From Pittsburgh to Atlanta (Smyrna, Decatur: extended stay, short sales, 2013) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

BTD13 · 09-02-2013, 07:43 AM

Hello everyone.

My fiance' and I have made up our minds, after much consideration and thought we've decided to move to Atlanta from Pittsburgh, PA . Where we are encountering problems are with the neighborhoods. We aren't very familiar with the areas we have visited twice to look over the areas and even got some help from a local realtor that gave great advice but did not seem to take our situation into account as much as we would have like them to. (THE SITUATION) We are gay males both in professional fields, he is in insurance and i am an entrepreneur in ecommerce. We are in our mid twenties and looking to buy a home in a decent neighborhood. We would like to live in a place that is gay tolerant, within a 25 minutes drive to downtown ATL as that is where my office will be located we wish to have a single-family home with 3 bdrms and 2 bths in the 30K to 60K range. I understand that the price range of the home we are looking for may seem to be on the lower side, my rebuttal to this is that since the housing market crash in 2007 several homes have been listed in ATL for far less and been in move in ready condition but we simply aren't familiar with the area and have found some difficulties in researching them online. Thank you all for you assistance in the matter.

Building the Dream 13.

JoeP · 09-02-2013, 07:53 AM

I could be wrong, but I think you missed the window for most opportunities in that price range. However there are still short sales etc and most are outside of the city proper. In the city there are definitely intown neighborhoods that more than gay friendly, but I don't know of any specific suburban areas. That said I don't expect it would be problematic, at least in close in burbs... Smyrna is relatively diverse and has great access to the city. I just don't know if you can find a single family home for that price. I'm pretty sure some town homes are in that range. Again, others can probably offer more specific info.

lastminutemom · 09-02-2013, 08:49 AM

I am not sure that there are homes in your price range, move in ready, that are in neighborhoods that are gay tolerant or even friendly to outsiders. And if you stay within your 25 minute range, you probably aren't going to get "decent" either. Why not share a few listings you are seeing so we can share more specific opinions with you.

Newsboy · 09-02-2013, 09:30 AM

Those prices seem EXTREMELY low for even foreclosures or short sales and are almost positively in areas of the city (Clayton County, South Decatur) where YOU DO NOT WANT TO LIVE! I can understand your realtor's apprehension, because you may be seeking the impossible.

If your heart is set on moving to Atlanta, why not move down and rent first .... get to know the city ... and THEN find something that's ideal for you. As professionals both, your incomes should be enough to find some really nice properties. Why do it on the cheap and regret it?

BTD13 · 09-02-2013, 03:26 PM

We are very open to a short sale home and other types of home sales though we have found that we are pretty set on a single- family home. We haven't looked much past the city perimeter and aren't familiar with areas such as Smyrna. We did have a look at some homes in the Stone Mountain area and though the homes were nice, the neighborhoods themselves weren't too great in the safety aspect. ( This may be our experience with that single neighborhood) and seemed rather far from the city. We both have reliable vehicles and it would not be a problem to live further away from town but if we are going to pay the price for living in a nicer home the neighborhood really needs to be nicer overall and not just a nice home. The comment that we may have missed our opportunity to find a home in that range may be true and we may have to go back to the drawing board and evaluate a higher price range. Also advice on renting is great and is one we have given much thought to. We have have strongly decided against that option because we and looking to buy we have saved a fair amount of funds and have some funding from the NG ( Nation Guard) that we would like to use before the offer expires. We've been looking on Trulia.com mainly below are a few of the properties we have in mind.

5235 Forest Downs Lane, Atlanta GA - Trulia

2740 Live Oak Trail, Atlanta GA - Trulia

2755 High Tide Drive, Atlanta GA - Trulia

577 Peyton Road Southwest, Atlanta GA - Trulia

Some of these zip codes cover a large area and we aren't sure if the location of the house is in a good area. Any advice is welcome and much appreciated. Thanks for replies, advice and time.

lastminutemom · 09-02-2013, 04:23 PM

I would guess that these neighborhoods will be filled with renters not owners as investment companies have been about in Atlanta area buying large numbers of low priced homes. There was a very insightful article in the NY Times about the current phenomenon of neighborhoods of SFH turning into large swaths of rental properties.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/bu...pagewanted=all

Atlanta is a hard city to buy a home in without living here first even if you are spending a lot. IN your case, I would say it is critical to be here, have boots on the ground and get a real feel for the communities that your budget can allow.

Newsboy · 09-02-2013, 07:08 PM

Again, I highly suggest moving here first and living in an extended stay or short-term lesse with option to move upon purchase (this is very common in Atlanta, I've done it myself). I could not imagine buying a house in Pittsburgh without living there first for at least a short time and getting my bearings. With the risks your taking trying to find a short sale in a borderline neighborhood, it would be foolish (quite frankly) to take that leap in a metro the size of Atlanta.

BTD13 · 09-04-2013, 06:10 AM

Thank you for all of your comments and advice

lorilove · 09-04-2013, 06:33 AM

I will be quite surprised if you find anything that meets your needs. As a point of reference, I live in a townhome community in Smyrna that would be ideal. At the top of the market the homes were about 210,000-220,000

At the bottom of the market the two lowest sales were 85,000 and 97,000. The 85,000 was a foreclosure that was in horrible shape - it needed a minimum of 50,000 plus to make it liveable.

Current sales are on the market for 180,000 plus (not sure what they will actually sell for) and that includes a home that still needs major improvements.

JoeP · 09-04-2013, 12:16 PM

Townhomes in Smyrna (and elsewhere I'm sure) can be found for a lot less than $180,000... now if people House Hunters expectations of newer construction with granite everything and stainless steel etc etc, probably not...