Average single-family homes sold in past six months
Decatur-$612,748
Buford-$284,386
Marietta-$296,922
Average 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single-family home in the past six months (active, pending, sold)
Decatur-$717,546
Buford-$346,629
Marietta-$414,680
Most expensive single-family home sold in past six months
Decatur-$1,269,000
Buford-$640,000
Marietta-$1,840,000
Most expensive 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom single-family home sold in the past six months
Decatur-$836,182
Buford-$352,500
Marietta-$1,840,000
Average condos and town homes sold in the past six months
Decatur-$318,335
Buford-$156,686
Marietta-$191,383
Average 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom condo and town homes in the past six months (active, pending sold)
Decatur-$649,952
Buford- None Sold
Marietta-$249,529
Most expensive condos and town homes in past six months
Decatur-$735,000
Buford-$260,000
Marietta-$490,424
Most expensive 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom condos and town homes in the past six months
Decatur-$711,326
Buford- None Sold
Marietta-$490,424
Average single-family homes in 2005
Decatur-$374,469
Buford-$217,078
Marietta-$213,865
Total single-family homes currently on the market
Decatur-45
Buford-68
Marietta-124
Median days on the market
Decatur-16
Buford-31
Marietta-29
Number of single-family homes sold in the last 12 months
Decatur-338
Buford-131
Marietta-554
David Dude, his wife and three children have been renting a home since he was hired in October as City Schools of Decatur’s 10th superintendent. He has a three-year contract, the first year calling for $179,000 salary not counting a $1,500 monthly housing stipend and a potential $10,000 performance bonus.
But by May Dude was telling the board he couldn’t find an affordable home within Decatur’s 4.2 square miles. The board even held an informal discussion on possible housing options, including raising his monthly stipend or allowing him to rent, for a limited time, (after his current lease ends in October, 2016) one of two houses the school system owns.
Dozens reacted in social media posts and to the AJC. Many were not sympathetic and many expressed astonishment that someone making six figures couldn’t find acceptable quarters within the city where he works.
“Just proves the theory the more you have the more you spend,” said one. Another blamed the city for being “way over priced and full of liberals,” while another offered, “I’m selling a house just a mile-and-a-half from downtown Decatur. On Memorial Drive. Cheap. Only $59,000. Let him know.”
The cost of Decatur housing has risen by 61 percent over the past 10 years.
There are roughly 9,000 single-family homes within the city limits, (no part of Memorial Drive traverses Decatur) and last week only 45 were for sale.
According to Frank Golley, who began selling Decatur real estate 20 years ago, this has been the norm for the past half decade when, during a given week, at most only one percent of Decatur’s homes are available.
They don’t stay on the market long, either, a median 16 days.
In the past six months the average Decatur home sold for $612,748, compared to 2005 when homes averaged $374,469. But Dude would likely want a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house, and in the past six months those sold for an average $717,546.
Many comment posters questioned whether Dude needs to live inside the city.
“I’ve always lived within the district where I worked,” Dude told the AJC last month. “I believe I need to live here, to understand more about what’s going on in the community. I can talk more informally to people, I can interact with them.”
According to CSD’s human resources director, David Adams, 224 out of 760, or 29 percent of the district’s employees live in area code 30030, which includes the entire city but also a chunk of unincorporated DeKalb County. Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss said that although she lacks precise numbers, as “a very rough estimate, no more than 10 percent” of the city’s employees live in Decatur.
With research assistance from Derek Wood, a Realtor with Golley Realty, the AJC has compared Decatur’s housing with similar school districts, Marietta City Schools and Buford City Schools. Though Marietta’s enrollment is considerably larger than the other two, all three are one-high school districts.
Decatur has nine schools and 4,667 students (as of last October), Buford has four schools and 4,274 students (end of the school year) and Marietta has 11 schools and 8,882 students (as of last October). Buford and Marietta Superintendents Dr. Geye Hamby (10th year) and Dr. Emily Lembeck (11th year), respectively, live within their districts.
Like Decatur, Marietta is an old district and keeps its superintendents a long time. Founded in 1892, nine years before Decatur, Marietta has had only 12 superintendents.
But in Marietta in the past six months the average four bedroom, three-bathroom home sold for $414,680, while in Buford it is $346,629.
“Folks who move here from suburbs often get shell shocked,” Golley said, “not only by the prices, but how small the lots are. The term ‘McMansion’ is really a misnomer in Decatur. The larger houses here are about 3,200 square feet, while 4,000 and 5,000 is nothing outside the perimeter.
“Here,” he said, “you get to know your neighbors, you can participate in (civic) meetings, you interact with city commissioners and school board members and you get a terrific school system. But we all pay for that.”
Including the superintendent.
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