26 year old Professional Looking to Relocate To ATLANTA SUBURBS..HELP (Roswell: real estate market, rent)

[Lane80]

I am a 20 something that will be relocating to ATLANTA in July 2007 and I need help looking for a place to live. My husband and I have a 6 year old son and we want a county that is diverse and has a good school system. I have been to Alpharetta, Georgia and I likes that area but I heard it is pricey to buy a house.

[stvincent]

Alpharetta is one of Atlanta's nicest suburbs but it is rather pricey. Trying to get something decent in the 200s to the 300s is not likely. And its not all that diverse either. I would suggest a move to Fayetteville if you guys are going to be commuting to work downtown and if you need to live on the northside I would recommend Kennesaw. Fayetteville is a suburb on the southside of town. Its like 15 minutes to the airport and 30 minutes to downtown with traffic. The schools are great and the area is pretty diverse, although most of the makeup is just White and Black. The homes down there range from the low 200s so you all should be able to find an affordable dwelling down there.

Kennesaw is north of Atlanta, about 40 minutes from downtown. It is a very nice suburban community and it is fairly diverse. The best schools in the area belong to the Harrison High School cluster. There is a plethora of shopping, dining, and entertainment options along Barrett Pkwy., the major corridor through the area. I would stay away from Gwinett County if you can. The homes are cheap and the area is very diverse but the schools are definately not good. Most people in Atlanta will want to live within 30-45 minutes of where they are working. And when you factor in the horrid Atlanta traffic, that means that most people try not to live too far from work.

If you would be interested in buying a townhome and would want to live in the city there is a rare chance to own an affordable townhome in Buckhead. There is a development being built along Peachtree Road with homes starting in the 200s. Thats unheard of for Buckhead! The local elementary school in the area is E. Rivers and it is an EXCELLENT school. Buckhead might be a more suitable choice for you and your husband because you are both still very young. The suburbs can be a bit drab if you are only in your mid twenties. Here is the link to the development if you want to check it out: Removed

[Tpham]

where's the link for the development? I work in buckhead and would like to live close by. please advise any new development. thanks,

[~~GA RE Professional~~]

Very interesting comment made by Mr. St Vincent. I would beg to differ on his comment regarding Gwinnett schools. In fact, 2005 Gwinnett county schools ranked in the top 5% in the NATION. That is a pretty good feat if you ask me. I believe Brookwood ranked something like 1026 if my memory serves me right. I remind you this is a national survey. We probably have 1000 high schools in Georgia. Collins Hill also ranked jut as high. The high school graduation rate is 97% and the retention to college is 94%. That also is a strong number. I am not disputing that Alpharetta has a strong school district, because it does, but please don't degrade a school district without justification.
I'm not a fan of Buckhead. It's a township that, by status quo, should appeal to me. I enjoy my martinis and music, but I also enjoy my peace and virtually crimeless area. Lots to consider and many options lay before you. Begin with your commute to work. Then the schools, then the type of home and your search will become much easier. Good luck, I hope you have found some assistance in my comments.

Alpharetta is very pleasant, but traffic within town is becoming quite challenging. Vincent does make a viable point when he speaks of your age and the suburbs being "a bit drab." When you say suburbs it eludes to many things. I am in my late twenties and I seem to have no problem commuting and enjoying a relaxed lifestyle here in Gwinnett. I went to a Jazz show a week ago in Suwanee and a Gala Saturday night in Atlanta. If you to work in Atlanta and must travel during the average hours, the you will find Gwinnett and anything North of 75 distasteful.

[NICOLAT]

We are also looking for a home in suburbs of Atlanta, are there any other areas that you can suggest with cheap housing prices, i know Fayetteville has been mentioned to the south, anywhere else within 35 mile radius of city that's growing and has some dirt cheap home pricing?

[nrgpill]

I recall when Meadowcreek HS was considered one of the better schools in the metro area....

What is disturbing about Gwinnett is the complete lack of zoning enforcement (take a tour around Gwinnett Village). The same variables that caused people to flee are quickly moving up towards Duluth and Suwanee. This is not a good trend. I hope the county can shape up and re-vitalize the county.

Originally Posted by ~~GA RE Professional~~

Very interesting comment made by Mr. St Vincent. I would beg to differ on his comment regarding Gwinnett schools. In fact, 2005 Gwinnett county schools ranked in the top 5% in the NATION. That is a pretty good feat if you ask me. I believe Brookwood ranked something like 1026 if my memory serves me right. I remind you this is a national survey. We probably have 1000 high schools in Georgia. Collins Hill also ranked jut as high. The high school graduation rate is 97% and the retention to college is 94%. That also is a strong number. I am not disputing that Alpharetta has a strong school district, because it does, but please don't degrade a school district without justification.
I'm not a fan of Buckhead. It's a township that, by status quo, should appeal to me. I enjoy my martinis and music, but I also enjoy my peace and virtually crimeless area. Lots to consider and many options lay before you. Begin with your commute to work. Then the schools, then the type of home and your search will become much easier. Good luck, I hope you have found some assistance in my comments.

