Atlanta, GA real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Atlanta is one city sitting in two counties. Some Atlanta addresses are in Fulton County and some are in DeKalb, and that decides which tax office bills you and which county rate stacks on the city rate. Every Atlanta address is also taxed by Atlanta Public Schools instead of a county school system, and the city runs its own homestead freeze, its own BeltLine overlay zoning and a stream buffer tighter than the state's.
Atlanta neighborhoods buyers ask about
Every one prices differently. Ask your agent for the latest sales in the ones you like.
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Buying a home in Atlanta: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in Georgia are on the Georgia page. These are the Atlanta details that trip people up.
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Your county decides half the bill. An Atlanta address sits in either Fulton or DeKalb County, and that decides which county rate is added to your city rate and which office sends the bill. Ask for the parcel's county before you write an offer, because the totals are not close.
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The city has its own homestead exemption on top of the county one. Fulton's basic homestead takes $30,000 off the county value, and for a City of Atlanta owner it also takes $30,000 off City Operations, the City Park Fund and City School. You have to be inside the city limits to get the second one.
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Atlanta and Fulton freeze values differently. Fulton's floating base value rises 3% or CPI, whichever is less. The City of Atlanta's base value rises 2.6% a year. The base year is set when you apply, so it usually restarts for a new owner. Never use the seller's tax number as yours.
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The BeltLine overlay caps parking and controls the front door. Inside the BeltLine Overlay District the code caps parking per unit, sets a 20-foot buffer where a lot touches BeltLine or park land, and requires a paved path to the trail. Sidewalk-level doors have to face the street or the corridor.
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The city's stream buffer is tighter than the state's. Atlanta city code requires a 75-foot undisturbed stream buffer, 100 feet in a water supply watershed, with no hard surface or septic within 150 feet. The city also says new development and any filling in the floodplain is not allowed.
Selling a home in Atlanta
Turn the water off in writing.
The city says if you are moving or selling you have to have service disconnected, or you stay liable for any water use even after you no longer live there.
An old balance at the address slows your buyer down.
Atlanta lists outstanding utility bills on the property as a reason new service gets delayed. Your buyer also needs the closing statement or warranty deed, photo ID and a deposit, and only the deed holder can apply.
Two counties, two tax offices, two calendars.
DeKalb takes county property tax in two parts with its own due dates, and Fulton publishes its Atlanta rates on its own sheet. Pull the real bills from the right office before anyone sets up proration.
Atlanta real estate questions
Am I in the city or the county, and why does it matter for my tax bill?
An Atlanta address sits in either Fulton or DeKalb County. That decides which county rate is added to your city rate and which office sends the bill. The gap between a city total and an unincorporated county total is large, so check the parcel, not the mailing address.
What homestead exemption do I get as a City of Atlanta owner?
Fulton's basic homestead takes $30,000 off the county value. For a City of Atlanta owner it also takes $30,000 off City Operations, the City Park Fund and City School. The city's floating base value then rises 2.6% a year. Fulton's rises by the lesser of 3% or CPI, so which one grows slower depends on inflation that year.
Why is my house in Atlanta Public Schools instead of the county system?
Atlanta Public Schools is its own school system with its own school tax. An Atlanta address is taxed by APS, not by Fulton County Schools or DeKalb County Schools. Cross the city line and you switch to that county's system and its school millage instead.
What does the BeltLine Tax Allocation District mean for me as an owner?
The district freezes the tax base inside it, and growth in value above that base goes to BeltLine work instead of the general funds. The city, the county and the school system all take part. It is not an extra rate on your bill.
Can I change the outside of a house in Grant Park or Inman Park?
Those districts have their own chapters in the city zoning code. Inside one, a Certificate of Appropriateness is required before certain outside work. Check the district's own chapter, because the rules are not identical from one district to the next.
Buying or selling in Atlanta? Talk to a local agent.
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