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Apologies for this newbie question but your advise will really help us narrow down as we explore these 2 cities more. We are a family of 3 with a 3 year old, new to Atlanta and considering a home purchase in the 2 cities because of their suburban life and schools. These 2 cities are also in our budget of $450K. My wife and I own a business so we mostly work from home, although I travel once in a few weeks so the commute to the airport is a big concern.
Although Cumming is mostly on the higher end of our budget, and some of the communities we've liked here are $500K+ range. Woodstock is presently more affordable and we liked areas well within our budget.
While comparing these 2 cities, we would also like to understand why there is a huge gap in real estate prices between these 2 cities. We observe a difference of $100K in comparable homes. Why is that? Why is Cumming more expensive? Is it because of GA400 access or being closer to Alpharetta? Are schools in Cumming better and it has better amenities?
I would pick Woodstock. I never noticed any significant price difference between the two areas. Are you comparing apples to apples in home/lot size? Commute to the airport will suck badly from both locations.
Cumming is undergoing rapid development. The areas that border Alpharetta, off exit 12 / 13 on GA 400 will likely see higher real-estate values given its relative proximity to Alpharetta, Johns-Creek, Milton ammenities. This area is booming with development, and will continue to do so in the near future with the new $370M Halcyon mixed use facility currently ubder contruction (similar to Alpharetta's Avalon). Recent new middle schools (Desana, Brandy-wine) and Denmark high school (opening August) is indication of the very rapid pace of development currently taking place in this area. Alpharetta and north Fulton amenities are just 6-7 miles south on GA 400. Collections at Forsyth close by as well for local shopping and dining.
Traffic on GA 400 is terrible during rush-hour, and will likely get worse with the rapid development going on, but sounds like you will primarily work from home, so shouldn't be too much of a show stopper for you
Apologies for this newbie question but your advise will really help us narrow down as we explore these 2 cities more. We are a family of 3 with a 3 year old, new to Atlanta and considering a home purchase in the 2 cities because of their suburban life and schools. These 2 cities are also in our budget of $450K. My wife and I own a business so we mostly work from home, although I travel once in a few weeks so the commute to the airport is a big concern.
Although Cumming is mostly on the higher end of our budget, and some of the communities we've liked here are $500K+ range. Woodstock is presently more affordable and we liked areas well within our budget.
While comparing these 2 cities, we would also like to understand why there is a huge gap in real estate prices between these 2 cities. We observe a difference of $100K in comparable homes. Why is that? Why is Cumming more expensive? Is it because of GA400 access or being closer to Alpharetta? Are schools in Cumming better and it has better amenities?
Thanks
Jeff
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayFromCT
Cumming is undergoing rapid development. The areas that border Alpharetta, off exit 12 / 13 on GA 400 will likely see higher real-estate values given its relative proximity to Alpharetta, Johns-Creek, Milton ammenities. This area is booming with development, and will continue to do so in the near future with the new $370M Halcyon mixed use facility currently ubder contruction (similar to Alpharetta's Avalon). Recent new middle schools (Desana, Brandy-wine) and Denmark high school (opening August) is indication of the very rapid pace of development currently taking place in this area. Alpharetta and north Fulton amenities are just 6-7 miles south on GA 400. Collections at Forsyth close by as well for local shopping and dining.
Traffic on GA 400 is terrible during rush-hour, and will likely get worse with the rapid development going on, but sounds like you will primarily work from home, so shouldn't be too much of a show stopper for you
Hope that helps.
^ This ^
JayFromCT makes some excellent points about the rapid pace of development and the increased amount of amenities along the Georgia 400 North freeway corridor that is the logistical backbone of the Cumming area.
If you are seeing such a significant difference between the prices of similar homes in the Woodstock and Cumming areas, its because Cumming is more of a high-demand area than Woodstock which is a very high-quality community in its own right.
But Cumming is closer to many more upscale retail and dining amenities and major employment centers along the Georgia 400 North freeway and Georgia 141 corridors. Cumming is also close to one major in-demand recreational amenity in the Atlanta region's primary water source, Lake Lanier.
