Where's the best place to live in GA? (Atlanta, Columbus: best cities, buying a house)

[frosty2]

Originally Posted by LeavinFlorida

I think the development that Tiffani is thinking of in Flowery Branch is called Sterling on the lake. We've looked there too as well as other areas in Gwinnett. It is beautiful. Looking to move from So Fla because yes the taxes and insurance are just outrageous.for example a $400,000 home would have real estate taxes of $10,000 a year. We've outgrown our house here although we love our area, its hard to afford to buy another home here thats bigger.Most houses here start around $500,000. We have 2 kids one in elem & one in middle, the schools here in my area are great and I hate to leave the sun and palm trees but think it may come to that. That development in Flowery branch seems awesome for kids and shopping was close by. that was the area we liked best. My sister & her family live in Bethlehem GA which is a little too rural for me but she likes it there and has 3 young kids. Were looking for a nice (safe) family area with stuff to do (both kids are into sports) & good schools. When we visit Ga we love it and can picture ourselves living there but when we come back home to Florida we are confused again. Its a hard decision to make that move but so many are going. Other South Floridians - what do you think? where is the best place?

I live in South Florida as well and planning to move to Georgia. I visited and loved it, but like you, am confused as to if it's the right move.... I liked Gwinneth county and some of the surrounding areas but some looked to rural for me... I loved the developments and was determine. But once we came back to the sunshine state, I wasn't so sure anymore... Like you said, the taxes and insurance are just pushing out.

[Bracha]

Originally Posted by lee16240

We are going to relocate to GA in about 12-18 months, from FL, and I would like for people from all over Georgia to tell me about where they live so that I can find the right place for us. I look forward to hearing about all the wonderful/not so wonderful places to live. Please include cost of living, i.e., insurance (car/home), taxes, jobs, as well as crime rate, etc. Thanks so much in advance for your needed information.

First thing we need to know is where you both are going to commute to, then tell us what is your price range for a home you want to purchase, then be a little more specific with what you are looking for, for yourself and your family;
that will help you to narrow down the areas. Generally speaking, Atlanta is rapidly growing outside the perimeter and relatively to Florida, prices of homes are very affordable and insurance is much much more affordable.
I have lived in Atlanta and surroundings for 20 years and love it.

[benniemac41]

where is a nice location for a family reunion. i need a nice park. stone mountain is nice but quite expensive for the amount of time you are alotted for the meal. the location prefered is between buford ga and atlanta. any suggestions would be great. i will also need to find a dee jay for some music. if anyone has any suggestions would you please email them to me? Removed. thanks all

[benniemac41]

buford ga is wonderful. its minutes from flowery branch. I have been here for 5 years and I would not live anywhere else. excellent schools and low crime area. beautiful homes also. not close to the city but not too far. you can get to atlanta in under 30 minutes in the event you would like to explore the city.

[happymom4]

Originally Posted by nibseysgirl

I am considering moving from Fl to GA in the next year or so...If anyone has any information about cost of living, taxes, neihborhood type communities, good middle and high schools(I have a 6th grader). We are looking to buy a house but we do not want to live in the city but not in the boonies either. We are origionally from NH and are concerned with some chatter that we have heard that GA(as other southern states) are not so keen on us northeners taking over. I want to live in a family orientated area and a small type town as well. Any help would be appreciated. I have heard of Alpharetta and Cummings does anyone know of these areas and if so how are they. I have heard that Fulton county is one of the best in the state. I would like to hear all opinions(pro and con) about the areas of suggestion as well as pros and cons of reloating to GA from FL
Thanks

Well in all honesty, yes, you will always be considered a "yankee" but don't fret as there are many just like you everywhere here. Quite frankly I don't care where someone is from as long as they are not rude and pushy.

