Communities

Price range: $180,000s-$320,000s

Taxes: About 1.15 percent

Homes: 75

Style: Traditional, craftsman

Square footage range: 2,000-3,380

Standard features: Granite countertops, tile backsplash and maple cabinets in the kitchen, hardwood floors in the foyers, separate tub and shower in master bathroom

Amenities: Pool, cabana, green space

Homeowners fees: $700 annually ($250 initiation fee)

Developer/Builder: O'Dwyer Homes

Broker: Emerald Properties

Schools: Bryant Elementary, Lindley Middle, Pebblebrook High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take I-20 west to Exit 46B (Six Flags Drive) and turn right. Turn right onto Factory Shoals Road. Creekside at Wade Farm will be on the left.

The builder: Creekside at Wade Farm is among nearly a dozen communities by O’Dwyer Homes in Cobb, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Forsyth and Douglas counties. The community, which is near I-20 and I-285 and about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta, has eight floor plans, and most of the lots back up to greenspace. “You look at convenience, first and foremost, and then you want a neighborhood where you can look at trees out in your backyard,” builder Dan O’Dwyer said. The market has impacted home prices in Creekside, with one listing decreasing by more than $150,000. O’Dwyer understands that some people are reluctant to buy new homes these days because they’re not sure the builder will still be in business. He advises buyers to ask the builder for bank references and to speak to current homeowners. “They have to feel very comfortable with the builder they’re buying from,” O’Dwyer said. “The professionalism of the builder has to remain intact in today’s market.”

Low price

$231,870: 733 Wade Farm Drive, Austell 30106 (lot 6). A five-bedroom, three-bath home with a formal dining room, fireplace, vaulted ceilings and granite kitchen countertops.

High price

$329,900: 733 Wade Farm Drive, Austell 30106 (lot 56). A five-bedroom, four-bath home with hardwood floors and a mirrored wall in the dining room, coffered ceiling in the family room, and a fireplace and his and her walk-in closets in the master bedroom.

Housing trends in ZIP code 30106

Sales of new homes: 24, down 65 percent

Sales of existing homes: 204, down 12 percent

Median price of new homes: $174,5000, down 5 percent

Median price of existing homes: $99,250, down 17 percent

Source: AJC’s Metro Home Sales Report, 2009 data