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Hello! I am a fifty something woman, divorced with 2 adult children, currently still living with me
I’ve lived in the Chicago suburbs my entire life and want to make a change in the next 1-2 years. I like space, but also like amenities - good restaurants, shopping, etc. Right now I’m in a townhouse and can walk to the farmers market and my shopping is all within 5 miles or so and I enjoy that.
I’d like a house, but townhome is an option. I’d like something in a swim community, not an over 55 community (I don’t think) and my budget is $500-$900k. Ideally I’d like newer construction, but I would prioritize neighborhood vibe over new construction. I’m thinking Forsyth or Cobb county but flexible. Low taxes appeal to me - right now my property taxes are $17k a year.
My daughter and I may come down for a week in July to get a feel for the area. Im also considering the Huntsville, AL area, but want to look at GA first as I think it is a possible landing spot for my kids for work. I still work but am 100% remote, with work travel every 4-6 weeks.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions - I appreciate suggestions, advice and any feedback!
Hello! I am a fifty something woman, divorced with 2 adult children, currently still living with me
I’ve lived in the Chicago suburbs my entire life and want to make a change in the next 1-2 years. I like space, but also like amenities - good restaurants, shopping, etc. Right now I’m in a townhouse and can walk to the farmers market and my shopping is all within 5 miles or so and I enjoy that.
I’d like a house, but townhome is an option. I’d like something in a swim community, not an over 55 community (I don’t think) and my budget is $500-$900k. Ideally I’d like newer construction, but I would prioritize neighborhood vibe over new construction. I’m thinking Forsyth or Cobb county but flexible. Low taxes appeal to me - right now my property taxes are $17k a year.
My daughter and I may come down for a week in July to get a feel for the area. Im also considering the Huntsville, AL area, but want to look at GA first as I think it is a possible landing spot for my kids for work. I still work but am 100% remote, with work travel every 4-6 weeks.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions - I appreciate suggestions, advice and any feedback!
You pay $17k in property tax for a townhouse in the Chicago suburbs? Wow! No wonder so many people move to the Atlanta area from Chicagoland.
You'll be pleased to learn that you'll be paying far less in property tax each year anywhere in Metro Atlanta than you pay now.
For context, $17k is an amount one could expect to pay in property tax for a $1.5 million estate house on an acre lot in a higher-tax Metro Atlanta municipality.
For that $500k to $900k price range you stated, expect to pay between $4k ($500k property in a low-tax jurisdiction) and $12k ($900k property in slightly-less low-tax jurisdiction).
The areas of the northern Atlanta suburbs with the lowest tax rates are unincorporated Cherokee County, Forsyth County, and the City of Buford, closely followed by unincorporated Cobb County and the North Fulton County cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, and Sandy Springs as well as the Cherokee County city of Woodstock. I think you'll be happy in any of these places.
Downtown Alpharetta or nearby, as Citykid3785 mentioned, would be a good choice due to its many restaurants, its many stores, and its generally very nice downtown area. However, you'll certainly be at the top of your price range, and you may very well not find a home you like at a price you can afford. For that reason, I might search elsewhere for a better value.
Another place you could consider is Downtown Woodstock in Cherokee County. I'm thinking you might enjoy a subdivision like South on Main -- a new swim community which is walkable to Downtown Woodstock (20 to 30 minute walk) and also within 5 or 10 minutes by car to most of your stores and restaurants. Woodstock is still on the more expensive side, but it's more affordable than Alpharetta.
Finally... you might also want to consider Downtown Roswell or Downtown Marietta, though the inventory of newly-built and recently-built homes in these places will be smaller.
If it were me I’d get a townhouse near DT Alpharetta
Thank you! I’ll put it on my list. I thought Alpharetta might be too big, but looking on Zillow I do like the townhomes available, though definitely at the high end of my budget.
You pay $17k in property tax for a townhouse in the Chicago suburbs? Wow! No wonder so many people move to the Atlanta area from Chicagoland.
You'll be pleased to learn that you'll be paying far less in property tax each year anywhere in Metro Atlanta than you pay now.
For context, $17k is an amount one could expect to pay in property tax for a $1.5 million estate house on an acre lot in a higher-tax Metro Atlanta municipality.
For that $500k to $900k price range you stated, expect to pay between $4k ($500k property in a low-tax jurisdiction) and $12k ($900k property in slightly-less low-tax jurisdiction).
The areas of the northern Atlanta suburbs with the lowest tax rates are unincorporated Cherokee County, Forsyth County, and the City of Buford, closely followed by unincorporated Cobb County and the North Fulton County cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell, and Sandy Springs as well as the Cherokee County city of Woodstock. I think you'll be happy in any of these places.
