Moving to S. Fulton 30331 (Atlanta, Alpharetta: real estate, crime rate, townhome)

[nymdgermanymd]

Please Help!! I have been reading these comments--and I am still confused! I know everyone has an opinion--but I can't get a good read on S. Fulton! My family and I are relocating to Atlanta-S. Fulton area--Falls of Cascade new Silver Creek community to be exact next month. My husband will transfer with his job to Atlanta. I thought did alot of online research--but now I am not sure. We visited the area--and we loved it. We only stayed for a few days. The family I have in Georgia is so diverse--they can't give me the specifics about this area. My husband and I have 5 children. We are from NY, but have spent the last few years in maryland. I understand the traffic, the overcrowding, the prices--but for people like us paying $350,000 plus for a regular 3 bedroom townhome in MD, the South seems like the only answer to provide our family with a single family home we can afford. We felt like all we've heard about Atlanta--it was a good starting point for us. We may have rushed--but we put a contract on a home at the Falls of Cascade--and the area seems great!! But some of the comments conflict with what we thought. We went to CampCreek Marketplace and thought things seemed like we were used to. Not too rural, not too city(urban). I am now concerned with the schools. We would be assigned to Westlake HS, Sandtown MS, and Stonetell elem. I compared the grades and test scores to other counties (Henry, Cobb, Douglas, Gwinnett) and they all were very similar--to my childrens particular schools. I just couldn't find the crime stats for the schools or area. The one site that said the crime score was 228, based on a scale of 100!!--But I couldn't determine if it was a summary of Atlanta as a whole. I was told that that was a good school district--and now I am worried because we don't have money for private school. We visited Douglasville when we were there--I didn't like the particular community--but the town seemed ok. Please help before we go to closing. Just helpful info for my particular concerns!! We really like the house and price and are so excited--but are willing to hear the truth, even if its painful. Thanks! Sorry so long.

[DoveDiva]

Umm....Cascade is a nice area within Atlanta...a lot of old money. The subdivision you are in is not in the city limit....but in the middle of nowhere. They are really trying to build up that area...but it's such a drive to get anywhere from there. Crime out that way isn't really bad, because not a lot of people live out that way. Westlake HS--there's a lot of drama going on with the school b/c Fulton County is building up new schools in the northern part of the county yet they are not taking care of the schools in the southern part of the county. The school is overcrowded, the A/C doesn't work at times, I can go on. Sandtown MS is a fairly new middle school, the principal of that school just recently became the principal @ the high school. Sandtown ES did not make Adequate Yearly Progress last year, and I think they have to offer School Choice. Stonewall Tell ES--I don't know much about the school...sorry.

Cobb, Douglas, Gwinnett, and Henry all have better schools in the price range you are seeking, sorry to say. In addition, the crime rate is much lower in some areas, and you would have a lot more amenities.

Hope this helps.

[Tdiddy0027]

but south Fulton is on its way!

[DoveDiva]

^ you got that right!
They are, as my students like to say, "on the come up"

[jonjon01]

South Fulton is great, it appears to be growing fast and the next big push in ATL.

[jeweloflight]

Cascade area is one of those older parts of Atlanta that still has crime in parts of it, but is "up and coming". You always take a gamble when you purchase real estate with this kind of demographic. As for your housing development being in the middle of nowhere, the way things go in Atlanta, something will be in the middle of nowhere one year, and the next thing you know you're stuck in a traffic jam trying to get home. You just have to ask yourself do you have enough faith in the community and the area that it will change, and do you have a chance on getting a good return on your investment when you decide to sell. Who knows, maybe it has crime and a poor school system now, but in 5 years you could be sitting on a gold mine. The previous poster is right though, the schools leave a lot to be desired, and as for major shopping and attractions, it's lacking. You would have done well with your $350k in lot of other areas that have more to offer at the moment. Never go thru on real estate contract if you have even the slightest reservation, it's not something so easily reversed.

[stvincent]

While Cascade is a nice community I would advise against it if you all can not afford private schools. For the 2003-2004 school year at Westlake High their average SAT score was only a 906 out of 1600. I understand that that statistic is a couple of years old but I doubt is has risen dramatically since then, even with the new test in place. This is compared to Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta with an average of 1122 the same year. Eighty-seven percent of the students at Chattahoochee were eligible for the HOPE scholorship that year, which means they all had GPAs of 3.0 or higher, while Westlake only had fifty-nine percent eligible for the HOPE. Now, Chattahoochee is consistantly among the top three public schools in the state so those stats are about as good as a public education will get you in Georgia. And the Chattahoochee district is extreemly expensive with most homes starting in the half-million dollar range. You can check out these stats at: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/gen...ide/index.html.

