Georgia3,

It's fantastic that you came back to your thread and gave us all an update.
It's great to know that you read them all and really thought about the answers.

Kudos to you!

Tony Teixeira
770-851-5050

Thank you to each and everyone of you who took the time to reply to my question, I found the replies to be really useful and I will be able to focus my search on one or two areas rather than battling through a maze.
All the answers were good Hank and James gave useful answers but overall J.J's seemed very thorough, but what is reassuring is to see a particular neighbourhood repeated in posts, in my case Roswell which is one of the other areas I will be focusing on. I have glimpsed some of your other posts too and I have been impressed by your ethics.

I second that!
Tributary is also an unbelievable place on the West side (N.E. corner of Douglas County).

But, only go to Tributary if you like green space, beautiful homes, neighborhood activities every weekend, a full gym, pools, bocce, basketball, horseshoes, hiking trails, full time activities diretors, our own shopping district and want to have your cable, internet and phone service included in your HOAs.

Want to know more?
Call me, I live in Tributary and have several listings there.
--
Tony Teixeira
770-851-5050
tonysellsatlanta@gmail.com
tony@muffleyhomes.com

Muffley & Associates
#1 Selling Keller Williams group in Atlanta 2007
#2 Selling KW group in South East Region 2007
#21 Selling KW group in the Country to date 2008

Hi
Douglas County has low taxes. Lithia Christian Academy is in Lithia Springs Ga, about 17 miles west of Atlanta. There are many newer homes in that area well within your price range. We have a 5 bedroom 3 bath within 1/2 mile of the school--it has K-12 I believe. Lithia Ridge Subdivision is a very culturally diverse neighborhood with 65 homes in it all under 4 years old and well within your price range. It is just a few minutes from the interstate and close to Douglasville with malls, shopping, etc.

I am a mortage loan officer with Sun trust mortatge.
I would like to talk to you regarding the mortgage loan options for your home purchase.
404-610-9883

Hello Georgia3,
The East Cobb County area can provide the kind of housing you describe in addition to much lower taxes than Alpharetta or Roswell (Fulton County). In the heart of east cobb is Johnson Ferry Baptist Church which hosts the New Orleans Seminary every week-day. There are also language programs taught on site. You can explore at http://www.jfbc.org. You are moving to a great city, so get excited.

I can't believe that you have not been referred to southwest Atlanta. You can be MUCH closer in to the city than Alpharetta, the taxes are some of the cheapest in the metro ATL and it's very culturally diverse. There is public transportation and there are international language schools around. Plus, there are Christian schools to choose from. Call me and we can chat more specifically about what areas you should look at.

--
Tony Teixeira
770-851-5050
tonysellsatlanta@gmail.com
tony@muffleyhomes.com

Muffley & Associates
#1 Selling Keller Williams group in Atlanta 2007
#2 Selling KW group in South East Region 2007
#21 Selling KW group in the Country to date 2008

Hi Georgia! I am a native Georgian, but have relocated 3 times and happy to say that I am back in the Roswell/Alpharetta, GA area. I came back to this area for several reasons. It is centrally located to most business/downtown areas, great resales communities and growth, top schools/shopping and I wanted a place that my kids could feel like the were in "a town" instead of just a municipal area. I have included a couple of websites on the towns, Roswell and Alpharetta. Both are historic cities and some wel know celebrities have lived her - Shaun Hannity, Paul Newman, and so on. Call me or visit my web site anytime to find homes. I am also happy to set you up on a search so that homes will be sent to you the minute they come on the market. Good Luck and have fun! Paula Williams

http://alpharetta.ga.us/
http://www.ci.roswell.ga.us/

Georgia3
Fayette & Coweta counties might be worth looking into. You have several christian schools in both areas, you have several international companies, but you do not have transportation.

Georgia3,

Joshua is right about the taxes. Even with Homestead Exemption your taxes will be more than $2K/Year in this price range.

There are many homes to choose from right now and defining your search area will be the hardest challenge. Alpharetta is a good choice and is usually the most popular starting point for people relocating to the Atlanta area. There are many great areas to choose from such as Suwanee, Buford, Duluth, Cumming, Roswell, and the list goes on.

I'm working with a teacher at Suwanee Christian School. He may be a good resource for you to discuss opportunities in the different areas you may consider.

I would be happy to assist you with your home search and relocation. I'm a relocation specailist for my company and our brokerage is part of the Cartus network which is one of the largest relocation service companies in the world.

Feel free to contact me if I can assist you in any way.

James Dudley
ERA Sunrise Realty
678-781-7418
james.dudley@era.com

Hi G3 -

As Josh mentioned, it was straight Alpharetta up until the taxes part; they will most likley be double your figure.

Your desire for cultural diversity will also probably be better met closer into Atlanta - but taxes will remain the main challenge. Areas like Roswell, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and North Atlanta come to mind. Another option might be Marietta and Smyrna over in Cobb County - just NW of Atlanta and also desirable areas with what you're looking for. Taxes here will be a bit less.

Drop me an email, I'm happy to send you pointed information that will help you get a better idea of sutable areas. More info can also be found on my site - let me know what you need.

Hank Miller, SRA, ABR
Associate Broker & Certified Appraiser
Prudential GA Realty
678-428-8276

It seems like Alpharetta and even more so, Roswell will work well for you. Fellowship Christian Acadamy is in Roswell, and I've got a great home very close by.
http://fmlslistings.marketlinx.com/SearchDetail/Scripts/PrtB…

The taxes are a little harder to predict, as homes are re-assessed each year. Cobb county or Forsyth County might be an option as taxes may be lower outside of Fulton County.

Hope this helps!

Jolie

Georgia3,

I was really excited about answering your question in regards to Alpharetta and how I think it's an excellent choice, until I read the taxes part.

A home of $350K will likely be $3,500 to $4,500 in taxes in most cases in Alpharetta. It doesn't get much better than that until you go further out into more rural areas where the diversity might not be what you are looking for.

There's several great places that allow you to be within walking distance to shopping (although for most Atlantans, walking is NOT an option), but for transport you'll have a limited supply.

All of the public schools in Alpharetta are above average, but as you probably know, there are no Christian Public Schools.

Based on relocation of good neighborhoods, I would say look at Hoschton, Dacula, Buford and Suwanee.

Based specifically on your question, take a look at Lawrenceville, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Norcross and Marietta. These aren't the best OVERALL, but they have good areas and do meet most of the other requirements.

I still think Alpharetta is the best overall though!