Downtown Alpharetta or nearby, as Citykid3785 mentioned, would be a good choice due to its many restaurants, its many stores, and its generally very nice downtown area. However, you'll certainly be at the top of your price range, and you may very well not find a home you like at a price you can afford. For that reason, I might search elsewhere for a better value.
Another place you could consider is Downtown Woodstock in Cherokee County. I'm thinking you might enjoy a subdivision like South on Main -- a new swim community which is walkable to Downtown Woodstock (20 to 30 minute walk) and also within 5 or 10 minutes by car to most of your stores and restaurants. Woodstock is still on the more expensive side, but it's more affordable than Alpharetta.
Finally... you might also want to consider Downtown Roswell or Downtown Marietta, though the inventory of newly-built and recently-built homes in these places will be smaller.
This is SO helpful - the property taxes here are insane. Our income tax rate is lower than GA, but only by a percentage point or so, and sales tax can be high, too.
This really expands my search - I really appreciate your thoughtful response.
If it were me I’d get a townhouse near DT Alpharetta
I agree with this advice from Citykid3785.
With your apparent desire to live near amenities like good restaurants, shopping, a good farmers market, etc, and with Georgia being a possible landing spot for your adult children’s work, it appears that an amenity-filled upscale suburban community like Alpharetta would be an excellent area for you to target for relocation.
Downtown Alpharetta (with its growing walkable downtown village area with its numerous shops, boutiques and restaurants, and community gathering and event spot at the Alpharetta Town Green that has a farmers market that runs every Saturday morning from April to November) very likely should be the very first area that you target for relocation in the Atlanta suburbs.
Over the past decade or so, the greater Alpharetta area has emerged as a very major and very important hub of well-paying jobs and economic activity, not just for the North Atlanta suburbs, but also in the state of Georgia and in the Southeastern U.S.
Alpharetta has emerged as a major hub of tech industry activity in the Southeastern U.S. over the past decade or more after the Great Recession economic downturn of the very late 2000’s.
With this emergence as a major Southeast regional hub of well-paying tech jobs and economic activity, Alpharetta has also emerged as one of the most affluent and upscale suburban communities in the entire U.S.
Almost every suburban metropolitan amenity one can need or want access to can be accessed in the Alpharetta area. There are numerous upscale retail developments located throughout the greater Alpharetta/North Fulton County/South Forsyth County.
The greater Alpharetta area straddles the line between North Fulton and Forsyth counties and (by way of the Georgia State Route 400/US Highway 19 freeway) provides fairly quick direct access to the urban amenities of Atlanta to the south and the scenic and recreational amenities of the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian foothills and mountains wilderness region of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee to the north.
In additional to Alpharetta, the greater Alpharetta/North Fulton County/Forsyth County area also includes very upscale and highly affluent suburban communities like Milton, Johns Creek, Roswell, Cumming and the Forsyth County side of Suwanee.
Alpharetta, North Fulton County and Forsyth County is an increasingly highly diverse area that is increasingly dominated by transplants from other parts of the country like California, the Midwest, the Northeast and other parts of the greater American South as well as by immigrants from Asia and Latin America.
Huntsville, Alabama is a great area to consider also, but the North Atlanta suburbs will offer a much more cosmopolitan environment with many more metropolitan amenities along with better access to the getaway spots of Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian Mountains region.
Marietta (with its very active and popular walkable large downtown village area, town square and popular Saturday farmers market) and Cobb County could be another part of the Atlanta suburbs for you to consider that appears to have the amenities that you are looking for.
Lawrenceville (with its very active downtown village area) and Gwinnett County (including communities with popular and active downtown village areas like Duluth, Suwanee, Buford and Norcross) could be a good third option for you to consider behind Alpharetta/North Fulton County/Forsyth County and Marietta/Cobb County.
Forsyth County has very low property taxes, & when you turn 65, you no longer have to pay for the school portion of your property tax bill which reduces it by ~80%...it gets crazy cheap.
The Cumming Farmers Market is currently weak, but growing.
Market Place Blvd is a shopping mecca just East of 400, & North of state rd 20. Higher end shopping is just South at an outdoor mall called The Avenue, and a few exits further South is the #1 shopping area in Northern Atlanta ... Avalon. To the North is a very popular outlet mall in Dahlonega called North Georgia Outlet Mall. There's a Regional Mall called Mall of Georgia 30 minutes East along state rd 20...lots of traffic unless you know when to go.
Northside Hospital has a near new & large branch right there at 400 & state rd 20, & as you age, you'll want to be near quality healthcare.
Lake Lanier is right there too, & I'm sure you'd enjoy that.
Day trips to the quaint towns in the North Georgia Mountains are just 45-60 minutes away like Dawsonville, & Dahlonega. You'll find wineries, amazing Pumpkin patches at Burts Pumpkin Farm, a huge waterfall, & all kinds of escapes from suburban life.
