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2008 > July > 31 > Entry
How to find a home in Atlanta
By Mike Benzie
| Thursday, July 31, 2008, 07:03 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hello, all. Newcomer Mike Benzie here filling in for newcomer Jamie Gumbrecht, who’s spending the next two weeks auditioning for the reality program “Farmer Wants A Wife.” (Editor’s Note: That is not actually accurate.)
Because I rented an apartment for the first six months I was here, I had plenty of time to drive around neighborhoods and scour Web sites before settling on a home in East Point. This was by plan, and I’d recommend getting to know the area before making such a big purchase, if you can. Here are a few things I learned.
Drive around. On Sundays, especially. Find Open Houses. Realtors like it if you very quickly tell them the home is out of your range, and afterward, will often give you frank advice.
Don’t jump into bed with a Realtor. Especially if she’s married! I’ll be in my cubicle all week. … Take your time. With the market the way it is, you will have countless Realtors begging for your business. Think about what you want in a Realtor and take some time to decide. Give them your e-mail and tell them your price range and what you like in a home but also tell them you’re not ready to be in a serious relationship. Many of them will send you listings. Also, talk to your new friends or colleagues and ask for referrals.
Georgia listings don’t really track square feet. In other states, that’s the first question you might ask. Many of the Realtors I talked to had no idea and it’s not on most listings, so you can’t get a good $$ per square foot comparison that you might be used to for judging value.
Surf. Online. One site you should DEFINITELY check out is ajcHomefinder. (We all have bosses.) The home sales report and foreclosure lists come in handy. But one thing I made sure to do was to read the business and metro section about development and issues. Now, I work here, so I have an advantage, but a big idea like the Beltline that’s a few years away may lead to a smart investment if you’re aware of the project and its route. Information is going to be your greatest asset.
Here are a few more sites I liked.
GeorgiaMLS.com This was the site I bookmarked and used the most. You can save your favorite listings and search on a map by radius. I searched based on MARTA stations and work.
Realtor.com I personally didn’t find the searches as easy to use on Realtor.com, but sometimes found listings here that weren’t on GeorgiaMLS.com.
Zillow.com. From what I’ve seen and been told, be careful putting too much stock in Zillow’s estimates of home values, which is a valuable tool. But you can use it to find some good info quickly and it can a) tell you the story of a house and b) what your seller paid for it. It won’t say that the seller took out a $40,000 loan for high-end renovation.
Truilla.com I actually didn’t use this site, but have heard good things from people I trust, so I’m listing it.
And since many of you are newcomers, and I can’t list everything I learned in my Atlanta home buying experience, feel free to share your advice for this little community Ms. Gumbrecht has started. Comment below or send e-mail to me or Jamie.
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By Duluth
July 30, 2008 1:18 PM | Link to this
Find employment first, then go look at homes. Look for a home close to your business, so you don’t have to deal with Atlanta traffic. I am sick of hearing about people’s two hour commutes..
Second, meet with a mortgage broker, and see how much house you can afford. Then go look in your price range. See how much you will need to put down, what your monthly payments will be, and don’t try to keep up with the Joneses…….
By mbenzie_2468
July 31, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this
Thanks Duluth. I learned that too, especially with the varying city taxes. Monthly payment can be a more important figure than total cost.