Areas with with nice, newer homes betw $600 and $700k with a reasonable commute to Midtown? (Atlanta: for sale, real estate)

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by lorilove

Yes, but it has the same schools as Smyrna. I am not sure he can get new construction house for that price range - I believe that is the going rate for townhomes in the heart of Vinings.

He said "newer" too, which may give him a few options though you're right that there's much more in Smyrna, since Vinings and Spring Hill and the Ivy Walk area are a bit pricey. I'd probably look in the whole Smyrna/Vinings area though for the top 4 elementaries.

Originally Posted by EarlofCardigan

Thanks. I thought that Smyrna had mediocre, if not lousy schools...
Thanks

Common misconception. King Springs Elementary is one of the best Elementary schools in the county and the following are also good: Teasley, Nickajack, Smyrna Elementary. Campbell Middle and High School are magnet schools and have the International Baccalaureate program. Campbell has been ranked in US News and World Report before. Campbell Middle has been steadily improving in terms of test grades.

What you see in terms of test grades are that a majority of parents in Smyrna and Vinings are wealthy enough to send our kids to private school and many do. This skews test grades. It's not uncommon for wealthy parents to send their kids to elementary, but often what happens is they move them to private schools for middle and high school. I am a VP with a six-figure income and could afford to live anywhere or send my daughter to private school. However, instead she goes to Nickajack Elementary. I like where I live and don't like wasting money on private school when I'm happy with her education. I'm actively watching her progress. She started kindergarten at a first grade reading and writing level based on GA and Cobb curriculum, and is now entering second grade at a third grade level, so they kept her ahead. Math scores at Nickajack are a little on the low side, so I've been keeping a really close eye on her math progress. More and more wealthy parents are letting their kids move on to middle and high school, and the march of expensive homes being built continues on. So, I'm pretty sure this trend will be mostly over by the time my daughter reaches middle school.

[deacongirl]

Originally Posted by netdragon

He said "newer" too, which may give him a few options though you're right that there's much more in Smyrna, since Vinings and Spring Hill and the Ivy Walk area are a bit pricey. I'd probably look in the whole Smyrna/Vinings area though for the top 4 elementaries.



Common misconception. A majority of us in Smyrna and Vinings are wealthy enough to send our kids to private school and many do. This skews test grades. I am a VP with a six-figure income and could afford to live anywhere or send my daughter to private school. However, she goes to Nickajack. This isn't abnormal. However, what unfortunately happens in the past is that more of them go to private starting in middle school, which isn't necessary and frankly is a waste of money.

King Springs Elementary is one of the best Elementary schools in the county and the following are also good: Teasley, Nickajack, Smyrna Elementary. Campbell Middle and High School are magnet schools and have the International Baccalaureate program. Campbell has been ranked in US News and World Report before. Campbell Middle has been steadily improving.

I think this is good advice.

[dblackga]

Originally Posted by EarlofCardigan

What is Title 1?

This is a good recap of what compises a Title 1 school:
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/te...title-1-funds/

Basically, a Title 1 school is receiving additional federal funding because low-income children comprise a significant portion of its student body, which is taken to infer that the area surrounding the school has a significant proportion of lower income housing.

FWIW, I just checked FMLS to see where the homes seem to cluster in the $600-$700 price range. Only 10 in Decatur, but a bunch in Druid Hills. Also a collection in Brookhaven, as well as up and down the Peachtree-Dunwoody Road corridor. Dunwoody Club Forest has some great homes in that price range with excellent schools, plus along Peachtree Creek/Memorial Gardens. These homes may not fit your definition of "newer", but many of them have been significantly updated with regards to kitchens, baths, hardwood floors, etc., etc.

For a less than 1/2 hour commute, aim at staying inside the Perimeter, and better yet, aim at staying on the south/east side of the river.

[EarlofCardigan]

Thank you.

[10 feet tall]

700k on a house but won't consider private school? If you just consider private, the world opens up to you as far as where you can live, commute, etc. If you are truly wealthy enough to drop that much on a home, why torture yourself with commuting? Throw yourself a bone, drop an extra 40-50k per year on private school and have a better quality of life.

[EarlofCardigan]

I've lived in the suburbs of Boston and NYC, where public schools are outstanding.

I assumed that the same was true in Atl., but I'm quickly concluding that for the most part, Atl's public schools are lousy. I guess that's why taxes are so cheap in Atl.

[ehoez]

600-700k, youre not giving us a real ball park of what else u need.

ie, bedrooms, schools etc?

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by EarlofCardigan

I've lived in the suburbs of Boston and NYC, where public schools are outstanding.

I assumed that the same was true in Atl., but I'm quickly concluding that for the most part, Atl's public schools are lousy. I guess that's why taxes are so cheap in Atl.

I grew up in Connecticut and I'm pretty satisfied with Cobb schools (Smyrna/Vinings, East Cobb, etc). Some of the high schools in Cobb are ranked higher than my hometown high school in suburban CT. Campbell in Smyrna isn't very far behind in rankings, and will probably pass my hometown high school by the time my daughter reaches it with all the rich people moving into Smyrna right now. I've heard good things about Gwinnett County schools as well.

Actually, ATL schools are pretty good for an urban area compared to even cities in CT, but not great compared to Cobb, etc. Even the best schools in Buckhead would just be mediocre in Cobb.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by netdragon

He said "newer" too, which may give him a few options though you're right that there's much more in Smyrna, since Vinings and Spring Hill and the Ivy Walk area are a bit pricey. I'd probably look in the whole Smyrna/Vinings area though for the top 4 elementaries.



Common misconception. King Springs Elementary is one of the best Elementary schools in the county and the following are also good: Teasley, Nickajack, Smyrna Elementary. Campbell Middle and High School are magnet schools and have the International Baccalaureate program. Campbell has been ranked in US News and World Report before. Campbell Middle has been steadily improving in terms of test grades.

What you see in terms of test grades are that a majority of parents in Smyrna and Vinings are wealthy enough to send our kids to private school and many do. This skews test grades. It's not uncommon for wealthy parents to send their kids to elementary, but often what happens is they move them to private schools for middle and high school. I am a VP with a six-figure income and could afford to live anywhere or send my daughter to private school. However, instead she goes to Nickajack Elementary. I like where I live and don't like wasting money on private school when I'm happy with her education. I'm actively watching her progress. She started kindergarten at a first grade reading and writing level based on GA and Cobb curriculum, and is now entering second grade at a third grade level, so they kept her ahead. Math scores at Nickajack are a little on the low side, so I've been keeping a really close eye on her math progress. More and more wealthy parents are letting their kids move on to middle and high school, and the march of expensive homes being built continues on. So, I'm pretty sure this trend will be mostly over by the time my daughter reaches middle school.

Mableton Elementary is also a good choice in the Smyrna/Mableton/Vinings (South Cobb) area.

[deacongirl]

Originally Posted by EarlofCardigan

I've lived in the suburbs of Boston and NYC, where public schools are outstanding.

I assumed that the same was true in Atl., but I'm quickly concluding that for the most part, Atl's public schools are lousy. I guess that's why taxes are so cheap in Atl.

This is absolutely not accurate. There are excellent public schools in the suburbs that are extremely competitive nationally. Walton High School (and other similar schools) is truly outstanding and compares favorably with public schools in the Northeast.