Possible relo to ATL (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: wood floors, for sale, rental)

[aca12]

Hello all,

Still many particulars to work out regarding possible relocation. However, I wanted to get a general idea of some housing options, etc. General work area would be in the Perimeter. Wife and I have two young kids..one is in elementary school. I have browsed areas such as Marietta and Roswell, but am a little concerned about the cost of living as it would be about a 25% increase for us. Would likely rent for several months and become familiar with the area before buying a house, and I may be living in the area for several months before the rest of the family can join me in early summer. Any decent options within a reasonable commute to the Perimeter area? Any places to avoid?

Thanks

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by aca12

Hello all,

Still many particulars to work out regarding possible relocation. However, I wanted to get a general idea of some housing options, etc. General work area would be in the Perimeter. Wife and I have two young kids..one is in elementary school. I have browsed areas such as Marietta and Roswell, but am a little concerned about the cost of living as it would be about a 25% increase for us. Would likely rent for several months and become familiar with the area before buying a house, and I may be living in the area for several months before the rest of the family can join me in early summer. Any decent options within a reasonable commute to the Perimeter area? Any places to avoid?

Thanks

If you are going to be working in the Perimeter Center area (an area which includes large parts of the cities of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs) and you are going to be renting, the first places that you should look for a rental dwelling is in the cities of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs themselves. You could also extend your search for a rental dwelling to the neighboring cities of Brookhaven and Chamblee.

You will want to concentrate your search for a rental dwelling in these four areas (Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven and Chamblee) so that you can attempt to minimize your commutes to and from work and your exposure to traffic congestion in a part of the Atlanta metro area that frequently struggles with traffic congestion during rush hours and during peak hours in general.

There are an abundance of rental housing options across the entirety of these four areas, which means any need should be minimized to look in areas like Marietta or Roswell where you would be likely to struggle with traffic delays during commutes to and from your job on congested major routes like the Top End I-285 Perimeter and GA 400.

You especially will want to minimize the amount of time you spend on routes like I-285 and GA 400 because of a massive multi-year reconstruction project that will be ramping up at the I-285/GA 400 interchange....A project that understandably is expected to generate much increased traffic congestion and delays over the next few years on those two major commuter routes.

[aca12]

Thank you for the info, it's very helpful.

A few more questions...why is there very little (at least that I can find) newer construction or housing in the area that is not exorbitantly priced? If I do end up moving to the area we eventually plan on buying either a townhouse or a home, but I see an abundance of homes that are well older than me (I.e. 30+ years). They look to be in decent shape, but I am surprised that I can't find newer homes for $200-300k. Unless I am looking in the wrong locations. Commute times of up to 30 mins don't really bother me, so I am willing to go out a little farther from the Perimeter area if needed. Also, quality elementary schools are a must. Not looking for private schools, but a decent public school system. Thanks again.

[primaltech]

Never ever ever underestimate the traffic, and particularly around that area. If you want the commute to stay under 30 minutes, don't venture out further than 10-15 miles from work, tops.

Sandy Springs starts to get more affordable, roughly north of Abernathy. I'm sure you can find a townhome, or at least a townhome-like condo, somewhere off Roswell Rd.

Or you could look in Peachtree Corners, which is adjacent to and notably less expensive than Dunwoody.

[Caleb Longstreet]

Originally Posted by aca12

Hello all,

Still many particulars to work out regarding possible relocation. However, I wanted to get a general idea of some housing options, etc. General work area would be in the Perimeter. Wife and I have two young kids..one is in elementary school. I have browsed areas such as Marietta and Roswell, but am a little concerned about the cost of living as it would be about a 25% increase for us. Would likely rent for several months and become familiar with the area before buying a house, and I may be living in the area for several months before the rest of the family can join me in early summer. Any decent options within a reasonable commute to the Perimeter area? Any places to avoid?

Thanks

Perhaps you should check rents again...as expensive as Roswell and parts of Marietta CAN be, Sandy Springs is ridiculous.

[JOinGA]

When you go to buy, I wouldn't rule out an older home if it has been updated. That could be your best value. New construction closer in is going to generally be expensive....the land is just too valuable.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Or you could look in Peachtree Corners, which is adjacent to and notably less expensive than Dunwoody.

That's where I would start.
Decent commute to Perimeter Center via Spalding Dr/Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd, good school cluster (Peachtree Elementary School, Pinckneyville Middle School, Norcross High School) and homes that fit within the OP's proposed budget. Here a couple in that range:

4144 Gunnin Rd, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 - realtor.com®

5044 Waterport Way, Peachtree Corners, GA 30096 - realtor.com®

[primaltech]

So here's a $265,000 townhome listing with 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bath, wood floors, nice looking interior, gated community, in Sandy Springs, right near Morgan Falls Park, short easy car commute to Perimeter Center, and near North Springs MARTA station, too. So you could potentially use MARTA to commute to jobs in downtown/midtown, and access to the airport.

7812 Kiverton Place, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 for Sale | Condo.com

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9689...8i6656!6m1!1e1

I'd look into that, personally. No need to worry about taking care of a yard.

No idea though about the school district.

[aca12]

Thank you all! I will look into these suggestions.

[aca12]

Hi again all,

Realistically what kind of commute would I be looking to John's Creek, Suwannee, and Cumming areas from the Perimeter Mall area? Home prices seem to be a lot lower out there. Again, I don't mind 30-35 mins of commute time.