Both the schools in the Woodstock and Cumming areas are of very high quality, but the schools in the Cumming area (in the Forsyth County Schools system) are more highly-regarded and higher-rated than the schools in the Woodstock area (in the Cherokee County school system which is still a very highly-rated and highly-regarded system in its own right).
Quote:
Originally Posted by flamadiddle
I would pick Woodstock. I never noticed any significant price difference between the two areas. Are you comparing apples to apples in home/lot size? Commute to the airport will suck badly from both locations.
flamadiddle makes an excellent point here in noting that the commutes to and from the airport will be challenging if executed during peak traffic hours in the direction of the heaviest traffic (particularly during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours).
Both Woodstock and Cumming are excellent suburban communities with exceptional quality-of-life levels. But if the OP is going to be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) with any regularity, the OP may also want to consider taking a look at some very high-quality suburban communities in Atlanta's southern suburbs like the Peachtree City, Whitewater and Tyrone areas of Fayette County.
Newcomers with your type of housing budget (of up to $450k) who have to travel in and out of the Atlanta Airport on a frequent basis are often strongly encouraged to consider Fayette County because of the extremely high quality of the public schools there (in the Fayette County school system) and because of the close proximity to (and relatively trouble-free commutes to and from) the world's busiest airport.
If the OP's commutes to and from the Atlanta Airport are not going to be all that frequent, or the OP may be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport OUTSIDE of peak traffic hours, then proximity to the airport may not necessarily be as big of a concern.
But if the OP thinks that they might be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport on a high-frequency, then an upscale Southern Crescent suburban area like Fayette County likely should definitely be under consideration just simply because of significant challenges to commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport on such often extremely severely-congested Northside radial roadways like Interstates 75 and 575 (to and from the Woodstock area) and Georgia state routes 400 and 141 (to and from the Cumming area) during peak traffic hours.
Apologies for this newbie question but your advise will really help us narrow down as we explore these 2 cities more. We are a family of 3 with a 3 year old, new to Atlanta and considering a home purchase in the 2 cities because of their suburban life and schools. These 2 cities are also in our budget of $450K. My wife and I own a business so we mostly work from home, although I travel once in a few weeks so the commute to the airport is a big concern.
Although Cumming is mostly on the higher end of our budget, and some of the communities we've liked here are $500K+ range. Woodstock is presently more affordable and we liked areas well within our budget.
While comparing these 2 cities, we would also like to understand why there is a huge gap in real estate prices between these 2 cities. We observe a difference of $100K in comparable homes. Why is that? Why is Cumming more expensive? Is it because of GA400 access or being closer to Alpharetta? Are schools in Cumming better and it has better amenities?
Thanks
Jeff
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
^ This ^
JayFromCT makes some excellent points about the rapid pace of development and the increased amount of amenities along the Georgia 400 North freeway corridor that is the logistical backbone of the Cumming area.
If you are seeing such a significant difference between the prices of similar homes in the Woodstock and Cumming areas, its because Cumming is more of a high-demand area than Woodstock which is a very high-quality community in its own right.
But Cumming is closer to many more upscale retail and dining amenities and major employment centers along the Georgia 400 North freeway and Georgia 141 corridors. Cumming is also close to one major in-demand recreational amenity in the Atlanta region's primary water source, Lake Lanier.
Both the schools in the Woodstock and Cumming areas are of very high quality, but the schools in the Cumming area (in the Forsyth County Schools system) are more highly-regarded and higher-rated than the schools in the Woodstock area (in the Cherokee County school system which is still a very highly-rated and highly-regarded system in its own right).
flamadiddle makes an excellent point here in noting that the commutes to and from the airport will be challenging if executed during peak traffic hours in the direction of the heaviest traffic (particularly during morning and afternoon/evening rush hours).
