Need help selecting best Atl neighborhood (Atlanta, North Atlanta: sale, real estate market, apartments)

[jassreese]

I'm a healthcare employee with an average salary range of 70-80K currently living in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I have one child entering high school in the fall. I'm looking to move to Atl in the summer and need some advice on neighborhoods. I'd like to purchase but the homes are expensive compared to my current location and I'm concerned about affordability. I hate Ohio weather but the cost of living has kept me here. My home is a little over 1800 sq feet and I purchased for $114000 (taxes are aroudn $2400/yr) I could probably sale for $140-150,000 but I'm worried I can't find anything in my budget. I want a good school system but I'm looking more for college prep and low crime. Please help, any advise will be appreciated.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by jassreese

I'm a healthcare employee with an average salary range of 70-80K currently living in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I have one child entering high school in the fall. I'm looking to move to Atl in the summer and need some advice on neighborhoods. I'd like to purchase but the homes are expensive compared to my current location and I'm concerned about affordability. I hate Ohio weather but the cost of living has kept me here. My home is a little over 1800 sq feet and I purchased for $114000 (taxes are aroudn $2400/yr) I could probably sale for $140-150,000 but I'm worried I can't find anything in my budget. I want a good school system but I'm looking more for college prep and low crime. Please help, any advise will be appreciated.

What exactly is your budget for housing?

And do you yet know exactly where in the expansive Atlanta metropolitan area you will be commuting to and from for work each day?

During normal, non-pandemic times, Atlanta traffic often was a totally different animal from what you might have been used to in a comparatively smaller large major metropolitan area like Cleveland.

Atlanta’s traffic issues are a major reason why you more than likely should know where you will be commuting to and from for work each day before getting fixated on living in any one particular part of the metro area.

[Born 2 Roll]

You probably should also be aware that the most desirable parts of the Atlanta metropolitan area (with the best K-12 public schools, the best jobs, the most amenities and the lowest crime) are the most competitive and most expensive areas in which to look for and attempt to find affordable good/high-quality housing in what is currently a highly competitive housing/residential real estate market throughout much of metro Atlanta.

The Northern Crescent of the Atlanta metropolitan area (largely everything above/north of Interstate 20) has many areas that are in very high demand right now, particularly in the swath of affluent Northside suburbs that runs through from West Cobb County (West Cobb) to East Cobb County (East Cobb) to North Fulton and South Forsyth counties to parts of North and Central Gwinnett counties where the jobs opportunities are some of the most robust and the public schools are some of the most highest rated and most highly regarded.

If you want to live in that ‘Northern Crescent’ suburban part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, you very likely will have no choice but to include rental homes, apartments, condominiums and townhomes as part of your housing search if you want to increase your chances of finding something within your budget.

Otherwise, there are other parts of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area (particularly through the greater Southern Crescent of the Atlanta metropolitan area, roughly below/south of major arteries like US-78 outside of I-285, and below/south of I-20 inside of I-285) where you might be able to increase your chances of finding a good-quality dwelling within your budget within a good area.

The schools will be of good-to-decent quality (often ranging from decent-to-good on the low end, to good-to-excellent on the high end) throughout much of the greater suburban Southern Crescent, but they often will not have the gaudy rankings and ratings that many public schools may have throughout many parts of the Northside.

[AtlJan]

Where will you be working? We really need to know your work location to help you. If your job is located in the farther out suburbs or outside the metro Atlanta area all together, then you could potentially be able to find a home in your price range with decent schools and decent commute. If your job is in the core part of the city, you will likely be facing a brutal commute and/or life in a small condo.

[BobbyJayATL]

Assuming no other major debts and good credit, you should be able to pretty easily qualify for a $400k or so house (assuming you pull $60k or so out of the house you have between appreciation and equity from your prior payments) - which is plenty to get you into a reasonable house in a safe area in a good suburban district (which one you go for probably depends on where you're commuting to).

Among other places, you should be able to find something in north Fulton, north Gwinnett, Forsyth County, or East Cobb.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by BobbyJayATL

Assuming no other major debts and good credit, you should be able to pretty easily qualify for a $400k or so house (assuming you pull $60k or so out of the house you have between appreciation and equity from your prior payments) - which is plenty to get you into a reasonable house in a safe area in a good suburban district (which one you go for probably depends on where you're commuting to).

Among other places, you should be able to find something in north Fulton, north Gwinnett, Forsyth County, or East Cobb.

That is a good point that the OP at least likely may be able to find something for about $400k in areas like North Fulton County, North Gwinnett County, Forsyth County or East Cobb County.

But the OP probably should be aware that the real estate market in those areas is highly competitive (and even in some cases, hotly competitive) at the moment.

Many of the relative few detached single-family homes on the market in those areas are older homes (15+ years of age) often in need of some repairs and/or updating.

And many of the newer and/or updated homes that come on the market often may receive multiple offers within days and even hours of coming on the market, with bidding wars not being uncommon on the most desired properties.

While some buyers who are fortunate to have the representation and assistance of a good real estate broker often may benefit from ‘pocket listings’ where the broker may sell a very highly desired property to a preferred buyer before even officially listing it on the market.

The OP needs to be aware of just how intensely competitive the real estate market often may be in the aforementioned most desired parts of a North Atlanta suburban area that has is a popular destination for relocating workers and families.

[bryantm3]

You shouldn't have to spend beyond your means to find a good place to live in the ATL metro. It's definitely more expensive than Cleveland- if you're looking to find something equivalent (150k or less), you are likely going to be looking at the outer suburbs for a full sized house, or a townhome or condo if you want to be closer in. What are your interests- what would you like to be near?

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by jassreese

I'm a healthcare employee with an average salary range of 70-80K currently living in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I have one child entering high school in the fall. I'm looking to move to Atl in the summer and need some advice on neighborhoods. I'd like to purchase but the homes are expensive compared to my current location and I'm concerned about affordability. I hate Ohio weather but the cost of living has kept me here. My home is a little over 1800 sq feet and I purchased for $114000 (taxes are aroudn $2400/yr) I could probably sale for $140-150,000 but I'm worried I can't find anything in my budget. I want a good school system but I'm looking more for college prep and low crime. Please help, any advise will be appreciated.

Which hospital / location? We can help you more once we know that information.