What are Atlanta's most overpriced and underpriced areas? (Sandy Springs, Roswell: apartments, rent)

[equinox63]

Generally speaking, what are Atlanta's most overpriced and underpriced areas/neighborhoods? Overpriced meaning you don't get much for what you pay to live there; Underpriced meaning one would get incredible value for the price it costs to live there... I'll take responses from both the city and/or the metro area. What do you think?

[Tarzanman]

I would say that Virginia Highlands is overpriced for how much house you get (and the ages of them)

[sedimenjerry]

I wonder how long until this is ITP v OTP.

But really, it's hard to nail down over priced and under priced. To me, a decent sized house in the city is over priced. You'd really have to focus on comparing similar areas.

[Scared to Life]

IMHO Alpharetta prices(For the apartments at least) are a lot higher than what I think they should be.

[Newsboy]

IMO, much of Peachtree City is overpriced for the age and size of many of the houses, and the distance from the city. But you are getting great schools and access to amazing public amenities like the cart paths and recreation, so ... who knows.

[netdragon]

I'm going to call them expensive and inexpensive, not overpriced and underpriced since there are factors like commute. Expensive is in terms of price per square foot and land cost together. E.g. if it's high price per square foot, but the lots are huge, then it still could be inexpensive. Then I'm also considering things like desireability and schools.

Metro
------
Expensive:
Atlanta
Decatur
Brookhaven
Smyrna
Vinings
Marietta
East Cobb
Sandy Springs
Dunwoody
Roswell
Mountain Park
Chattahoochee Plantation
Mableton


Inexpensive:
Austell
Alpharetta
Cumming
Johns Creek
Woodstock
Acworth
Kennessaw
Tucker
Peachtree City
Powder Springs
Douglasville
Covington
Conyers
Cascade OTP
South Fulton
Peachtree Corners
Stone Mountain
Gwinnett generally
East Point
College Park
Hapeville
Clayton County
Henry County


Atlanta
--------
Expensive:
Buckhead
NW Atlanta
East Atlanta
midtown
Virginia Highlands
Druid Hills (I'm calling it ATL since it soon may be)
Southeast Atlanta (McDonough Blvd, etc)
Summerhill
Grant Park

Inexpensive:
West end, Adair Park, Mechanicsville, Capital View Manor, etc (though not for long)
Peoplestown
South Atlanta
Southwest Atlanta
Ben Hill and Campbelton area
Lakewood area
Downtown, Castlebury Hill and O4W (though not for much longer)
Historic West End (though not for much longer)

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by Scared to Life

IMHO Alpharetta prices(For the apartments at least) are a lot higher than what I think they should be.

It's all relative. Alpharetta is cheap for what you get (aside from commute) to someone from Smyrna/Vinings, Buckhead, Midtown, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Decatur, Sandy Springs, etc.

[Atlanta_BD]

I think all the expensive areas are over priced in Atlanta, except if one is buying a mansion. I think a lot of metro Atlanta is expensive for what it is, and I've yet to see an area in Atlanta this is cheap AND worth living (i.e. safe with good amenities and has good schools) but of course it's all relative. Some people think it's worth it, others do not.

Paying $2,000-$3,000 for an apartment to live in Decatur on N. Decatur Road or DeKalb Industrial Way is insane to me. $1600-$2500 for a 2 bedroom in Dunwoody is ridiculous. Other than to say one lives in Buckhead, a one bedroom in Buckhead costing $1400 is also ridiculous. Cobb county is getting expensive too. I personally I would not pay $200-$300k for a house in Mabelton, yet lots of the newer homes are selling for that there. I also saw homes selling for $600k there in Smyrna near Mableton and close to the city dump. I just don't think those areas are worth that kind of money to live in, but that's just me.

This is why I've been saying for years that Atlanta is not cheap. Any place in Atlanta that's worth living in, the rent is and cost for houses is high! Even in not so great places.

[jeoff]

For underpriced, I would go with Lilburn in the Parkview Cluster. Good schools, a reasonable commute to Emory-CDC (30-60 min depending on traffic), nice parks and other amenities, and you can get a 4BR-2.5 Bath home in good condition on a .25 to .5 acre lot for much less than the cost of a tear-down home in a similarly performing elementary school zone in the Grady District.

Overpriced? Not sure, but I would be wary of buying into new bedroom communities that are over 1hr from the city--new becomes old pretty quick, and commute times only get worse.

[Dkeating]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Paying $2,000-$3,000 for an apartment to live in Decatur on N. Decatur Road or DeKalb Industrial Way is insane to me.

That would be more than insane; it'd be impossible, as there aren't any sections of DeKalb Industrial in the city of Decatur, and there aren't any apartments in the small section of N. Decatur that's in the city limits. I don't think any of the apartments on DeKalb Industrial rent for anywhere near that. You can still find small apartments in the city limits for less than $1,000 a month.