Thinking to make a move to the suburbs of Metro Atlanta? We can help. I'm Ashley Lazarian, local Realtor and CEO of Haven Group. I specialize in helping people relocate throughout the suburbs North of Atlanta. Our team is built around living your best life here in Georgia!
On this channel, I do my best to show what it's REALLY like to live here in the suburbs of Georgia. I share an insider's view, complete with neighborhood spotlights, home tours, and invaluable insights.
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Yes Duluth is the truth. I have lived Gwinnett county for years. There is a lot to do in Duluth. It’s minutes from sugarloaf miss aka the loop. And 15 to 20 from the mall of ga which is huge. Just remember the traffic getting from Duluth is good but rush hr is a nightmare. But she is correct
I would like to say that I have always loved Atlanta Metro. I first visited in 1996. I remember Suwanee in 2000 when there was nothing there. I respect the growth. Just wish Atlanta would keep the trees. Don’t want it looking like Vegas or Manhattan.
I'm the older end of Gen X and my parents are boomers. When I was 10 we began moving every 8 to 14 months from 1977 to 1985 due to my father's job as a district supervisor for a retail jewelry chain. My mom worked for Merrill Lynch at that time, but it was his job that drove the frequent moves. When I hear millennials complain about how easy it was for my parents generation I literally laugh. I don't know any generation after boomers, including my own, who worked so much and so hard. They literally had little to no life, work, home to make dinner bathe children and to bed and back to work. We rented due to frequently relocating and I'll remind you that although there were less rental properties overall, there were more than enough to support the population numbers at that time, so the apartment complexes quadriplexes, and duplexes were plentiful in most areas... maybe not all, but most. My parents wanted to buy a home, but it was more the market than the moves that kept us renting. Even with both parents working quite good jobs, they weren't able to even begin consider financing a home until 1983-84 when interest rates began to fall. Once my father was promoted to upper/corporate management around 1985 they were in a better position to get into a home where they could acrue equity, but things truly weren't great until the nineties in spite of the yuppy mythology of the eighties. Finally, with the Clinton administration came better times for most everyone. As a nonpartisan independent it is clear to me that the best economic times were brought on by Democratic presidencies... the deficits were always reduced and economic problems were mostly rectified during their terms. If you look at the hard cold numbers from president to president it's undeniably clear. I only say this because so many in our country don't understand economics and are misled by their misplaced allegiance to whatever particular party their family adhered to. Nonetheless, younger generations truly have no concept as to how difficult it was for the boomers and prior generations. If your family wasn't upper middle-class or higher, you were completely at the mercy of the economy. The only way you could find success was through constant work. There truly was no leisure time unless your job came with paid vacation time. I can say this, for all the boomer myths there was one aspect that was somewhat true, in the early seventies, at the very end of the strongest economy the middle-class ever enjoyed, wages were more in line with the economy and a single mother could conceivably pay rent and finance a new economy car on a minimum wage income. That didn't last long, but it actually was true for a very short time.
Thank you so much for sharing. It is always so interesting to hear life from the lens of someone else. You're parents sound like they were great, hardworking people that were after the American dream.
@ashleylazarian Thank you. Those were hard years for us all, but you're right, all their hard work did finally pay off. My dad wound up receiving Entrepreneur of the year almost a decade ago. They live in Naples, Fl area now, but lived up the street in Edinburgh for a while... hence why I live in Sugar Hill now. Enjoyed your videos, keep at it!
Perspective is exactly what we were referencing. 16% interest on a home that was $100,000 at a time when unemployment was high and wages were low. The average income was under $15,000. Perspective.
Indeed, let's do keep things in perspective... the incomes of average Americans were lower as well. You act like that interest rate was no big deal, because you believe homes were so cheap, lol. Wages may not have been lagging as bad as they are now, but in no way was a 100k home cheap for most families. Things may be hard for people now, but there have been many periods of hardship and the one things today's generations have that none previously ever had was free time. There was no work from home or choosing your hours, etc. You can't imagine the grind most boomers endured. I find it miraculous that the suicide numbers weren't far worse, tbh.