I left that area 6 yrs ago, but if I were to return, that is where I'd go. There's a small community theatre in Downtown Cumming, & a few bars that feature live music in Downtown Cumming too.
Best of luck to you, I think your choices are all good.
I’d like a house, but townhome is an option. I’d like something in a swim community, not an over 55 community (I don’t think) and my budget is $500-$900k. Ideally I’d like newer construction, but I would prioritize neighborhood vibe over new construction. I’m thinking Forsyth or Cobb county but flexible. Low taxes appeal to me - right now my property taxes are $17k a year.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions - I appreciate suggestions, advice and any feedback!
You have many many choices.
One possible choice you might like is Martin's Landing in Roswell. There are only two listings in your price range available now at the time of this posting.
With your apparent desire to live near amenities like good restaurants, shopping, a good farmers market, etc, and with Georgia being a possible landing spot for your adult children’s work, it appears that an amenity-filled upscale suburban community like Alpharetta would be an excellent area for you to target for relocation.
Downtown Alpharetta (with its growing walkable downtown village area with its numerous shops, boutiques and restaurants, and community gathering and event spot at the Alpharetta Town Green that has a farmers market that runs every Saturday morning from April to November) very likely should be the very first area that you target for relocation in the Atlanta suburbs.
Over the past decade or so, the greater Alpharetta area has emerged as a very major and very important hub of well-paying jobs and economic activity, not just for the North Atlanta suburbs, but also in the state of Georgia and in the Southeastern U.S.
Alpharetta has emerged as a major hub of tech industry activity in the Southeastern U.S. over the past decade or more after the Great Recession economic downturn of the very late 2000’s.
With this emergence as a major Southeast regional hub of well-paying tech jobs and economic activity, Alpharetta has also emerged as one of the most affluent and upscale suburban communities in the entire U.S.
Almost every suburban metropolitan amenity one can need or want access to can be accessed in the Alpharetta area. There are numerous upscale retail developments located throughout the greater Alpharetta/North Fulton County/South Forsyth County.
The greater Alpharetta area straddles the line between North Fulton and Forsyth counties and (by way of the Georgia State Route 400/US Highway 19 freeway) provides fairly quick direct access to the urban amenities of Atlanta to the south and the scenic and recreational amenities of the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian foothills and mountains wilderness region of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee to the north.
In additional to Alpharetta, the greater Alpharetta/North Fulton County/Forsyth County area also includes very upscale and highly affluent suburban communities like Milton, Johns Creek, Roswell, Cumming and the Forsyth County side of Suwanee.
Alpharetta, North Fulton County and Forsyth County is an increasingly highly diverse area that is increasingly dominated by transplants from other parts of the country like California, the Midwest, the Northeast and other parts of the greater American South as well as by immigrants from Asia and Latin America.
Huntsville, Alabama is a great area to consider also, but the North Atlanta suburbs will offer a much more cosmopolitan environment with many more metropolitan amenities along with better access to the getaway spots of Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian Mountains region.
Marietta (with its very active and popular walkable large downtown village area, town square and popular Saturday farmers market) and Cobb County could be another part of the Atlanta suburbs for you to consider that appears to have the amenities that you are looking for.
Lawrenceville (with its very active downtown village area) and Gwinnett County (including communities with popular and active downtown village areas like Duluth, Suwanee, Buford and Norcross) could be a good third option for you to consider behind Alpharetta/North Fulton County/Forsyth County and Marietta/Cobb County.
To the bolded point, my son is in grad school now and wants to be a data scientist, which makes Alpharetta a great choice.
The idea of Alpharetta and a townhome is really growing on me. I thought I’d enjoy a house (I like to garden) but realistically the convenience of a townhome just makes sense. Im going to look at Marietta, Cobb county and the Gwinnett county area also because it’s good to have options. In a perfect world I’d like to be closer to $750k max, but I’m realistic about what I want and what it will cost.
Thank you very very much for your detailed response. If the replies here are any indication, Georgia is filled with kind people!
To the bolded point, my son is in grad school now and wants to be a data scientist, which makes Alpharetta a great choice.
The idea of Alpharetta and a townhome is really growing on me. I thought I’d enjoy a house (I like to garden) but realistically the convenience of a townhome just makes sense. Im going to look at Marietta, Cobb county and the Gwinnett county area also because it’s good to have options. In a perfect world I’d like to be closer to $750k max, but I’m realistic about what I want and what it will cost.
Thank you very very much for your detailed response. If the replies here are any indication, Georgia is filled with kind people!
Re: the bolded, I consider this to be the friendliest major U.S. Metro by far. It's a great place.
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