Clear information for buying a home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Conventional accepts credit scores from 620 and charges PMI below 20% down; that insurance disappears once you reach 20% equity.

VA requires no down payment or PMI for veterans, surviving spouses and active reservists, with a minimum score of 640.

FHA allows entry from 500 credit score and 3.5% down, but mortgage insurance can last the life of the loan if you put less than 10% down.

Savannah's historic district is one of the largest urban historic districts in the United States, with landscaped squares dating back to the 18th century.

Forsyth Park, spanning more than 30 acres, is the city's most recognized urban park and dates back to 1851.

City Market occupies four blocks of restored 18th-century warehouses, now home to restaurants, galleries and local shops.

Atlanta is now the 10th largest metro economy in the United States, home to companies like Delta, Coca-Cola, Home Depot and UPS.

The median sale price in the city of Atlanta sits around $429,000, still below markets like New York, Los Angeles or Miami.

The 2025 market showed signs of stabilization, with more inventory available and longer average time to sell, according to the Georgia REALTORS® annual report.

The average hourly wage in metro Atlanta is about $34.57, above the national average of roughly $33.54, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The region hosts headquarters for companies like Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot and UPS, plus an active tech startup ecosystem.

MARTA, the metro area's public transit system, logged more than 65 million rides in the latest measured year, with a network still expanding.

Georgia Dream publishes a standard assistance amount of 5% of the purchase price or up to $10,000, whichever is lower.

For metro Atlanta, the official page lists a maximum purchase price of $550,000.

The assistance lowers the cash you bring to closing, but it is still a 0% second loan with no monthly payment.

Metro Atlanta includes three of Georgia's largest school districts: Fulton County Schools, DeKalb County School District and Atlanta Public Schools.

The city is home to well-known universities such as Emory University and Georgia Tech, a factor many families weigh for the long term.

The median home price in the city of Atlanta sits around $429,000, considerably lower than in other major U.S. metro areas.

The 11-county metro Atlanta region added more than 60,000 new residents in the latest measured year, passing 5.2 million people.

Atlanta is now the 10th largest metro economy in the United States, with a regional GDP of about $276 billion.

The median sale price in the city of Atlanta sits around $429,000, still notably lower than coastal markets like New York, Los Angeles or Miami.

The standard state homestead exemption reduces $2,000 from the taxable value used for county and school taxes on your primary residence.

Homeowners age 65 and older may qualify for additional exemptions, and the amounts vary widely by county — Fulton, Gwinnett and Cobb each offer different local benefits.

You must own and occupy the home as of January 1 and file the application with the county yourself; it is not applied automatically just because you bought the house.

The title company or closing attorney acts as a neutral third party and cannot release funds until both parties have met what was agreed in the contract.

The earnest money deposit that goes into the escrow account is usually between 1% and 3% of the purchase price in most transactions.

After closing, many lenders require an ongoing escrow account to collect property tax and homeowners insurance monthly as part of the mortgage payment.

Georgia has been named the No. 1 state for business in the United States for 12 consecutive years, according to Area Development magazine.

Atlanta hosts headquarters or major operations for companies like UPS, The Home Depot, Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines, alongside regional offices for tech giants like Microsoft and Google.

Metro Atlanta is home to more than a dozen Fortune 500 headquarters, which sustains an active labor market with steady housing demand.

Green cards for immediate relatives (spouse, minor children or parents of a U.S. citizen) have no annual numerical limit on available visas.

An employment-based green card requires the employer to sponsor the process and, in most cases, prove to the Department of Labor that no qualified U.S. worker is available for the position.

The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery awards a limited number of visas each year to people from countries with historically low immigration to the U.S.; the odds of being selected are low and this path should not be relied on alone.

A conventional loan for a one-unit investment property typically requires a minimum 15% down payment, rising to 25% for 2-4 unit properties.

SBA 504 loans finance commercial real estate with as little as 10% down from the investor, but the business must occupy the property.

Real estate crowdfunding is regulated by the SEC under Regulation Crowdfunding, with investment limits for non-accredited investors.

The IRS requires a standard withholding of 15% of the sale price when the seller is a foreign person, regardless of whether there was an actual profit on the sale.

The buyer reports the withholding using Form 8288 and must send it to the IRS within 20 days after closing.

If you expect to owe less than the 15% withheld, you can request a reduced withholding certificate using Form 8288-B before the sale closes.

The City of Atlanta requires an annual short-term rental license and limits owners to a maximum of two units, one of which must be their primary residence.

Georgia charges a state hotel-motel fee of $5 per night on stays of 30 nights or less, on top of state and local sales tax.

Short-term rental income can beat a traditional lease, but it also brings vacancy, cleaning and maintenance costs that a long-term contract does not have.

The share of Atlanta-area listings priced above $1 million rose from 5.8% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024, with 5,215 properties in that range, according to Redfin data cited by Axios Atlanta.

