Midway Woods or East Point (or neither)? (Atlanta, Decatur: for sale, crime rate)

[Mazokunomiko]

My husband and I are first-time homebuyers, looking at ITP single-family homes under $200K. We were concentrating solely on the North Decatur and Clarkston (only the ITP parts) areas. We actually almost bought a house on Verdi Way, but the appraisal came back $24,000 below the price we agreed on. The sellers refused to budge and the deal fell through. We have since expanded our search.

A lot of my co-workers have suggested we look at homes in East Point. We drove through some of the historic districts, such as Jefferson Park, Conley Hills and Colonial Hills, and they seemed to be nice areas for the most part. Does anyone know if these neighborhoods are safe?

I've also seen quite a few homes for sale in the 30030 ZIP, but outside the city of Decatur. I believe the neighborhood is called Midway Woods or Dearborn Park. Is this a high-crime area?

One more question: Are the asking prices of homes in these areas inflated? I'd hate to have another deal fall through after the appraisal comes back. We were heartbroken (but glad we didn't get ripped off).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[cmtiger]

Midway Woods is a little spotty, but it is a very active neighborhood, and I think it is going to get a lot better in the next 5 years or so. It has already improved immensely in the past 5 years. I know a lot of wonderful people over there. I think you would really enjoy it. They do have some crime, but I think most of it is petty, and the neighbors there are very vigilant so things are getting much better.

Just pay attention to the houses around any house you are looking at over there. It's pretty easy to tell if you are in a seedy area. I think you will get a very good return on investment over there.

[Tdiddy0027]

East Point is going through a lot of gentrification and is fast losing its reputation as a ghetto. Plus it's a very quick drive into the city

[c.zhou57]

Don't know much about Midway Woods so i'll chime in about East Point. East Point has a very charming small town feel. There are some good restaurants in downtown EP, Thumbs Up Diner, Oz Pizza, and the Corner Tavern to name a few. I've been a resident for about 5 months close to the downtown area in a historic district that you have mentioned. There are pockets of crime, as do most in-town neighborhoods, but the overall crime rate in the downtown area is less than some popular in-town areas. If you are commuting to downtown Atlanta, EP has a shorter commute than Midway (I can get to downtown in stop and go rush hour in about 15 minutes, 8 without traffic). Check out eastpointliving.com and follow the links to the individual n'hoods you mentioned to get a feel for the city. I recommend you to visit the neighborhood association meetings and get a feel from the many that call EP home. To your question about over-inflation, no, I don't believe the asking prices are inflated over here.

[gumboula]

Any thought that the continued mess of a city government in East Point may affect property values? Do residents feel that they receive adequate city services?

[c.zhou57]

Honestly I hate to admit I'm not very informed about the city govt even though I've been a resident here for a couple of months. East Point Police Dept has been wonderful to us and they take the time to come to our monthly neighborhood meetings and give us updates on the area. My utilities are billed from the city, all except gas, and I found their rates to be fair. I do know that the city is in a big budget shortfall and is working towards eliminating wastes to have a more balanced budget. As to it affecting property values- maybe, but I don't think I've been in the area long enough to answer that question. The media's tendency to sensationalize the coverage of the budget crisis certainly doesn't help. However - I do think that while our homes here continue to be very affordable then we will continue to lure many 1st-time homeowners like the OP. But maybe some long-term residents from EP can answer the question better?

[Mazokunomiko]

I do love the homes in East Point, and it seems that they're a little more affordable than the ones in Midway Woods.

I did see that East Point had to close down two fire stations. Any thoughts on that?

[Mazokunomiko]

Thanks a bunch for all the info. East Point sounds like a nice area, and we are going to put an offer on a house in Conley Hills. Hopefully the appraisal will go OK!

Just wondering, is the Conley Hills neighborhood association a mandatory thing, as in you have to pay monthly fees, follow covenants, etc.? Or is it more of a neighborhood watch thing?

[c.zhou57]

East Point did have to close down two fire stations. It is tough times for the city with our budget shortfall and there will be more changes (hopefully better) in the future.

All neighborhood associations are voluntary around the downtown area in EP. Sometimes there's a very small fee, something like $20 or so to cover the cost of newsletters to your door, sign toppers, activities and the like. They are basically neighborhood watch associations as you have said but have grown into something more for the residents. In JP, where I live, there are many get-togethers like the annual tour of homes and gardens, saturday brunches, progressive dinners, beautification days, mixers, and many more.

[Mazokunomiko]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like a fun group of people out there in East Point.