Hi David,
Yes, I've decided to go with Sherry and Maria, since they posted the answer that best matched my needs and personal style. Thanks a lot for offering your services!

Miriam,

Now that you've gotten several points of view, have you decided to hire a realtor yet? If not, I'd love to interview for the job. I love helping people find homes to live in. I work with both buyers and sellers and I also sell foreclosures through a bank and have negotiated several short sales. I have sold in areas all the way from downtown Atlanta to the Mountains in Blue Ridge and everywhere in between. I have a good feeling for the market conditions, pricing and what to expect from re-sellers, new construction and REO (bank owned) properties. Selecting your agent can be one of your most important decisions in the home buying process. Thanks for giving me a shot. I am a full time agent and it's what I do 24-7 so I'd love to represent your interests in your next home purchase. Give me a call if you would like to discuss anything more. If you've already hired an agent, please ignore. Best wishes,

David Brower, Assistant Manager/Realtor
Crye-Leike Realtors
678-982-9600
david@davidwbrower.com

From North Forsyth, you can take Hwy 369 to Hwy 20 to I-575 to get to KSU. Traffic won't be bad going to NGCSU. If your interested, I have a house for sale by owner with a cul de sac lot in NE Forsyth County on the Northwest side of Lake Lanier that backs up to over 20 acres of Army Corp of Engineer property with over a mile of undisturbed lake front. I can be reached at pbt70@hotmail.com

I specialize in university markets, relocated from NJ, and live in Georgia.
Feel free to connect.
http://www.danieileyouragent.com

Hi Miriam, I hope the two of you enjoy living in the South! When you get ready for a weekend-get-away, try coming to Hartwell Ga. It's about 1 1/2 hours from Atlanta and a nice quite county town with an old fashion square and an awesome golf course and of course the Lake. If you dicide to come this way, please give me a call and I will get a newcomer package together for you. Hope to see you soon!

Thanks for the information, Chip, but the Big Canoe properties are not the type of housing we're looking for anyway. Thanks though!

I disagree with Hank that the Big Canoe community is "dead in the water". Yes, there have been a couple of short sale orders because there are homes owned by real estate investors, builders, etc. who were speculative in the real estate market. In 2008 there were 75+ homes sold here that range in price from low $100's to over $2 million. In 2009 there have been 11 homes that have closed and 10+ currently under contract. Most of the potential buyers looking at the Big Canoe community are just waiting to sell their homes in other locations. The Big Canoe real estate market is one of the most active mountain and golf communities in Georgia. Let me know if you would like a tour. Even if you don't buy here, it is worth the visit.

Big Canoe is beautiful...and dead in the water. You can get tremendous deals up there just don't plan on selling in the next five years. I'm starting to see short sale appraisals getting ordered in there as well....it is gorgeous with a new clubhouse and great amenities.

Cumming to Kennesaw will be brutal for your husband, there's no easy way and the roads east-west are not at all designed for speed. I think Southeast Forsyth or even East Cherokee would work OK - a happy medium locationally. Still not a great ride to KSU but easier than Cumming.

I'm all over that area appraising and selling - we also do a sigificant amount of relocation work as ERC members. Let me know if you'd like specific info on anything - say hey to PA....

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

Hi Miriam,

Have you visited the gated mountain community of Big Canoe in North Georgia? It is between Kennesaw and Dahlonega or GA400 and Hwy. 515. This is an awesome community with unique mountain homes and tons of green space - very strict architectural controls and nothing cookie cutter allowed. There are many amenities which include 27 holes of golf, fitness center, 20+ miles of hiking trails, pools and much more. You can visit my website at http://www.northgeorgialistings.com to learn more about this community and homes for sale in Big Canoe. I have been a full-time resident of Big Canoe for over 10 years and moved from the Cumming area for the peaceful solitude of the mountains. I would love to show you what the community has to offer. I can be reached at 706-268-3000 or e-mail.

Chip Perry
Broker
Perry Group Properties, Inc.
706-268-3000 : office
770-633-4222 : cell
chip@perrygroupproperties.com

Thanks for your answer, Guenter!

WE moved from NJ to Ga about 10 years ago and settled in south forsyth. We loved the convience of living between two highways to get to Atlanta. 400 is 2 miles away and 141 is 1 mile away. It is also easy to get to kennesaw by going the back roads. We currently have our house for sale at 2345 greenmont ct cumming by Mark Spain. You will like the forsyth area for the low real estate taxes alone. Have fun shopping.

