i8inParis

My head is spinning! My husband was just
offered a promotion that would take us from Greenville, SC to Atlanta. He would be working at Emory. I have been doing all sorts of research, and I am just getting more and more confused as well as stressd
out.

Our top priorities are good public schools for our 6th grade son, and a family oriented neighborhood. My husband will be traveling to South GA. 2x a week, so we may
be interested in areas south of Emory, but that is not set in stone.

We would love a 2000+sq.foot house under $275,000. My son is a top notch student and budding athelete, who is devasted at the idea of moving. Not to mention this could be happening as soon as next month.

I have visited Atlanta many times and like it, however we have no friends or family there. We want to make the very best decision for our son when choosing a place to live. My husband is prepared to commute,
but of course it would be great if it wasn't too awful for him!

I would be so greatful for ANY advice that anyone has to offer on this very stressful
move.

Wallace_and_Gromit

Paris,

The "Druid Hills" area is a great community. I don't think you will have any problems for your (12 year old?) son. You will be close to a lot of museums and other attractions. The Emory museum, the Carlos museum features mummies! The Fernbank has some of the world's largest dinosaurs - Try to tell your son some of these things and maybe he won't be so upset.

Here are some sites for you to look at:

http://www.thibadeaurealty.com/neighbor.html

https://www1.neighborhoodscout.com/s...ces/order1.jsp

http://www.atlantapros.com/Nav.aspx/...x%3fP%3d175535

It is just a start...

cartraveler

I just moved to Atlanta from out of state myself so I know your wheels are spinning. You will get some good advise and tons of input...Seems to be a lot of helpful folks here! I picked a neighborhood across from the Emory campus on Clairemont in Decatur. I have just been in town a couple of months and love it. Older neighborhood with lots of walkers, a park, and easy access to downtown Decatur (charming!), I-85 and mid-town, and Emory. Seems to be good schools (no kids so can't say). There is another thread titled "Atlanta Relocation" that has a lot of good info as well. Good luck with the move!

padams421

The Druid Hills neighborhood around Emory is beautiful but I doubt you will find anything under 275,000 for over 2,000 sq ft. I suggest you look in Decatur as well as the areas off Lavista Rd. going east from Emory to 285 (not sure what to call that neighborhood). You might also consider the intown neighborhoods of Morningside, Inman Park, Candler Park, and Grant Park.

Georgia's middle schools are particularly weak. Look at carefully at the middle school as well as the high school. You might consider renting for a year so that if you aren't happy with the school, you can move.

Anglophile

Hello. I am a new poster, in fact this is my first post to this great forum. I decided that your question would be a good one to dive in because I live near Emory and am originally from Greenville, SC. So here's my two cents.

Traffic in metro Atlanta is terrible. Living reasonably close to where you work can make life much more tolerable. The Decatur/Emory/Druid Hills area is a very desirable one with housing costs reflecting that fact. Knowing what housing in the Greenville area runs (my parents still live there), you will be hard pressed in the Emory/Druid Hills area to find the kind of house you describe for under $300,000 unless you're willing to take a "fixer-upper". In fact in your price range you'll likely have to settle for a 60's vintage or older. It's a great area with many family-oriented neighborhoods and super convenient, but it's not inexpensive.

The school situation in metro Atlanta is quite varied. The areas described here are in DeKalb County which still has, I'm told reliably, some good, well-performing schools, both elementary and high schools, and some not so good. Decatur has its own school system. Both DeKalb County and Decatur city school systems are quite diverse. I think if you choose wisely the school district you live in, it's possible to get a good education in a public school setting in DeKalb and Decatur.

The public schools with most of the best test scores and overall reputations are in the suburban counties, particularly Cobb and Gwinnett. Housing costs are also lower there. You could likely meet your pricing target in either county and get in one of the best schools. The tradeoff is that your husband's commute will be much longer.

Forgive this lengthy response. I'll be happy to answer other questions via e-mail if you wish. Good luck in your relocation. As another poster pointed out the cultural advatages in Atlanta are great, particularly in Northeast Atlanta. Too bad there are so many people and too many cars on narrow streets.

