Young Couple needs a change: NJ to GA? (Atlanta, Marietta: low crime, house prices)

[JerseyCouple]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Well, here goes: We are a young couple in our twenties, married, no children, but are planning on it very soon, looking for a CHANGE.

NJ is a great place, but it's $$$$. We got our house in 2006 when the markets were high for $410k and now are looking to sell and by a NEW home in GA.

My husband is in IT and I'm in HR. We both have degrees and looking for a place that is similar to NYC, but alot more laid back. Also, a place with University for us and GREAT school systems for our future kids.

Ideal place: Nice gated community with new or newer homes, close to malls, resturants, muesums, parks..ect. Best schools and low crime rate and of course job growth.

Please let me know where we should look. thank u!

[BobKovacs]

We moved to the Atlanta metro from central NJ in 2007, and we love it. That said, there's no place in GA that's "similar to NYC"- even Atlanta is at best similar in size and feel to Jersey City or Newark- it's nothing like NYC.

Now on to housing. I'm sure you already realize that you're going to lose your shirt on your current house if you bought at the height of the market in 2006, so I won't dwell on that. The Atlanta metro area has areas with great schools, but they're out in the suburbs, so you're not going to readily accessible to the museums and other attractions that are in downtown Atlanta- you'll be 30-45 minutes away, minimum.

Lastly, jobs- do not move here without jobs- I did it two years ago (and landed one immediately), but that was before the economy took a dump. You're going to have a tough time walking into town and finding jobs in IT and HR, and you should probably expect to take a significant pay cut from what you're used to earning in NJ.

Of course you're thinking "but the cost of living is so much cheaper down there...". Well, other than property taxes, your cost of living will be pretty much the same, and it's highly likely that you'll spend $300k+ to find a house that you like in an area that suits your needs- while you can buy a house for $200k, most people I've met who moved down here from the northeast tend to buy more house than they had "because they can", and end up spending $300k+.

Hopefully that doesn't discourage you- if you can get past those issues, I'd say the move could be a great one for you. We love the weather, the people, the overall feel, and the fact that we were able to buy much more house that we could in NJ- and not paying $6k/year in property taxes on a 1950's cape cod on Woodbridge doesn't hurt either.....

[~peaches~]

I am a GA girl born and raised, I moved to NYC in 2006, stayed a year and decided to move to FL, now I'm back in GA..lol Hope you got all that!

I know the house prices look attractive, but keep in mind the job market is bad right now. Also, if you have a master's degree in GA you are lucky to be making $50,000.00 a year! Cost of living is way cheaper than NYC or NJ but so is the pay.

I am sure it wil lbe a culture shock for both of you. I know it was a culture shock for me moving to Long Island. Now my husband who is bron and raised New York is getting the culture shock of his life!

I wish you the best of luck!

[Georgia1113]

I would be very careful moving to a new town in this economy. I'm not sure about the job situation in HR and IT. Do some research before you move, check with recruiters and web sites. I think the recruiters can give you a good assessment of what's available in your fields. A great intown neighborhood is Virginia-Highlands, walkable, lots of shops and restaurants and close to town. Another good area only 11 miles from downtown is the Mableton area (where I live). This area is up and coming with plenty of new subdivisions and close to everything.

[biajones]

I moved to Atlanta from Florida almost 10 yrs ago. I'm also in my 20s. My Husband and I have an 8 yr old. I love Atlanta! Atlanta has city life and country life. It's the best of both worlds.

We moved to Marietta 4 months ago. We are close to dining and malls. We love the school system. You may want to contact a Realtor. Our Realtor was really good and helpful. Her name is Monique Collins, Direct Realty Group,LLC. You can tell her Bianca referred you.

Good luck

[Chadro77]

Move out West, we're all full up here. It's hard enough for actual Georgians to find jobs, we don't need anymore Northerners saturating the market.

[Tdiddy0027]

oh god, this guy. You sound Xenatlantaphobic

[gaflsc]

Originally Posted by Chadro77

Move out West, we're all full up here. It's hard enough for actual Georgians to find jobs, we don't need anymore Northerners saturating the market.

So true...

[grover]

We were in GA for 2 years. We moved from Orange county NY. It really wasn't for us. We were in the Cumming area, Forsyth county. I would also suggest you find a job before making the move. The taxes are cheaper, but you will likely make a lot less $$$ at your job, if you can find one. Everything else cost the same. You also should add in pest control service, and if you have sod, a lawn care company. You have to pay for garbage pickup. It all adds up.
We have 2 children who were involved in school sports, and when we found out that there were no late buses in GA, it got pretty tricky trying to pick them up every night. My son who is was in the 6th grade had to catch his bus at 8 A.M., and didn't get home from school until 5:15 P.M. For some reason they made the middle school have long days, and we were 20 minutes from the school, so with traffic and all, it was a lot of bus time. I think school was from 9 A.M., until 4:15 P.M. My son hated life. Also lots of money to play sports. The taxes are cheaper, but you wind up paying for it in the long run.
It wasn't all bad, but we are now back in Orange County NY. Yes I have higher taxes, but my pay more than makes up for it. GA taxes were $1600 per year, and my taxes up here are $4000 per year. I made $35000 in Georgia, and up here I made $65000 last year. It was a pretty easy decision to move back.

[georgia woman]

I think the best place for you would possibly be Alpharetta!! Great town with alot to do and really great restaurants!! They have a Verizon Amphitheatre and it is new!! We saw John Meyer there last spring and it was really great. And, you can be in Atlanta in about 10 minutes from there, where there are even more things to do like go to a Braves game or the Aquarium, etc. This is my suggesstion.