$500K?! Ok, great if you have money like that, but most ppl dont. How about you do a video for a single person looking for a quiet place to live, in a house under $230 K. I'm looking to move anywhere in north GA, from Chicago, but having difficulty finding anything that isnt a falling apart shackor out in the middle of nowhere. Ppl who have $500K or a bit under, don't have difficulty finding a home.
This video highlights small towns that have quite a few options to choose from that are under $500,000 as well. If you are looking for something under $230,000 you will be looking at a fixer upper, more rural area or condo. My issue with condos is that many times they are more affordable from a pricing perspective but then you need to take into account the monthly dues.
I can appreciate that. If you want to do your thing than an HOA definitely is not for you. You just have to think about what is best for your lifestyle.
I don't mind HOAs as long as they aren't super strict with neighbors stalking your property for any potential violations. I struggle with a nice neighborhood community that the kids can go to the pool or playground to play vs a property with a big backyard that I can customize with no rules/boundaries.
I do not mind having a HOA, as long as it is not expensive, and it does not have extremely overbearing rules. Our current home does not have a HOA, however our "deed" does have restrictions that are meant to maintain a quality to the neighborhood, and the Developer has been known to threaten fines or legal action against home owners for not complying with their "deed restrictions". We live in a town borough, and they do take action (including fines) against homeowners that allow grass and weeds to get over 10 inches in height (which has been a problem in the neighborhood this year).
I sold my first home in California 20 years ago for $315K. I paid 135K. I looked it up recently and it's on the market for $639K. The home is only 1300 sq ft. We are in a similar situation here in Conyers and can get almost a good amount for our home if we decided to sell. I definitely check out the neighbors. If I see a bunch of crap in the yard, or if they don't keep up their properties, I'm not interested. I work with someone who lives in Macon. We work in Atlanta but are only required to be in the office once a week so she commutes.
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I have traveled a lot for my corporate job. I have been impressed with the efficiency of the ATL airport. Of course it is not perfect, but the last time I did a connection thru ATL, I was very pleased with the signage and train to get me from terminal to terminal.
My daughter lives in North Atlanta (Acworth), but her company HQ is in Austin. She has to go there every other month. She does not like Austin. Most of my employees live in Austin. They complain of so many transplants from the west coast (especially California), which has "changed things for the worse". Austin is "losing it pure Southern feel". Their words.
I have only been to Austin once but it was for work so I did not get a chance to really explore. Acworth is beautiful, actually have clients under contract there now. Not terribly far but also not right in the middle of everything.
Thanks for the feedback. Do you feel people are concerned about them in your area? People here are either from the area and don't think twice or are new to the area and are petrified of them.
@@ashleylazarian I don’t believe so. Even in the city in places we have septic. People are more concerned about flood zones and school districts as well as value.
Hi Ashley! I love your videos and knowledge on Georgia living! My husband just got a job as a pilot for Delta and we are excited about the possibility of moving up to Georgia. Your videos are so helpful! We are currently in Florida! We will definitely be giving you a call as soon as we decide to make the move!
Hi Elizabeth! That is exciting! Delta is a great company to work for. I have many friends and clients that work with them and they love it. I look forward to talking with you and your husband one day!
We are trying to decide where to move for warmer weather. I would love southern Georgia for the farm lands and less population. However my kids need to start College and careers, and I don't want them running away from us in order to find them. Does southern Georgia have enough good career opportunities to keep them put? If so, what area would be the best? Also wondering if the homeowners insurance is a lot more in the south when compared to the north. I keep telling my husband Valdosta while he keeps saying Savannah. But the problem with Savannah is I don't think we could afford the higher homeowner insurance. Anything near the shore is probably sky high. We are also considering south eastern Tennessee, Chattanooga area.
