NORTH ATLANTA COMMUNITIES
ALL ABOUT LOCATION
Where Do You See Yourself?
All the communities of the north Atlanta suburbs have their own personalities. The vibe of Avalon in Alpharetta is completely different from the vibe of Cumming. We encourage our clients to visit each community, have coffee at a local coffeehouse, and talk to the residents to discover which area speaks to them. Communities are just like houses! They each have their own energy and we want our clients to feel at home with the vibe of their community.
ALPHARETTA
Founded in 1858 with humble beginnings as a pioneer trading post, the city of Alpharetta has evolved into a thriving suburban business and residential area. With a name derived from the Greek words for first (alpha) and town (retta), Alpharetta is located off GA400 in north Fulton County bordered roughly by the city of Roswell to the south and west, the town of Milton and Forsyth County to the north and the city of John’s Creek to the east. In addition to offering a wide array of swim/tennis subdivisions, townhome communities, and charming older neighborhoods, residents and visitors flock to the area to enjoy popular attractions including the revitalized downtown business and entertainment district, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre and the new mixed-use Avalon development.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $882,000 (April 2023)
BUCKHEAD
Due north of Atlanta sits a 20-square-mile finely sculpted masterpiece of urban/suburban lifestyles residing in sleek high-rises and picturesque tree-lined neighborhoods. Within Buckhead sits Atlanta’s most densely populated luxury shopping destinations, from Jimmy Choo to Tesla to Dior, a virtual Rodeo Drive of the South.
Every day, Buckhead’s population swells from the 87,000 residents to 140,000 as commuters flock into the many corporate headquarters proud to call it home.
Thanks to the careful planning efforts of organizations like Livable Buckhead, Atlanta Regional Commission, etc., Buckhead also boasts many green spaces, parks, and walking paths which beckon the highest penthouse dweller to come enjoy the beauty of nature.
Because of the close proximity to corporate headquarters and hospitals, property values in Buckhead are the highest in Atlanta. No matter the real estate market of the moment, Buckhead’s average home price stays well above $1 million as opposed to the surrounding areas which remain in six figures.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $1,500,000 (April 2023)
BALL GROUND
“We roll out the red carpet – not the red tape!” That pro-development mindset from City of Ball Ground website has attracted businesses and residents, swelling the population to 2200. Located north of Canton on I575, the town is officially a Georgia Main Street Community, focusing on revitalization of the central business district, design, promotion and economic development. The revitalization can be judged a success based upon the heavy foot traffic, shopping and restaurant activities of any sunny Saturday or Sunday downtown. Ball Ground is grateful to Tom Cruise who filmed much of his movie American Made in Ball Ground in 2015. The film company footed much of the bill for many improvements to downtown and the movie itself brought very favorable publicity to the formerly sleepy town. Ball Ground is still well known for its beautiful horse farms, small and large industries, and hard-working citizens.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $498,000 (April 2023)
CANTON
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958 Many projects are underway in the city including new construction, renovation, and revitalization. Canton has received millions of dollars in grants for park and sidewalk improvements in the city. The city’s public buses have established routes and carry thousands of passengers throughout the city from residential areas to downtown, shopping areas, the medical district, and job sites.
Streets in the downtown area were recently improved, by the removal of parking spaces, as part of the “Streetscapes” program, bringing brick pavers to sidewalks, lamp posts, lush landscaping and intersection upgrades.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $542,000 (April 2023)
CUMMING
Located 25 miles straight up GA400 north of Atlanta, Cumming offers a wide variety of lifestyles, from mountain living with views of Stone Mountain on a clear day, to lakeside living with vivid sunsets refracted off the water’s surface. Residents can choose between a pastoral quality of life found only in the country or a sophisticated urban live-work-play lifestyle you’d expect in the city. Two live-work-play neighborhoods enjoyed by Cumming residents are Vickery and Halcyon (literally right on the other side of the Alpharetta/Cumming line). Both communities offer a variety of shopping, entertainment, and first-class dining right at their doorsteps.
Looking for outdoor activities? Cumming boasts a variety of hiking trails providing panoramic views atop Indian Seats Trail at Sawnee Mountain Reserve or miles of waterfront trails at Little Mill Park on Lake Lanier where you can paddleboard or water ski or just enjoy floating on the lake on a sunny summer day.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $625,000 (April 2023).
JOHNS CREEK
Located in the north-eastern part of Fulton County, Johns Creek offers an idyllic suburban setting for its nearly 80,000 residents with over 13.5 miles of riverfront access and 300 acres of green space. Officially a city since 2006, Johns Creek is now the 10th largest city in Georgia, and was recently ranked third on the 2017 list of “50 Best Cities to Live In” by USA Today. Conveniently bordered by Alpharetta to the west, McGinnis Ferry Road and Forsyth County to the north and the cities of Duluth and Peachtree Corners to the south and east, Johns Creek offers a wide array of housing options from multi-million-dollar estates bordering Country Club of the South and the Atlanta Athletic Club, to traditional swim/tennis communities and newer townhome developments.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $962,000 (April 2023)
LAKE LANIER
Located in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lake Lanier is conveniently positioned about one hour north of Atlanta, making it an exceptional location for a second home for weekend getaways, a gorgeous location to work from home, or a perfect spot to purchase a retirement home, all while remaining close to Atlanta and all that it has to offer. Lake Lanier is part of five different counties and seven cities: Cumming, Buford, Flowery Branch, Oakwood, Gainesville, Murrayville, and Dawsonville. A full 20 miles long, Lake Lanier spans 37,000 acres and features nearly 700 miles of shoreline. As the suburbs have moved north, the southern lake towns of Cumming and Buford have transitioned from weekend to full-time residents who enjoy the lake lifestyle every day. Property values, especially on the southern end of the lake, have skyrocketed as a result.