Both Woodstock and Cumming are excellent suburban communities with exceptional quality-of-life levels. But if the OP is going to be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport) with any regularity, the OP may also want to consider taking a look at some very high-quality suburban communities in Atlanta's southern suburbs like the Peachtree City, Whitewater and Tyrone areas of Fayette County.
Newcomers with your type of housing budget (of up to $450k) who have to travel in and out of the Atlanta Airport on a frequent basis are often strongly encouraged to consider Fayette County because of the extremely high quality of the public schools there (in the Fayette County school system) and because of the close proximity to (and relatively trouble-free commutes to and from) the world's busiest airport.
If the OP's commutes to and from the Atlanta Airport are not going to be all that frequent, or the OP may be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport OUTSIDE of peak traffic hours, then proximity to the airport may not necessarily be as big of a concern.
But if the OP thinks that they might be commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport on a high-frequency, then an upscale Southern Crescent suburban area like Fayette County likely should definitely be under consideration just simply because of significant challenges to commuting to and from the Atlanta Airport on such often extremely severely-congested Northside radial roadways like Interstates 75 and 575 (to and from the Woodstock area) and Georgia state routes 400 and 141 (to and from the Cumming area) during peak traffic hours.
I agree with B2R. Woodstock and Cumming are both great areas and you can't go wrong with either one.
However, if you work from home and but you need airport access from time to time, I recommend (like B2R) that you look in the southern suburbs of Atlanta.
Since you like the suburban lifestyle and amenities of Woodstock and Cumming, here are the recommended southern suburbs/high school clusters that have similar attributes of Woodstock and Cumming. I think you will be very happy:
1. Coweta County (Newnan and Sharpsburg)
a. Northgate High District
b. East Coweta High District
c. Newnan High District
2. Fayette County (Fayetteville and Peachtree City)
a. Whitewater High District
b. Starr's Mill High District
c. McIntosh High District
3. Henry County (McDonough and Locust Grove)
a. Union Grove High District
b. Ola High District
4. Douglas County (Douglasville, Fairplay, Villa Rica)
a. Alexander High District
I'd choose Woodstock over Cumming unless you can afford North Fulton. But i'm biased because i'm black and Cumming is still less than 5 percent black due to the legacy of its history as a bastion of white supremacists until very recently. Plus if you have kids that plan on going to college, Woodstock is a reasonable commute from KSU.
Last edited by lethalhipster9; 04-18-2018 at 11:14 PM..
Apologies for this newbie question but your advise will really help us narrow down as we explore these 2 cities more. We are a family of 3 with a 3 year old, new to Atlanta and considering a home purchase in the 2 cities because of their suburban life and schools. These 2 cities are also in our budget of $450K. My wife and I own a business so we mostly work from home, although I travel once in a few weeks so the commute to the airport is a big concern.
Although Cumming is mostly on the higher end of our budget, and some of the communities we've liked here are $500K+ range. Woodstock is presently more affordable and we liked areas well within our budget.
While comparing these 2 cities, we would also like to understand why there is a huge gap in real estate prices between these 2 cities. We observe a difference of $100K in comparable homes. Why is that? Why is Cumming more expensive? Is it because of GA400 access or being closer to Alpharetta? Are schools in Cumming better and it has better amenities?
Thanks
Jeff
Besides the desire for good schools and suburban life, is there anything in particular driving your preference for these two communities? The reason I ask is because, as a couple other posters have stated, there are also several fine communities much closer to the airport south of Atlanta that may also interest you.
Newnan in Coweta County is very similar to both Cumming and Woodstock (just a bit less upscale and a bit more diverse). It's home to all of the major retailers (Dillard's, Kohl's, JC Penney's, Belk's, BJ's, etc.) and restaurants you can think of. Plus, it has a vibrant / walkable downtown with a ton of mom & pop businesses to support. You will also be able to get a lot more house for your money. New construction homes with decent lot sizes are easily going for $225K to $250K in Coweta County. Sharpsburg is another rapidly growing suburb in Coweta County that's a bit more rural (for now), but is located within the highly sought after Northgate High School attendance zone.
