I'm new here! Possible move to Johns Creek area. (Atlanta: for sale, condo)

[Mrscynic]

Hi y'all. We may be relocating to Atlanta in the next few months and I'd love some advice. First, the Q&A:



1. Budget $325K, $350K max
2. House/Condo/Town home? House, preferably, we have a dog who likes her own yard. We like our own yard, too.
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) Husband's office would be in John's Creek.
4. Children(public school vs. private) two boys - ages 10 (currently in 4th grade), and 2.
5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two - we'd like a mix...we like festivals (beer, art, wine, etc), love to be outdoors. I'd like to be close to good shopping, I like Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, farmers markets. Any area with walkability is a huge plus, though I know that's not a realistic expectation in the suburbs.
6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? Nope, we want to live within a reasonable distance to my husband's office.
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood? We'd like a good mix of friendly, non-pretentious people.

A little more about us/what we are looking for...
I've done a little research and think we'd like to avoid Fulton County because of the crazy high taxes. But we would like to be close to my husband's office in John's Creek. Suwannee, maybe Cumming?

I want what everyone wants for their kids...good schools. I don't think that great schools ratings are the end all/be all of great school though. Sure, I like high test scores and strong academics, but also like hands-on learning, project-based work, schools with strong parental involvement, smallish class sizes, gym/art/music programs. I have a son who is nearing the end of his elementary school career and another who will enter preschool in 1.5 years, so we'll be in the public school system for a while.

My older son plays lacrosse, so I'd like to be in an area with a strong youth lacrosse program.

We are from Virginia, spent five years in south Denver and have been back in Virginia for almost a year. We are laid back, like to be outside, are an active family who would love to find other families with similar interests to befriend.

We are a mixed-religious family (celebrate both, but practice neither) and would love to live in an area where people aren't judgmental of this. Politically, we are both to the left of center. Keeping it real here...we had a hard time in the south Denver suburbs because of these two things and would like for religion and politics to not define us or be an issue this time.

And...I'd love to not be the only tattooed Mom at the gym, pool, park, etc.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to any advice that y'all would be willing to share.

[flamadiddle]

Suwanee sounds like a good choice, but walkability and Atlanta are like oil and water so plan to drive everywhere. The Atlanta area is a melting pot so no issues with religion or lack thereof. What Denver burbs gave you heartburn?

[ATLTJL]

A couple of things here...

I think Johns Creek would be perfect for you. All of the schools are good, and Northview in particular is often considered the best public school in Georgia.

I believe Johns Creek is doable for $350k, but for sure on the low end. If you want to be in the area but not in Fulton county, I'd look at the area just north of Johns Creek in Forsyth county, right across McGinnis Ferry Road. I believe they use a Suwanee or Cumming mailing address. You will be doing your husband an enormous favor to stay on the west side of the Chattahoochee River, as all the bridges crossing it are the bottlenecks to avoid during rush hour. Lambert high school is considered very good.

Personally, if I were you, I'd check out the property tax differential. I know people make a big deal out of taxes, but I bet on $350, the difference wouldn't be more than a couple grand per year, if that.

Just anecdotally, I kind of judge the high school kids around town based on how I see them behave and my interactions with them. I'm out and about a lot in local parks, so I see a lot of them. I'm generally most impressed with the Northview kids and find them to be friendly, courteous, and confident. No matter where you live in the area I think you will be impressed by the outdoor amenities and proximity to retail.

I live on the other side of the river in Duluth and always see kids in the local park practicing lacrosse. I'm not sure if it's just a Duluth High School thing, or if it's popular in the entire area.

There are some minor differences in individual communities, but it's pretty hard to lose with the Johns Creek area and those immediately surrounding it. If resale value is a concern, I think the city of Johns Creek has the most solid selling power for the future, though the area of Forsyth near it has seen a sharp upswing as of late that is likely to continue. North Fulton has the most prestige associated with it, if that's the kind of thing that matters to you. But it also probably has the best choices in things like fine dining, culture, etc.

[flamadiddle]

I agree with ATLTJL, the property taxes on on $350K home are not going to be that much different between Fulton and Forsyth, so keep your options open. Also, as mentioned, all the schools in this area are really good so no need for private school, unless it's for religious reasons. I worked with a guy that lived in Johns Creek in the Northview school district and he loved it. I'm in Forsyth county just North of Johns Creek/McGinnis Ferry and I oddly have a Duluth address. I'm in the Lambert HS district, which is also very highly rated. I've also seen kids playing Lacrosse on occasion so that seems to be fairly popular here.

Good luck and let us know if you have more specific questions.

btw, you just missed the Suwanee beer fest, but there are many others in the Atlanta area throughout the year.

http://suwaneebeerfest.com/

[Tarzanman]

Tatooed mom? That's going to be a tall order around the Atlanta metro. There are places in town that would make you stand out less, but $350k will limit your choices, especially for a 4 or 5 bedroom house.

