Spot on. His shifts are on weird hours...4am-2, 12pm-10, 6am-3, etc. we are looking for a home 1800 sq ft or larger, and on an about 9000 sq ft lot or larger. 30 or so years old or newer.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by cali2ga

Lol, you guys must get some winners posting on this board with no common sense often. Yes COL is a lot lower. Pay is significantly lower. Minimum wage by almost half. He is transferring his job and is a manager with California pay. We are also putting about $80-$90k down on a home. I have seen plenty of homes for sale in all the areas Born 2 Roll suggested within our budget. And as I mentioned, we have decided for now to go smaller on the lot.

My only concern that he was bringing his CA pay with him and that he was a manager, which I DID state and you confirmed. None of this was mentioned on your original post,which is what I was replying to.

We get too many people on here wanting to relocate GA because it's cheap but often have no jobs lined up and no savings and think they will do ok here because the COL is lower than where they come from. As long as your ducks are in a row and your husband has a good job, then fine.

Your original post wasn't that clear. I only gathered that he worked in retail and it wasn't specified in the original post that he was transferring as a manager with a good salary and that you had money saved up; and you said that you planned to live in an RV. I hadn't had the opportunity to read the entire thread. Based on the way you presented the information, you sounded ill-prepared like many people who move to GA because the COL appears low on the surface.

Thanks for making it more clear.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by lastminutemom

Do you know where you can live in your RV? I would be surprised if that is anywhere near Sandy Springs... Just something to keep in mind as you are beginning this process.

The closest place to hook up an RV would be Stone Mountain Park and it costs $720 a month for full hook-ups. For that amount, they may as well find a cheap place somewhere in Cobb County until they settle on where to buy.

The OP stated that they have nearly $100k saved up toward the purchase of a home. I think they should just do some scouting then buy instead of paying all that money to live in an RV park.

[cali2ga]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

My only concern that he was bringing his CA pay with him and that he was a manager, which I DID state and you confirmed. None of this was mentioned on your original post,which is what I was replying to.

We get too many people on here wanting to relocate GA because it's cheap but often have no jobs lined up and no savings and think they will do ok here because the COL is lower than where they come from. As long as your ducks are in a row and your husband has a good job, then fine.

Your original post wasn't that clear. I only gathered that he worked in retail and it wasn't specified in the original post that he was transferring as a manager with a good salary and that you had money saved up; and you said that you planned to live in an RV. I hadn't had the opportunity to read the entire thread. Based on the way you presented the information, you sounded ill-prepared like many people who move to GA because the COL appears low on the surface.

Thanks for making it more clear.

I appreciate the honesty. I originally posted back in November before I realized I had to write even more detail. I just went off the sticky post about what should be stated. And at that point there were to a ton of houses on 1-4 acres for around $200k in decent areas. So looks like housing might be improving a little bit.

[cali2ga]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

The closest place to hook up an RV would be Stone Mountain Park and it costs $720 a month for full hook-ups. For that amount, they may as well find a cheap place somewhere in Cobb County until they settle on where to buy.

The OP stated that they have nearly $100k saved up toward the purchase of a home. I think they should just do some scouting then buy instead of paying all that money to live in an RV park.

We'll be playing that all by ear. We'll essentially be vacationing for at least 6 weeks so we'll be going all around the place. I wish it was easy to find land that you can park on.

[flyonpa]

Rates | Twin Lakes RV Park is between Alpharetta & Cumming Turned around in there parking lot once seems to be a nice place, would be a easier commute to Sandy Springs then Stone Mountain would be.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by cali2ga

I appreciate the honesty. I originally posted back in November before I realized I had to write even more detail. I just went off the sticky post about what should be stated. And at that point there were to a ton of houses on 1-4 acres for around $200k in decent areas. So looks like housing might be improving a little bit.

Not only is the housing market improving in the Atlanta area, but the market is being driven up by many out-of-state real estate hedge funds from the West Coast, the Northeast other parts of the world who have been buying up every available single-family home in sight that they can get their hands on.

The out-of-state hedge funds buy the houses (often 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom or larger detached single-family homes) and rent them out for an extended period of time while holding them until the market goes back up substantially and selling them off for a profit.

Because real estate is a really hot place for both foreign and domestic investors, 3-bed, 2-bath and larger detached single-family homes often don't stay on the market very long, particularly if they are in an area where the schools are at-least halfway decent.

[cali2ga]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

Not only is the housing market improving in the Atlanta area, but the market is being driven up by many out-of-state real estate hedge funds from the West Coast, the Northeast other parts of the world who have been buying up every available single-family home in sight that they can get their hands on.

The out-of-state hedge funds buy the houses (often 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom or larger detached single-family homes) and rent them out for an extended period of time while holding them until the market goes back up substantially and selling them off for a profit.

Because real estate is a really hot place for both foreign and domestic investors, 3-bed, 2-bath and larger detached single-family homes often don't stay on the market very long, particularly if they are in an area where the schools are at-least halfway decent.

Nail on the head. Even in the SF Bay Area, investors are taking over. I have friends getting outbid on $800k+ houses by cash buyers. It's huge in my current town since we have relatively inexpensive housing.
We got a cash buyer (foreign investor) the first day we listed. Going into contract within a week of listing here is pretty much the norm.