Virtual Tour of Inman Park: A true-urbanism mix of new homes (condos, townhomes, and single-family homes) mixed with existing homes and bevy of of restaurant and cafe choices

New and historic homes blend seamlessly and create an overwhelming character of digestible urbanity for the neighborhood.

[caption id="attachment_378" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Historic Homes in Inman Park"]   Street Signs Convey Inman Park Branding Efforts

 

 

 

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[caption id="attachment_377" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Superior Renovation of Historic Craftsman Style Home in Inman Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Craftsman Bungalow in Inman Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_372" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Craftsman Bungalow in Inman Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_373" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Newer Construction Craftsman Style Homes in Inman Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Newer Construction Craftsman Style Home in Inman Park"][/caption]

 Many personal services, restaurants, and cafes suitable to the discriminating professional residents (trying not to take themselves to seriously) populate Inman Park's commercial districts.

[caption id="attachment_375" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Retail & Services in Inman Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Restaurants in Inman Park (Pure Taqueria)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_380" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Restaurant in Inman Park (Fritti)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_382" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="View of the Area's Development & Downtown Skyline Heading West on Highland Avenue "][/caption]

 Inman Park is so close to Downtown Atlanta the skyline is visible from most points.

[caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Inman Park, Dedicated Site of the Annual Inman Park Festival"][/caption]

Cabbagetown: A small intown neighborhood that started transitioning before the boom and now offers an affordable historic home market with unique artsy homes, renovated homes with Victorian features, and value-priced fixer-uppers

[caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Row of Historic Homes in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Renovated Historic Home with Victorian Detailing in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_360" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Artsy Historic Home in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

 

Cabbagetown is located just east of Downtown Atlanta, approximately 1 mile from the city's Central Business District.  The neighborhood is relatively small and bound on the north by Dekalb Avenue/ Decatur Street, the south by Memorial Drive, the West by Boulevard, and the East by Pearl Street.

Cabbagetown is predominately historic, with most of the homes populating the neighborhood built in the early 1900's.  Cabbagetown was one of the hot intown neighborhoods receiving both public and private investment and rehabilitation as the Atlanta real estate market was booming from 2004-2008.  Investors and enterprising first-time home buyers were purchasing and renovating run down shot-gun style homes, small bungalows, and larger Victorian-style homes.  In the meantime, the neighborhood was the benefactor of public revitalization funds and efforts, including the significant improvements completed at Cabbagetown Park which resulted in an asset that is now widely used by its residents.

Evidence of the boom and (lesser) bust in Cabbagetown real estate is provided by the Zillow.com home value change over the past decade for the neighborhood.  According to Zillow.com, the estimated Cabbagetown median home value  in 2001 was $123,500.  Just six years later, the estimated median home value in Cabbagetown peaked at $222,500 representing a total appreciation of 80% and an average annual growth rate of 10% from 2001 to 2007. 

As with most transitional intown markets, prices have since reset.  The estimated median home value from Zillow.com for first quarter 2010 is almost exactly mid-mark of 2001 and 2007 at $178,700.

The current listing price of homes for sale in Cabbagetown varies widely as the housing stock, although similarly aged for the most part, varies dramatically in size and quality. 

For instance, a superiorly renovated 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom home with Victorian features is priced at $600,000.  This would represent, however, the top of the Cabbagetown market.  A similar quality 3 bedroom home would list for between $250,000 and $350,000. 

Some advantageous value plays ripe for the opportunistic buyer can be found in Cabbagetown amidst the current real estate downturn. 

Examples of such deals actually closed are:

• Historic home with 3 bedrooms  and 2 baths sold for $37,000 in October 2009.  The last prior sell of the home was for $178,000 in August 2000 and the county tax assessor appraised the value of the home at $209,000 in 2009. 


• Historic shot-gun style home with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths sold for $82,000 in 2009, the same year it was appraised by the county tax assessor to be worth $130,800.

Examples of current foreclosure properties that present a great return on investment opportunity are:

• Foreclosure property with 2 bedrooms and one bath listed at $89,000.  This property was last appraised by the Fulton County tax assessor for $221,000 (2009 value).


• Foreclosure property with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths listed at $174,000.  This property last sold for $291,000 in 2006 and was appraised at $273,000 in 2009 by the Fulton County tax assessors office.

For a virtual tour of the Cabbagetown neighborhood, please see:

http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/12/cabbagetownvirtualtour

Virtual Tour of Cabbagetown: A small intown neighborhood with a wide variety of artsy homes, fixer-uppers, and superbly restored historic homes

For more information on Cabbagetown real estate, see: http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/12/cabbagetown

 

Most of the homes available in Cabbagetown were built in the early 1900's. 

