Relocating from Seattle to Atlanta (Tucker, Lawrenceville: for sale, apartment, condo)

[hALLY]

Hi

I have been to Atlanta once, i liked it but did not pay much attention to details.

Now i have decided that i want to move my family to Atlanta, i am looking for live in a area that is less crime, multicultural, good schools, Less traffic, close to shops, Reasonable homes to buy price from $150,000 - 220,000. 3 to 4 bedrooms. Please give me advice on this list: Duluth, Cummings, Buford, Lawrenceville. Which area do you think best suit what i am looking for. Your advice is appreciated in advance.

[jxu66]

Where is your job? That's most important question. Traffic in Atlanta is very bad.

For the range, you can get 3 bedrooms in city of Duluth area, probably not 4 bedrooms.

The rest of choices are newly developing area. Depend where you work, it could be long drive. South Forsyth (Cumming zipcode) has reasonable housing price. So that's an area you could look at.

Find a job first, then figure it out the housing option.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by hALLY

Hi

Now i have decided that i want to move my family to Atlanta, i am looking for live in a area that is less crime, multicultural, good schools, Less traffic, close to shops, Reasonable homes to buy price from $150,000 - 220,000. 3 to 4 bedrooms.

Ok, you DO realize you're talking about Atlanta, right?

You may be able to find older homes for sale here and there in that price range (though I doubt you'll find a 4BR) that need a little work here and there, and you might find them near shops. But when you add in the "less traffic and less crime" + that price range, you're really rubbing a Genie bottle wishing a bit.

For "less traffic" you need to get oh, I dunno... 50 miles or so outside of the city? Places like Dahlonega (north GA mountains - 70 miles), Dallas or Rockmart (west of the city - 35 to 50 miles), or maybe Athens (75 miles NE). You'll get less crime and better home prices, but will still have to deal with traffic if you plan on heading toward Atlanta at any time. You have to remember that Atlanta is the poster child for sprawl, traffic, and a somewhat high crime rate (think "L.A. with grits")... so I'm not sure what your brief exposure here in the past made you think otherwise.

I can only say this - at a local shopping center up the road a while back a man in his 40s working there was talking with a customer and I overheard him say he and his wife moved here a couple of years ago from Seattle to be closer to her family, and that they made a horrible mistake and would be moving back soon. That it was better for her to just fly out here more frequently than to live here to be closer to them. Now that's all I got from evesdropping, but I could tell he wasn't a nutjob, and can only assume it's due to some of the reasons above as to why they're going back, since I know that it IS more expensive to live in Seattle.

I've never been to Seattle, but I've known people here who have gone and everyone always says they wish they could figure out how to live there. So is there a specific reason you want Atlanta over where you are now (job, etc?). Just asking. I mean, if you were moving from El Paso or Cleveland (cough cough) I would understand better, but you don't hear of too many folks moving from the Pacific Northwest here.

[EyesToTheSkies]

I agree that you should consider where you will be working when selecting a place to live. The trend in Atlanta as well as other major cities is moving toward "mini-cities" throughout the region where people can live, work and play without travelling in traffic for hours.

If housing prices are too high in the area you want to live in, consider a townhome or condo in the area. You might sacrifice a little space for convenience and more quality time with your family.

[JPD]

Tucker is 12 miles from Atlanta. You can defniitely get a 3 bedroom house for $220,000. Getting to Downtown Atlanta is pretty easy during rush hour (20-25 minutes from my neighborhood in the morning, 30 or 35 minutes in the evening.). I have lived in a lot of different parts of the Atlanta metro area (never in Gwinnett, though). Tucker is defintiely the most multicultural place I have lived.

I know several people who have moved to Seattle and would never even consider moving back to Atlanta, so I've gotta agree with Greg on that.

[Shadb]

Well, my family moved to Atlanta from Seattle in 1999. The job market and areas to live at where more abundant during that time, but now the population spurt has really gone full throttle.

But to answer your questions, I kind of wonder the area you are from in Seattle? What demographics are you used to? What is your financial status? Atlanta has many areas that are diverse.

[GF72]

You should look at the part of Gwinnett County between Lawrenceville, Duluth, and Suwanee. (Peachtree Ridge High School district). That area is nice, not too pricey yet, very safe, and diverse.

[hALLY]

Thank you all for all the good information. Some of the main reason I am moving my family are:
1. Seattle rains too much and we love the sun
2. We could cash out the money by selling our home and almost pay off for the next home if we get a great home in reasonable price
3. We are not planning to work but rather have a small business.

But again when I am talking about traffic I really don’t know what to expect but I just want to know how bad it is if I have to deal with it.

The other most important things are safety, good schools and multicultural, we really want to feel that we belong there not to be look at differently.

Duluth and Lawrenceville is my number one choice, please give me more advice on:

1. Good Schools
2. Less crime
3. Small business
4. Average house prices for a four bed rooms, what are the prices like. For a good house ready to move in, that does not need to be worked on.

[hALLY]

Thank you so much for this advice

[AAndy]

Hally,
The fact that you want to move to Atlanta is a good thing. I'll be moving back after grad school (Portland, Or). The Pacific Northwest is a gem and the quality of life is good. But Seattle and Portland are expensive. Southern people will not pay $350,000 for a doghouse. The rents in Seattle are IMMORAL. Since you are starting a business, you'll do great. Cost of living, food, petrol (which is far less than Seattle) rocks. Come to Atlanta ready to rock and roll. You'll have friends for life here. We won't give you the "Seattle Freeze" which in parenthesis means "Stuck-Up". I think you'll do great, but you'll miss the beautiful sound and Pike Place. I love Seattle, but a good portion of the people are stuck-up and they aren't all that. After all, only a fool will pay $1000+ on an apartment. We own houses here. Good luck and we'll welcome you with open arms.