Hi! I would like to know where in Gwinnett county is a good area to live!!!! (Atlanta: for sale, real estate)

[Khouston30]

Hi! We already live in Gwinnett county (Norcross close to 285) and we are now looking to buy our first home! We like the area we are in now, but there aren't many homes in this area that's in our budget. We have 2 small kids and one of them is special needs and in pre-k. Please let me know of any areas other than Norcross that is quiet and budget friendly!!! Hubby works in ATL and there is about a 30 mins commute from where we live so we would like to keep that way.

1. Budget

$100,000-$115,000

2. House/Condo/Townhome?

Single family home-detached
3 preferably 4 bdrms and 2 or 3 baths

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)

No more than about 30 mins from ATL give or take a few mins on heavy traffic days/times

4. Children(public school vs. private)

Public...good strong schools, especially elementary schools

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

Well, a bit of both..as long as it's not country or secluded...need to be in the city with lots of shopping in close distances

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not?

No, not that important

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood.
Mostly Snellville, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Duluth, Lilburn, and the Gwinnett area of Stone Mountain...so if someone can tell me where the better parts are of those areas or something near those places that would be awesome! Thanks!!!!!

[sedimenjerry]

You're gonna have to compromise on something. That's a really low budget for anything near Atlanta and/or anything with the best schools.

[Pemgin]

^What he said.

You're not going to find a house in Gwinnett that large for that budget that will allow you a 30 minute commute to Atlanta that is also in a "good" school district.

[Khouston30]

Well I have seen some in the Lawrenceville and Snellville area with that price range or slightly above and they were 3 or 4 bdrms. I am not so sure about the schools though. And the commute time probably won't be that bad....but of those areas I mentioned, what do you all think is the best of them...or maybe rank them for me! And I suppose the schools won't have to be great... I mean I think there are good teachers in bad schools and some bad teachers in good schools, so I think I will compromise on that.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by Khouston30

Well I have seen some in the Lawrenceville and Snellville area with that price range or slightly above and they were 3 or 4 bdrms. I am not so sure about the schools though. And the commute time probably won't be that bad....but of those areas I mentioned, what do you all think is the best of them...or maybe rank them for me! And I suppose the schools won't have to be great... I mean I think there are good teachers in bad schools and some bad teachers in good schools, so I think I will compromise on that.

You really need to do your search based on high school cluster. Most of the schools are run by the county and they frequently split city limits and areas in between.

So the schools in Lilburn or the schools in Snelleville vary.

Technically the the Gwinnett County school system is so well run I think all of the schools are better than their counterparts elsewhere given the socioeconomic differences of the area, however there is a world of difference between Meadowcreek and Parkview.

Meadowcreek has a ton of transient students, mid-rent apartments, and a far higher english as a second language component to the area. Parkview is typically one of the best districts in the state and often one of the top contributing high schools to the UGA and GT student body. However, both straddle Lilburn.

You can find something for your price point, but I don't think it will be what you were thinking exactly. I know of many areas where newer townhomes only start in the mid to high 100s.

Lawrenceville and snelleville are the same way.

Lawrenceville will have parts going to the really good Brookwood district, but also to the weaker Central district.

It is also more complex... about 30% of Gwinnett county is in a Lawrenceville zip code. A lot of unincorporated space is listed as Lawrenceville, so it goes through all sorts of school districts some weaker and some really good.

Snelleville generally is split between Grayson, Brookwood, South G., and Shiloh. Grayson and Brookwood are really nice. South G isn't like a 'bad' school, but it isn't great. Shiloh is very middle of the road. It isn't great, but they seem to hold up better than others so it isn't that bad.

As far as commute you are looking at 30 minutes to get into downtown from the nearest corner of the county. Depending on where in Lilburn/Lawrenceville/Snelleville you are looking at 30 minutes to about an hour.... sometimes more in rush hour.

So it is a bit hard for us to give advice. If you are going in the Parkview/Brookwood district at that price point you're buying a small house, duplex, and it will likely have some costly problems and/or be hard to find.

You should be able to find some homes in the older (and sometimes sketchier parts of) Shiloh and South Gwinnett. Even then, you are looking at the low-hanging fruit.

Lawrenceville will open you up to more options. There are older neighborhoods in parts, more duplexes and townhomes, but the schools are likely to be worse. You might find a bargain northeast of Lawrenceville in an older ranch home, but you're commute will be longer.