Property values at the lake are determined by many factors; the home itself, location on the lake, distance to Atlanta, water depth, dock and/or dock permit, how much Corps of Engineers property lies between house and lake, steep or gentle lake entry, etc. Prices can range from $450,000 to well over $8,000,000. Lake Lanier shoreline is owned by the federal government and is under the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers which also controls all aspects of the lake, including docks and dock permits. Docks heavily factor into property value so it is essential that buyers know the Corps’ rules.
The Corps also controls the water level of the lake. “Full Pool” at Lake Lanier is 1071 feet. The difference between the daily depth and 1071 determines the water depth for your dock and whether you need to adjust your dock. Lake Dwellers often employ one of the many dock service contractors in the area to keep up with their dock adjustments which follow the rise and fall of water levels. http://lanier.uslakes.info/Level.asp
Lake Living is a lifestyle unto itself. Awakening to a sunrise shimmering on the water, taking a boat ride midday as a much-needed break from work, ending the day at one of the many waterside restaurants, and slowly motoring home through the glass-like water mirroring the stars; that is the life! And that is why Lake Lanier continues to be an attractive place to live!
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $989,000 (April 2023)
MILTON
The Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2011, recognized the City of Milton as having the highest quality of life in the state of Georgia and ninth-highest quality of life in the southern United States, according to an “On Numbers” survey. Once part of greater Alpharetta, Milton became its own city. Milton has a population of more than 38,000 and covers 23,000 acres. It includes the northwest unincorporated island, bordered by Cherokee County to the north and west; Forsyth County to the east; Roswell city limits to the southwest (a little west of Arnold Mill Road); Alpharetta city limits to the south (roughly, Mayfield Road to Cogburn Road to Windward Parkway).High performing schools, both public and private, equestrian estates, golf course communities and gorgeous homes are all synonymous with Milton.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $1,300,0000 (April 2023)
SANDY SPRINGS
Sandy Springs became the first new city in Georgia in almost 50 years when it was established in 2005. Ideally situated in north Fulton County, this sprawling community of over 100,000 residents straddles I-285 and GA400, and is bordered by Buckhead to the south, Brookhaven and Dunwoody to the east, the Chattahoochee River to the west and Roswell to the north. Sandy Springs has quickly established itself as a major business hub with one of the highest ratios of Fortune 500 companies per capita in the U.S, including the headquarters for UPS and Mercedes-Benz North America. The city’s lush residential neighborhoods comprise some of Atlanta’s most desired addresses and include everything from mid-century modern ranches, mid-rise condominium buildings and lavish multi-million-dollar mansions. Residents eagerly await the completion of City Center, a mixed-use development incorporating a new city hall, performing arts center plus high-end residences, retail shops and a network of inter-connected green space.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $1,200,000 (April 2023)
SUWANEE
Money Magazine twice named Suwanee as one of “America’s Best Places to Live.” Suwanee’s 10-acre Town Center Park serves as the “front yard” for this community of nearly 20,000 residents. Located 34 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, Suwanee is bordered by I-85 to the east, Forsyth County to the west, the town of Sugar Hill to the north with Duluth and Johns Creek to the south. This quiet suburban town is recognized throughout the Atlanta region for its leadership in preserving open spaces and establishing high-quality parks. Suwanee is also home to Harvest Farm, Georgia’s largest organic community garden as well as Orchard at White Street Park, the first public orchard in the Southeast. Several gated golf course communities can be found in Suwanee along with sprawling amenity-rich subdivisions and new townhome complexes.
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $712,000 (April 2023)
WOODSTOCK
Once a sleepy farming village, today’s Woodstock is a vibrant and diverse community boasting a world-class trail system, great shopping and dining options, and neighborhoods perfect for the suburban family all just 30 miles north of Atlanta. Woodstock’s City limits include more than 12 square miles and over 30,000 residents.
Woodstock officially became a City in 1897, but the first settlers arrived in the early 1800’s with hopes of finding gold. Mills were then constructed to serve the burgeoning cotton farms. The railroad depot was constructed in 1879 and storefronts followed. The Woodstock Visitor’s Center is housed in an original storefront, Dean’s Store, which opened in 1906.
Woodstock has become a destination for the outdoor enthusiast. Whether it is a picnic with the family at beautiful Dupree Park, a walk with your dog at Woofstock Park, or hitting the mountain bike trails at Olde Rope Mill Park, Woodstock is home to a number of parks and trail systems. And, in 2019, construction will begin on another nearly 100 acre park located on the east side of the City.
Read more about Woodstock: https://www.woodstockga.gov/about/landing.php
Average Single-Family Home Sales Price: $468,000 (April 2023)
