Where to build -- ATL north side
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2017
Posts: 1,792
My kids graduated from east Cobb schools (which were great) and then we moved up to Ellijay (Gilmer County). I suggested Canton based on my impression of available land as I drive through (and from visiting a friend that lives there). I apologize, but I don’t know much about the schools.
I plan 3 hours for the drive (leaving house until I need to be at the gate), and I pattern bid to limit my drives to work at 3 per month (until I can hold a fleet and schedule with longer trips and fewer drives to work), and accept the additional planned slop in my drive time as the cost of a large acreage, horses and livestock, shooting on my own land, and small town living. I grew up up rural and it has become an acquired taste for my wife and we enjoy it a lot.
I have have a friend that make the drive from Big Canoe (no kids and >50% 7ERA), and another that drives from Blue Ridge (also empty nest; 330A). I also know someone that is west of Lake Allatoona (Cartersville; 73A, bids reserve and is a bit of a GS ninja). Lots to consider and weigh in the balance, but it is pretty as you get into the hills.
Considering the the cost, upheaval in family life, and the importance of schools, I would suggest investigating any area in person before committing. I hate traffic enough that before we bought land I burned multiple days off driving to the airport from during my typical get to work time just to see what it was like (no thank you on Alpharetta, Cumming, Dahlonega, or anywhere that touches 85 or 400).
I plan 3 hours for the drive (leaving house until I need to be at the gate), and I pattern bid to limit my drives to work at 3 per month (until I can hold a fleet and schedule with longer trips and fewer drives to work), and accept the additional planned slop in my drive time as the cost of a large acreage, horses and livestock, shooting on my own land, and small town living. I grew up up rural and it has become an acquired taste for my wife and we enjoy it a lot.
I have have a friend that make the drive from Big Canoe (no kids and >50% 7ERA), and another that drives from Blue Ridge (also empty nest; 330A). I also know someone that is west of Lake Allatoona (Cartersville; 73A, bids reserve and is a bit of a GS ninja). Lots to consider and weigh in the balance, but it is pretty as you get into the hills.
Considering the the cost, upheaval in family life, and the importance of schools, I would suggest investigating any area in person before committing. I hate traffic enough that before we bought land I burned multiple days off driving to the airport from during my typical get to work time just to see what it was like (no thank you on Alpharetta, Cumming, Dahlonega, or anywhere that touches 85 or 400).
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#12
Rodeo clown
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Position: Tractor seat
Posts: 703
Thanks for the replies so far. If anybody has specific neighborhoods that would be great. I'm not moving this year so I don't want to involve a realtor yet but I'm sure they'd be a wealth of information once I get closer to my bug out date.
When you guys are talking express lanes, do you mean Peach Pass or HOV? Copy stay the hell away from 400!!! Dahlonega is just the 30 minute Costco limit as well as the no-traffic 1:30 limit. I prefer to play the RES game and fly as little as possible but that means I need to adhere to the 2 hour policy. My current property in southern Fayetteville is a little over 3 acres with pine and hardwoods between me and my neighbors and I don't think I'd want to go any smaller. $1M/acre is WAY out of my price range!!! I'm hoping $40-60k for my 3-5 acres will get the job done but reality might make me break that price goal.
When you guys are talking express lanes, do you mean Peach Pass or HOV? Copy stay the hell away from 400!!! Dahlonega is just the 30 minute Costco limit as well as the no-traffic 1:30 limit. I prefer to play the RES game and fly as little as possible but that means I need to adhere to the 2 hour policy. My current property in southern Fayetteville is a little over 3 acres with pine and hardwoods between me and my neighbors and I don't think I'd want to go any smaller. $1M/acre is WAY out of my price range!!! I'm hoping $40-60k for my 3-5 acres will get the job done but reality might make me break that price goal.
You might scout land via the landandfarm.com listings - it will give you a feel for price per acre and availability in the different areas.
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2017
Posts: 198
I live in Alpharetta, traffic is not bad to the airport. Takes me between 35-50 min depending time of day. 400 is not bad, where you see the most traffic is the surface roads east of 400 in Alpharetta and west of 400 in Roswell. Milton is And crab Apple the best areas that are still semi untouched.
