Last month, the median price for a house sold in metro Atlanta was $282,000, according to the Atlanta Realtors Association. That's just 3.7% higher than April last year, a sign the market is decelerating, AJC business reporter Michael Kanell recently pointed out. Why? Well, one driving factor is the increase in inventory.
» RELATED: Inventory of houses for sale in metro Atlanta increases
If you're on the hunt for a new home in metro Atlanta and want to know how much house you can really afford, personal finance tech company SmartAsset just released a helpful guide packed with tips and data to help nail down exactly where to begin your search.
According to the company, the average home values in Atlanta range between $38,214 (one bedroom) to $240,859 (three bedroom). You can input your income, marital status, down payment, desired location, monthly debt, credit score and more for a thorough breakdown.
For example, if you have a good credit score (700-719) and input a total annual income of $55,000 plus a down payment of $25,000, SmartAsset suggests you can afford a $267,000 home in Atlanta. The total monthly payment on your home would come out to $1,631.
As for the most affordable places to live in America, Georgia cities don’t even crack SmartAsset’s top 10.
» RELATED: Should you rent or buy in Atlanta?
Still, if you’re set on making the Peach State home, here are the state’s most affordable cities based on housing markets:
- Conley
- Palmetto
- Cusseta-Chattahoochee County
- Forest Park
- Irondale
- Redan
- Morrow
- Lakeview
- Auburn
- Dock Junction
Considering renting instead?
Last year, SmartAsset experts compared the total costs of buying and renting a typical home or rental in U.S. metros with a population larger than 200,000 for households earning $100,000 per year. For homeownership, analysts assumed a mortgage rate of 4.5%, closing costs of $2,000 and a 20% down payment. They then assessed the break-even point at which the total costs of renting become greater than total buying costs. Areas with the shortest time to break even are considered the top metros to buy over rent.
» RELATED: This is the salary you must earn to buy an 'average' Atlanta house right now
Atlanta ranked 17th overall for best metros in the country to buy vs rent. Here, the average monthly mortgage payment was found to be about $890, while the average monthly cost for renting a one-bedroom amounted to $1,381. The breakeven point in Atlanta is 1.9 years. Home prices in Atlanta, according to SmartAsset, average $231,274.
New numbers show an average Atlanta one-bedroom comes out to $1,036 and the median home price is $216,100. Compare that to larger East Coast cities. For example, in New York and Washington, D.C., median sales prices are $403,900 and $417,400, respectively, according to SmartAsset.
