Closer to Family Move...Need Expert Opinions :) (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: condo, townhome)

[GreatDane1]

Hi all- I have lurked for months reading and have decided to post, because we need information. My husband and I are planning to relocate next summer to Atlanta or Dallas (he has job opportunities in both). I read the sticky and will be following directions

1. Budget: $300,000 to $450,000. We can afford more, but would prefer not to as the costs of living is less than Chicago.

2. House/Condo/Townhome? Single Family Home

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home): Husband will be working inside the perimeter close to Lenox. I am able to work remotely, but will have to go to an office periodically that is located in Marietta (Powers Ferry).

4. Children(public school vs. private): I am pregnant, lol. We will choose public schools when the time comes, but we do want to be in a neighborhood with good schools.

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two: Hmmm, well my husband is really into suburban, but I am into the mix. We are planning to visit for a week and would like to have the assistance of a realtor (PM me for any recommendations).

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? It would be nice, but not the end of the world.

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. Diverse; we are an interracial professional couple. We currently live in Chicago (Northside of the city) and before that Seattle. We love walking neighborhoods, but we do want and need safety and good schools...and don't really want to compromise on the latter.

Being new to the area, we would also like a neighborhood where people talk to each other and are friendly. Ihave read many posts and think we might like the City of Decatur.... However, on our last visit to see a few friends, we drove through Sandy Springs and it was beautiful.

Besides any neighborhood recommendations, in our experience you typically need a realtor for each neighborhood you are considering (that is what we did in Chicago and Seattle). Please PM me recommendations of realtors for specific neighborhoods that you think would be good for us.

BTW: Besides being pregnant, we have two dogs...a Great Dane and a Cavalier, lol.

Thanks in advance.

[IntownHomes247]

Decatur is wonderful, but Sandy Springs or Dunwoody would be much more convenient for you, considering where you both will be working. Your budget will also go further outside the perimeter than it would in Decatur.

[roxyrn]

I really like Roswell. Suburban feeling with homes, but a very cute little area with shops, restaurants (Canton Street is featured in this month's Southern Living magazine as "Georgia's Best Street to Eat"). The schools are good and it is close to parks, river, etc.

[GreatDane1]

Thank you both so much! It is a very big decision and we are trying to be as proactive as possible. We want to make sure that when we go visit, we have areas to concentrate on.

Thanks again!

[roxyrn]

It really helps to do as much research ahead of time as possible and concentrate on the areas that are at the top of your list. It also helped me on the next trip to drive through ITP areas to compare "the feel." And also the differences in prices between areas can be significant.