Real Estate Market in Atlanta right now? (Sandy Springs, Roswell: transplants, foreclosure)

[mom2gurls]

Total Newbie.....dh told me last night that there is a SLIM SLIM chance that his office may move to atlanta....its super slim..but being the google researcher I am, I thought I would pose the question.

NEVER been to atlanta..but would totally go in a heartbeat! We have two small kids, one last one on the way. So a nice family area would be important, I love the warm weather being for Southern Cal originally..but have NO clue as to what the desirable counties in Atlanta are. Just to some prelim research..

1. What are the more desirable counties that are within a 30 minute commute to atlanta..(or even closer if there are any).

2. Would love a "trick or treating" kind of neighborhood where the kids can play in the backyard an see friends...we prefer new construction.

3. Also would like to be close to big box stores or shopping (makes it easier to get crayons or glue for that last minute school project).

4. Also whats the diversity issue like down their..We are Asian Indian...and we hear so so so many great things about how cool it is and that its one of the best spots for couples and families.

Any input would help..because I really hope it goes thru!

[atlbravo]

Some of the areas you should look at are probably Alpharetta, Cumming, Duluth .
There are a good sprinkling of Asian Indians in sub divisions in these areas. You will find big box stores everywhere.
The big catch is these are a good 1 hour commute to downtown Atlanta. In order to give more meaningful information, identify your work location and folks here will give you a better picture.

[mom2gurls]

Okay....just to be clear..I dont need to "live around my own kind LOL"..but it would be nice to grab some ethnic grocery if I needed too.

So an hour huh? Any counties closer? We are in NY right now (Please dont shoot!....we are tame and kind...really!), So I was kinda hoping that if this does take place ( he said charlotte is another choice..but they are in a bidding war right now)....we could lessen his 70 miles one way commute to 30 minutes..

Since we have have three girls in tow, we now the importance of them having their own bedrooms LOL....Is reasonable to get 5 bedrooms 3 baths for 500k...( I would love less as I am currently a sahm)...but if we needed more, we "could" sell our home and cash out the equity, although our first choice would be to keep it as its college money for the kids. Any developments or builders that are reputable?

[jxu66]

There are two large Indian communities in Georgia.

One is in Parkview high school district in Gwinnett. Most of them are business background and have shoppings and other businesses in Dekalb.

Another is in Alpharatta (milton high school area). Most of them are IT professionals who work either in Alpharatta or midtown.

There are a lot of non indian asians in North Gwinnett and North Fulton areas. In a way, it is also part of "middle class flight" to outer suburbs.

[mom2gurls]

Thanks....again...keep the opinions coming....and again..we dont need to live around indians..just need the occasional bag of basmati rice now and then! Our main goal is safety and schools for the girls.

Dh is another IT nerd...lol! What would say are the more upscale areas in the nearest suburbs of Atlanta? Its funny we go to hilton head every year..but I really want to check out the new aquariums in Ga.

[jxu66]

Sorry, I didn't look the initial post. May want to check North Druid Hill area (near Emory U). That's nice intown living area. That's much shorter drive to downtown. Schools over that are not too bad either. The downside is that you won't able to buy a lot for a home. Even 500,000 is not that much there.

I saw an ajc a while back, there was a foreclosure in another desirable intown neighborhood called Morningside. The investor paid close to 700,000 for a house that needs to repair. But that house was considered a bargain.

[mom2gurls]

No problem...an hour isnt bad...I was just thinking if it could be shorter...do you think 500 will some home down there (in the alpharetta area like you mentioned?)..what are taxes like down there.....please say they arent 15k plus a year like they are up here..*sigh*

[jxu66]

My guess is around 1% of property value. It is more close to 5000 to 6000. Since I don't have 500,000 house, I can not really tell you.

Also, check out West Roswell and Crabapple elementary area. That's shorter drive than drive from Alpharatta or shorter commute to nearest train station than Alpharatta. City of Roswell downtown is pretty nice, IMO.

