Thinking of buying, commute 3x weekly to the concourse (Atlanta: apartment, condo)

[deadally]

Hi everyone,

We've lived in the area since May of last year, specifically Sandy Springs off Dunwoody Place. Now we're thinking of trying to find a home to buy. We've found some interesting options nearby, which I like because of its access to 400 and public transportation (Dunwoody place is serviced by 2 bus lines that go to North Springs Station).

However, we don't need a huge space, and if we are to move it would have to be within certain budgetary constraints. Moreover, if I can avoid the need for a second car, I'd like to. Like I said, we've found some interesting options in a good price range right in the area where we live now, but I'm operating under the assumption that we will not be able to find a similar deal when the time comes to buy. Therefore, I'm hoping to gather your advice on areas that might fit as many of the following as possible:

Income: ~60,000 per year
I currently am on track to be promoted at some point, at which time I expect I'll be making substantially more than this. However, I'd like to base buying a home on our current budget so we don't have the temptation to dramatically increase our expenses in order to pay down student loans and such.

Budget: 150,000-200,000
One of the key areas of concern for me is maintaining the current size of living space that we have (1200 sq ft apartment), which should be amenable for the lower end of this budget, I figure.


Size of home: 1100-1400 sq ft, 2 BR, 2 BA minimum
Since it's just my wife and me, we don't need a ton of space. A little more would be nice, but it's not essential


Commute: Reasonable?
Like I said, I work at the Concourse at the perimeter. I know full well how bad traffic gets, and if I need to start driving for the commute (given how not-so-good the buses are, I am learning to accept this as a possible need), I'd like to keep it reasonable. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell which places are going to be unexpectedly challenging, to where you'd say "That doesn't look so bad" and then proceed to depression.

More importantly, I'd be interested in hearing thoughts on areas that are surprisingly not so bad for getting around. Let's say that ideally it would take around 20 minutes at most to get to work if traffic isn't so bad. And I'd be open to the idea of driving to North Springs Station and taking the train to Dunwoody Station, which would mitigate the epicenter of awesome that is perimeter traffic.

Schools: Not relevant at this time

Access to public transportation: Currently, I have it in spades. Two bus lines going exactly where I need to go provides good coverage, both to and from work. This is not the norm and I don't expect to be able to take advantage of MARTA in most places. So if it's a possibility, I'd like to know, but I don't have my hopes up.


For reference, we like the looks of this property in Sandy Springs: 204 Masons Creek Cir, Atlanta, GA 30350 | Zillow

But it is not a guarantee that a similar property in the area will come available when we want to buy. Many of the homes in the nicer part of our area are rather large and well outside of any budget we could have.

Moreover, the areas I'm familiar with (around the Concourse, Johns Creek area, our vicinity) either would be a major challenge to get around or are way too expensive for what you get. If any of you have better insight into this, I'd love to hear it!

[arjay57]

That looks like a lot of house for the money! I'm sure everything in that area is just going to keep going up.

[deadally]

It wouldn't surprise me; it's not a bad area. I am not confident that such a deal will be available in the relatively narrow window when we go to buy (if we do)