Please help. Need help on deciding where to move within the next year (Atlanta: homes, neighborhoods)

[AtlJan]

You can absolutely find this in Mableton at the top of your $300k budget. Swim/tennis community with homes built in 1980s. I would not call it "resort" but definitely decent subdivision style living. For example:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...ex=GA625886786

[jeoff]

There are some older neighborhoods 40+ years, that have swim/tennis options in the closer-in eastern suburbs--non-incorporated northern Decatur, Tucker, maybe Clarkeston and Stone Mountain (but many folks consider Clarkeston and Stone Mountain very iffy--so you really should do your research before jumping in). Just doing a quick look, I see a 1961 5/3 2200 sqft home with access to swim and tennis for 284K just north of North Dekalb Mall, another 5/3 just east of North Lake Mall built in 1987 for 300K. Both have voluntary swim tennis.

[intromaster]

Bigup, I prefer the resort style settings and amenities because it makes me feel always on vacation

Flamadiddle, yes, the fitness center/gym is a must because it's the only way my wife will workout. go figure!

Born 2 Roll, I will take a look at the article you mentioned about the shortage of inventory and higher home prices.

Thanks again
Mike

[intromaster]

Originally Posted by AtlJan

What about Mableton?

Yes, I was definitely looking into Mableton! Thanks

[intromaster]

Originally Posted by Forhall

For you the options are:

1. Raise your budget significantly and check out the northern suburbs.

2. Keep same budget, go to northern burbs, but live in the more far flung areas that will definitely be closer to an hour to midtown.

3. Give up the amenities and find a home in a nice neighborhood of the intown burbs, like north druid hills or "not city proper" Decatur. You might be able to find a home in your budget, but there will be no subdivisions.

4. Keep all of your requirements but head more towards the south or western suburbs. They aren't nearly as desirable, but they are cheaper and you can still get to midtown in less than 40 mins from both.

That's it. Those are your options.

Forhall, thanks for the advice.

Why isn't the south or west suburbs as desirable as the north? Crime? Less developed?
Yes, I also tend to notice prices in those areas are cheaper than the north.

[Forhall]

Originally Posted by intromaster

Forhall, thanks for the advice.

Why isn't the south or west suburbs as desirable as the north? Crime? Less developed?
Yes, I also tend to notice prices in those areas are cheaper than the north.

It's just a mixture of reasons. The northern suburbs have really great schools, are very wealthy, and have a ton of development. They are also some of the safest cities in all of Georgia. There are always new, high quality developments showing up in Alpharetta, johns Creek, Sandy Springs etc. Many of the shops and restaraunts that do well in Atlanta end up opening second locations in the northern suburbs.

The southern burbs are hit or miss. Not nearly as much development goes on down there. Some have higher crime than parts of atlanta. But there are some nice communities down there, you just have to do quite a bit of research.

[intromaster]

OK, thanks for the detailed explanation! I will continue to do my research.

[sedimenjerry]

Also jobs. I'm not really sure which came first (the old chicken or the egg conundrum) but at this point the northern burbs are more convenient to the majority of job centers. Pretty much everything is located north of I 20 which makes downtown Atlanta the southern extent of the major jobs center (although the airport area does have its fair share). A county like Douglas is convenient to downtown and maybe midtown or Cumberland. Buckhead, Perimeter Center and even Alpharetta are loaded with jobs and just aren't convenient for anyone on the southside.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by intromaster

Why isn't the south or west suburbs as desirable as the north? Crime? Less developed?
Yes, I also tend to notice prices in those areas are cheaper than the north.

In addition to the reasons mentioned by Forhall and sedimenjerry, another very major reason why more wealth and affluence has gravitated towards the Northern suburbs than towards the Southern, Western and Eastern suburbs is because of the presence of the large manmade federal water supply lakes Lanier and Allatoona and the presence of the foothills and ranges of the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian mountains north of the city.

Because the aforementioned lakes are a major source of water supply and recreation, and because the lakes, the foothills and the mountains are a major resource of recreation and scenery, Atlanta's metropolitan development patterns and preferences have long tilted heavily to the north towards those popular resources, even before the city grew into one of the largest major metro areas on the continent.

Water, hills and mountains can be some really major selling points in the real estate development business....Particularly in a landlocked region hundreds of miles inland from the ocean where the land is generally level.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by bigup

Why not look at one of the in-town "suburban" areas in North Decatur (Toco Hills, Medlock, etc.)? You definitely won't get resort-style amenities, but it's a nice area and there are 50/60s-era SFHs around 300k that have been updated substantially. They'll all be sub-1500sq ft for that price.

I'd love to know where. Even the fixer-upper SFHs in that area are going for 400+.

https://www.redfin.com/zipcode/30329...rty-type=house