Miriam,

I'm a relocation specialist with Cartus one of the largest relocation companies in the world. I work a lot in the Cumming area and know of some great areas you may want to consider.

North and Central Forsyth County sounds like the place for you. If you needs some assistance and want to make your transition smooth as possible be sure to give me a call.

James Dudley
ERA Sunrise Realty
678-781-7418

Just remember that good schools also help determine your resale value...we're top producers here for a reason. We listen to our clients needs and advise them well for long term investment.

Looking forward to having you here! Maria's husband is a biology major too, so you'll hit it off I'm sure.

All the best,

Sherry
sherry@sherryandmaria.com
maria@sherryandmaria.com

Thanks for all the good answers! We don't have kids yet, but they are a possibility for the future, so good schools are always a plus. We are academics and so my husband can get classes that start after the rush hour ends (~11am), thus beating traffic, but I wouldn't want to put him in a horrible situation either. We definitely want to be within 15-25 min. of shopping and restaurants--that's pretty important to us. We intend to stay in the area for years to come (hopefully!). Because of our areas of study (he is a social scientist while I'm a biologist), I will be going into work 5 days a week while he can work from home more often--another consideration. Oh, yes, I will be teaching at NGCSU.

We know we don't want a cookie-cutter house that is up right against another house. We would prefer a property with a bit of space around it, and with some personality.

Well, there's a lot in your answers for me to process. I will probably be contacting some of you for help with this!!

Thanks again!

Hi Miriam,

I know the commute is important to you but do you have other concerns? Are you looking for the best schools and if so for what age kids? How close do you want to be to shopping/ dining, etc? Some areas are more rural than others. Price point will make a difference as well. In Forsyth and Cherokee Counties you can get more house for the money the further north you go but the resale is generally not as good. How long do you think you will live here? We always consider resale when selling a client a home. Life changes... faster than we expect sometimes.

My business partner Maria is an exceptional buyers agent. I am primarily a listing agent. We live and work in the Cumming Area but know all of the surrounding counties well. I would suggest you call Maria and give her some ideas on what your needs are. She can find the perfect house for you quickly and save you a lot of time by previewing the homes before you get here. She's fantastic!

Call Maria at 678-548-5513. She'll take excellent care of you.

Welcome to GA! You'll love it here. People are very friendly, weather is fantastic. My husband and I are from the north and northeast as well. We miss the snow on occassion but absolutely love it here!

Take care,

Sherry Ajluni http://www.sherryandmaria.com http://www.sherryandmariateam.com
678-283-1710

Dahlonega will be a breeze compared to the nightmare you will be putting your husband through going from Cumming to Kennesaw. I would re-think that location. I would suggest Woodstock - straight shot south to Kennesaw about 20-30 minutes to the college with traffic. You could get to Dahlonega through back roads in about 45-50 depending upon where you are going. Cumming to Kennesaw could be an hour commute or longer.. there is no real easy way to get there. Just my opinion, but i'd hate to see you buy something and then realize how bad it is. I would suggest driving from your desired location in Cumming to Kennesaw at 8 AM and then do it back from Kennesaw to Cumming at 5PM and you'll quickly realize there are other locations that could be much better. There are some locations in N. Cherokee county with Alpharetta addresses that would be about an even split to the two location. Just some thoughts... If you want some more help, give me a call or visit my website.

Sincerely,
David Brower, Assistant Manager/Realtor
Crye-Leike Realtors
678-982-9600
david@davidwbrower.com

Miriam,

Welcome to Ga! It is a big weather change from NJ, and I know the big change because I am from up north as well! Cumming is a great area, and where I specialize. You heading north will not be a problem, but your Husband will have traffic heading to Kennesaw. There are some other areas that I would consider if I were you and I would love to assist your in your move here. Please contact me anytime. Good Luck!

Katy Foltz
Keller Williams Realty Community Partners- Cumming,Ga
kfoltz@kw.com
678.341.7968 http://www.FrontPorchDream.com

Good Morning: No traffic should not be an issue going up to Dahlonega. The main traffic pattern is heading south further into the metro Atlanta area. Your husband will be hitting some traffic. Part of the task is learning the easiest path to Kennesaw. I would be more than glad to help you in your home search. I am a native of Atlanta and north Georgia and am very familiar with the Cumming area. Please feel free to email or call with any questions.

No traffic headed North. But he'll definitely hit some going South and West. You should consider Alpharetta or West Forsyth. Let me know if you'd like some help finding a home.

I went to school in Dahlonega. Will you be teaching at NGCSU?

Julie Brittain
404-966-3328
http://www.TeamBrittain.com