Housing Market in Alpharetta (Roswell, Cumming: real estate, rent, townhome)

[justchill532]

We are planning to move Alpharetta in fall and looking for buy SFH. Our Budget 350-400k. I’m on fence whether it’s a good idea to buy and move or rent short term before purchase. My job is remote and have flexibility to move. Kids in elementary. Looking for inputs on current housing market , trends and if it makes sense to wait an year to purchase. We can do one house hunting trip but not sure if it’s enough to find dream home. Appreciate all the inputs. Thank you.

[markjames68]

“Alpharetta, $350K and dream home” don’t all go together unless your dreams are pretty modest.

Have you spent time here before?

If your job is remote, why specifically Alpharetta?

Maybe look at Forsyth or Cherokee County just north or west of Alpharetta, you will get more house for your money and the schools are good and getting better.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by markjames68

“Alpharetta, $350K and dream home” don’t all go together unless your dreams are pretty modest.

Have you spent time here before?

If your job is remote, why specifically Alpharetta?

Maybe look at Forsyth or Cherokee County just north or west of Alpharetta, you will get more house for your money and the schools are good and getting better.

Yea it's pricey. There was a townhome near me that was listed for 325-350 and sold pretty quickly. The subdivision near me has tiny lots and starts at 600-650.

[citidata18]

I agree with the others. You're not going to find anything in that price range in Alpharetta.

If you're working remotely and want good schools, I suggest the following:

*NE Coweta County

*N. Forsyth County

*N. Cherokee County

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by justchill532

We are planning to move Alpharetta in fall and looking for buy SFH. Our Budget 350-400k. I’m on fence whether it’s a good idea to buy and move or rent short term before purchase. My job is remote and have flexibility to move. Kids in elementary. Looking for inputs on current housing market , trends and if it makes sense to wait an year to purchase. We can do one house hunting trip but not sure if it’s enough to find dream home. Appreciate all the inputs. Thank you.

It really depends on your criteria and what you're looking for in a house. Can you find a home under $400k in Alpharetta? Yes, but will it have all the bells and whistles? Not even close. Most likely its going to be a town home or a house under 2,000 sqft. You can certainly 'live' in Alpharetta for under $400k but you may have to surrender your housing preferences. About $200k more will give you a broader list of options.

[Bamaman1]

You're fortunate today that you can do much of your house hunting online. In such a big city, it's just too easy look at too many properties without prior preparation. This is where a really good real estate agent specializing in that part of the city would come in.

It would be nice if you could make one long weekend visit to the city getting a feel for the area. You could narrow down your search to maybe 3 areas/towns to make a real home search in. Then start your property search.

I-285 is a big square around the city, and the northern leg of the road is locally called the Northern Perimeter. You have a number of pricey suburbs just north of The Perimeter--but some areas are getting older. The terrain just north of The Perimeter is very hilly with the Chattahoochee River meandering all over the place. Getting around can be difficult.

A little farther north, you have more modern homes in places like East Cobb, Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton and as far east as Peachtree Corners. And even farther north, Forsythe County is very popular. For the most part, public schools are very good across the Northern Perimeter and farther north.

And figuring out where you want to be is very important because we're talking thousands and thousands of homes on the retail market.

[M3Guy]

I love Alpharetta, but too expensive. I was looking to buy a house there before I bought my current property. Try looking in Cumming(?). More bang for your buck.