That same segment made up just 3% of the market in 2020, a growth of nearly three percentage points in four years.

Nationally, listings above $1 million reached 9.3% in 2024, showing that Atlanta’s growth in this segment still trails the national average, according to the same data.

The City of Atlanta requires a Short-Term Rental License (STRL), renewed annually, and a host can cover their primary residence plus one additional dwelling unit under a single license.

Operating without an STRL exposes hosts to fines starting at $500 per violation and can result in listing removal from the platform.

The ordinance defines short-term rentals as stays of 30 consecutive days or less; it was adopted in March 2021 and enforcement became effective in March 2023.

Since August 2024, following the NAR’s nationwide settlement, commissions are no longer standardized or published on the MLS — they are negotiated directly between each party and their agent.

According to May 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual reported wage for real estate agents in Georgia was $64,410.

To get licensed as a salesperson in Georgia, the state’s Real Estate Commission (GREC) requires 75 hours of approved coursework, a state exam, and sponsorship from a licensed broker.

Owner’s title insurance protects your investment for as long as you own the property, even if a problem surfaces years after closing, according to ALTA.

Title insurance premiums typically run between 0.5% and 1% of the purchase price, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

ALTA, the national association that sets industry standards, has existed since 1907 and represents title companies across the United States.

Metro Atlanta reached roughly 6.4 million residents and ranks among the eight largest metro areas in the U.S., according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Savannah welcomed 12.9 million visitors in 2024 and generated $4.1 billion in visitor spending, according to Visit Savannah data.

Georgia has been named the best state for business for 12 consecutive years, a figure cited by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and several state economic development agencies.

Georgia is one of the country’s largest producers of peanuts and pecans, according to Explore Georgia, the state’s official tourism office.

Savannah welcomed 12.9 million visitors in 2024 and generated $4.1 billion in visitor spending, according to Visit Savannah data.

Fried chicken, chicken and waffles, and peach cobbler are among the dishes Explore Georgia recommends trying first in the state.

Georgia ranks 18th on the 2026 Tax Foundation State Tax Competitiveness Index, with an effective property tax rate of 0.79%.

The standard homestead exemption reduces $2,000 from the taxable value of a home occupied as a primary residence, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Georgia’s real estate market moved toward balance in 2025, with rising inventory and less price pressure than in previous years.

Georgia REALTORS®’s annual report shows a market moving toward balance, with more inventory available than in recent years.

Atlanta is home to companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines and Home Depot, supporting a diverse job market.

Mortgage rates have swung significantly in recent years; waiting for "the perfect rate" usually costs more than buying once your numbers already work.

Average rent in Atlanta has topped $1,900 a month in several recent market reports, according to Redfin data.

Rental demand in suburbs like Sandy Springs, Alpharetta and Johns Creek has grown as downtown living gets more expensive.

Metro Atlanta added roughly 62,000 new residents in the past year, according to official estimates, sustaining demand for rental housing.

Atlanta brings together dozens of neighborhoods with their own personality; home style, price and pace of life shift dramatically from one to the next.

Neighborhoods like Decatur stand out for their public schools, while Midtown concentrates the highest density of museums and theaters in the city.

The city of Atlanta added more than 10,000 new residents in the last year, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), and that demand is not spread evenly across neighborhoods.

Metro Atlanta generates roughly two-thirds of Georgia’s total economic activity, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

The 11-county Atlanta region added roughly 64,400 new residents in one year, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC).

Rental demand has stayed firm in the most sought-after neighborhoods, keeping income steady for investment properties.

Georgia REALTORS®’s 2025 annual report shows an average sales price of $448,554, up 2.0% year over year.

Active inventory rose 13.1% and average days on market reached 56, a sign the market is shifting toward more balance.

Metro Atlanta added roughly 64,400 new residents in one year, according to Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) estimates.

The University of Georgia in Athens had 43,888 students enrolled in fall 2025, sustaining rental vacancy near record lows.

Savannah and Chatham County drew 12.9 million visitors in 2024, with $4.1 billion in visitor spending, according to Longwoods International.

Masters week generates more than $100 million in direct economic impact for Augusta every year, with short-term rental rates spiking up to 178%, according to reports based on figures from the Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Cumming, in Forsyth County, grew 23.6% between 2024 and 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates.

Average rent in metro Atlanta rose 5.8% over the past year, the fastest growth rate among major U.S. cities, according to the Dwellsy IQ index.

Athens, home to the University of Georgia, had 43,888 students enrolled in fall 2025 and rental vacancy near record lows.

The Atlanta BeltLine has already completed 12.6 miles of its mainline loop plus 10.3 miles of connector trails, aiming to close the full 22-mile loop by 2030.

The BeltLine organization has acquired nearly 90 acres of land preserved for residential and commercial development along the corridor.