Alpharetta is very pleasant, but traffic within town is becoming quite challenging. Vincent does make a viable point when he speaks of your age and the suburbs being "a bit drab." When you say suburbs it eludes to many things. I am in my late twenties and I seem to have no problem commuting and enjoying a relaxed lifestyle here in Gwinnett. I went to a Jazz show a week ago in Suwanee and a Gala Saturday night in Atlanta. If you to work in Atlanta and must travel during the average hours, the you will find Gwinnett and anything North of 75 distasteful.

[randrews45]

Originally Posted by NICOLAT

We are also looking for a home in suburbs of Atlanta, are there any other areas that you can suggest with cheap housing prices, i know Fayetteville has been mentioned to the south, anywhere else within 35 mile radius of city that's growing and has some dirt cheap home pricing?

One major concern you should have is the commute. A 35 mile drive to work can be quite brutal, especially along I-400 from Alpharetta which is the absolute worst. I-85 & I-75 from the north are a close second. Home prices will rise faster to the north because of all of the retail and commercial development plus Lake Sidney Lanier.

If you have to work in Atlanta, living along I-78 is a much easier commute compared to the log jams of I-85 & I-400, about 5-20 miles from Atlanta city, in Decatur, Tucker, Stone Mountain, Lilburn, & Snellville. Home prices are far cheaper here, hovering around the $150K range for older homes, new SFR homes from $180K - $280K average. The older market of homes are widespread, may offer you the best bargains.

When it comes to jobs at all sectors, Atlanta is NOT the primary location. The highest concentration is within the "Northern Crescent" outside I-285 perimeter expressway. This area is loaded with regional size mega-malls and regional office mega-centers. From Marietta to Roswell to Alpharetta to Suwanee to Duluth to Norcross to Lilburn to Snellville to Stone Mountain to Decatur, this area is the largest location of jobs in all of Georgia. Buford (North of Suwanee) boasts of having the largest mall in all of the state or Georgia, appropriately called "Mall of Georgia".

The northern crescent is a metropolis to itself. It needs absolutely nothing from Atlanta. The population of Atlanta is about 1/2 a million, but the Atlanta Metro Area including the suburbs outside of I-285 & the Northern Crescent is over 5 Million.

If you will be looking for a job here, Atlanta is less likely than where you live if within the Northern Crescent, plus the terrible commute will make you think twice about working there.


I am a real estate investor myself, not a realtor. I work with other investors to find deteriorated houses that we can buy wholesale or dirt cheap, rebuild or rehab, and rent out or resale for a profit. I'm now looking in Duluth, lots of older home bargains there. I also look in Suwanee & Buford, all are Gwinnett County. I also like Flowery Branch & Oakwood north of Buford in Hall County. These areas of Hall County including Buford are especially in demand because of their close proximity to the best parts of Lake Lanier. Look at www.cocktail-cove.com for a taste of the lake life during spring and summer, my favorite weekend getaway for I keep a boat up there.

If you are interested in living close to Lake Lanier, here is a good website with info on home communities near the lake: Removed Living on the lake is very pricey, but you can easily find homes below 200K within a few miles of the lake.

I very very rarely need to venture to Atlanta for anything. I was born and raised in Duluth, my family business is one of the oldest in Gwinnett, incorporated in 1925. My immediate family owns a lumberyard in Duluth which caters to highend construction. This has been one of the hottest real estate market for decades and will continue to be, which means there will always be a growing market for rehabbed homes in this area.

[NICOLAT]

Originally Posted by randrews45

One major concern you should have is the commute. A 35 mile drive to work can be quite brutal, especially along I-400 from Alpharetta which is the absolute worst. I-85 & I-75 from the north are a close second. Home prices will rise faster to the north because of all of the retail and commercial development plus Lake Sidney Lanier.

Thanks, but commute is not a concern because we telecommute and have done for several years (telecommute = work from home office). So trips into the city would only be about one time a month. That's why we can look out 35 miles radius for home search.

[whinton]

Originally Posted by ~~GA RE Professional~~

In fact, 2005 Gwinnett county schools ranked in the top 5% in the NATION. That is a pretty good feat if you ask me.

This comment really suprises me. What is your source for this information?

[jeweloflight]

Originally Posted by Lane80

I am a 20 something that will be relocating to ATLANTA in July 2007 and I need help looking for a place to live. My husband and I have a 6 year old son and we want a county that is diverse and has a good school system. I have been to Alpharetta, Georgia and I likes that area but I heard it is pricey to buy a house.

Let's start with where you will be working, and go from there?