My husband and I are going to Atlanta this weekend to see if it's somewhere we want to relocate to (we currently live in the SF bay area). We want somewhere that is close to a MARTA station, safe and has newer homes for around $400K. We are going to look at Dunwoody and Brookhaven. Does anyone have any other advice for which neighborhoods to look at?

Thanks,
Patrice

BUCKHEAD!!!!

I know...you have to put a "1" in front of the $400K...don't you hate when that happens?

Enjoy your search. You are probably fleeing all of our "cheap" real estate here in the Bay Area...SMILE

Oaktown Traveler

I also live in SF, but spent 2 years in Atlanta. You may want to consider Decatur, the area around Emory, and the Highlands.

Patrice:
While Brookhaven is truly lovely, I suspect you'll find most new construction there is 2-3 times your desired price. Doubt you'd find a knockdown in that range. Emory, Virginia-Highland and Decatur are all "intown." Very little new construction, mostly bungalows, in your price range. You might also look at Sandy Springs (similar to Dunwoody away from Roswell Road) or further out-Roswell or Alpharetta. All great suburban areas with "short" drives to Marta rail. Lot depends on family make-up, preferences. While on average Atlanta housing is less expensive (and larger) than San Francisco, near in is still pricey.

I live in the Buckhead/Chastain Park area. While the price of houses in this area can be in the above million dollar range, I have found several homes from Buckhead to Sandy Springs along the Roswell Rd artery routes very affordable and in established, well-taken care of neighborhoods. Most are the "ranch" style, 1800-2400sf, 3-2, 1950-1960 brick house. There are several in the 250-500k range with big yards and trees! They are also fun to update/renovate. Welcome to Atlanta, have fun.

Agree with Smokyboy: There's plenty of great [$400k] housing stock nearer in, including along the Roswell Road corridor from Buckhead through Sandy Springs, where I live and have my office (there's also great stock at 2.5-5 times that). But, the housing in your range is not new. Just not economic to build $400k single family detached houses (even cluster homes) close in. You'll feel right at home in Atlanta: our politicians are as batty and corrupt as any in the Bay area.

SB & H:

My husband and I just debated your post!
I would LOVE to move to Atlanta for personal reasons.

He says: I can stay at The Beverly B&B
all I want but NO! It is TOO hot for him...sniff!

Oaktown Traveler

I have lived in Atlanta all my life. You do not mention if you have children or not, but if it is just you and your husband, you may want to consider a condominium. There is nice, new construction going on from Buckhead to Midtown and some of these are very affordable (under $500,000). Word to the wise: before you decide to move, drive around Intestates 285, 400, and 75 between 3pm and 7pm --- then decide if you can stand to move here I have driven in SF and the traffic can be brutal, but nothing compared to traffic in this town!

Thanks for all the responses. No, we don't have children, and probably won't ever. We do plan on driving around to get a feel for everything (including traffic!). We don't need a brand new house, but I'd at least like something new enough to have updated bathrooms and kitchen. We just want to live somewhere where we can do more with our money than just pay the mortgage, which is all we can do here. From what I've heard, I think we will like Atlanta. The hard part will be getting jobs since we are not local.

I really do encourage you to check out Roswell and Alpharetta. Its a really quick trip up the road from Buckhead and the amount of house you get for your money goes up exponentially. You might want to figure out where you will work before you invest in a house, though. Traffic patterns should be a major part of your decision.

I lived in Atlanta's suburb of Roswell off Holcomb Bridge rd for 9 years. I love Atlanta. My son lives in the Sandy Springs(fabulous area) area in a 2 bedroom condo. He is close to everything and a MARTA station. Decide on an area first, remember it is the LOCATION that counts. Agree with smokeyboy and hmmmm. I think you should get an excellent realtor and tell them what you want....that is what we did when we made our move to FLL. It helps BIG TIME.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting a job, at least not because you're not local. Not an issue.

In order to help you with Atlanta neighborhoods we really need to know more about the sort of life you'd like to lead. More walking/public transit, with restaurants and clubs and arts and so forth? Or quiet suburbs, with much more emphasis on travel by car?

There's actually a lot of brand new (or very recent) construction right along the MARTA corridor between downtown and Decatur. The neighborhoods are called Inman Park, Candler Park, and Lake Claire. The new construction is generally less expensive than the older bungalows in these neighborhoods, as many of them have been renovated within the last 10 years.

Decatur is a small town that's been engulfed by Atlanta, actually quite close to downtown Atlanta (and the county seat for Dekalb County, where half of the city of Atlanta resides). Huge revitalization of the downtown within the last five years, with condos being built very quickly (and selling just about as quickly). MARTA station essentially under the town square.

Regardless of where you end up, I'd strongly encourage you to work where you live, and live where you work. The shorter your commute time the better. There are lots of great places to live here, with something to suit just about everybody.

I lived in Candler Park for 10 years, and loved it. Most of the houses there are older, but there's some infill housing to be had in the area now, I understand. It's near 2 marta stations, as well as walking distance to a few shops-and-restaurants enclaves. Including my favorite, Little 5 Points.