[Mrscynic]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Flamadiddle, we were in Castle Rock. Hindsight is 20/20...we drove down there on our house hunting trip and it reminded us so much of Ashland (VA). We touched on some school system research (this was before our oldest was in school), found a house that we liked, bought, and settled. We learned quickly that we should have done more research. But we did eventually find good friends and a strong support system. It was a lot of work though. (And I understand that relationships quite often are.) Additionally, Flamadiddle, my husband did find some homes online last night in the Lambert HS district. We have friends who live in that area, their oldest in in 9th grade at Lambert.

When I google "Homes for sale in Johns Creek GA" most of what comes up has an "Alpharetta" address. Many also in Suwanee. And there seems to be quite a bit that is well below our $350K maximum. What am I missing here? Are some parts of Johns Creek less desirable than others? And why? I'll be completely honest, we'd rather be around 300-$325K. Lower would be great and I see plenty of homes in the $300K range that seem to be in good schools. Gwinnett County is popping up, too.

Tarzanman. which is a tall order? Not wanting to be the only tattooed mom at the park/gym/pool? Or a house in John's Creek for $350K? Where would I be more likely to not be the only tattooed mom, within a reasonable M-F commute to Johns Creek, for my husband? I guess I thought (hoped) that tattoos had become more mainstream in the last 10 or so years. At least in Colorado and Central Virginia they have. (And I'll be specific, my tattoos can be easily covered with a short sleeved shirt, I do not have anything inappropriate or ostentatious.)

[flyonpa]

This Realtor site lets you filter by School, So,If you want to be in the Lambert Feeder Zone, it will filter only the home in that school sending area.

One thing to note: Forsyth is growing, and school Feeder Zones change about every two years.

There are two Elem school, One Middle and One High School in the current new building plan over the the next few years. Also all 5 current HS are going to be expanded in the next two years. and there are portable at many school right now, until the buildings catch up.

http://www.harrynorman.com/property-search

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Mrscynic

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

Flamadiddle, we were in Castle Rock. Hindsight is 20/20...we drove down there on our house hunting trip and it reminded us so much of Ashland (VA). We touched on some school system research (this was before our oldest was in school), found a house that we liked, bought, and settled. We learned quickly that we should have done more research. But we did eventually find good friends and a strong support system. It was a lot of work though. (And I understand that relationships quite often are.) Additionally, Flamadiddle, my husband did find some homes online last night in the Lambert HS district. We have friends who live in that area, their oldest in in 9th grade at Lambert.

When I google "Homes for sale in Johns Creek GA" most of what comes up has an "Alpharetta" address. Many also in Suwanee. And there seems to be quite a bit that is well below our $350K maximum. What am I missing here? Are some parts of Johns Creek less desirable than others? And why? I'll be completely honest, we'd rather be around 300-$325K. Lower would be great and I see plenty of homes in the $300K range that seem to be in good schools. Gwinnett County is popping up, too.

Tarzanman. which is a tall order? Not wanting to be the only tattooed mom at the park/gym/pool? Or a house in John's Creek for $350K? Where would I be more likely to not be the only tattooed mom, within a reasonable M-F commute to Johns Creek, for my husband? I guess I thought (hoped) that tattoos had become more mainstream in the last 10 or so years. At least in Colorado and Central Virginia they have. (And I'll be specific, my tattoos can be easily covered with a short sleeved shirt, I do not have anything inappropriate or ostentatious.)

I've seen plenty of tattooed moms in the Johns Creek area. I think you'll be just fine.

[OhioNative]

Originally Posted by Mrscynic

When I google "Homes for sale in Johns Creek GA" most of what comes up has an "Alpharetta" address. Many also in Suwanee. And there seems to be quite a bit that is well below our $350K maximum. What am I missing here? Are some parts of Johns Creek less desirable than others? And why? I'll be completely honest, we'd rather be around 300-$325K. Lower would be great and I see plenty of homes in the $300K range that seem to be in good schools. Gwinnett County is popping up, too.

The confusion you are experiencing is that fact that there is technically no such thing as a "Johns Creek" address, as it does not have its own zip code. The city of Johns Creek is newly incorporated and consists of parts of the Alpharetta and Duluth zip codes.

[flamadiddle]

Originally Posted by Mrscynic

Flamadiddle, we were in Castle Rock.

I figured it was Castle Rock or Parker.

Anyway, you'll want to do research here too... Some subdivisions around here can be almost all Asian/Indian. Now before someone calls me a racist, I don't have any issue with Asian or Indian people, it's just that their culture is very different and they tend to keep to themselves.

The site flyonpa posted is nice. Search by school, but also research the demographics of a given subdivision to make sure it's a good fit for you and your family.