I just checked on zillow for the fun of it. There are actually 3 or 4 properties in the Parkview and Brookwood school districts... at the top of your price point. They are foreclosures and properties with deferred maintenance you should be financially prepared for, but you can't ask for better schools.

There are more properties in the Central Gwinnett and Shiloh districts and those are overall your best bets, unless you get a deal somewhere else.

There are also a decent amount of properties in the meadowcreek and Berkmar district, but I would hold off from those.

You're pickings are not large and are mostly in the worse of those areas, but that might be better than an alternative

Real Estate - 250 Homes For Sale | Zillow

(watch out. Half of these listings are 'auctions,' which means unless it is a distressed property the purchase price will go up)

[cwkimbro]

Overlay this map: https://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/g...df?MOD=AJPERES

with the listings above on zillow to see where they are

[Khouston30]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

You really need to do your search based on high school cluster. Most of the schools are run by the county and they frequently split city limits and areas in between.

So the schools in Lilburn or the schools in Snelleville vary.

Technically the the Gwinnett County school system is so well run I think all of the schools are better than their counterparts elsewhere given the socioeconomic differences of the area, however there is a world of difference between Meadowcreek and Parkview.

Meadowcreek has a ton of transient students, mid-rent apartments, and a far higher english as a second language component to the area. Parkview is typically one of the best districts in the state and often one of the top contributing high schools to the UGA and GT student body. However, both straddle Lilburn.

You can find something for your price point, but I don't think it will be what you were thinking exactly. I know of many areas where newer townhomes only start in the mid to high 100s.

Lawrenceville and snelleville are the same way.

Lawrenceville will have parts going to the really good Brookwood district, but also to the weaker Central district.

It is also more complex... about 30% of Gwinnett county is in a Lawrenceville zip code. A lot of unincorporated space is listed as Lawrenceville, so it goes through all sorts of school districts some weaker and some really good.

Snelleville generally is split between Grayson, Brookwood, South G., and Shiloh. Grayson and Brookwood are really nice. South G isn't like a 'bad' school, but it isn't great. Shiloh is very middle of the road. It isn't great, but they seem to hold up better than others so it isn't that bad.

As far as commute you are looking at 30 minutes to get into downtown from the nearest corner of the county. Depending on where in Lilburn/Lawrenceville/Snelleville you are looking at 30 minutes to about an hour.... sometimes more in rush hour.

So it is a bit hard for us to give advice. If you are going in the Parkview/Brookwood district at that price point you're buying a small house, duplex, and it will likely have some costly problems and/or be hard to find.

You should be able to find some homes in the older (and sometimes sketchier parts of) Shiloh and South Gwinnett. Even then, you are looking at the low-hanging fruit.

Lawrenceville will open you up to more options. There are older neighborhoods in parts, more duplexes and townhomes, but the schools are likely to be worse. You might find a bargain northeast of Lawrenceville in an older ranch home, but you're commute will be longer.

I just checked on zillow for the fun of it. There are actually 3 or 4 properties in the Parkview and Brookwood school districts... at the top of your price point. They are foreclosures and properties with deferred maintenance you should be financially prepared for, but you can't ask for better schools.

There are more properties in the Central Gwinnett and Shiloh districts and those are overall your best bets, unless you get a deal somewhere else.

There are also a decent amount of properties in the meadowcreek and Berkmar district, but I would hold off from those.

You're pickings are not large and are mostly in the worse of those areas, but that might be better than an alternative

Real Estate - 250 Homes For Sale | Zillow

(watch out. Half of these listings are 'auctions,' which means unless it is a distressed property the purchase price will go up)

Thanks so much for your input!!!!

[Clayton white guy]

CW Kimbro, Thank you for taking the time to help khouston30 with your detailed and well thought out post. You are a good "community member" on this site.

[LeiShaydie]

Khouston30 thanks for posting. And thanks Cwkimbro for responding. My sister lives in Lawrenceville. She is having issues with my 12 y/o nephew in school. I want to move close to her but not same schools close (we have a son the same age). Your input was extremely helpful to me and my situation as well.

[sedimenjerry]

Cwkimbro pretty much said it all. I've detailed this type of question out before, just search for it and it'll come up