Communities
Snellville
The homeowner: Kirk and Torisha Johnson liked living in Snellville so much that when they bought a new home, they decided to stay in the Gwinnett County city that was incorporated in August 1923. On Christmas Eve, they moved into a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home in The Preserve at Briscoe, which is priced from $179,000-$219,000. Kirk was interested in finding an affordable home in a good school district for his daughters, Amber Garrett, 17, and Bianca Moore, 12 (the neighborhood is in the Snellville Middle and South Gwinnett High district). “I did a little research on which ones were the best as far as scholastics, sports, academics,” Johnson said. Snellville neighborhoods on the higher end include Waterford Township, with homes in the $400,000s-$600,000s, and Havenstone, which has existing and new homes in the $300,000s-$500,000s. Johnson said his family also enjoys the strong park and recreation system and educational amenities in Snellville, which is 18 miles east of Atlanta and in the shadow of Stone Mountain. For example, the 87-acre T.W. Briscoe Park is next to their new community. “Parks and libraries are close,” said Johnson, 41, a maintenance electrician for Pepsi. The city has plans to build The Towne Center @ Snellville, which would add downtown shopping, an arts district and green space to create a pedestrian-friendly area.
About the community
Snellville
County: Gwinnett
Price range: $40,000s-$600,000s
Taxes: About 1.5 percent of the sale price
Styles: Traditional, ranch, split-level, European
Schools: Britt Elementary, Brookwood Elementary, Craig Elementary or Magill Elementary, Snellville Middle or Alton C. Crews Middle, Brookwood High or South Gwinnett High
More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com
Getting there
Take U.S. 78 east past Stone Mountain. Snellville is at the intersection of U.S. 78 and Ga. 124.
For sale right now
$199,900: 2482 Folsom St., Snellville 30078. A new four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home in The Preserve at Briscoe with a fireplace and a covered front porch.
$624,900: 1441 Lakeshore Drive, Snellville 30078. A seven-bedroom, five full- and one-half bath home built in 1988 in the Waterford Township neighborhood with a sunroom and separate area for a teen suite.
Community information provided by David Pace with The Real Estate Office.
Housing trends in ZIP code 30078
Sales of new homes: 57, down 41 percent
Sales of existing homes: 346, up 18 percent
Median price of new homes: $194,900, down 15 percent
Median price of existing homes: $117,900, down 19 percent
Source: AJC’s Metro Home Sales Report, 2009 data
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