Why aren't blacks buying houses in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs (Atlanta: real estate, housing)

[NorthmeetsSouth]

Originally Posted by stargirl

I live in Lithonia because it is home to me. I am not a segregationist by any means. I entertain my friends from many nations in my home frequently. My children are exposed to a diverse group and speak two languages at ages 3 and 2. I love my neighborhood because it is me. It is natural and wonderful. Dunwoody nor Sandy Springs in no way reflects who I am.

There is no answer. Only the question,"Why AREN'T whites buying homes in Lithonia/Stone Mountain?"

If Dunwoody doesn't reflect who you are and therefore you have made a conscious decision not to buy a house there then why are you asking why whites are making a conscious decision not to buy in Lithoin? Isn't that a double-standard?

[jjordan]

Originally Posted by stvincent

The point is that upper middle class whites won't move into upper middle class Black neighborhoods.

Somewhat true but definitely changing. Driving around booming S.Fulton I have noticed A LOT of whites walking around neighborhoods, checking out model homes and seen quite a few moving in or checking out the progress on their homes. Princeton Lakes, Hampton Oaks, Le Jardin and the Wieland neighborhoods seem to be the most popular.

[vvwatkins]

There is plenty of Blacks with GREEN also...

[kmgaskin]

I just moved to Dunwoody two weeks. I wanted to live near the Perimeter Area. I decided to get an apartment because the housing is so expensive. I want to take my time to get the right house. I can live in Midtown cheaper than living in Dunwoody. I wished I had brought a home in Dunwoody 18 years ago. The only people can afford homes in Dunwoody are couples and not single people. I enjoy living around people with self respect, excellent income and college educated. I do not care what race or religion. I grew up in the south also in a black neighbor. The reason why you do not have black people buying houses in Dunwooody because too expensive, taxes too high and you can live some where else cheaper and more amenities.

[flagrant]

quote from atlantagreg30127 "There's a lot of black trash in Atlanta. That's not what we're [his family] about. We live there because we're around other Black people who feel as we do about the problems in the city".

pulled from the quote for emphasis 'we're around other Black people'

The blacks want live among the blacks, no matter how much money they have. The barrier is no longer the whites keeping them out.

[Noc]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

This isn't entirely correct. There is a subdivision near my home in West Cobb where the homes range from $275,000 to $425,000. It's about 35% (or so) Black. Certainly not what I'd call "affordable" homes in my salary range, but it doesn't seem to be holding Black families back around here. One reason however, is that so many people fall into the adjustable rate or interest-only mortgage scams, thinking they're getting a huge "affordable" home. Minorities seem to go after these more than others according to a real estate agent I know. Sometimes it works out for them, other times it winds up as a forclosure eventually.

Regardless of how people are affording these homes though, I know there are still plenty of Black families in higher income ranges all over the metro area (we sell to many of them where I work). Many of them however, do "self segregate" themselves into very high-end majority Black subdivisions in various areas, much the same way some whites do the same in other areas.

As one Black customer who lives in one of these places told me when I asked why they lived in that particular community... quote: "There's a lot of black trash in Atlanta. That's not what we're [his family] about. We live there because we're around other Black people who feel as we do about the problems in the city". - end quote. So just like high income whites will look down at someone who lives in a mobile home and perhaps refer to them as "trash", it appears there is also class-segregation among Blacks here as well, who view the inner city Black community in the same way whites view more rural whites, etc. It no doubt has an impact on home buying trends in the city.

Here is the entire post where you quoted from so people don't assume things about atlantagreg.

Originally Posted by flagrant

quote from atlantagreg30127 "There's a lot of black trash in Atlanta. That's not what we're [his family] about. We live there because we're around other Black people who feel as we do about the problems in the city".

pulled from the quote for emphasis 'we're around other Black people'

The blacks want live among the blacks, no matter how much money they have. The barrier is no longer the whites keeping them out.

