Areas with with nice, newer homes betw $600 and $700k with a reasonable commute to Midtown? (Atlanta: apartments, appliances)

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I suggested it earlier in the thread. To me many of the Buckhead neighborhoods would seem like an ideal option. Great schools, high quality of life and 15 minutes or so to Midtown.

I missed that — yeah, Buckhead seems like the first and most obvious choice given the requirements OP mentioned; the other locations may be viable too but Buckhead fits the bill: close to work, good schools, single-family homes in the budget, etc.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I suggested it earlier in the thread. To me many of the Buckhead neighborhoods would seem like an ideal option. Great schools, high quality of life and 15 minutes or so to Midtown.

This is true. Buckhead has a bit more of a suburban feel and meets all the OP's requirements.

[andy1324]

Look at 30062 and 30068, Walton and Pope clusters. Great schools, and your price range fits right in. The commute won't be 30min, probably 45min, but I bet a lot of people in these areas do it to have the great public schools, and great neighborhood.

[maybetoday]

not all areas of buckhead have great schools though, right? Don't the schools get more dicey around middle and high as well?

[Dkeating]

Originally Posted by maybetoday

not all areas of buckhead have great schools though, right? Don't the schools get more dicey around middle and high as well?

I can't tell anyone what to do, but it does disturb/amuse me when people make expensive purchases like a $600K-$700K house based entirely on a 1-10 score from a website. Maybe that's not the case here, but I see it often on the boards here and have heard of it in real life. The schools in Buckhead (and schools like Grady and Wheeler) generally have some very wealthy students and some pretty not-so-wealthy students. The overall test scores reflect this, and the corresponding GreatSchools scores are not the highest. But that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of students at these schools that do phenomenally well. The average test scores don't really tell you much, because these aren't average schools due to their demographic makeup. And the SAT scores for white children at Wheeler and North Atlanta are higher than those for white children at Walton. The scores for white kids at Grady are just a little bit lower than those at Walton. http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-bl...ce-Medium1.png The whole school doesn't have to be performing at a high level for one child (or even that child's entire demographic group) to be performing well. I just don't want someone to think that they have to move far north and have a long commute for their kids (who, truth be told, would do well probably anywhere) to have a good school experience. If I had that kind of money--and I don't at all, so take it for what it's worth--I would look for a neighborhood I wanted to live in and balance that with the school reputation in finding a place to live. I wouldn't move to Peachtree City or East Cobb if I could afford Candler Park or Inman Park just because the high schools there have 3 more GreatSchools points. That seems to be a shallow analysis for such an important decision.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by maybetoday

not all areas of buckhead have great schools though, right? Don't the schools get more dicey around middle and high as well?

No, they really don't. We've had kids at both Inman and Sutton and they had wonderful experiences. Likewise at Grady.

We haven't had anybody at the new North Atlanta yet but the reports coming in are strong.

[Mari2013]

600-700k will not get a new house in Buckhead. If you want a new house and good schools, there are more options OTP. That takes nothing away from Grady or North Atlanta, Inman Park, etc

[EarlofCardigan]

Originally Posted by andy1324

Look at 30062 and 30068, Walton and Pope clusters. Great schools, and your price range fits right in. The commute won't be 30min, probably 45min, but I bet a lot of people in these areas do it to have the great public schools, and great neighborhood.

Thank you.

Is the 45 minute commute applicable even at 7:00 am?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Mari2013

600-700k will not get a new house in Buckhead. If you want a new house and good schools, there are more options OTP. That takes nothing away from Grady or North Atlanta, Inman Park, etc

Dumb question but why is a new house considered better than a renovated older house? I've seen both and a lot of renovations have quality, convenience and features that are easily the equivalent of the stuff they are building now.

[Dkeating]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Dumb question but why is a new house considered better than a renovated older house? I've seen both and a lot of renovations have quality, convenience and features that are easily the equivalent of the stuff they are building now.

The heart (and the OP) wants what it wants, and some people just prefer new. Some people just like the "new house" smell, and others might like the decreased chance that major repairs will be necessary. Personally, I think that since all houses are going to be old someday, it's better to go with a house that will seem dated in a classy way rather than in a 1980s-1990s way. Of course, 1990s houses might come back into fashion someday as well.