Suwanee (Village Grove) vs. Buford (near Mall of GA) vs. Dacula (Rabbit Hill Park) (Lawrenceville: apartment)

[Ruxpin]

Hi all,

I've been browsing these forums for awhile and finally decided to pipe up with a question.

My wife and I recently moved down to Lawrenceville from Richmond, VA and are in an apartment until we can find a home.

We are currently looking at new homes by local developers between Suwanee, Buford and Dacula and are considering making an offer on two homes we've found to date.

The first home is in "Village Grove" which is located just past Peachtree Industrial Blvd. The home is within a master-planned community and built by Richport developer... While the yard is fairly non-existent, it has a pleasant community feel with a number of well-maintained parks and tennis courts. The stipulation we have is the homeowners' association fee... it's $125/month aka $1500/year. Is anyone here used to having a HOA fee that high and if so, do you feel like the money is well-spent?

The second floor plan we have found is located a few miles from the Mall of GA and is built by Almont Homes. The house is larger with a good backyard; however, the dilemma comes when we can get the exact same floor plan for almost $30k less out in Dacula off 316. Is anyone familiar with the Dacula area around Rabbit Hill Park? For someone who works from home but plans to start a family within the next few years, any suggestions for us?


I appreciate any response!

[Twinkletoes]

Much will depend on your commute to work. (You said you work from home - does your wife? And would that change?) You might prefer the home in Buford or Dacula, but if you are headed south to your office, it could add another 30-45 min to your drive. There is also not much in the way of entertainment and restaurants north of Buford. If you are in Suwanee, you can head north to the Mall of GA area, or head south to other entertainment and shopping.

As far as the HOA fee, it sounds high. What does it include? If it includes lawn service, that's great. If it includes pool and tennis, expect to pay $400-$800 per year. For $1500 I would expect something more than just swim and tennis membership.

Suwanee is a very nice, safe, family-friendly area. I live there and I love it!

[Poonam]

I live in village grove and i pay $ 540 for HOA

[es515]

Originally Posted by Twinkletoes

Much will depend on your commute to work. (You said you work from home - does your wife? And would that change?) You might prefer the home in Buford or Dacula, but if you are headed south to your office, it could add another 30-45 min to your drive. There is also not much in the way of entertainment and restaurants north of Buford. If you are in Suwanee, you can head north to the Mall of GA area, or head south to other entertainment and shopping.

As far as the HOA fee, it sounds high. What does it include? If it includes lawn service, that's great. If it includes pool and tennis, expect to pay $400-$800 per year. For $1500 I would expect something more than just swim and tennis membership.

Suwanee is a very nice, safe, family-friendly area. I live there and I love it!

I live in Dacula and love it. However, I work in downtown and the commute is brutal. I truly will probably move this summer. Their are great subdivisions and good school systems in Dacula. My kids go to Fort Daniel and we have loved it. They are rezoned next year to Freeman's Mill and I've heard only good things about that also. Very kid friendly, safe and clean area.