This is not entirely true. Just how atlantagreag pointed out about high income white and the mobile home ones it is the very same in the Black community. High income Blacks are not going to live in or around the projects just to live with other Black people. This is not a racial issues it is more a social class issue. People with money want to be around other people with money no matter what color they are.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by Noc

This is not entirely true. Just how atlantagreag pointed out about high income white and the mobile home ones it is the very same in the Black community. High income Blacks are not going to live in or around the projects just to live with other Black people. This is not a racial issues it is more a social class issue. People with money want to be around other people with money no matter what color they are.

But in many cases, people within a social class still want to live mainly with people of the same color who are within that same social class. You're right that upper-class blacks aren't going to want to live in a lower-class black neighborhood, but many of them are far more likely to want to live around other high-class blacks than in a predominantly white neighborhood. Same holds true for other races/groups in many cases.

[spacelord75]

Originally Posted by stargirl

I have been following this post for quite some time. I am a native of Atlanta. I have watched the Pre and Post Olympic swell in our population and its effects on the racial makeup of our communities in Metro Atlanta. Initially, people of all races were moving everywhere. It was a matter of "I'm not from here, so I really don't know where to move". Then as time progressed, people began to choose neighborhoods with people who looked like them based on research visits made to Atlanta, visits with family members who had already moved here, et al. However, the question of "Why aren't blacks buying houses in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs?" will never be answered to satisfy anyone. There are many answers.
Some people prefer to be in areas with people of a like ethnic group(i.e. anything on the Buford Highway Corridor). There are shared values(Can one find the same foods that are traditional to a certain group in Sandy Springs?) . Some people mistrust other ethnic groups(i.e. the "white flight" which made South DeKalb County predominantly Black in the first place). Some people like to save money(Can you get a 3500 sqft house in Dunwoody for less than $200K?). Some people grew up in the area and have returned home to be near their families(It takes a village...). Many, many reasons.
You can't pigeon hole this answer. I am a Black woman, who has lived in Midtown, Washington DC, Tokyo, Juarez, New York, and now Lithonia. I was born in Atlanta. I grew up in Decatur. I have returned home and started a family. I chose Lithonia because it is comfortable. There are 3 beautiful mountains near my very large home for my children to enjoy. I am close enough to the city for entertainment, but far enough to not have it in my face every day. My children have a large yard to play in all day. My neighbors watch out for each other and share similar values concerning the welfare of our children. I have been around the world, but I live in Lithonia because it is home to me. I am not a segregationist by any means. I entertain my friends from many nations in my home frequently. My children are exposed to a diverse group and speak two languages at ages 3 and 2. I love my neighborhood because it is me. It is natural and wonderful. Dunwoody nor Sandy Springs in no way reflects who I am.

There is no answer. Only the question,"Why AREN'T whites buying homes in Lithonia/Stone Mountain?"

I find your post so bizarre, because the first paragraph is so logical and reasonable, but then you add that last sentence that makes zero sense. I mean, didn't you just answer that question? I'm a white dude who owns a house in Dunwoody because, to me, it's the best place to live in Atlanta. I grew up there, but then lived all over the metro area, but decided, upon taking all things into consideration, that it was the best place for ME to move my family. I honestly could not give two $hits why anyone else is or is not living there or elsewhere - I just do what I like and what's best for my family. This whole thread kind of annoys me because it's like people have to make others feel guilty for enjoying their life - seriously, is it really that big of a deal to people what others choose to do with their life?

[maddy1980]

Who cares! If there are perfectly fine upper class black neighborhoods in atlanta where wealthy blacks feel comfortable, safe and happy then let them be. I don't mean to disrespect anyone but not every black person feels like living around all whites mean you have made it. Me personally I prefer diversity but that isn't to say that those blacks in lithonia don't maybe they just prefer to stay where they were born and raised.

[Buckhead_Broker]

It's insane to think that real estate agents are steering blacks away from Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. I sell exclusively in Buckhead and Sandy Springs and we see a large number of black families looking at expensive homes. There is no segregation in Atlanta anymore. And anyone who thinks there is is just trying to dig up old troubles.