Cotton Mill Lofts in Cabbagetown

[caption id="attachment_370" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Look #2 at Cotton Mill Lofts in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_352" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Historic, Artsy Home in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_360" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Look #2 @ Artsy Historic Home in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Row of Historic Homes in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Row of Historic Homes in Cabbagetown "][/caption]

                         Renovated Historic Homes with Victorian Detailing

New construction homes borrow from the existing historic character of the neighborhood.    

[caption id="attachment_350" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="New Construction Small Lot, Shot-Gun Style Homes in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_351" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="New Construction Small Lot, Shot-Gun Style Homes in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

In addition to the artistic overtones of the neighborhood, the Cabbagetown boasts an art center for the community.   

[caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Arts Center in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_363" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Cabbagetown Park"][/caption]

Cabbagetown Park, at the heart of the neighborhood, serves as an activity hub and home to one of the largest festivals in Atlanta, The Annual Chomp and Stomp Chii Cook-Off  Festival. 

[caption id="attachment_362" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Cabbagetown Park"][/caption]

For a relatively small neighborhood, Cabbagetown offers some of Atlanta's favorite restaurants and bars - Agave, 97 Estoria, Carroll Street Cafe, and more. 

[caption id="attachment_365" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Agave in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_355" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="97 Estoria Restaurant and Bar in Cabbagetown "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_366" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Restaurants on Carroll Street in Cabbagetown "][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_367" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Restaurants on Carroll Street in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_368" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Restaurants on Carroll Street in Cabbagetown"][/caption]

The Atlanta Metro Area's Peachtree City: A safe haven according to Neighborhoodscout.com

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="493" caption="Based on data from www.neighborhoodscout.com"][/caption]

 

According to Neighborhoodscout.com’s analysis, Peachtree City is one of the safest cities in the nation.  Ranking at #97 of the 100 safest cities scored, Peachtree City is safer than 71% of cities in the US.  Whether or not the methodology is flawless, the statistics do indicate a city that has a low incidence of violent and non-violent crime and residents have a significantly lower likelihood of becoming the victim of a crime.

Where is Peachtree City in the Grand Scheme of Atlanta Metro Area Geography?

Peachtree City is located in Coweta County, approximately 35 miles southwest of Atlanta’s city center.  Proximate to Interstate 85, Peachtree City affords fairly good accessibility to amenities within Atlanta city limits and most of the major metro area employment cores.  A favorite of Delta pilots, Peachtree City offers a short commute to work at only thirty minutes, or 23 miles, from Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the busiest airport in the US.

Why Does Peachtree City Score So Well (Safe) with Neighborhoodscout.com’s Crime Index?

Peachtree City has posted low violent (14) and property (333) crime rates for a total of 347 crimes reported in the past year.   Over the past twelve months two incidents of rape, eleven incidents of assault, and no murders were reported.  Regarding property crimes, the city has posted 22 incidents of burglary, 255 incidents of property theft, and 55 incidents of auto theft. Relative to the city’s population of 31,900, the average citizen has a very small fraction of likelihood of being the victim of a violent crime (0.05%, one in 2,278 people) and a 1.0% likelihood of being the victim of a property crime (one in 96 people).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="493" caption="Based on data from www.neighborhoodscout.com"][/caption]

It could be argued that even a fraction percentage chance of being a victim of crime is too high, but the stark reality of significantly higher crime propensity in the state of Georgia and the US, in general, highlight the safe enivornment Peachtree City offers.  The likelihood of becoming a victim of violent crime in the State of Georgia (0.5%) is ten times higher than Peachtree City and the national median (0.47%) is a similar multiple at 9.5 times higher. The likelihood for becoming a victim of property crimes in the State of Georgia (4.6%) is 4.5 times higher than Peachtree City.  The national median is lower (3.4%), but still more than three times greater than Peachtree City.

Of course, the City of Atlanta fares far worse than the national median, the state of Georgia and Peachtree City.  However, it should be noted that the crime rate relative to the population is somewhat skewed because the true number of people in Atlanta at any given time is inflated tremendously (estimated 86%) by both employees that commute into the city (62%) and tourists (14%). 

The Conclusion:  The right suburb can provide a much safer environment

The narrative about Peachtree City above is a perfect example why proper due diligence can be rewarding when honing in on a landing area for relocation.  An area like Peachtree City may not be on the radar screen, but if you are one of the 15% of prospective home buyers that find crime to be the most important factor when choosing a home, an area like Peachtree City could potentially be a perfect fit.  More indepth searching that includes other neighborhoods or cities in the Atlanta area may reveal more safe havens that are otherwise not top-of-mind.

