Young Couple Buying House in Metro Atlanta; Which Neighborhood? (Smyrna: apartments, condos)

[jp0812]

My wife and I have lived on the south side of Atlanta our entire lives, but we are looking to move into the city for at least a few years before we settle down to have kids. We are 24 years old, no kids, my job is around the airport, and she is a nurse at Piedmont Hospital on Peachtree Road. We want to be near other young couples, but we don't know where they live in the city. We really want to buy a house, and be done with apartments and condos. We want to take advantage of the new good deals, tax credits, and low interest rates while they are still here. We want to be in an area with low crime (For Atlanta), walkable to restaurants/bars/shopping/etc, under 250K, and an area where housing prices will rise when they do. We do not mind being just outside the perimeter, but we do want a somewhat city feel.

Am I asking too much, or is this just not a possibility in Atlanta?

[sweettea1]

You could probably do a townhouse in Smyrna for that price. Great area for your jobs, potential kids, walkability, proximity to midtown, etc.

[jp0812]

Thanks. Is Vinings about my price range, or is it just not what I am looking for? I was just wondering since they are next to each other.

[atl30307]

You might find some possibilities intown in the Kirkwood neighborhood within walking distance to the Kirkwood Village shops/dining and pretty centrally located between the airport for you and Piedmont Hosp for your wife. There are some new townhomes in that price range at SoHo Kirkwood and at Kirkwood Station, as well as some single family homes.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by jp0812

Thanks. Is Vinings about my price range, or is it just not what I am looking for? I was just wondering since they are next to each other.

$250K will probably not get you very far in Vinings, unless prices have fallen more than I know. Sweettea's suggestion of Smyrna is a good one IMO.

[sweettea1]

You could probably get a condo in Vinings proper. It's much more expensive, inside the city limits (Fulton county) so the taxes are higher too. My vote would be somewhere in Cobb County. Check out the John Weiland development One Ivy Walk. It's very urban in feel but still has the Cobb County benefits. You could technically walk to Vinings (it's about a mile). Not sure of the prices there tho so I could be totally off but there may be some condos for under 250K.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by sweettea1

You could probably get a condo in Vinings proper. It's much more expensive, inside the city limits (Fulton county) so the taxes are higher too. My vote would be somewhere in Cobb County. Check out the John Weiland development One Ivy Walk. It's very urban in feel but still has the Cobb County benefits. You could technically walk to Vinings (it's about a mile). Not sure of the prices there tho so I could be totally off but there may be some condos for under 250K.

Bottom end for units in One Ivy Walk appears to be around 525k?

This might be a good starting point, tho:

Smyrna Vinings Condos & Townhomes from 200,000

[Bullbear]

If you can pay cash,and have an appetite for risk, One Vinings Main is worth checking out. New condos in your price range, very near downtown vinings. Just be careful. They havent sold many units and the developer could be in trouble. And no mortgages - only cash offers. That probably makes it a no-go for most, I realize, but you never know.

[SoBuKev]

Vinings is NOT in the city, nor is it in Fulton.

Vinings is in Cobb County.

[jp0812]

Sobukev,

Where would you suggest? Do you know of any neighborhoods in the city that may fit my description?