I'm reposting this again under "Georgia" (forgot to w/original post) for anyone that may be interested in providing feedback:

Thanks to all that provided input into my previous postings on relocation questions about Atlanta. Recap: Hubby and I (mid 40s - no kids) moving with my job transfer. (He'll be looking for a new job there.) My job will be in Smyrna so we're now looking at Smyrna/Vinings, East Cobb or Sandy Springs. I'm a bit concerned to see that Atlanta is such a buyer's market for real estate ... Good for us buying now, but may be an issue when we sell. I'd lile to be in an area in Cobb county with a bit more "character" (if that exists), although not too far out from Atlanta proper. We liked Vinings, but the prices are a bit steep, and have thought about Smyrna close to Vinings ... although I hear the schools in Smyrna are not so good. So we're also thinking about East Cobb (probably as "far out" as we want); seems like an OK commute to Smyrna, and I hear the schools are good which is an important consideration for re-sale.

So ... Any recommendations, pros-cons on these areas? We like to go out to restaurants, and would go into the city occasionally for sports events, concerts, or other shows & festivals. For our day-to-day lives, I'd like to be within a relatively short commute to my job in Smyrna (near Windy Hill and Cobb Pkwy), in an area with some shops and restaurants close by (that's why we like Vinings). FYI - We'd be looking for a 3B 2 1/2b, 2-car garage w/basement and a relatively private lot.

Thanks for any feedback.

One thing you have to realize, is the commute in most places of those areas are getting awful. I would be careful getting too far out.
Sandy Springs would be nice, but there again you may have a commute issue.
You may also want to check out West Cobb and the Vinings area.
A great way to start would also be to check with a reputable real estate agent that deals in relocation, such as Re-Max or Caldwell Banker.

I live in East Cobb and my husband teaches and coaches here as well. Commute time was one of our concerns so we live in the Post Oak Tritt/Johnson Ferry Rd area. Easy hop and skip to I-75 and also very easy jaunt to Highway 92 (Roswell/Alpharetta and Woodstock area) and a very quick jump to Barrett Parkway (Kennesaw).

One thing to keep in mind about this area is that it is very suburban, meaning you will find mostly chain restaurants but there is a Playhouse in the square with some great restaurants and it is a very easy commute to Midtown Atlanta. I know, because I work for a Commercial RE firm and we own two properties that are in midtown on Peachtree. It takes me roughly 15-20 minutes to get to Phillips Arena (not during rush hour traffic).

It takes me about 30 minutes to get to 14th Street when leaving my house at 7:00am during the weekday. If I leave from that same area around 4:00pm, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on how bad traffic is (ie wrecks etc). For each 1/2 hour later that I leave, it can add anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

I read where you do not have kids but you mentioned the school system so I will address that. The school system in East Cobb is great. If you fine tune your are better, I can tell you more about each school. As it stands, people consider these to be the best of the best in East Cobb (please note that any of the others are just as good, these are just considered to be slightly better):

Elementary - Sope Creek
Middle - Dodgen
High - Walton

Now if someone's children are prone to one activity over the other and are interested in scholarships (band, football, Lacrosse etc), then they would want to choose a school that would fit that area the best. For example, Lassiter High is considered the best school for band students. They have won many championships and play in the Macy's parade.

As for the West Cobb suggestion, proceed with caution. The area is very nice but the travel commute is far worse because you would not be just off I-75 which is very convenient. I have many friends that chose that area because they could get more land and a bigger house for less and now wish they had decided differently because they hate their commute. If you need a gauge in travel time, I could ask one of them for you since all work in either the Buckhead or Midtown area. The school system there is very good (McEchearen is an excellent high school).

Cobb's School System website is http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/

Shopping is pretty good in East Cobb and the commute to Smyrna will be very easy. My office is actually off of Windy Hill (Interstate North Parkway) and it only takes me 15 minutes to get here and 30 if there is traffic). Tell me the road you would be working on and I can map it out from my house for you and give you the travel time. There is plenty of dining here, just mostly chains though (ie Bahama Breeze, O Charleys, Chilis etc).

Hope that helped you out a bit.

I think many of us who are familiar with Atlanta have already given you of advice, and the main piece of advice has been to live as close to where you work as possible. The traffic here is no worse than NYC, Wash. DC, or LA. However, coming from Rochester, you will think there is a lot of traffic here.

I agree with the poster above that you really need a real estate agent with relocation experience- Remax or Coldwell Banker. Jenny Pruitt is a great local firm, but it tends to specialize in intown properties (Buckhead, etc.) and it doesn't have the relo clientele that the national firms do.

IMHO, a 3bed/2 bath house is not likely to resell to a family with high schoolers-unless it's a knock down because it is too small for a family (using Atlanta housing standards) so what high school you are in may not be as relevant as you think. People looking for 3/2s tend to look more closely at the elementary schools.

Campbell HS in Smyrna is actually a good school with an IB program. It has a more diverse student body than Walton or Wheeler (the East Cobb highs schools), or Riverwood (Sandy Spring's high school) so it's test scores are lower. Walton, etc. has higher test scores because it has a more economically homogeneous population. When all of the children in those new homes in Smyrna and Mableton become teenagers, Campbell's demographics will change and its test scores will improve.

From East Cobb or Sandy Springs, you are looking at a 30 minutes commute to your job. I have a friend who lives in East Cobb. If her husband leaves the house by 6:30am, it takes him 45 minutes to get to work. If he doesn't leave before 6:30, it can take him 90 minutes to get to work.

If you want to look at somewhere besides Smyrna/Mableton, then look at Marietta. It still has the village square with some shops and restaurants. You would be about 10-15 minutes from where you will work.

Another option is to move down here, and rent an apartment for 6 months. You could check out traffic patterns and gain much more knowledge about neighborhoods and where you would want to be. Post Apartments (they are all over Atl) does corporate leases by the month. There is a Post apt complex just south of Windy Hill on Cobb Pkwy.

I absolutely agree with renting before buying if at all possible. We relocated to East Cobb 9 years ago and each year the commute got worse. Additionally, the area is changing so rapidly it will be nice for you to take some time learning what is being zoned in your back yard.

What about finding a buyer's broker?

Thank you for your replies. I've had many of my questions responded to by posters on this site and I'm SO appreciative for the valuable information. I am working with the relocation service and a realtor, but it is so valuable to also get information from other sources as well when moving to a new location ... so many unknowns and uncertainties!

Thanks again Fodorites!

Whatever you do, just make sure you buy a home with room for guests, as I am sure you will be having lots of them!!!