How old home should one buy - is 15 year old home too old in alpharetta/johns creek (loans, home builders)

[ATLTJL]

I just think they built more solidly back then.

This is a common misconception. There is, always has been, and always will be both good and bad construction. You can't judge the construction on when it was built, just on the workmanship itself.

I can understand the merits of both. Before the 70s, there was much more brick being used and less synthetic siding. I like brick, so that's a big plus! But my house was built in 1994 and the kitchen gets drafty, especially INSIDE the cabinets. My handy man told me that nowadays, houses are wrapped in a special plastic that keeps drafts out. It would be hugely expensive for me to retrofit with it, but this is part of the construction code now. So when you buy new construction, you are always getting a home built to the latest construction codes. I suspect in 15 years there will be new codes that people who have new houses now will wish they had.

You just have to weigh the pros and cons and figure out what you want. Personally, I can't stand low ceilings and tiny bathrooms, and that was pretty much the standard in the 50s and 60s. So I had to give up on the brick and 3 sides of my house is Hardy plank instead of brick. I don't love that I had to do that, but I figure I spend more time inside anyway. Someone else might say they can't stand Hardy plank and are more willing to put up with low ceilings and small bathrooms.

It's all personal preference.

I happen to think you will do very well either off 141 or Windward Parkway. I know the schools in Johns Creek are excellent and the area is probably slightly more prestigious than Alpharetta. But Alpharetta is awesome, too, (and Milton, that area might be considered Milton) and there is a real benefit to being close to GA 400. I wouldn't bat an eye over purchasing in either of those locations, it's just going to boil down to which house you like more and if you happen to have a personal preference for either area. I'd say Windward Parkway is probably a bit more convenient to major shopping and employers, whereas 141 is a little more of a residential area. Both are very great areas.

[jpatlanta]

Never seen this thinking before. If anything an older home in an established area will appreciate more.

Probably the best built houses in Atlanta are older homes from the 60 or older.

I would say the the most financial risk would be to buy a new build further out in somewhere like Cumming.

[berkeleylake]

I would ask a realtor while looking about some of the quality, but most anything in North Fulton that is a house and not a condo should be a solid buy as long as it is an established neighborhood. Winward parkway is a fine area, not too much very old there anyway. The house could lose value short term, no one really knows. I believe most everything was built after 1990 near Alpharetta, so whatever you consider "old" is somewhat relative to some here. Most of the houses seem relatively "new" to me (less than 20 yrs old).

[GAisGreat]

Just be careful...There is lots of shoddy construction as you go north on 400.
Some in Alpharetta, more so as you get up in Cumming and Dawson. But just something to be mindful of. A lot of the building boom up there was done by Republican right-wing type builders/developers who worked w/zero to very little oversight and regulation and used whatever cheap mexicans they could find on the side of the road that day, and whatever the cheapest material they could buy and built as cheap and quick as possible, so they could afford there million plus McMansions.
Especially on the mid-range to lower-end up there. Just saying...be careful!

[ATLTJL]

A lot of the building boom up there was done by Republican right-wing type builders/developers

And as we all know, the Democrat left-wing type builders use a completely different set of building practices

[plessthanpointohfive]

I'm like Roslyn. I thought this was going to be a discussion about an actual old house and I, like Ros and arjay, came here ready to talk about the care and feeding of a house that's truly old. Mine was built in 1925.

If the location is good and all the other homes in the immediate vicinity are about the same age then your property will have good RELATIVE resale in the market, given whatever market conditions.

In general, now is not the time to buy if you think you're going to have to sell in 3-5 years.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

And as we all know, the Democrat left-wing type builders use a completely different set of building practices

I'm pretty left wing and even I was all like, Wha? at his/her comment...

The way I see it, developers (and others like them) only have one political affiliation - The Money and Power Party.

[carrot]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

I'm pretty left wing and even I was all like, Wha? at his/her comment...

The way I see it, developers (and others like them) only have one political affiliation - The Money and Power Party.

well yeah...they are trying to make a profit...when I go to work i try and make money too. Do you work for free? Sure there are bad developers, as with any industry there are bad people.

back to the op, keep in mind location for sure, I grew up near that area in the 70's and 80's and it was quite rural and easy to get to the employment centers for my folks. Now its a nightmare...in 20 years it will be a horror. This is why I chose to live intown. Its 15 minutes for me to get to work weither its a busy Friday or lazy Sunday. My house was also built in the 30's and is quite sound.

[movetodallas]

Thanks for all your replies. It helps.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Originally Posted by carrot

well yeah...they are trying to make a profit...when I go to work i try and make money too. Do you work for free? Sure there are bad developers, as with any industry there are bad people.

back to the op, keep in mind location for sure, I grew up near that area in the 70's and 80's and it was quite rural and easy to get to the employment centers for my folks. Now its a nightmare...in 20 years it will be a horror. This is why I chose to live intown. Its 15 minutes for me to get to work weither its a busy Friday or lazy Sunday. My house was also built in the 30's and is quite sound.

There's a big difference in trying to make a living and trying to make a killing. Developers, by and large, try to influence politics, etc, in a way to maximize their profits. It's one of the reasons there is so much bad development, and development that's detrimental to the environment (and I don't mean that in a tree hugger way but in a sustainable population way).