For more information on Neighborhoodscout.com and other crime statistics tools, see the following posts:

http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/05/crime

http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/05/neighborhoodscout

 

 

Neighborhoodscout.com: An inexpensive tool for prospective buyers researching crime statistics in the Atlanta area

 

Crime is one of the top concerns for prospective buyers seeking to purchase a home.  According to a survey conducted by Trulia.com, crime was the second greatest concern for home buyers (“’Crisis of Confidence’ – Good News for Qualified Buyers?,” Realty Times, Phoebe Chongchua, October 31, 2008).

Neighborhoodscout.com is a subscription service available by the one month to six month period at a price of $29.99 per month or $14.99 per month, respectively.  In addition to crime statistics, subscribers also have access to school performance statistics and quarterly price appreciation statistics since 1990.  Neighborhoodscout.com coverage area includes 17,000 law enforcement agency jurisdictions, which is far more expansive then crimereports.com.

One significant advantage of neighborhoodscout.com is a customizable reporting area.  The user can find a neighborhood with an address search. Crime statistics can be provided for the area within 1- to 75-miles of the neighborhood.

Benchmarks of greater geographic areas are provided.  The user selected neighborhood or area is shown against the city, metro area, state and national statistics.  Because the statistics are an index score of one (least safe) to one hundred (most safe), an order of magnitude is easy to discern.  For instance, if a city’s score is 64%, the city is safer than 64% of the cities in the US.

Thermal maps (see below) of crime propensity help the user quickly discern the relative safety of different neighborhoods in a city.

Added benefits of the subscription are school system index scores and home price appreciation trending since 1990.

Map of City of Atlanta Neighborhood-Level Crime Rates

from www.neighborhoodscout.com

 

A disadvantage of neighborhoodscout.com’s service is the inability to get the more detailed level of crime rates by type provided by crimereports.com.  It also appears that crime reporting is on an annual basis and cannot be scaled down to a monthly or weekly reporting scale.  However, both of these features are available on the free website interface at crimereports.com, if the neighborhood searched is within the coverage area.

Crimereports.com: A useful tool for prospective home buyers researching crime statistics in the Atlanta area

 

Crimereports.com provides mapping, data, and analytics for more than 700 law enforcement agency jurisdictions.  The service is provided free because of the monetary support provided by the local law enforcement agencies covered.  An easy search and a few clicks of the mouse will allow the browser to map crime reports by different types, such as assault, public intoxication, and burglary.  Maps can show reported incidents by a user selected date range (e.g., 3, 7, 14 30 days or a unique selected date range) and frequency intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly).

In addition, crimeports.com provides analytical reports with crime statistics.  For instance, the following are a bar and pie chart of crime reported by the Sandy Springs Police Department for the month of January 2009.  Potentially, total crime could look high in Sandy Springs, but a quick look at the charts indicates that non-violent crime is much less frequent than traffic violations and theft.  While traffic violations do not seem an important piece of information, a high rate of violations could signal higher auto insurance rates or a need to be very cautious while driving through the area so that speeding tickets or other moving violations are not incurred.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="602" caption="Crimereports.com charts for Sandy Springs "][/caption]

Some disadvantages of crimereports.com:

• Comparative benchmarks on the national or state level are not available;


• Comparisons of one geography to another must be done manually; and


• Reporting coverage is not 100%; for instance, statistics for only select areas of the Atlanta metro are available.

The importance of crime rates in home purchase decisions and how to research crime statistics in the Atlanta Area

 

Crime is one of the top concerns for prospective buyers seeking to purchase a home.  According to a survey conducted by Trulia.com, crime was the second most important factor in choice for prospective home buyers (“’Crisis of Confidence’ – Good News for Qualified Buyers?,” Realty Times, Phoebe Chongchua, October 31, 2008).

Crime is an important issue because it directly affects the perception of safety, ease that business is conducted, comfort-level of walking through neighborhoods, assessment of home values, and need for additional services or community amenities like a neighborhood watch or home security .  

Crime statistics, however, can be difficult information to track down. Only the most technologically savvy of counties, cities, or police departments have crime statistics available on their websites.  Typically these websites are difficult to navigate and do not provide a reference point for order of magnitude, or how bad crime is compared to other areas.  The FBI provides crime statistics up through 2007, but city level data is the finest grain available through the FBI.  To the average home buyer, crime statistics do not become information until compared against other benchmarks to indicate how much better or worse crime propensity is in a particular area relative to previous years or other geographies such as the city or metro area average, state average, or national average.

Good news for prospective home buyers, or residents that like to stay on top of the state of their neighborhoods – there are some excellent resources available on the internet that provide useful and current crime maps, data and analytics.

