You have already received some great pointers about trying to find a home in a new school zone like the new JC High School. Your best bet for making sure that you don't miss out on all the possibilities in your price range is to work with a buyer agent of your own - someone whose job it is to find the best possible homes for you as quickly as possible. We get paid when we close so a good buyer agent understands that the faster they find what you are looking for, the faster they get paid! Driving around or looking on the internet can cause alot of frustration and wasted time. I am finding more and more that most (not just a few) of the internet sites are inaccurate - I don't know why that is but it seems to be the case. The only true depiction of what is really out there and available is the listing service that agents can access.
If you are not already working with a buyer agent, it might be a great time to start. It costs you nothing and can save you thousands. Banks actually PREFER that the buyer have an agent - they don't want all the questions and other stuff that goes along with trying to work a deal with someone who isn't accustomed to customary business practices.
I consult with my buyers and then set them up with their own private website where they receive the latest listings of all types that fit into their desired area and criteria. It helps us decide which are the cream of the crop that you need to see before making your buying decision.
Good luck.
Stephanie McCarty
Accredited Buyer Representative
REMAX Greater Atlanta
404-457-8089
email me directly at slmrealestate@comcast.net

Hi Peg,

A good point made by a couple of the agents already is that many sellers of the houses that are already on the market (and their listing agents) may not know that they are districted for the new Johns Creek high school. To be on the safe side you can look at all houses in the Autry Mill middle school district since all of those houses are going to feed into the Johns Creek high school. Only 6% of the River Trail middle school will feed into Johns Creek high school so those listings are a little trickier to determine (unless they have already noted it on their listing information).

I did a search looking for houses in the Johns Creek high school district,

HI Peg,

We just moved a couple from Lexington Woods (Chattahoochee district) to Dunmoor, which will be in the new school district. I have a great map printed out that shows us the subdivisions that go to Johns creek High School. We know the area very well and have a team ready to help you. Give us a call anytime. Also, go to our website to enter a chance to win a stay in Destin! Who couldn't use a vacation right now?? Look for the link to giveaway drawing on our website. Good luck. Looking forward to helping you! There are more homes available, you just have to know how to search and which subdivisions will go to Johns Creek!

Hope to talk to you soon!

Sherry
Sherry and Maria Team
Top Ten Teams in North Fulton and Forsyth http://www.sherryandmariateam.com
Sherry, 678-283-1710
Maria, 678-548-5513

Peg -
Good evening! There are a few homes listed that are in the new High School district in this price range - I should be clear that it's not as much that they are listed as the new school, but they are within the new zoning lines. One of them is a 3 bedroom, so I'm not sure if that will work for you. I know the area well - and actually live in it - and would be happy to help you identify some of these.

As Julie mentioned, not all agents are aware of the new district - and even if they are there is always some transition time before it's actually valuable to list the property in that district. If you are familiar with the area, you know about the change to John's Creek and many agents aren't listing properties as John's Creek as they will miss out on the "Alpharetta" buyers who don't know the difference.

Also of note, looking at a short sale may not be an option if you are looking to get in by August 10 for the first day of school - it could certainly take longer than that to close a short sale and and that could put you in a worse situation. One other option you might consider is renting to get into the new district while you search or wait for the right property to come along. It could be tough to find a short term rental in this area, but maybe worth a try if that would work for you.

I'm sure you have done your diligence on the new school, but Centennial, Chattahoochee and/or Alpharetta could also be good options for you. Maybe take a look at http://www.greatschools.net if you haven't yet.

I would be happy to email you some listings or more detail on the area if you like.

Best of luck to you! Happy to help if I can...

Lee Adkins
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
lee@leeadkins.net
404 966 3247

Peg,

I am familiar with the Johns Creek area. Give me a call

Hey Peg. I found only 3 homes listed in the Johns Creek district under $250k. I think that most agents are unaware of the new school, so they still have their listing in the old district. I'll have to do some digging for you. Let me know if you'd like my help.

Julie Brittain
JEZEBEL Magazine “Realtor of Distinction” 2006 & 2009 Top 5 Individual Residential Agent 2007 & 2008
#1 Team 2004 - 2005, #1 Individual Agent 2001 - 2003 Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta
Mobile: 404.966.3328
E-Fax: 404.601.6024
http://www.TeamBrittain.com