Family moving to Atlanta (Roswell, Alpharetta: rent, homes, neighborhood)

[Jayerdu]

Hey All,

My family is moving to Atlanta end of July. We are a family of 6. I have two older children in college and younger ones, ages 4 and 13. My new job is located at the intersection on I-285 and hwy 400 (northern Perimter). The plan right now is that both children will attend Public school. We might send the 13 yr old to a small private christian school.

We are looking for a family friendly neighborhood. 4 BR home is a must. Our budget is no more 350K if we buy or $1500-$2000 if we rent (for one year). If we rent for a year I would like it to be in the same school district as the home we will eventually buy. I don't want to uproot the 13 yr old a year later. I also do not want more than a 30 minute commute even on the busiest day.

What is the best area for us? Also, do a lot of homes in Atlanta have pools? We would love a pool.

Thanks.
Jaye

[flyonpa]

I would look in Roswell, or the Southern part of Alpharetta, For 30min during rushhours you will need to be close to GA400.

Most home are in planned sub/divisions, that have community pool (and tennis courts). Not many home have their own pools. and Sub/Div rules may not allow them.

North Fulton (Alpharetta/Roswell) School are very very Good.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

I would look in Roswell, or the Southern part of Alpharetta, For 30min during rushhours you will need to be close to GA400.

Most home are in planned sub/divisions, that have community pool (and tennis courts). Not many home have their own pools. and Sub/Div rules may not allow them.

North Fulton (Alpharetta/Roswell) School are very very Good.

...That is some excellent advice.

Homes with pools can be found in the Atlanta area, but homes with swimming pools are nowhere near as prevalent or common in North Georgia and are even somewhat rare compared to other Sunbelt regions (Southern California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, etc) where backyard swimming pools may be much more common than in the Atlanta area and North Georgia.

Like flyonpa stated, community swimming pools (and adjoining tennis courts) in the form of tennis-and-swim communities are much more common in the Atlanta region than homes with individual backyard swimming pools.

Also, in addition to looking first-and-foremost along the Georgia 400 North corridor in the Roswell and Alpharetta areas of North Fulton County like flyonpa recommended, the original poster can also look in East Cobb (an area with some of the most highly-touted public schools in the state of Georgia...in the Walton, Pope, Lassiter, Sprayberry and Wheeler high school feeder zones) as the commute between East Cobb and the Perimeter area is looking to improve markedly with the Johnson Ferry-Abernathy widening project.

If all else fails in the Roswell and Alpharetta areas of the GA 400 North corridor, the original poster can also look into the Peachtree Corners area of Gwinnett County (in the Pinckeyville Middle School attendance zone of the Norcross High School cluster/feeder zone) and in the Johns Creek area of North Fulton (in the Johns Creek, Northview and Chattahoochee high school feeder zones) where the schools are very good-to-excellent, there are an abundance of 4-bedroom homes and the rush hour commutes are not extreme.