Moving to Atlanta area...some questions (Columbus, Albany: for sale, apartments, to rent)

[bomaxh]

We are planning on moving to Georgia in July from South Florida. I have twin 8 year old girls starting the 4th grade by the time we get there. Thinking about starting off in Kennesaw, renting and then I plan to buy after we get to know the area. We will need to rent something furnished until we buy, any suggestions? I have heard good things about the Kennesaw area as well as to the East such as Woodstock also I was told to check out Cumming and Canton area's as well. I have read good things about the schools in all places. My husband and I don't have any jobs lined up yet but we will work on that when we get there. So my questions are....are these all good, safe areas? Good places to raise a family? Reasonably priced homes? (Maybe $200,000). My husband is an electrician so I'm sure he will find work and I am a bookkeeper. Not sure about the commute since we don't have jobs yet. Also my mother will be joining us shortly after we get there. She will be 68 looking for part time work and wants to buy a small house 2/2 for about 110,000 near by where we buy. Any advice anyone can give will be appreciated.

[kayrob]

My first advice is stay put until you really have a job.

[bomaxh]

I understand your point about the job. But our house is already for sale, have to sell it before we loose it. So we will have the money we make on our house. It's hard to find a job there before you are actually there. We have tried but employers want an address in Georgia to apply and they also want someone to start sooner rather than in a month or so. It will be easier to obtain employment when we are there. My husband has been to the Atlanta area suburbs but I haven't that's why I am asking about the safety of the area's and the schools. Those are my number one concerns.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by bomaxh

I understand your point about the job. But our house is already for sale, have to sell it before we loose it. So we will have the money we make on our house. It's hard to find a job there before you are actually there. We have tried but employers want an address in Georgia to apply and they also want someone to start sooner rather than in a month or so. It will be easier to obtain employment when we are there. My husband has been to the Atlanta area suburbs but I haven't that's why I am asking about the safety of the area's and the schools. Those are my number one concerns.

A few previous threads>>>

https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...woodstock.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...-comments.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...h-georgia.html

[kaabye]

I would not move to Atlanta until you have a job. Atlanta had a huge housing and construction boon for the last 10 years but that slowed dramatically when the housing bubble burst. I would make sure one of the two had a job prior to moving.

As far as areas to move to in Atlanta you are looking at suburban areas that each have there own feel but are also similar in a lot of ways. I would suggest staying in Atlanta for a week or so and scheduling visits with the schools to better educate your self on the areas.

Good luck with the move and jobs.

[OhioNative]

I know many unemployed electricians who have had no recent job prospects. I would add to the recommendation to not move here without a job.

[neil0311]

+1 on don't move on spec. Electricians are a "dime a dozen" and no one is building or remodeling right now.

[lastminutemom]

I have to agree with others.

Here is another thought (and forgive me if you have already done this). The economic downturn has not hit every where the same. If moving from Florida is your goal, figure out the job situation first and then go where there is employment. Even the part time work thing for you mom is going to be hard. She will be competing with much younger potential employees for every job. (People who can't find full time work looking for part time work and many folks need to work more than one job just to make ends meet.)

Also, my understanding about the S. Florida housing market is that it is pretty dismal. You expect to make money on your sale? What is your plan if it doesn't sale or you can't even break even? (Forgive me

Furnished apartments are generally much more expensive, you should start by calling Pro-Move apartment finders (google for the phone number/website) and getting quotes for what you are looking for. The areas you listed are fine.

I am sorry if this post seems harsh, but I spend part of my time volunteering with non-profits who help families in crisis. To many of our clients are families who thought Atlanta would be better than where ever they came from.

[BobKovacs]

I'll add to the "don't move without a job" comments- especially in the building trades. I'm in the construction industry, and I can tell you that there's an extreme shortage of work. Of the various trades, electricians are usually a little more in demand because it's tougher to get into the field than say carpentry (where if you have a hammer, you can call yourself a carpenter), but there's still plenty of competition for every position. Pop over to Craigslist and search the "skilled trades" section to get a fee for what's out there.

All that said, the areas you're talking about are great- we live in Holly Springs, which is between Woodstock and Canton, and we love it. The commute may be tough though, since you're starting from a point 35 miles from the center of the metro area, and jobsites could be all the way on the other side of the metro, or even out of town in places like Albany, Columbus, etc. It's not unusual for contractors to take projects all over the state, and to expect their employees to travel. All of this is based on commercial construction, btw- if he's a residential electrician, he's pretty much out of luck.