Two recommended websites providing rich data and information are:

• Crimereports.com, a free service that provides mapping, data, and analytics for more than 700 law enforcement agency jurisdictions. Advantages are cost, the ability to search and map incidents by detailed type of crime, and customizable reporting period.


• Neighborhoodscout.com is a subscription service that provides neighborhood-level statistics on crime, school performance, and price appreciation ($29.99 for a 1-month subscription to $14.99 per month for a six month subscription).  Advantages include benchmarking of neighborhood against city, metro area, state and U.S.; customizable reporting geographies; and and intuitive index scoring (e.g., an index rank of 64 means that the neighborhood is safer than 64% of neighborhoods tracked).  

For more detailed information on each service, please see the following posts:

Crimereports.com:  http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/05/crimereports

Neighborhoodscout.com:  http://atlanta.homespace.com/2010/02/05/neighborhoodscout

Suwanee Town Center: North Atlanta bedroom community that focuses on resident well-being and offers a variety of home types

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Situated in north Gwinnett County approximately 30 miles northeast from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta Central Business District (CBD), Suwanee is a true bedroom community of Atlanta.  Over the past five years, the community has been a magnet for professional families because of its excellent school system, eco-friendly tendencies, and overall family-oriented feel of the development.  The tagline for Suwanee  communicates the community's focus on resident happieness and well-being:  "Play Hard, Live Well, Smile More."

The town center, a 63-acre mixed-use development, anchors the City of Suwanee.  The town center includes a 10-acre park and amphitheater, City Hall, and a number of restaurants, boutiques, professional and medical services, and residences.  The vision and development of town center commenced in 2002, and today it is a vibrant and widely used amenity by families - residents and visitors alike.  Events such as the summer concert series have attracted more than 15,000 visitors.

Forty acres of residential development - Shadowbrook at Suwanee Town Center - is also key component of the town center.  At build-out, the town center will boast 85 single-family homes and 147 townhome and condo units.  The neo-traditional style homes borrow features from historic forms and styles and utilize materials such siding and brick.  Resale listings indicate current townhome pricing from $199,000 to $240,000 and single-family pricing from $260,000 to $280,000.

Suwanee is helping to lead the effort for more sustainable and eco-conscious practices in the Atlanta area. In addition to many green policies adopted to ensure more energy-efficient and environmentally smart government operations (e.g., prohibiting idling of city vehicles when not actively transporting from one location to another), City Hall was the second LEED-certified public building in Gwinnett County.   

Suwanee is widely acclaimed for its outstanding development and revitalization efforts.  Suwanee has been designated a Community of Excellence, Mainstreet Community, and member of Green Communities Program.

(Source:  www.suwanee.com)

Historic Downtown Norcross: Another example of a social, walkable neighborhood to consider for home purchase in Atlanta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Norcross is located about 20 miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta in Gwinnett County.  While much of the development along Buford Highway is sprawling strip centers and subdivisions, Historic Norcross is a pedestrian-friendly haven of parks and small, independent boutiques, professional services, restaurants, and taverns that are easy to enjoy on foot and cannot be found in larger, formulaic shopping centers prevalent outside of the Perimeter (Interstate 285). 

The outstanding preservation and charm of Historic Downtown Norcross today is the manifestation of many years of efforts by the city to improve Downtown.  Primary revitalization efforts have occurred since 2002.  Downtown now thrives with businesses and numerous events to bring the citizens of Norcross together for the summer concert series, farmer's market, and approximately 10-15 other special, free events for the area residents.

New and historic homes that remain true to the architectural style of yester-year surround Downtown Norcross. Victorian homes and bungalows alike add to the charm of the Downtown area and provide a home location that offer walking distance proximity to Downtown amenities - restaurants, shops, and parks in Downtown Norcross.

Virtual Tour of Atlanta Metro Area's Historic Norcross: Downtown businesses and homes

Downtown Norcross is located about 20 miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta in Gwinnett County.  While much of the development along Buford Highway is sprawling strip centers and subdivisions, Historic Norcross is a pedestrian-friendly haven of parks and small, independent boutiques, professional services, restaurants, and taverns that are easy to enjoy on foot and cannot be found in larger, formulaic shopping centers prevalent outside of the Perimeter (Interstate 285). 

Restaurants, Services, & Streetscapes of Historic Downtown Norcross















Cultural & Civic Assets in Downtown Norcross:  Churches, Parks, Art Centers









New & Historic Homes Reflect the Architectural Styles of Yester-Year





(New Construction Home in Downtown Norcross)



(Historic Victorian Home in Downtown Norcross)