Job opportunities are bringing families such as David and Shane Yahn to Atlanta, even though they have never visited the area before.
“Our Realtor was the only person we knew in Atlanta,” Shane said.
In rural New Jersey, about 50 minutes from New York City, the Yahns lived next to a Christmas tree farm in a town with only five restaurants. The couple and their four kids, two dogs, two hamsters and a rabbit traded that home for a house in Roswell with a finished basement and a pool.
Why Atlanta?
For David Yahn’s job, with Georgia-Pacific in Atlanta. “I was very excited about the lower taxes and cheaper cost of living,” Shane said. Property taxes were about double in New Jersey, where they were paying $12,000 on a $425,000 house.
Putting down roots
David lived in temporary housing in Norcross for three months while Shane searched online from New Jersey and provided addresses of homes for him to view. “We were noticing that places were going under contract very quickly. I was very surprised by that,” she said.
Sometimes, David tested out the commute from the prospective home. “He would get to the houses by 6:45 in the morning to see what it was like driving down (Ga.) 400 at that time of day and do the same thing in the afternoon,” Shane said.
In the meantime, Shane’s online research about the schools for Zach, 12, Spencer, 9, and Caroline and Victoria, both 7, narrowed their search to the Pope, Walton, Alpharetta and Roswell high school districts.
The family, who had a pool in New Jersey, also desired a home with a pool, to endure the hot summers. A swim-tennis neighborhood offered a means to get to know neighbors, and other must-haves were a basement and a first-floor guest bedroom, for when Shane’s mother visits.
After they closed on their New Jersey home in late March, Shane arrived in Atlanta. The six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath home they purchased in Cobb County’s Coventry Green neighborhood was the first one she viewed with JoAnne Lengyel of Harry Norman, Realtors. The neighborhood, which has homes from the $440,00s-$580,000s, is in the Pope High School district.
Research showed the home was originally listed for $640,000, then taken off the market, she said. Older pictures showed blue carpet, countertops and wallpaper. The home was then updated, with new kitchen countertops, faucets, sinks, toilets, carpeting, tile, lighting fixtures, beige paint and a remodeled master bathroom. A pool was added two years ago by Neptune Pools.
The seller accepted their offer at $540,000, she said. “I felt like we got really lucky,” Shane said. The couple closed on the home in April.
Relocation tip
Sites such as SchoolDigger.com provided data about schools and homes for sale in certain districts. She looked for stats such as the number of Advanced Placement classes, percentage of students in AP classes and percentage of seniors attending college. She took notes of accomplishments listed on middle and high school websites. She compared her lists with Atlanta magazine’s best high schools issue. Phone calls to board of education offices in Cobb and Fulton counties also answered her questions about gifted programs and magnet schools, as well as activities such as band.
She checked out the park and recreation systems and opportunities for sports and community events, to learn about fun ways for her family to become part of the community.
About the Author
