Moving to Alpharetta GA (Atlanta, Roswell: transplants, 2014, apartment complexes)

[preety18]

My husband has got job in Alpharetta and I will be working from home.So we are moving to Aplharetta GA with our 3.5 year daughter.

We are planning to buy house but not sure if we should buy house in Alpharetta or any near by area.Also we might go for renting single family house($800-$1200) until we find good house.
Which area is good in terms of buying/renting houses,schools,neighborhood,safety?Please provide your valuable inputs.

[FromGA]

The good news for you is that your husband can work in Alpharetta, and you will be able to live in good areas close by. Namely - Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Johns Creek. These areas are all in north fulton, and are all part of the same school dsitrict, and more or less look and feel the same with some variations.

So your move is going to be an easy one, unlike some one who has to work in downtown Atlanta, but wants to live in the northern suburbs which are generally considered most appropriate for transplants.

[BobKovacs]

Alpharetta and the surrounding areas would be good choices, but I'm not so sure you're going to find a deent single-family house for $800-1,200/month. Rental prices have been going through the roof lately, as there are still a lot of people who can't get a mortgage right now. We're in Canton (about 10 miles east of where you're looking), and houses that were renting for $1,300-1,500 just a few years ago are now getting $1,800-$2,200/month and are only listed for a few days before someone snaps them up.

[tamlym]

Definitely rent first if you can hold off purchasing....at least it will buy you some time to get to know the area a little more. And since your daughter is 3.5yo, you have some time (while in a rental) to look around and see what elementary school you want to put her for Kindergarten (BTW, I THINK GA offers free pre-K for 4yos...not sure since my kids are older so you might want to look into that).

Meanwhile, where should you live? The areas mentioned in the others posts are all great (neighborhoods, houses, schools, etc,) but I would also focus your location search on where your husband will work as well. On PAPER, 5 miles or 10 miles might look like an okay commute, but in reality, the on street traffic here during peak commute hours can really be a nightmare.

Have you thought about renting an apartment instead of a SFR? Might fit your budget better and easier to move (can negotiate a shorter lease) from if you're lucky and find your dream home sooner than expected?

[FromGA]

Originally Posted by tamlym

Definitely rent first if you can hold off purchasing....at least it will buy you some time to get to know the area a little more. And since your daughter is 3.5yo, you have some time (while in a rental) to look around and see what elementary school you want to put her for Kindergarten (BTW, I THINK GA offers free pre-K for 4yos...not sure since my kids are older so you might want to look into that).

GA state funded Pre-K starts at 4 (if your kid is 4 by school start time), but may be that might only be in 2014 for you, depending upon when your child was born. Majority (I think well over 75%) of these are offered through daycare centers (Kids R Kids, Primrose, etc), and very few seats are through an actual elementary school, so you will have time to figure out your elementary school.

[Mattie]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Alpharetta and the surrounding areas would be good choices, but I'm not so sure you're going to find a deent single-family house for $800-1,200/month. Rental prices have been going through the roof lately, as there are still a lot of people who can't get a mortgage right now. We're in Canton (about 10 miles east of where you're looking), and houses that were renting for $1,300-1,500 just a few years ago are now getting $1,800-$2,200/month and are only listed for a few days before someone snaps them up.

This. Your rental budget is too low for a house in the North Fulton area. Check into apartment complexes, where you may have better luck.

[preety18]

Thanks all for your inputs.I will certainly look for apartments.Also how is Cumming area?I heard that schools are better there.My daughter currently goes to the Montessori School so I am thinking to enroll her again in Montessori.Does anyone know which Monetssori school is better near all the areas(Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, Johns Creek including cumming) mentioned so far.