Fulton or Cobb County? (Atlanta, Smyrna: homes, neighborhood, to buy)

[ctinatl]

We have been looking at purchasing homes in both Fulton(city of Atlanta) and Cobb (Sminings area). The taxes seem to be lower in Cobb but I know they are likely going up because of the taxes. I suspect that appreciation will be greater in city of Atlanta. What are other benefits of either that we should consider in making a final decision?

[evannole]

Where do you work? What's your budget? Do you need access to good public schools? What kind of social life do you enjoy? Do you want a larger home? If so, if you otherwise favor the city of Atlanta, budget and/or willingness to go with a transitioning area may come into play.

There's no one "right" answer to your question, but if you can provide the information above, people might be able to steer you in one direction or the other, and certainly could tell you pros and cons of each.

As an aside: yes, Cobb County property taxes will likely go up (as well they should), but it's unlikely they'll approach those of the City of Atlanta anytime soon. Unincorporated Cobb is currently at 28.75 mills, and City of Atlanta is around 43 mills.

[primaltech]

Yeah it depends on a lot of different personal factors. And it depends on what areas of the city more specifically. Are you talking about NW Buckhead, which is basically much the same lifestyle as Vinings?

Appreciation on the Cobb side of the river has been nothing to laugh at, either. I purchased my home 2 years ago (in ITP unincorporated Cobb), and it has gone up about 30%.

[ctinatl]

I already live in the city in East Atlanta. We are looking to buy now which is why we are choosing between 2 communities that are newer to us. I work downtown and my child will go to a private school in Buckhead which is why we are looking at either Vinings, Upper Westside, or Smyrna. Our budget is around $500k so we will get a newer home with more space in Smyrna or Vinings Estates area but the commute to Buckhead and downtown will be a little longer. We are also comfortable with the more up and coming profile of the Upper Westside because we already live in that kind of area. So, in terms of property appreciation or county governance or other factors, what else should we be thinking of if our choice comes down to Upper Westside or a Cobb zip code? Thanks in advance.

[ctinatl]

Dumb question—is Vinings mostly unincorporated Cobb? Would that have lower taxes than OTP Cobb?

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by ctinatl

Dumb question—is Vinings mostly unincorporated Cobb? Would that have lower taxes than OTP Cobb?

Vinings Proper/Core Vinings/Official Vinings/Vinings Village is unincorporated Cobb County.

However, "Greater Vinings" is located in parts of incorporated Smyrna.


For example, Vinings Estates is in the Smyrna city limits.



Oh, Vinings Estates is a great neighborhood by the way. I highly recommend it.

[evannole]

Vinings, proper, is indeed in unincorporated Cobb and as such has slightly lower taxes than incorporated parts of Cobb. Parts of OTP Cobb very close to Vinings are also in unincorporated Cobb (generally east of South Cobb Drive and south of Ridge Road, in the Atlanta Road corridor, and along Spring Hill Parkway.)

Vinings Estates was annexed into Smyrna a few years ago, I believe at the request of a majority of the homeowners there.