Lex1

Agree that you will not find a house in Druid Hills (proper) for $275,00-most are closer to 5 times that. Don't mean to sound negative, but I'm sceptical that you will find anything close to Emory that will fit your criteria for both price and good schools. There are lots of excellent public schools in the city/suburbs, though most are in the northern suburbs, with commutes about an hour during rush times. You might look into Peachtree City, south of town, though your husband would face a long commute when he's not traveling south.

starrsville

The Fernbank area is very nice, and the elementary school is good. If you are looking forward to your son's high school years and athletic career, you would probably do better outside the Perimeter.

A year ago you probably could have found a 60's ranch or split level inside the Perimeter near Emory for the mid-200's but I have friends selling and shopping and you aren't going to find much of anything less than 300K - and these are 1200 - 1600 square foot homes. Most of the recent sales in my friend's neighborhood have followed with major construction to take the house up a story. Most new construction in the area (especially at 2000 square foot range) starts at 400K and goes up.

Greenville isn't far. Come down and drive around. Buy a good map, exit off 85 south at Clairmont Road and just drive around to get your bearings. Head toward Decatur on Clairmont, then out Ponce and Scott toward Druid Hills and Morningside. There are plenty of flyers out in the yards of homes for sale to get a good idea in an hour or two regarding the housing market.

My guess is that you will end up in Gwinnett or North Fulton or Forsyth for good secondary schools with sports programs for your son to get the house you want - and your husband will join the rest of Atlanta in their killer commute.

Brian_in_Charlotte

I applaud your desire to live close to your husband's job, but agree with starrsville - for what you want, you're likely heading for the suburbs.

You won't find anything in your price range in any of the "named" neighborhoods above. Your only chance is looking at areas outside of these neighborhoods that are still a bit sketchy. Maybe check out the less desirable areas of Decatur (which is a great town btw).

OneWanderingJew

Does anyone have a comment about Decataur City schools--Starrsville?? The best ranked schools from an academic and athletic standpoint are in the state are in N. Fulton Co., E. Cobb and parts of Gwinnett County. Unfortunately, that means a commute for your husband. Like any city, the farther out you go, the more house you get for your money.

I love the areas of Decataur, Druid Hills, Virginia Highland, Morningside but as others have told you, it will be a tough search to find what you're looking for in your price range.

Play around on accessatlanta.com There is a newcomers section and one on schools--may be a good place to start.

Also metrobrokers.com is a good real estate website for the Atlanta market. I like it a bit better than realtor.com.

Good luck!

OneWanderingJew

Sorry for the typos...just played around on accessatlanta's school section. It is not completely up to date. For example, Hopewell MS, which opened last year, is not listed. I guess the test scores are from 2003-2004 school year!

starrsville

OWJ, I hesitate to comment on particular schools/ districts. Atlanta magazine had a great issue in the last year showcasing the best public and private high schools in Atlanta.

atlswan

I would agree with OWJ and Starrsville about housing prices in the Emory area. We live in an apartment now and have been driving around looking in that area and toward Lavista.

We did find some older homes in the Medlock area (not Medlock Bridge Road) over near Willivee, toward North DeKalb Mall. There were some in the mid 200s but they're smaller homes. I don't know much about the schools there, however.

I understand how you feel about wanting to be near your husband's job. My husband works in Midtown and wants the same thing. But we're going to have to spend an additional year saving up for a big enough downpayment to be able to do it. You might indeed consider East Cobb as the schools are top notch and housing is a little more affordable.

i8inParis

A HUGE thanks to all who responded to my urgent plea! You all gave me some great info. to research. Unfortunatley
renting housing for a year isn't an option because I do not want to put my son through changing schools yet another time. We just have to get it right the first time I guess! There is a chance that my hubby's co. will pay
for him to rent an apt. until summer,
allowing my son and I to remain in SC
so he can finish up the school year.
This would certainly allow us to take our time in finding a good location.
COMMUTE Queston: If you live 30 min. south of Emory, how long can one expect
the commute to take? What are the times in the a.m. and again in the afternood when the traffic is more tolerable? I guess I'm asking what time one would have to get out the door
living 30 min. south to avoid a.m. rush
and get to Emory by 8:30. Thanks again!

starrsville

3 hours - and I'm only sort of kidding