Desperately looking for ATHENS info (Atlanta, Jackson: for sale, power lines, rental)

[TheChooch]

If someone can please tell me which neighborhoods are the best and/or which zip codes are the best it would narrow down the search. On line we are finding nice homes on the east side and the west side. Looking for an established neighborhood that is family friendly, no brand new developments. Thanks.

[argecash]

Hello,

I currently live in Atlanta but we are planning to move to Athens early next year so we have spent a lot of time there looking at neighborhoods. The biggest issue for us is the low quality of the schools in Clarke County. If you move to Clarke Co. you might want to consider private school. Otherwise, the you should look in Watkinsville which is close to Athens but in Oconee Co. You could also look in Madison Co., Oglethorpe Co., or Jackson Co. - all are right next to Clarke. It is unfortunate because there are some very nice older neighborhoods in Athens, we have found the east side to be our favorite area. Try the 30605 area code. A very nice neighborhood is Beechwood Hills, but our of our price range.

[TheChooch]

Thank you. We figured we could send our child to Athens Academy if we lived in Clarke Cty, that is, if we can find an affordable house. We can't have both an expensive house and a private school tuition. We defintely want an established neighborhood. Can that be found in the outside counties or is it mostly newer developments.

[TheChooch]

Also, would you say that someone could find safe, family-oriented neighborhoods on the East side?

[argecash]

You can definitely find an affordable house on the East Side in an established neighborhood. I'm not sure what your price range is but Cedar Creek is a very nice, older neighborhood. You can also find older neighborhoods in the surrounding counties. Try searching in Watkinsville and Bogart. Watkinsville is a very cute town with shops, restaurants, etc.

[TheChooch]

Argecash, Your feedback is so appreciated. Thanks again

[TheChooch]

I assume that you checked out both the west side and the east side. In what ways do they differ?

[knkat]

Hi,

I would encourage you to look at the West Side of Athens. Nice, family-friendly neighborhoods include the Boulevard District and Five Points. Normaltown is also great. You can expect beautiful old houses, big trees, and friendly neighbors. It's true that the public schools in Athens are pretty much a non-option, unless you can get your kids into Barrow Elementary (many parents rave about this one, and it is highly rated by most measures). We are going the private school route. As you mentioned before, Athens Academy is a good choice. For younger kids you might also consider Athens Montessori (much loved by parents), and some families like Waseca Learning Environment a lot also (it's a newer school, so it seems that they are still working some things out). The good thing about private schools in Athens is that they are relatively cheap. At least compared to the west coast schools we were looking at before we moved to Georgia!

Differences between the East side and the West side of town... We love the west side because we can walk downtown. If you work at the university or near it you can bike or walk to work from many locations. We love the old neighborhoods and beautiful houses in this part of the city. We rarely venture over to the east side, but I think the perception around town is that the east side (with the exception of some close-in neighborhoods) is more suburban, tends to be more conservative, and has much less mixed-use space. I guess which side you would like to live on really depends on what you like to do! We feel there is a lot more going on in our part of town.

[AthensProf]

Your best bet for finding homes on the East side of Athens is the Athen area MLS. You can search just the East side and within specific price ranges. The link is http://athens.1st-place.com (broken link) You can also use some realtor sites such as Homewise Realtors or BuySide Realty in order to get property address information. However, I have found that these are not as up to date as the Athens ILS website.

If you want to give me a price range, I can recommend some east side neighborhoods and tell you ones to stay away from. A quality realtor in Athens is very, very hard to come by. I found as we were looking, we did the majority of the work in finding the properties that interested us. We just used the realtor to make the appointments. As a result of nearly three years of house hunting (my wife is about to kill me), I believe I have a very good handle on what is available, what is desirable and undesirable, etc. In many cases, I know many more specifics about listings than the realtors and I have no financial interest in steering you to one house versus another. You can send me an email if you are uncomfortable posting your price range and I'll be happy to provide recommendations.

During the interim, here are a few neighborhoods to consider on the Eastside and my biased opinions about them.

