Prior to becoming a real estate agent in Georgia, I relocated here from Florida in 2007. My friends decided to move and I came up with them for a weekend. I fell in love! Shortly after that trip, I returned to Georgia with my mom to look for a house. That weekend I put a contract on a home and put money down on living room furniture.
Let me pause here and say a few things because this sounds absolutely absurd to me as I recount it.
- My friends were moving, so I decided to move too. What?! I did no research at all! I didn’t consider other locations. Shamefully I admit, I didn’t even look at school reviews for my son at the time.
- I returned to Georgia shortly after to look for a house and put a contract on on. I did not speak to a lender prior to know for sure that my trip wouldn’t have been wasted.
- I put money down on furniture right after signing a contract. This is an absolute no-no! Any lender and real estate agent will tell you not to open ANY new credit until after you close.
Having said all of that, I’m going to attribute things working out to extreme faith and God’s grace! Thankfully, we moved from Florida and have lived in Georgia ever since. I like the city we chose to live in and the schools my children have attended. I did have a couple of bumps once the market tanked, but I’ll save those for another post…
While faith and grace are wonderful things to have when moving from Florida to Georgia, here are several things I urge you to consider if you are contemplating or planning such a move.
1) Decide where you want to live (location).
While I like living in Loganville, Georgia, I would not have liked it if I had to commute to Atlanta every day. I don’t know how some people sit in Atlanta traffic every day. I couldn’t do it!
*TIP – The worst idea you can having when moving to Georgia is (and I hear this often), “I’d like to live 30- 40 minutes from Atlanta”. Because of the way Georgia is set up geographically, you could like in several differently counties and still be 30 – 40 minutes from Atlanta. You have to have more to go on when narrowing down a location!
When deciding on an area, you should take into consideration:
– Your distance to work – Are you okay with an hour commute each way to work daily?
– You distance to activities you do often – If you like going out every weekend, would the city be a better fit for you?
– School ratings – If you want your children in schools that are rated an 8+, it doesn’t make sense to consider areas where the highest rating is a 5. Unless, they will be attending private schools and you’ll be commuting them daily.
Some other things to consider: county taxes (they vary) and crime statistics.
2) Get Pre-Approved for a mortgage with a lender that is licensed in Georgia prior to starting your search.
When I moved it was pre-market crash, so everyone was getting approved. Literally, everyone! Since the crash, getting a mortgage loan is very intense. I’ve had a client state that the lender asked for everything except for DNA [insert laughter]. While it may not be that bad, expect to explain and provide documentation several times during the loan process. Be sure to speak with your lender for the common Do’s and Don’ts when applying for a mortgage loan. You also HAVE to discuss your specific situation with them. For example, if you are receiving a gift from a family member for your down payment funds, that has to be thoroughly documented in advance. For a list of my Loan Process Do’s and Don’ts, email me.
3) Consider your needs / family needs and ensure Georgia is going to be a good fit.
I once had a family relocate from New York to Georgia. They bought their dream home and couldn’t have been happier! UNTIL, they realized the care they were used to receiving for their special needs children in New York did not compare to what they received in the area they moved to in Georgia. Granted their family had very significant needs; however, if there are requirements you or your family will have, do ample research prior to committing to a move.
Looking for Aging & Senior Care Community Resources? Check out https://www.caring.com/senior-living/assisted-living/georgia (search by area)
4) Secure a job.
When I first moved to Georgia, I had the opportunity to transfer within the company I was working for in Florida at the time, but I decided I would move and explore my option. Never again! It took me 3 months to secure employment (it truly felt like 1 year). I was seriously operating on foolish faith because this move was not wise. I know now it was a lesson I had to learn, but I definitely would not recommend someone relocate prior to securing employment.
One family I worked with had a smart plan. One spouse secured employment, they moved, and then the other spouse found a job. This worked for them because one income was able to provide for the family. They also had savings, and they work in high demand fields of employment.
5) Know it will be stressful.
Even if you are the most woo-sah kind of person, a major move will be stressful. I moved recently, within the same city (only a few blocks away) and it was still stressful. And I’m a full-time Realtor go figure! That’s life. There are so many moving parts to handle when relocating, it will get stressful at some point (check out this quick VIDEO I did about this very topic). So expect the stress and DON’T freak out. This too shall pass and it will all work out. To ease your stress with the move itself, check out The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Move.
Rest assured knowing that no matter what, you can achieve your goal of relocating. I pride myself in guiding my clients through the relocation process. At the closing table, you will truly appreciate having a trusted real estate agent like myself. #shameless plug 🙂
I hope you’ve received some useful information from this post. If you are looking to relocate to Georgia, I’d love to assist you. Let’s chat (404) 857-2508!