If living in a Black community is important to you, you might want to check out parts of Fayette County. It is a mixed area but Blacks are growing in population. You should look into finding a home in Fayetteville, zip 30214 in the Fayette County High Cluster. The Fayetteville Intermediate School is 44% Black, 44% Black, and 12% other. Fayette Middle is 32% Black and Fayette County High is 24% Black. Plus, 70% of the students at Fayette County High graduated with at least a 3.0 and their average SAT score was 1034. Fayette County is becoming more diverse and more and more middle class Black families are moving there because they want to live in nice communities with better schools than South Fulton and South Dekalb, but still be around other Black families. I think Fayetteville would be a much better pick if private school is not an option.

[nymdgermanymd]

Thank you all for the time you took to respond to my concerns. I appreciate all of the valuable info received. We closed on our home here in August and have been enjoying things thus far. I do believe the community is "UP and Coming". We will be relying on our Faith that this was a great decision for our family. My children are doing well in school-Honor Roll, and extra curricular activities. The school staff and environment has shown forth tremendous effort and growth just from August of this schoolyear--with just a couple of issues!! Your info has helped me to realize that we will have to work "extra" hard as a family--to make up the educational difference. We will have to ensure our children seek knowledge above and beyond the limitations the schools may have. We ARE a short distance away from most subdivisions and shopping centers.. "right now"... and it IS quiet--its pretty nice like that so far. But, they are building homes and retail everywhere we turn. Our home's market value has already increased $20,000 with this 2nd phase of building commencing! I pray that is a good sign. It takes me 7 minutes to get to Walmart-Lithia Springs, 10 minutes to get to CampCreek Marketplace, 15 minutes to Arborplace Mall, and 20 minutes to Hartsfield Airport. My husbands job location is 25 minutes away--and he will work during moderate/low traffic times. So far, our blessings have come abundantly--and can only pray they continue for my family, as well as every other family. Again, Thank you so much for all of your info, research, and experience! Keep us in prayers!! God Bless!

[sprtsluvr8]

If you are going to base your opinion of a school or school system on SAT scores then you are not doing the best for your children. A "good" education for your child can be directly related to his/her teacher. Low test scores DO NOT reflect the teachers or the school as much as the parents and the community. The teachers at Stonewall-Tell are every bit as good and hard working and committed as teachers in Alpharetta. We need to stop placing blame on the schools and the teachers when we know where the problem lies.

As far as crime...you can be sure that in a brand new community like the one you described, there will be very little crime. South Fulton has a false reputation for crime that is perpetuated by people who have never even been to most parts of it. Most of S.F. is fine and safe and you won't have any problem in your area. There are bad areas, but they are not the norm and are not widespread. You would have recognized it if the area was high in crime; it's not hard to spot.

[DoveDiva]

Originally Posted by nymdgermanymd

Thank you all for the time you took to respond to my concerns. I appreciate all of the valuable info received. We closed on our home here in August and have been enjoying things thus far. I do believe the community is "UP and Coming". We will be relying on our Faith that this was a great decision for our family. My children are doing well in school-Honor Roll, and extra curricular activities. The school staff and environment has shown forth tremendous effort and growth just from August of this schoolyear--with just a couple of issues!! Your info has helped me to realize that we will have to work "extra" hard as a family--to make up the educational difference. We will have to ensure our children seek knowledge above and beyond the limitations the schools may have. We ARE a short distance away from most subdivisions and shopping centers.. "right now"... and it IS quiet--its pretty nice like that so far. But, they are building homes and retail everywhere we turn. Our home's market value has already increased $20,000 with this 2nd phase of building commencing! I pray that is a good sign. It takes me 7 minutes to get to Walmart-Lithia Springs, 10 minutes to get to CampCreek Marketplace, 15 minutes to Arborplace Mall, and 20 minutes to Hartsfield Airport. My husbands job location is 25 minutes away--and he will work during moderate/low traffic times. So far, our blessings have come abundantly--and can only pray they continue for my family, as well as every other family. Again, Thank you so much for all of your info, research, and experience! Keep us in prayers!! God Bless!

Glad to hear the good news! Blessings to you and your family!