Atlanta is a home
for every generation. Two families share how they re-planted their roots in
the Peach City.
We have the current state
of the economy to thank for a few new trends and catchphrases, including “recessionista,”
“staycation” and all those budget-friendly retail sales. Atlanta’s
real estate community has experienced more than a few side effects of the slow
economy, and one of the most intriguing trends is the rise in multigenerational
households. A recent AARP Bulletin study found that the number of multigenerational
households climbed from 5 million in 2000 to 6.2 million in 2008. Many Atlanta
families are combining households to save money on living expenses and child
care costs or to care for an ailing family member. In addition, many corporate
relocations are encouraging grandparents to follow their grown children as they
move to the metro area. Here, KNOWAtlanta shares how two families have re-planted
their roots in the Peach City.
Something for Everyone
With a 25-year career in real estate, Fran Torchia, a sales agent at Seven Hills
in Paulding County, has witnessed the various cycles of Atlanta’s home
sales. She has chosen to live close to her daughter to play an active role in
her grandchild’s life. “I’m part of the trend, I help my daughter
all the time. I make dinner on my days off and I often go with them to the movies
and local festivals,” says Torchia.
Atlanta has something to
offer every member of your family. “The weather is mild—it’s
not overly hot or overly cold. Children can play outside year-round,”
says Torchia. “There are so many activities, not only for adults and active
adults, but for children as well. There’s the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta,
theaters, restaurants, walking trails and Stone Mountain. If you need beaches,
Atlanta is close to the Georgia coast, North Carolina and Florida.”
In addition to the great
weather and growing list of cultural and recreational attractions, Atlanta has
educational offerings for every member of the family, nationally recognized
health care systems and a stable job market. Many Atlanta area builders and
developers are designing communities that target active adults, families and
a diverse mix of residents. For example, Torchia’s current position at
Seven Hills has her finding homes for the empty nester set and growing families.
The Paulding County neighborhood was developed with multiple generations in
mind, with separate areas designated for retirees and families, floorplans designed
for various lifestyles and amenities that span the interests of several generations.
To further entice residents 55-years and better, some metro area counties offer
tax incentives and ample senior citizen services.
Another housing option for
active adults is independent living. Parc Communities offers four luxury apartment
communities in the metro area, each featuring a full list of concierge services.
“Parents usually move to independent living because of catalytic events
in their life, such as their kids and grandkids have moved and they want to
be closer to them, the death of the spouse or some sort of life-altering health
problem,” says Andy Slavin, vice president of Parc Communities. Half of
all Parc Communities residents have relocated from outside of the Atlanta area.
In those cases, residents typically choose a community that’s convenient
to their family.
So Happy Together
Active retiree John Houston took an unconventional path to settle with his family,
including his wife and two grown daughters and their families, in the Atlanta
metro area. An interesting series of events—the purchase of a second home
in Panama City, Fla., retirement and a wrong turn led Houston to find Heron
Bay in Locust Grove. It was a relocation 10 years in the making. “I bought
a condo in Panama City in 1995, pre-Hurricane Opal, while I was working in Philadelphia.
I decided that once I retired, I would move closer to Florida, so it’s
not so long of a drive to the condo,” says Houston, who had driven through
Atlanta en route to his condo since 1995.
With Atlanta chosen as his
retirement destination, Houston convinced his two daughters to join him and
his wife in the Peach City, to keep their tight-knit family together. When his
oldest daughter was able to transfer her job to nearby Morrow, Ga., she flew
down to Atlanta with her mother to scout out potential neighborhoods. When a
wrong turn led them to the entrance of Heron Bay, the family’s relocation
fate was sealed. The mother and daughter team toured a sample home and, based
on his wife’s recommendation, Houston bought a home sight unseen.
“Heron Bay had all
the amenities of resort-style living. I went online and read about the community,
I talked to the sales agent and he sent me a picture of the property with his
cell phone. And, that’s how we did it,” says Houston. “Then,
it was a matter of putting our house in Philadelphia on the market. It sold
in 30 days.”
Houston’s daughters
followed and both found homes in Heron Bay, making all three homes just streets
away from each other. Since the family settled in the golf course community
in 2006, several family members have bought and sold homes, but all have opted
to stay within Heron Bay. “We’re a very close-knit family. It was
important to us to make the move together. It happened so quickly. It was like
divine intervention was steering us to the metro area—it just happened
to be where we landed.”
Neil Greenspan and his wife
had no plans of leaving their long-time home in south Florida, until their two
children left the nest and started their careers in Atlanta. “I lived
in Plantation, Florida from 1971 to 2008. My daughter went to college at Vanderbilt
University, got her advanced degree at the University of Florida and got a job
offer in Atlanta. My younger son went to Tulane University and then specifically
looked for a job in Atlanta,” says Neil Greenspan, whose daughter settled
in East Cobb and his son in Midtown.
Whenever Greenspan would
visit his daughter’s new home, he would peruse the real estate section
of the newspaper for potential neighborhoods. “We knew we wanted to live
in northwest Atlanta. Each visit we toured three or so neighborhoods,”
says Greenspan, who focused his search to Atlanta’s active adult neighborhoods.
“I found Soleil Laurel Canyon and there was nothing like it. Everything
else was just a home—not a community with all the amenities or the beauty
of the mountains. Nothing compared, so I thought to myself, ‘why am I
wasting my time when this is where I want to be?’”
Soleil Laurel Canyon is
an amenity-rich, 330-acre active adult community located at the foothills of
the north Georgia mountains. Since his move to Canton, the Greenspans are a
short drive to see his children and grandchildren. Having purchased their new
home in 2007, the Greenspans have since explored their new city, made new friends
and enjoyed Atlanta’s signature Southern hospitality. “You make
a place a home by exploring the area and finding your favorite restaurants,
shops and spots. As far as necessities, our neighborhood is extremely convenient,
says Greenspan. “Now, there’s a new Publix shopping center off our
main road. The 10-minute ride is now five minutes. If it wasn’t so hilly,
you could walk it.”
A Town for All Ages
Between fantastic neighborhoods, cultural and recreational attractions, educational
opportunities, and excellent city and health services, it’s not a stretch
to say Atlanta has something for every member of your family. With 10 Fortune
500 companies headquartered in Atlanta and more big businesses expanding in
the metro area, corporations will continue to move their executives to the metro
area. Grandparents are sure to follow since the Peach City offers up an ideal
retirement destination, as well.
New Home Resources
If you’re planning to relocate your family to Atlanta, start your home
search with these communities:
Heron Bay
(770) 957-5633; heronbayinfo.com
Parc Communities
(770) 618-4960; Parccommunities.com
Seven Hills
(678) 574-3861; sevenhills-atlanta.com
Soleil Laurel Canyon
(678) 880-3071; soleillaurelcanyon.com