Buy and hold in Cartersville vs. Douglasville GA?

[Becky Lai]

I've been looking into investing in single family homes in the Atlanta suburbs (buy & hold) -- I was wondering what city shows more promise for appreciation and rent growth: Cartersville or Douglasville? On paper it looks like Cartersville is a little bit better but I'm wondering if the shorter commute from Douglasville to Atlanta and the eventual development of the west side of the city will ultimately change the calculus 5-10 years from now. Any and all opinions welcome!

[Quentin Davie]

Hello @beckylai The Douglasville vs Cartersville debate is interesting. A couple of points to help:

1. Average rent prices in Douglasville are around $1,371 (closer potential to get 1% rule) while Cartersville is around $1,219.

2. 26% of the homes in Catersville are 2000 built (higher Cap Ex expenses) or newer while Douglasville 43% are 2000 built (lower Cap Ex expenses) or newer.

3. Median home price is $213,093 (higher appreciation/ lower Cash on Cash Returns) in Cartersville while median home price in Douglasville is $194,385 (higher cash on cash returns/ slightly lower appreciation)

Douglasville is closer to the city which is experiencing population growth which means population will push out to suburbs like Douglasville. Their are many factories/industrial business in Douglasville which diversifies the tenant class. Amazon has a large facility that was just built 2 years ago in Douglasville. Both areas are solid for rental but I believe Douglasville has higher upside with growth closer to the city and thriving working class population.