[jeweloflight]

Originally Posted by mom2gurls

Total Newbie.....dh told me last night that there is a SLIM SLIM chance that his office may move to atlanta....its super slim..but being the google researcher I am, I thought I would pose the question.

NEVER been to atlanta..but would totally go in a heartbeat! We have two small kids, one last one on the way. So a nice family area would be important, I love the warm weather being for Southern Cal originally..but have NO clue as to what the desirable counties in Atlanta are. Just to some prelim research..

1. What are the more desirable counties that are within a 30 minute commute to atlanta..(or even closer if there are any).

2. Would love a "trick or treating" kind of neighborhood where the kids can play in the backyard an see friends...we prefer new construction.

3. Also would like to be close to big box stores or shopping (makes it easier to get crayons or glue for that last minute school project).

4. Also whats the diversity issue like down their..We are Asian Indian...and we hear so so so many great things about how cool it is and that its one of the best spots for couples and families.

Any input would help..because I really hope it goes thru!

Uh, Alpharetta may have an indian community, but on the whole, it is mostly caucasian, for sure. Cumming is quite white also; notice the previous poster said a sprinkle of asian/indian presence. I'm surprise no one has mention Decatur. They have a huge indian population, and it's close to Atlanta, may 10-15 minutes. I don't know what your budget is, but Decatur's new construction is not necessarily cheap, especially north Decatur. I believe part of Decatur is in Dekalb County and part in Fulton County, but I'm not so sure.

With good traffic, it has never taken me an hour to get to Alpharetta or Duluth from the city. Duluth, about 30-40 mins, and Alpharetta maybe 45mins tops. I mean, in rush hour, commute time will be longer no matter where you chose to live. Duluth is in Gwinnett County, along with neighboring towns like Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Dacula, Grayson, Sugar Hill, and Buford. Gwinnett county is probably the most diverse county in the Atlanta area, although I think Decatur is a close second. Gwinnett County is VERY family oriented, and has some quality schools if you chose carefully. Asians, Indians, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, Eastern Europeans, everything is up there, and a lot of them own businesses. Don't worry about big box stores, that's the south's claim to fame. A new home with probably 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2000sq. ft. with a brick front and good yard will start in the low to mid $200's
pretty much. Alpharetta is consider "North Fulton" County, and Cumming is even further north; now Cumming might actually put you an hour outside Atlanta. A five bedroom in Alpharetta, new, might put you more in the $600k+ range.

There are some nice inner city neighborhoods, too. Virginia Highlands, Buckhead, and areas in Atlanta around Northside Drive, Mount Paran Rd, and Johnson's Ferry Rd. are nice. Then there's Sandy Springs and Dunwoody. But for those areas, new construction starts easily at $850k without blinking an eye. Try to avoid areas immediately south of the city like Riverdale and Jonesboro; East of the city like Lithonia, Covington and Conyers; and South Gwinnett around Norcross/Doraville. Too much crime, real estate values are low, and schools are sub-par.

It would be good to know what your budget is, and where you'll be working, this will narrow things down a bit. We have over 5 million people in the Atlanta metro area, there's just too many neighborhoods to mention.

[sweettea1]

So an hour huh? Any counties closer? We are in NY right now (Please dont shoot!....we are tame and kind...really!)

Just so you know, there are plenty of NY and CA transplants right here in Atlanta. And we're also tame and kind. Love it when Northerners get the impression that everyone who currently lives in the South has no concept of people from other cities. Atlanta is fairly cosmopolitan.

Now, on to your question. I'd look at Roswell, Smyrna, Norcross and Tucker. The best way to describe Atlanta neighborhoods and areas in terms of proximity to the city center is to think concentric circles around the perimeter. Your best bet for 'trick or treating' neighborhoods within your price range and less than 1 hour from Atlanta is the second set of concentric circles. Nocross, Roswell, Smyrna and Tucker follow this path and are still relatively close to everything while offering a great deal for your money in terms of house, neighborhood and community. In town will be much more diverse but will also be pricier, older and offer less land.

Welcome!