Unless your kids are planning to be military, there really isn't much in terms of job opportunity near Valdosta. I've actually had quite a few clients move up from that area due to education and lack of opportunity. Savannah has the new port they are building so more opportunity there. It really is going to come down to what your children want to go to school for and career path. If they do anything with tech or medical, I can almost guarantee they are coming closer to the northern suburbs as the opportunities here are endless. I'm happy to dive deeper with you if you like. I have multiple clients with children in college throughout Georgia as there are many different colleges that focus on different pathways.
@@ashleylazarian Thank you, this was very helpful. We won't do Valdosta then. Where further north do you recommend? We don't want a neighborhood, or HOA's, and would like some acreage. More in the country type atmosphere. We don't want are kids to have to work in Atlanta after college. Are there some cities large enough to sustain them, without having to go into Atlanta? I'm trying to steer them into trade jobs, actually. Also, do you recommend Savannah? My husband is wanting to look into Savanah cause he want's a beach town type feel. But I don't think it's like that there. I found quite a few negatives about Savannah a long time ago, but I just can't remember what they were! lol. I think it was the homeowners insurance, and high crime? IDK
@@cannotbeshaken7889 there are a TON of great places you could check out where you are not in a neighborhood with HOA's and can get a little acreage. You could do somewhere like Canton, Hoschton or Acworth where you are still 20 minutes away from shopping and restaurants or you could choose to look a little further North if you are looking for a bit more rural in areas like Toccoa, Clarkesville or Cleveland. So many of the suburbs North of Atlanta now have technology parks and hospitals so jobs are not just in the city of Atlanta, they are everywhere. Shoot me an email and I can send you a few areas and homes so you get an idea of what I'm talking about.
When you sale a house and want to buy a house in a U.S territory or another state does option 1031 exchange apply or you got to pay taxes for that sale
It depends on if that house is your primary residence. Let's say you are selling the home that you and your family personally live in right now and you are selling that home to buy another home that you plan to live in. That is not considered a 1031 exchange, nor would you pay capital gains tax on that property. Now let's say you have an investment property that you have been renting out. You want to sell that investement property, take the money you make from that property and buy another property to have as a rental. That would be considered a 1031 exchange. As long as you buy a property within 45 days of selling the first one, you would not pay capital gains tax.
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I have always been confused on this Capital Gains stuff. Our plan is to sell our primary residence in Pennsylvania, then move to North Atlanta; either moving into a short-term rental apartment or even living with our kids short-term, WHILE we look for our new home. If we luck into finding what we want immediately, then it will be a move from old house to new house. Does the 45 day window apply to our situation or is this just for investment properties? Would we pay any capital gains, since this is our primary resident and not an investment? Second part of this... We built our current home 35 years ago. I don't even know if I still have records of what we spent to acquire the lot and what I paid the contractor to build the original house. Then in 2008, we added an $80,000 addition. Our house is only worth about $380,000, according to that Zillow Z-estimate, so we would be safely under the $500,000, but I wonder if the IRS would require those original costs for lot, build, addition.
You aren't alone. It can be very confusing! This would not apply to your situation if you are selling your primary residence. Let's say you then moved into a short term rental so you took your proceeds to the bank until you found the right home. You would not pay capital gains tax on your proceeds. Please know the zestimate is just an estimate of what Zillow thinks your home is worth. Sometimess they are pretty close and sometimes they are far off. I would have a Realtor that is very familiar with the area give you an accurate CMA so you have a better idea of what you can list the home for and the proceeds you would be walking away with. Email or call me if you want to dive deeper- I'm. happy to talk it through with you. This is a big move for you.
Great points. We just got our tank cleaned out after 13 years and it looked great (family of 6). After learning more about the system years ago, we stopped using flushable wipes, put strainers on all the drains, and made sure we were using a septic-friendly toilet paper and cleaning products. Two things we learned at the pumping: 1) our system was installed just prior to requirements for risers for tanks below a certain depth, or that could have been a requirement before sale (WA state) and 2) the rep mentioned you should have your tank serviced within 3 years of moving in, as sometimes the change in people has an effect on the bacteria in the tank.
