Where would you buy a home right now and why? (Atlanta: apartments, loans)

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Thanks! @LovinDecatur I think my husband and I will actually need to go visit these places so we can check them out!

Those houses are adorable. I totally would.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Ok so my husband and I were told that Decatur 30032 was hit or miss and it really depends on the neighborhood. In other words not all of 30032 is bad. What do you guys think? Do you see this area changing and progressing? I know the City of Decatur is out but do you think there will be run over in to 30032? If we put our kids in private school or if schools were not a concern would this be a good investment?

These are some of the homes we saw that we like? What do you guys think? Chance it or no?

1609 Delano Dr, Decatur, GA 30032 - realtor.com®

2765 Oak Village Trl, Decatur, GA 30032 - realtor.com®

2733 Oak Village Trl, Decatur, GA 30032 - realtor.com®

2413 Tilson Ridge Ln, Decatur, GA 30032 - realtor.com®

The homes in those photos all appear to be very visually appealing.

It should also be pointed out that two of the homes that you posted (1609 Delano Drive and 2733 Oak Village Trail) appear to be in a stage where sales are pending on them and they are taking back-up offers.

Like LovinDecatur stated, the area that those houses are in does appear to be up-and-coming with some long-term potential.

But the issue with the schools that serve the areas that those houses are located in (the feeder/attendance zones for Towers and McNair high schools) is that the schools currently appear to be very lowly-rated (with ratings of 2 on a scale of 1-10 by some measurements).

That doesn't mean that the schools in those areas are all bad. It just means that the schools in those areas have very high populations of transient students and families that affect the academic standings of those schools.

In any case, even though the homes you posted appear to be very visually appealing in areas of long-term potential, it is difficult to give those areas a top recommendation when the ratings on the schools in those areas appear to be so low.

Another challenge with those areas is that crime can be an issue in that area (Decatur 30032 zip code in South DeKalb County) at times.

Break-ins and home invasions were a significant problem in that area when I lived in South DeKalb County back in the mid-late 2000's and they continued to be a problem throughout parts of that area into the early-mid 2010's.

Though, it should be noted that overall, the crime situation in the area in question (particularly in the northern part of the 30032 zip code where some gentrification is occurring along the Memorial Drive corridor) appears to be on a long-term downward trend from the era when crime might have been significantly higher (back in the 1970's through the 1990's) to today when it seems to be less prevalent than in the past.

The area in question (Decatur 30032) obviously is not an uninhabitable area....But the Decatur 30032 area is not an area that is without challenges....Particularly when it comes to the quality of the local public schools and some issues with crime.

[uniquestar06]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. How do you guys feel about 30034? I had a friend that grew up there and said she and her family enjoyed it.

[atltechdude]

I would buy close enough to my work that I did not need to take the highway.

I just did that and I couldn't be happier with the choice.

My commute is 5-10 min while some of my coworkers constantly complain about their 30-90 min commutes.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Thanks for the feedback everyone. How do you guys feel about 30034? I had a friend that grew up there and said she and her family enjoyed it.

30034 (particularly the more urban area north/west of I-285 around South DeKalb Mall) is an area with some of the same issues as 30032. Though, the area of the 30032 zip code that feeds into Southwest DeKalb High School (the slightly more suburban area east of I-285) has slightly higher rated schools.

Southwest DeKalb High School (while it may not be rated as highly as schools in other parts of the metro area) is a school that is known and recognized to have a tremendous amount of school pride.

Southwest DeKalb High School (not unlike many other majority-black high schools in DeKalb County and throughout the Atlanta metro region) has a great band program and competitive athletic programs.

Like many other majority-black and plurality-black high schools throughout the Atlanta metro region, Southwest DeKalb High School also feeds a lot of its students into HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in HBCU-dominated conferences like the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference), the SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) and the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association).

[uniquestar06]

Thanks @Born2Roll. Would you recommend one zip code over the other considering 30032 and 30034 or are they about the same?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Thanks @Born2Roll. Would you recommend one zip code over the other considering 30032 and 30034 or are they about the same?

I would choose 30032 simply because you're closer to the city and other eastside neighborhoods and therefore more amenities.

[uniquestar06]

Gotcha! I know I'm asking a million questions and I really appreciate the feedback! Are Avondale Estates and Scottdale good places to live?

[red92s]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Gotcha! I know I'm asking a million questions and I really appreciate the feedback! Are Avondale Estates and Scottdale good places to live?

Prices inside the city of Avondale Estates will be markedly higher (closer to City of Decatur levels) than the areas of unincorporated DeKalb you've been posting links to.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by uniquestar06

Gotcha! I know I'm asking a million questions and I really appreciate the feedback! Are Avondale Estates and Scottdale good places to live?

Avondale is just lovely IMO, Scottdale a definite up-and-comer. The best thing to happen to Scottdale lately was the reinvention of the old (and nearby) Suburban Plaza area. Decatur's cachet is moving eastward.

https://patch.com/georgia/decatur/de...elopment-award