SFH Purchase - Kirkwood vs. N. Druid Hills vs. N. Decatur (Lawrenceville: rent, first time home buyer)

[zenith1107]

Hi All,

I'm a first time home buyer currently shopping for a single family home to live (and possibly rent out after a year or so, since I will be graduating from phd and possibly have to relocate). I found some nice ranch-style houses for around $250k around the North Druid Hills neighborhood near Emory (particularly around the Toco Hills shopping complex) as well as around North Decatur (between Lawrenceville highway and GA-78 inside the perimeter). However I also found some nice houses that are much newer and bigger than the Decatur and NDH ones around the Kirkwood area going for under $200k. They are all located close to Toomer Elementary school along Rogers Street and Hosea Williams Drive. I know Kirkwood is definitely less suburban and more diverse than the other two areas and is undergoing gentrification, but the giant GA Power factory thing between Rogers and Warren streets is really an eyesore.

I'm just wondering how these places compare on a return on investment basis at reselling time (assuming the housing market picks up, obviously and that I can get the NDH/Decatur homes for $250k and the Kirkwood ones for somewhere around $150-$200k), given factors such as crime, desirability, gentrification level, school, future development projects, etc. If anyone knows how easy homes around these places can be rented out, that would be great as well.

Thanks so much for your help! Any opinion is appreciated.