Possible relocation to Atlanta Area from OKC, Questions (Smyrna, Mableton: condo, townhome)

[ceg2519]

We are considering a move from the OKC area (Edmond area) to Atlanta this summer. We have 2 children elem age so schools are important. My husband will be working from home and I am going to apply to a Tech school there for either Rad Tech or Ultrasound Tech. I have my pre reqs completed and also a BA in business so hoping I won't have an issue being accepted. The programs are typically 18-24 months long so living close would be nice but I don't want to buy somewhere I don't really like just because it close to the school because it will be temporary. My husband will occasionally (once every other month) need to go to the airport. We have been in OKC for almost 20 years and this will be a drastic change for us. Anyone from OK/Texas area living in Atlanta enjoying the change? We are able to transfer to any larger city on the east coast, we have also considered Raleigh but the cost of housing seems high.

From what I have seen online the housing is very affordable and looks very nice. My biggest concern as I am sure is everyone's is the traffic! My current area is a little on the pretentious side I would like somewhere that isn't, but I also get that comes with good schools a lot of the time.

Took this from a previous post to help for rec's on what area we should look at.

1. Budget $180-$240k ($220k looks like where we will be)
2. House/Condo/Townhome? HOUSE-
Would like swim/tennis addition. I would like to be a mile or less from elem school and close to other schools. I also want to be with a couple of miles to Target/Grocery Store/Etc.

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) HOME

4. Children(public school vs. private) Public

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two Suburban

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? No

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. Doesn't really matter. My kids current school is a good mix. I do want a highly rated school.

We are friends in the Forsyth County area that said we should look there. I also have a friend who lived in Woodstock and didn't care for it but we have considered that area as well. I have heard that the traffic in the Woodstock area isn't as bad?

I appreciate any and all advice!!

[atl1221]

Hi there! I'm from Atlanta, but went to school at OU, Boomer Sooner! I'm living back in Atlanta now.

Since commute is not a big issue for you, I would look in Kennesaw, Acworth, Woodstock or Cumming based on your price range.

If you wanted to be a little closer in, you might be able to find something in Smyrna or Mableton in this range.

Welcome to Atlanta! The weather is here is much less bipolar than in OK (I personally miss the extreme changes that occur there) but the traffic is much much worse. I know the Broadway Extension, I-44 and Hefner PKWY can get bad but it is at least 10 times worse here. I will say this, the traffic is not bad enough where I am looking for a change in location. There are too many positives here that outweigh the traffic negative IMO.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ceg2519

We are considering a move from the OKC area (Edmond area) to Atlanta this summer. We have 2 children elem age so schools are important. My husband will be working from home and I am going to apply to a Tech school there for either Rad Tech or Ultrasound Tech. I have my pre reqs completed and also a BA in business so hoping I won't have an issue being accepted. The programs are typically 18-24 months long so living close would be nice but I don't want to buy somewhere I don't really like just because it close to the school because it will be temporary. My husband will occasionally (once every other month) need to go to the airport. We have been in OKC for almost 20 years and this will be a drastic change for us. Anyone from OK/Texas area living in Atlanta enjoying the change? We are able to transfer to any larger city on the east coast, we have also considered Raleigh but the cost of housing seems high.

From what I have seen online the housing is very affordable and looks very nice. My biggest concern as I am sure is everyone's is the traffic! My current area is a little on the pretentious side I would like somewhere that isn't, but I also get that comes with good schools a lot of the time.

Took this from a previous post to help for rec's on what area we should look at.

1. Budget $180-$240k ($220k looks like where we will be)
2. House/Condo/Townhome? HOUSE-
Would like swim/tennis addition. I would like to be a mile or less from elem school and close to other schools. I also want to be with a couple of miles to Target/Grocery Store/Etc.

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) HOME

4. Children(public school vs. private) Public

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two Suburban

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? No

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. Doesn't really matter. My kids current school is a good mix. I do want a highly rated school.

We are friends in the Forsyth County area that said we should look there. I also have a friend who lived in Woodstock and didn't care for it but we have considered that area as well. I have heard that the traffic in the Woodstock area isn't as bad?

I appreciate any and all advice!!

If you have friends in Forsyth County that are encouraging you to look there then you should definitely look there first.

Forsyth County is a great outer-suburban community with great schools and access to lots of retail and recreational amenities.

If you happen not to be able to find anything that you like after an exhaustive search in Forsyth County, you can also look in the Buford and Sugar Hill areas of North Gwinnett County (which is located just next to and southeast of Forsyth County) and/or in the Flowery Branch area of South Hall County. These are all areas with great schools and many retail and recreational amenities.

Also, if you are going to be attending Tech school, be prepared to drive many miles each day on a road network that does not necessarily always handle that well the overwhelming amount of traffic that has been piled on it from the continuous and relentless construction of new development.

[Clayton white guy]

Fayette County- Great schools

[ceg2519]

Thanks for the advice!

In the woodstock/kennesaw area is the daily and weekend traffic around town also bad or is it just the commuter traffic that is bad?

We are planning a trip next month to check everything out. I grew up in S. Georgia and I am excited to make my way back!

[Clayton white guy]

Fayette County southwest of Atlanta, Henry County southeast of Atlanta. Good schools. Local community hospitals. Less congestion and a slower pace of life than the northern suburbs. Not a back drive to the airport and the City of Atlanta when you need them. MUCH less congestion that Cobb County or ANYTHING up the Georgia 400 corridor. You can also find older renovated homes in your price range easily.

[ceg2519]

What is the overall look in that area of Fayette county in terms of topography? I really like the hills and mountain looks of the northside.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ceg2519

What is the overall look in that area of Fayette county in terms of topography? I really like the hills and mountain looks of the northside.

Gently rolling and lush, not as hilly as the Northside. But a great place, nonetheless.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by ceg2519

What is the overall look in that area of Fayette county in terms of topography? I really like the hills and mountain looks of the northside.

Originally Posted by JMatl

Gently rolling and lush, not as hilly as the Northside. But a great place, nonetheless.

JMatl makes a great point that Southside suburban areas like Fayette County and Henry County are still great places to live despite not being as hilly as the Northern suburbs.

It is the hilly-to-mountainous looks of the Northside that newcomers like ceg2519 like and enjoy that (along with the presence of recreational amenities like Kennesaw Mountain, Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona and the close location to the Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian Mountains, etc) is one of the major reasons why the Northside has so much more population (overcrowding), development (overdevelopment) and traffic (severe congestion) than the much less hilly Southside.

Another major reason that the Northside has much more population, development and traffic than the Southside is just simply because the Northside of the Atlanta region has so much more land area than the Southside of the Atlanta region.

The Southern suburbs of the Atlanta region basically consists of about 3 primary counties and about 6 counties total (Coweta, Fayette and Henry counties and sometimes Douglas, Rockdale and Newton).

All the while the Northern suburbs of the Atlanta region basically consists of about 7 primary counties and about 13 counties total (Paulding, Cherokee, Cobb, North Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett and Hall counties and sometimes Bartow, Pickens, Dawson, Jackson, Barrow and Walton counties).

Also, one good suggestion to help the OP decide on where to focus her search for housing might be for her to first find out where exactly she might be attending school and then locate in an area that is convenient to where she will be attending school.

Locating in an area that would be convenient to where she would be attending school would be good because it could spare her from having to spend too much time driving in Metro Atlanta's often severe rush hour traffic congestion.