venetian hills 30311 (Atlanta, Franklin: real estate, rentals, house prices)

[munecita]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me about the area and streets in venetian hills, streets like cahaba, mayflower, cummings etc. Is this an up and coming area. House prices are very cheap and there are some nice homes available.

Would appreciate opinions of any of the locals in the are or surrounding areas

[ATLHRLGUY]

Mostly older ranch-style homes. Demographics- mostly older retired crowd, I believe Hank Aaron and former mayor Shirley Franklin live close by. Close by(ten or so minute drive) to the Camp Creek Marketplace area-new big-box style retail area.

[munecita]

Thanks for your reply.

Anyone else familiar with these streets or the cascade area in general?

[NYPeach]

munecita,

I have conversed with you in the past when I was house hunting a few month ago and you sent me PMs. I know that you do not live in the area and you are looking for property as an investment. Unless that has changed since you last pm me.

If I may make a suggestion to all others who are long distance and looking at real estate here in the Atlanta area whether it is to live in it as a residence or only for investment.

You need to make a trip here and see with your own eyes and ears the area(s) and house(s) that interest you. Unless you have someone you trust 100000% to look at a property for you and you feel comfortable buying on their say so, you and only you should make that decision after a visit or two to the area that interest you.

Based on your posts here it seems alot of the areas you have expressed interest in are areas that are slowly trying gentrify, being restored to their former glory, etc. In other words, they have issues but with a few diamonds sprinkled in here and there (street by street). The spirit of urban pioneers is in effect.

If you are moving to one of these areas as a primary residence or investor expect there will be the usual things that happen with gentrification: break ins, thefts (auto) etc. When I was looking in some of the areas you expressed interest in I drove through the neighborhoods at different hours of the day to try to get a feel.

That is something you cannot do long distance. And my opinions or anyone else's opinion may have fact as well as subjectivity involved.

I spoke to some of the neighbors in these areas. Again something you cannot do long distance.
I also had a realtor that was HIGHLY knowledgeable about the areas. My realtor could tell me things about some of the homes I was interested in before I wasted my time visiting(like the neighbors blasted music all day or hung around all night, etc.)

Some neighborhoods are filled with nothing but investor owned homes being rented. As an investor that may not bother you, but for some one looking for a primary residence, a place to call home, you may not want to be surrounded by homes on all sides that are rentals. This does not help an area rebuild and stabilize in my opinion.

We can give you street names for Cascade, Venetian Hills or some other areas you have an interest in but you can get street names online with a little research, but that does not tell you the story, you have to see/experience the areas for yourself.

Another thing most of the homes in these areas need some kind of work $$$$, especially if the price is below let's say maybe 80-90 thou. The bubble may have burst but a move in ready home is not dirt cheap-it may not be worth the price of the home plus repairs as you may not be able to get the rent you need to cover expenses.

I have driven down many streets (Cahaba, Westridge, Eastridge, etc) in Venetian Hills when I was hunting a few months ago. Most were quiet but alot of the homes were investor owned/renter occupied.

In my opinion there is a distinct (better) vibe difference on the streets of Venetian Hills north of Sandtown Road. I also thought West ridge had a very different vibe than Eastridge and they are neighboring streets. Again this is something I "sensed" while driving through-subjective yes, but my opinion.

Long distance may be good to do the initial research, but whether one is an investor or primary residence an up close and personal look, in my opinion is a requirement when buying real estate.


Good luck to you

[munecita]

Hi NYPeach,

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply to my post. I will be in Atlanta in about 10 days time. Your posts and others on the forum have been really helpful in giving me a feel for some of the areas. I will be doing the ground work as you suggest but have a starting point on the areas that I am interested in.

I welcome any further comments of anyone living in and around cascade and surrounding areas.