Beware of the SW Atlanta Beltline hype.

[Gordon Vaughn]

I have read a lot of hype about the Atlanta Beltline over the past few years here in Metro Atlanta. Usually a strong market buzz precipitates it's realization as people jump on the bandwagon and fuel the market dynamic. Unfortunately not the case with the beltline homes. Small levels of appreciation have been seen in areas where the beltline has been completed, but these are the areas that carried strength in values before the beltline was developed. Most of the distressed areas where the beltline is projected to be built still show no signs of appreciation, even in the midst of investor activity in the area. I'm not saying that all the good stuff we're hearing about in some of these areas will never happen, but there are currently no viable trends in most of these areas that would substantiate all the hype. The city still faces big funding and planning obstacles that could prolong the remaining development for many years to come. Many local investors that I have talked with, whom have purchased next to the beltline in SW Atlanta still have the same problems and issues with crime, vacancy rates, and stagnant values, and many of those investors are regretting their purchases. If investing along the beltline is your gig, beware of the hype and do as much research as you can. Investigate the future development of these areas, area crime rates, and value changes. Many agents and bird dogs will show you 1 or 2 strong comps in a particular area, but hardly a trend when there's a sea of low sales prices in the area to which you may or may not be seeing. Make sure that trends around the beltline are viable ones backed by strong facts and numbers before considering a purchase.