Relocating to Atlanta from South Jersey ~ Please Advise (Sandy Springs, Roswell: rent, condos)

[BUCD]

Hi. Hope you can help. I'm relocating for my job from South Jersey (Burlington twonship) to Atlanta. My office is near the airport for now; moving somewhere north of the city in '08.

I've started looking for homes, as of today. The realtor showed me homes in Buford, Lawrenceville & Grayson. Mostly Buford. I like the area around the Mall of Georgia. Looking for new areas with diverse, young people & malls/shopping. Realtor is showing me Marietta & Roswell tomorrow, but says they are "old" areas (both people & homes).

Is Buford a good place? Good schools? I have a 2 year-old right now, but she'll be ready for pre-school (then elementary) not too long from now. My budget is $275K to $375K for a single-family home, newer the better.

Please advise. Are there residential areas in my price range closer to the city? After driving in traffic today on I-85, I'm a little scared Buford may be too far (over 1 hour at rush hour) from the airport area. Thanks.

[jxu66]

Buford to airport is more than one hour (probably more like one hour half to two hours) in rush hour. Of those choices, only Roswell has access to MARTA train. MARTA train takes around 55 minutes from North Spring train station to airport, 35 minutes to downtown. If you pick Marietta, you have to drive. I-75 South is pretty busy in the morning as well.

You should look at Peachtree City area if you want to close to airport. A lot of Delta follks live there.

[BUCD]

Thanks. To commute to the north of the city or north perimeter, what are some good places to buy a home north of Atlanta?

[jxu66]

East Cobb (unincorporate part of Marietta) is always on people's top choices. Ask for Walton, Lassister and Pope high school districts. Also, John's Creek has pretty good schools (ask for Northview and Chattohoochee high school school districts). If you are only care about elementary school, West Norcross (ask for Simpson elementary school district) and Dunwoody (ask for Vanderlyn Elementary school district).

Both Dunwoody and West Norcross area are pretty close to MARTA train as well.

[lastminutemom]

Do you know where your office will be relocating North to? North is a pretty broad discription....

For example, if your office is in Kennesaw, you might not want to live in Buford...

[BUCD]

Unfortunately no; just that it will be north of the city. Also, to jxu66, MARTA is not an option for commuting. For the next year though, I'll be commuting to the location right by the airport. Took me about an hour or so from the Mall of Georgia to the office at 3pm today, but that was supposedly going opposite traffic. I still ran into quite a bit of traffic approaching the city. I'm just getting worried how bad it might be going with rush hour traffic!

Buford/Lawrenceville does seem like a nice area; lots of newer homes in the 300's. Marietta/Roswell/Symarna seem to have older, pricier homes. Was considering Fayeteville & Peachtree City to the south, but if my office will eventually move to the north, that doesn't make sense.

Guess I'm hoping the drive to the airport area from Buford/Dacula/Lawrenceville isn't really that bad. About an 1 hour to 1:15 is my wishful thinking.

[jxu66]

Maybe you can just rent for a year around peachtree city . Then buy in the north when you figure out new office. Lastminutemom is right. It is very difficult to get from one suburb to another suburb. It took my coworker one hour to one hour 15 minutes from Marietta to Duluth for example. I-285 is pretty congest as well.

[sweettea1]

There are lots of options in Smyrna, and new ones as well. Don't write it off yet. It's convenient to the airport too. Takes me anywhere from 20-40 minutes to get to the Perimeter area in rush hour in the AM.

[BUCD]

That sounds promising, thanks. Will look at Symarna, and also Dunwoody & Sandy Springs looked good when I drive past to Roswell to check out homes today.

[lastminutemom]

Smyrna -- school situation may not be the best yet -- I think it will change over time as the community changes -- and a new charter school opens there next year --Imagine International Academy of Smyrna as well as Imagine International Academy of Mableton.

Dunwoody and Sandy Springs will get you very different housing than Roswell in your price range. In terms of single family housing, you will have far fewer options in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs than Roswell. Not impossible but just difficult. You will find no new homes in your price range in either Dunwoody or Sandy Springs that are not condos or townhomes -- and most homes in your price range will be at least 40 years old. There may be an exception or two, but they will be rare.

Given that your child isn't school age, couild you rent in Fayette County area for a year. I find that Atlanta is a difficult city to get to know and renting, especially if you don't have school aged kids, is a great way to give yourself time to learn the lay of the land.

You could also consider renting in the Buckhead area which would give you proximity to both the airport and the northern area for househunting purposes.