#15
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2013
Position: Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy
Posts: 1,657
I like the area, plus I've got a track car so AMP is right there. Unfortunately it's >40 minutes to the closest Costco and nearly 30 minutes to Kroger, it will be a tough (but not impossible) sell for the wife. As rural as it is up there, also not sure I'd be able to get decent internet. That's a 100% deal killer for both of us.
#16
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jun 2016
Posts: 36
I like the area, plus I've got a track car so AMP is right there. Unfortunately it's >40 minutes to the closest Costco and nearly 30 minutes to Kroger, it will be a tough (but not impossible) sell for the wife. As rural as it is up there, also not sure I'd be able to get decent internet. That's a 100% deal killer for both of us.
#17
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I appreciate the tip, also good to know there’s an option for fast internet.
#18
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Joined APC: Oct 2015
Posts: 270
[QUOTE=Han Solo;2955909]I currently live on the south side of ATL. I really like my neighborhood and with the addition of a few new restaurants and the Costco the south side is really improving. Unfortunately I want to have easier access to the north GA and NC mountains as well a view with at least a little bit of vertical development. We're still considering a move to SLC (love the mountains, hate winter so probably not) but can anybody recommend a neighborhood or town on the north side that fulfills these requirements:
1. Mountain views
2. 1.5 hours or less to the airport (not accounting for rush hour or accidents)
3. Enough acreage that I won't know my neighbors -- I'm thinking 3-5 acres and wooded.
4. Established high speed internet
5. Available lots, I want to build from scratch
6. No more than 30 minutes from a Costco and preferably 15 minutes from a major grocery store
Schools are not a factor, we're empty nesters next year. We're not scared of septic and a well. My own inept research has capped the northernmost boundary around Dahlonega, but even there it's tough to tell on Zillow if any of the available land is part of a neighborhood or has high speed internet
I used to live up north. It has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The new Express lane on I-85 has caused major traffic problems all times of the day, and it cost about $15 each way to drive to the airport. The crime has gotten out of control. Personally I moved back to Florida as I could not stand the crime, racism and traffic issues any longer.
FWIW. Lake Lanier is awesome and a Costco is at the mall of GA. Buford school system is awesome with unbelievable facilities if you have school age kids.
Best of luck!!
1. Mountain views
2. 1.5 hours or less to the airport (not accounting for rush hour or accidents)
3. Enough acreage that I won't know my neighbors -- I'm thinking 3-5 acres and wooded.
4. Established high speed internet
5. Available lots, I want to build from scratch
6. No more than 30 minutes from a Costco and preferably 15 minutes from a major grocery store
Schools are not a factor, we're empty nesters next year. We're not scared of septic and a well. My own inept research has capped the northernmost boundary around Dahlonega, but even there it's tough to tell on Zillow if any of the available land is part of a neighborhood or has high speed internet
I used to live up north. It has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The new Express lane on I-85 has caused major traffic problems all times of the day, and it cost about $15 each way to drive to the airport. The crime has gotten out of control. Personally I moved back to Florida as I could not stand the crime, racism and traffic issues any longer.
FWIW. Lake Lanier is awesome and a Costco is at the mall of GA. Buford school system is awesome with unbelievable facilities if you have school age kids.
Best of luck!!
#20
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Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Starboard Side, weekends & holidays.
Posts: 845
Milton is really nice, as is John's Creek, but I'd be hard pressed to ever live in Fulton County. Property taxes are ridiculously high and most of it does not get returned to the north end of the county. I live in Cobb as well but, as Bar said, we're running out of land for new construction (at least in the parts of the county you would want to live in). Northern Cherokee county seems like what you're looking for.
If you can push out your drive time a little bit, Jasper, Ellijay, or Big Canoe would be worth looking at (price tag starts getting higher again around Big Canoe.
If you can push out your drive time a little bit, Jasper, Ellijay, or Big Canoe would be worth looking at (price tag starts getting higher again around Big Canoe.
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