Green Acres/Cedar Creek: Older, established eastside neighborhood, eclectic mix of families, profesionals and professors. Many residents have lived in the same house for 20 or more years. Quality of the homes varies considerably - really a hit or miss situation. Lots of homes built in the 70s, many need updating. Most properties are well maintained although a few eyesores are present. Only one or two vacant lots left. Close proximity to shopping. About 10 minutes to downtown Athens & UGA. Some concern (mine) with proximity to low-income rental communities with recent upsurge in crime, but at least there is no direct access from neighborhoods of concern.

Ashton Place: Similar location to Green Acres, but further from rental areas. Homes are selling for around $125+/sf. Lots are much smaller than Green Acres & Cedar Creek, but homes are much newer. Lots probably average 0.5-.75 acres. One thing I noticed immediately is that the houses are built close to the street giving it a very different feel than Cedar Creek. You'll have to drive through it to see if you notice it. Mostly professionals and professors in the neighborhood.

Milford Hills: Avoid it! This subdivision was the subject of a huge appraisal/mortgage fraud. The houses were over-appraised by tens of thousands of dollars. It all collapsed and several principles including developers, appraisers, realtors and lawyers have been arrested. The mortgage fraud associated with this subdivision has had a ripple effect trhough out the east side keeping house prices artificially low compared to other areas of Athens. However, that's good news if you are a buyer... in another eastside subdivision.

Falling Shoals: New development off Whit Davis Rd. As a result, it may not be of interest to you. High tension power lines run along one side of the development. Not a health risk, but a property value risk in my opinion. Prices are in the mid to upper 200s. Nice exteriors, but only average construction quality.

Olde Lexington Gardens: Appropriately enough, located off Old Lexington Rd. About 10-12 minutes from downtown and UGA. Mostly small to moderate houses. Prices are generally in the high 100s to mid 200s. Decent neighborhood. Not a lot of trees, though.

Shoal Creek Farms: Established "equesterian" neighborhood with private lake. Most lots are estate lots (>1.0 acre) and average ~2 acres. Some homes are on lots up to 20 acres. All homes are custom built. Most homes are upscale with several very nice homes in the neighborhood. Good separation between many of the homes. There are also a few homes that lightning should strike. Prices range from high 200s to $600K. Feels like it is way out in the country, but really only 12-15 minutes to downtown. Can take the back way to Watkinsville and be there in less than 15 minutes. Mostly professors and a few retired professionals.

Sagewood: Newer (~3-4-years-old) equesterian neighborhood west of Highway 78 near new Lowe's. Community barn and riding facilities. Lots are not very private compared to Shoal Creek Farms due to lack of trees and mostly smaller lots. However, homes are large and custom built. Last I checked, only one or two for sale. Upper 300s to low 400s. Probably 10 minutes to downtown, 12-15 minutes to central UGA campus.

There are several other eastside neighborhoods, but the above are the major ones. A new subdivison is being built across the street from Shoal Creek Farms (off Morton Rd). The land has only been cleared, but it is my understanding the lots will be a minimum of 5-10 acres with custom built homes. Given the size of the parcel, I think less than 20 homes will be built. Prices rumored to start in the 600s.

Although I said most Athens realtors are worthless, there are one or two that I would not hesitate to recommend as a buyer's representative. Let me know if you are interested.

[AthensProf]

knkat,

I agree the east side and the near side/west side are very different neighborhoods. Boulevard and Cobbham are historic districts and it is true there are some very beautiful old homes in each area. But, your $400k home may be next to a multi-unit rundown rental home. Granted, there is a lot of redevelopment ongoing that may take care of some of this, but I think it is a long process in the making. Yes, you can walk to downtown, but then that also means many of the homeless and panhandlers can walk to your home. A friend of mine lives on Boulevard in a renovated home. She has had to install burglar bars on the first story windows. The streets are awfully busy through these areas, too. Thus, I do not consider it family or pet friendly due to the safety factor. Of course, this is my very biased opinion, but it based upon first hand knowledge and experience with the area.

Some other friends own a house in the ARMC (Athens Regional Medical Center) area. In fact, they are on King St. Great, but small home. Pricey. Street noise would drive me insane. However, they are young and can probably deal with it better than my old codger-self.