Thanks for watching! These are great points you made. The flushable wipes are HORRIBLE for septic tanks and plumbing in general. I have heard horror stories from plumbers on what they do to the pipes between the house and the street, even for homes on sewer. We also use a cleaner called RIDX that we purchase from Lowe's or Home Depot that helps break down the waste in the septic tank once a month. Taking care of the tank is an important step to making sure you don't have future issues.
What about homes with expensive HOAs? I know this is subjective, but if your house has an expensive HOA near the price of a condos with dubious features like a gate, I would second guess it. HOAs can also go up a lot and fine you. A cheaper HOA that is under $50 a month is much more workable, but still not ideal to me. What about houses with converted garages or dubious xeriscaping? Unless the house is tiny, a garage has its own purpose. Xeriscaping is fine, but if it is just all black or white rocks, I would pass. Plus it would be hard to sod or spray on grass later on if the soil is completely dead due to the rocks. Use native plants, flowers, even a small amount of grass, and more dynamic features and frames to do xeriscaping correctly. Also I would avoid weird stuff, like a house with a huge bar that takes up multiple rooms, a 300+ sq foot wet bathroom (bathtub and shower area all designed to be wet) with bidets, built in fish tank, 10+ built book cases and a film room in a house that was under 600k. Even if you like this stuff, most people will not. I could be wrong on some of these.
I can appreciate your stance on the HOA's. I personally live in a community with an HOA because I want there to be some sort of rules on what you can and can't do in the community, however, I also don't want to be monitored on every little thing. I think living in a community with a strict HOA is purely personal preference. You know what you are getting into when you step into a community with stricter by laws. Homes with very specific taste can be interesting to sell. I had a listing one time that had the bathroom directly in the bedroom, no walls. It took a very specific buyer that could look past it and see the potential to tear it out and build a new one for it to sell. I always tell homeowners when it comes to renovations - if you plan to be here for a LONG time, do you. Paint the paint you want, do the crazy things you desire. If you are planning to sell in the next 5-10 years, you have to think about resale and will this appeal to the masses. If not, you better be prepared to undo what you did.
I agree with most of these. I think a historical home could be ok if it’s been maintained and updated properly. The type of homes I would never buy: a home with a cinder block foundation, a new build home in a cookie cutter neighborhood, a home right next to a train track or right next to a gas station. I will say, inspections are not always the most reliable. There were quite a few things that were not even mentioned in our inspection report that my husband and I had to address that we only found out after we moved in. Those things have cost us money and one insurance claim. A couple of things that were mentioned were either just not an issue or just incorrect as well. It’s great to have an inspection, I’m just saying that it isn’t the end all of what can be wrong with a home.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate your comment and agree that historical homes are an option, however, only if you understand the maintenance and upkeep. I see so many people buy a 'fixer upper' thinking they will paint the walls and throw on new counter tops to make it pretty but they didn't think about all of the maintenance they can't see.
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Thank you for doing this, I will have to share with my parents. They are in the "no septic tank" camp and I've been trying to tell them that it's more of the norm and it's not really that bad if it's taken care of.
It is a personal decision but one that I chose to make and have been absolutely fine with for the past 12 years. I think education on the topic gives clarity.
Thanks for watching. I hope this video helps you gain some perspective. If you have any questions or just want to discuss further don't ever hesitate reaching out to me - ashley@myhaventeam.com.
I live in FL. I own 3 condos and 2 townhomes. I know of an HOA, not too far from Disney that went up to 1089 per month. Yes, it's not a typo. Almost 1100 a month. and that does not include taxes, insurance and in some cases CDD taxes (between 2k-6k per year, on top of property taxes, insurance, PMI if aplicable, HOA and mortgage). So far my condo's and townhomes are between 450-600 per month. All of them are currently listed for sale. The only advantage I have is that I got my properties between 2004 and 2008. That gives me some space to negotiate with the buyer to discount for assessments.
That is crazy! I don't know how those that are trying to purchase right now are going to afford that. Sounds like you have been extremely smart with your investments.
