It’s really hard to predict the future.

Gwinnett Place Mall has numerous restaurants and gas stations. I really don’t think it’s a one restaurant mall. Ditto for the other suburban malls as well. In fact, I am sure a couple can easily spend $100 for a meal without a problem in Gwinnett. Two months ago you could easily spend $100 to fill up the big SUV.

Atlanta’s demographics are changing. Of course, the boomers are aging. Duh! One of the big question marks with the the Atlanta boomers is where they will live when they eventually retire. Will they continue to live in Atlanta? Who knows?

Two and three decades ago retirees tended to sell their homes and move, but I think that this trend has changed to some degree in recent years. Now, many retirees desire to be near their children and grandchildren. Of course, if they’re not on speaking terms: ARIZONA HERE WE COME!!!

“Quirky” and “charm” may not be the buzz words. AFFORDABLE may be the the buzz word. DISPOSABLE INCOME, not disposable society, may be a key buzz word, too. Retirement in the future is going to be mucho expensive. Many future retirees will not have enough savings, generous pensions, and increasing health care costs will make the golden years less–”golden.”

Once minority immigrant-friendly cities like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles are now largely unafforable. The huge real estate bubble in these cities is now drawing many minority immigrants to more affordable cities like Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas. I just read an article about this topic. Watch this trend closely.

If this trend continues, real estate prices will spike upward in Atlanta. Of course, jobs are a key ingredient as families cannot buy homes without a strong job market.

Atlanta has a highly-educated work force, so jobs should not be an impediment to future growth.

Chad

I fear that in our disposable society, we are also creating disposable neighborhoods and communities. Or, I could be just a cynical refuge from the 770. My kids will probably find Gwinnett Place Mall–with its ring of horseshoe shaped shopping centers with 1 resturant/1 gas station outparcels, and subdivisions of clapboard 80’s mini-colonials–to be quite old-timey…

Younger folks are essentially being priced out of the American dream of owning a house. In-town Atlanta home prices are still “somewhat” reasonable compared to many cities on the east and west coasts but they still, nonetheless, have hefty price tags. Very, very modest bunglaows selling for $400,000 is not pocket change.

Sadly, condominiums are about the only in-town housing alternative to families with incomes under $200,000. At least from my perspective, real estate in Atlanta, as elsewhere in the country, is in a bubble territory.

Yeah, some of Atlanta’s older established neighborhoods may have the code words of: character and charm, but many of these homes need costly major renovations. Many sagging porches and crumbling foundations are quite obvious and apparent, while taking stolls in these older neighborhoods. Within a few short years these older areas are going to be major eyesores, if the owners are not taking frequent trips to Home Depot.

Oak this and Oak that may be currently the in vogue “hot” neighborhoods, but rotting oak may be the destiny for these aging neighborhoods.

Many of these homes are HOT only because of: location, location, location. If these homes continue to deterioate as many currently are, even location, location, location will not sell these rotting abodes.

Chad