WDYT: Douglasville?

lola808 · July 2010

Hi there! I'm a Hawaii Nestie, but my dad resides in Atlanta. He wants to move out of the city and is looking at homes in Douglasville. What can you tell me about the area? Is it considered safe? Family-friendly? A good place to buy? Just curious what the locals thought...

TIA! Big Smile

mrsjanks · July 2010

I lived there from birth to 18. I moved when I went to UGA for college (in 2002). My dad still lives there and works for AT&T, so he's in everyone's house and business.

I liked living there. It's more urban now than it used to be. Everything you need is in Douglasville... shopping, eating, etc.

I went to Douglas County High School and it was great my first 2 years. Then, Chapel Hill High School opened and DCHS went down the drain. When I was first there, sports were a huge deal. By the time I was senior, coaches were cancelling freshmen sports because there was not enough interest or freshmen didn't have the grades to play.

Dad says that the market is just like it is everywhere else- lots of foreclosures. The area has undergone tremendous growth in the past 15 years, and there are new houses everywhere. Dad says that many of them were never sold or foreclosed on, so now they sit empty. I can't say how that will change once the economy turns around.

MeredithE · July 2010

I would not. I currently live in the city, however if I was going to move to the burbs I would go to where the schools are the best. That's East Cobb and North Fulton, I believe. I would do this strictly for resale purposes.

Amy_729 · July 2010

MeredithE:
I would not. I currently live in the city, however if I was going to move to the burbs I would go to where the schools are the best. That's East Cobb and North Fulton, I believe. I would do this strictly for resale purposes.

Ditto this. I currently live in the city, but when we move out to the burbs, Douglasville won't be an option for us. I've lived in or around Atlanta my whole life and that area has just never appealed to me.

Sadlebred · July 2010

Douglasville is a good area. While the schools might not be "the best," they are fine. It might not even be a consideration for your dad. It's a bit more country out there; you aren't as close to the city. At the same time, there is a mall, the major chain restaurants, and any services you would expect in a suburban area.

I'm partial to Cobb and North Fulton Counties myself. (Smyrna, Marietta, Powder Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, John's Creek)

MeredithE · July 2010

Unfortunately Georgia really isn't known for it's school system. I can relate because DC is not known for it's schools either therefore I had to go to Junior High and High School in a neighboring county with awesome schools. In cases like this, finding " the best" is absolutely a priority especially when making pretty much the biggest investment of your life. Not to mention the housing market is going to take a long time to recover. IMO living in one of the places with the top schools in the area, makes the investment a tab bit less risky. When H and I move back to the DC area, we will be unable to buy in the city because of the school system. Unless of course Michelle Rhee is able to work some magic.

mrsjanks · July 2010

PPs got me to thinking...

When I lived there, people moved away from E Cobb, Fulton, and those areas to live in Douglasville because it was less crowded. It's quickly catching up, though. Maybe this is still true... but the income level in Douglas County seemed to be lower than those of Cobb and Fulton counties. We always considered those places to be "rich" when we traveled to play their schools in sports.

Fayette county is south of Douglas County, and I think their schools are better?

I'm not sure why I keep talking about schools... I am a teacher. Big Smile And, schools have something to do with re-sale value too.

www.greatschools.net is a great site with reviews. It also gives you the demographics, if you're interested.

lola808 · July 2010

Great input, ladies. Thanks so much. Despite the schools concerns, it sounds like it might be suitable for someone my dad's age.

And this is pretty much how my dad's described it, too. Glad to hear it echoed from others!

Sadlebred:
Douglasville is a good area. While the schools might not be "the best," they are fine. It might not even be a consideration for your dad. It's a bit more country out there; you aren't as close to the city. At the same time, there is a mall, the major chain restaurants, and any services you would expect in a suburban area.

lola808 · July 2010

mrsjanks:
And, schools have something to do with re-sale value too.
www.greatschools.net is a great site with reviews. It also gives you the demographics, if you're interested.

This looks helpful. It even has a link to some houses for sale. I'll pass it along. Thanks!

WDYT: Douglasville?

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