Warm Georgia climate ushers move to Cumming
After decades of shoveling snow, a move south was on the horizon for a couple from Virginia. Jim and Sandy Schnarrs made numerous trips to states throughout the Sun Belt before they found a new home in the Atlanta suburb of Cumming.
Why Atlanta?
When Jim retired from the CIA in 2010, the couple decided it was time to move to a new climate and an area with a slower pace of life. The Schnarrs specifically sought a location 1,000 feet above sea level, to cut back on humidity. Jim, an avid gardener, praised Georgia’s nearly year-long growing season compared to the much shorter one in Virginia.
“We wanted to move to an area where the night temperature was above freezing in the winter,” he said.
Putting down roots
Sandy works for Costco and asked to be transferred to the Cumming store. Driving around Cumming one afternoon, they saw a sign for Waterford, which has homes starting at $350,000.
“We actually found the house by accident,” Jim said.
Builder Patrick Malloy worked with the Schnarrs to build their all-brick home, which was a priority. The Schnarrs, who worked with Ginger Lightburn of Village Realty, slightly downsized into the five-bedroom, four-bath home. With four grown kids, they still needed upstairs space for when families visit.
They settled into their 3,220-square-foot home in March 2016. The Schnarrs upgraded their new construction home with three-sided brick, a whole-house lighting system, up-to-date kitchen cabinets and granite countertops and had hardwood flooring installed throughout the first level.
“We particularly like the interior openness and the covered front porch and back patio,” Jim said. “Because we enjoy gardening, we like having a little over a third of an acre to play in the dirt. Our home up in Virginia sat on less than a quarter of an acre.”
Waterford’s amenities include a gym, which Sandy uses, along with a pool, park and lake. The community is 15 minutes from Sandy’s job and minutes to North Point Mall and North Georgia Premium Outlets. They also like being near Lake Lanier and outdoor recreation in the north Georgia mountains. They enjoy cruising around Bald Ridge Marina Road for places to eat, especially locally owned mom-and-pop restaurants.
Relocation tip
As you move into retirement, choose a city that supports your interests, they said. The Schnarrs looked into the topography and geography of cities, such as Charleston, S.C., and Tennessee towns such as Nashville and Chattanooga, on the Internet for about a year. Tax exemptions for seniors in Forsyth County also caught their attention and helped them choose Cumming.