[Mom2203]

I'M from Columbus Georgia and I often wonder why our soilders that are station here ends up moving here. My husband has travel pretty much his whole life and when I complain about moving he says the samething over and over again there is no place like Georgia any where. But I have not travel so I wouldn't know. But I can say this when we visit friends and family members I'm always ready to get home usually the next day,lol. go figure. We are in the perfect spot really we are 1 hour 15 mins from down town Atlanta and less then 25 mins from Alabama and 2 hours from Panama city Florida and 4 hours from the ocean which is great it's not to far to travel for a short weekend trip but far enough away from hurricans, and we have Callaway Garden and Pine Mountains less then 30 mins from us. We have so much around us with traveling a short distance of course, we are never bored for something to do. and we always enjoy coming home no matter where we go,the only thing we don't have is Snow at least not often enough for me. But as my husbands states we have the ocean on one side the mountains on the other and the casinos on the other side and then there is Flordia. I know we have over 10.000 new soilders moving to Fort Benning in the next few months and I can say I feel better knowing they are here. They just open just the second largest Sam's Wholesale Club and the second largest Super Walmart in the world, and that truly stunned me knowing that we have the second largest in the world,I guess living here I didn't realize how big it's gotten. Along with 42 other new stores, it was not like we needed them so I'm concerned about the trafic that's to come. We can honestly say we have every store there is to have. We both have our in-laws looking to move here and they are located in Tennessee and on the coast. I truly can't complain we live in the City limits with that country feeling while living in the suburbs if that makes sense to you. and too our little league won the World series last year, we're proud. I truly can't think of a place in Georgia that I would not live. And that's the truth.
God Bless You!

[Goin2Char]

Get the most house for the $ straight north of the city and out on either side like an upside down v. If you can get a better house by going a little farther east or west, go for it. Best to find a good solid job though, those are harder to find and keep.

[Mom2203]

Originally Posted by larryb

Live below Macon to rear your children. Try a nice town with low crime, affordable housing, people are very friendly. Fitzgerald, Tifton, Americus, Moultrie. Unfortunately if you watch the news in any bigger city in Ga like Albany, Columbus, Atl, Gainesville, I hate to say it but even Macon as much as I love Macon, you find a lot of crime and gang violence.

I have lived in Columbus Georgia my whole life which all of 40 yrs and I'm not aware of the crime and gang violence you speak of and I drove a School bus for 8 years sure we have crime, but we have far less then most cities.We have more people wanting to move here then to get away from here. There is something about Columbus once you have lived here you don't want to leave. And I feel safer knowing we have Fort Benning here. I know we have over 10.000 new soldiers and their families moving here in the next few months. Some would say that would make them more worried of being attack, but you would have to be crazy to attack Fort Benning. I love the fact that everyone is nice and is concerned about others, in fact I'M so use to it that I assumed it was like that every where, but it don't take long to learn other wise. The only thing I can complain about is that we don't see snow often enough. We don't lack for anything here that's for sure Schools are great and we have every store you can think of. They just open our new Sam's Wholesale Club & our Super Walmart Which they both are the second largest in the world, there isn't a store or restaurant you can name that we don't have. We are close enough to the mountains and to the ocean and the casinos and Florida, and less then 20 miles to pine mountain Callaway Gardens. I think it's the perfect place to live. And not many leave here once that move here, we have a lot of soldiers and their families to move here once their term is up and make this there home. But honestly crime is not bad here. You could buy a $120.000 home here that would cost $300.00 else where, and most of us feel like we live in the city limits in the suburbs with that country feeling to it. As far as the Jobs goes, I don't know much about that I know we are the home of Aflac and Total System and SunShine among other large companies like the Coca Cola plant and among others.
Thanks & God Bless You!

[USA_Mom]

I disagree as far as real estate and Columbus. For the custom David Weekley we had that was built in 2005 within 20 minutes of Dallas I would have to pay well over $150K MORE than I did there and still it would be a smaller home (although a larger lot by about 2x). When we went looking houses I would *consider* were at least $150-250K MORE than what I paid in Dallas, also the state tax here is comparable to the "high" homeowner's taxes there if not more. Our quality of life as far as real estate and things to do dropped tremendously.

[dxiweodwo]

Henry county. It's peaceful, and people are really nice. And there's a lot of open space.