In 2025 the Atlanta BeltLine acquired new parcels along Peachtree Road in Buckhead, extending its reach into one of the city’s most established areas.

Metro Atlanta is home to more than 300 corporate headquarters, including 17 Fortune 500 and 37 Fortune 1000 companies, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Atlanta’s startup ecosystem ranks 29th globally according to StartupBlink, with 1,738 active startups and more than $2.24 billion in cumulative funding.

The median home price in Georgia held at $360,000 through 2025, well below the entry cost in markets like California or New York.

Foreign buyers purchased $56 billion worth of U.S. homes between April 2024 and March 2025, a 33.2% increase, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Florida, California, Texas, New York and Arizona account for most of those purchases; Georgia does not appear among the top five states in that national ranking.

Over the same period, Georgia attracted more than $3 billion in foreign direct investment and 6,500 new jobs from international companies, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Georgia’s cost of living index came in at 90.6 against a national average of 100, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research.

Georgia’s median home sales price held steady near $360,000 through 2025, according to the Georgia REALTORS® annual report.

Homes for sale rose 13.1% in 2025 and days on market rose to 56, a sign the market no longer forces buyers into blind bidding wars.

Savannah’s Trustees’ Garden, planted in 1733, is recognized as one of the earliest experimental gardens in North America.

Coca-Cola was first served on May 8, 1886, at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta.

Georgia’s state tree is the Southern Live Oak, not the peach tree; the peach is the state fruit, designated separately in 1995.

Metro Atlanta ranks No. 9 among the most affordable large U.S. metro areas, according to a recent analysis.

The home price-to-income ratio in Atlanta is approximately 4.03, compared with a national average closer to 5.08.

The median home price in Atlanta is around $372,000, below the national median price reported in several recent analyses.

Zillow’s home value index for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area measures the value of mid-tier properties, not the final sale price.

The median sale price reported by Redfin for Atlanta runs around $372,000, a different figure from Zillow’s index because it measures something else.

Home values can vary by tens of thousands of dollars between neighboring counties within the same metro area.

Atlanta drew an estimated 51 million visitors in a recent year, according to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Tourism in Georgia generated a total economic impact of $73 billion in a recent year, up 13% from the year before.

Georgia Aquarium, with more than 11 million gallons of water, is the largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere and the only one in the U.S. with whale sharks.

Metro Atlanta climbed to No. 5 nationally for new corporate facility investment, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Georgia set a state record with $26.3 billion in new business investment commitments during the most recent fiscal year.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta area added roughly 62,000 new residents in a single year, sustaining housing demand.

The IRS allows residential rental property to be depreciated over 27.5 years, reducing your taxable income every year.

Metro Atlanta keeps adding population and corporate investment, which sustains rental housing demand across the region.

The Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook, published by the state Department of Community Affairs, sets out the rules every owner should know before renting out a property.

The 2025 annual Georgia REALTORS report shows a market moving toward balance between buyers and sellers, with more inventory available than in prior years.

Georgia still has no statewide board that licenses home inspectors; the law that will require it does not take effect until 2028, according to recent legislative coverage.

The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division recommends verifying an inspector's business license and checking court records before hiring them.

The 11-county metro Atlanta region added about 64,400 residents between April 2024 and April 2025, reaching 5.28 million people, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Metro Atlanta is home to more than 13,000 tech companies and about 250,000 transportation and logistics jobs, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Georgia has an effective property tax rate of roughly 0.77% of home value, below the national average, according to the Tax Foundation.

Georgia was named the number one state for business by Area Development magazine, a title it has held for more than a decade.

In fiscal year 2025, the Georgia Department of Economic Development reported more than $26.3 billion in new investment and 23,200 projected new jobs.

Redfin reports a median home price in Georgia still below markets like California or New York, keeping entry costs accessible for investors.

Properties in metro Atlanta tend to spend weeks on the market, not months; the October 2025 Atlanta REALTORS report showed days on market rising compared to the prior year.

The 2025 annual Georgia REALTORS report showed sellers received an average of 95.4% of their original list price, a sign offers still need to be competitive, not just fast.

The CFPB recommends reviewing your credit report and getting pre-approved before you start touring properties, not after you find the one you like.

Metro Atlanta keeps adding tens of thousands of residents every year, which sustains long-term demand for multifamily rentals.

The City of Atlanta requires a Short-Term Rental License (STRL) that, under the current ordinance, generally limits this activity to the host's primary residence.

Georgia State University reports a waitlist for on-campus housing, and Emory University keeps graduate housing occupancy near 99%, a sign of sustained demand near campuses.

A new job, a new credit card or a large credit purchase before closing can make the lender re-evaluate or even cancel your approval.

The CFPB recommends requesting and comparing offers from more than one lender, and reviewing your Closing Disclosure at least three days before signing.

The Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) offers a public tool to verify whether the agent or broker you are working with holds an active license.