Both of these communities are just a few minutes from I-85, which will get you to the airport in 15-20 minutes and you'll have to deal with far less traffic during your drive (since the South I-85 corridor is much less populated, at least for now, than the northern Atlanta suburbs).
Coweta County, especially the NE half, has been experiencing significant (if not exploding) population growth and rapid urbanization. Employees of Delta Airlines, Kia Motors (their US manufacturing plant is based 30 minutes south of Newnan) and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Hospital of Atlanta all call it home. So despite the lower price point for homes right now, I would expect decent appreciation of real estate values over the next decade or two.
I would also suggest looking into communities in Fayette County, such as Peachtree City and Tyrone. These communities are a bit further from I-85, but the Fayette County schools rank up there with the schools in Forsyth County in terms of quality. Plus, there's also the perk of everything being connected via. Golf Cart paths as an alternative mode of transportation to get around the communities. However, home prices reflect this too (they're going to be much higher than in Coweta County). That said, Fayette County is not growing as rapidly as Coweta County and is a bit more rural (and this is intentional, as Fayette County wants to maintain its pastoral feel).
I'd choose Woodstock over Cumming unless you can afford North Fulton. But i'm biased because i'm black and Cumming is still less than 5 percent black due to the legacy of its history as a bastion of white supremacists until very recently. Plus if you have kids that plan on going to college, Woodstock is a reasonable commute from KSU.
I'm African-American, and never felt out of place in Forsyth county. It's the honest truth. In fact, half of the people in the subdivisions I've lived in are all out of state transplants like myself...the IT sector is booming in nearby Alpharetta...that tends to pull in a very diverse workforce, including blacks. Plenty Asians as well.
I'd choose Woodstock over Cumming unless you can afford North Fulton. But i'm biased because i'm black and Cumming is still less than 5 percent black due to the legacy of its history as a bastion of white supremacists until very recently. Plus if you have kids that plan on going to college, Woodstock is a reasonable commute from KSU.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayFromCT
I'm African-American, and never felt out of place in Forsyth county. It's the honest truth. In fact, half of the people in the subdivisions I've lived in are all out of state transplants like myself...the IT sector is booming in nearby Alpharetta...that tends to pull in a very diverse workforce, including blacks. Plenty Asians as well.
lethalhipster9 raises an important point in noting that the historical reputation of Forsyth County as a bastion of white supremacy continues to deter many (but not all) blacks from moving into the county.
But JayFromCT also raises some very important points in noting that much of the population in Forsyth County are out-of-state transplants attracted to the area by the booming IT sector that is heavily concentrated in nearby Alpharetta and in noting that there are many Asians that have been attracted to the area.
South Forsyth County has a relatively large and fast-growing Asian population that has been attracted to the area by the booming IT sector along the Georgia 400 corridor (through North Fulton and South Forsyth counties) and the extremely high quality of the schools in the Forsyth County school system... A school system which is very highly regarded as one of the best public school systems in the state of Georgia.
The booming Asian population in South Forsyth County is reflected in the latest official U.S. Census estimate of the county from 2016 in which Asians are reported to make up 12% of Forsyth County's overall population.
In some parts of South Forsyth County, Asian residents appear to make up as much as up to over 40% of the population and up to as much as 40-50% of the student populations in some local elementary schools like Daves Creek ES, Big Creek ES and Johns Creek ES.
Hispanics also register as a noticeable presence in the county, as over 9% of the population of Forsyth County.
Which minority rates of 12% for Asians, over 9% for Hispanics, only 3.6% for Blacks and over 26% for minorities overall may not sound like much. But those percentages are very significant for an area like Forsyth County which has a historical reputation for white supremacy and where the population was virtually 100% white in the not-too-distant past.
Forsyth County has come a long way from the days (circa-pre 1990) when it was an isolated rural community that openly discouraged minorities (especially African-Americans) from even thinking of stepping foot in the county.
^ Yeah, the Forsyth is not welcoming to blacks is so 1980. It's a very different place today. That really shouldn't be a decision point.
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