Relocating to metro Atlanta. Many times, one trip can do it.
What if you get here and the drive is nothing like the map said?
Relocating to metro Atlanta: a home you choose before you know the roads
A map gives you a number for the drive. It can't tell you how that drive feels on the morning you start somewhere new, and you're still being asked to commit to a home from a distance. There are just too many moving pieces to know what's right. When you're relocating to metro Atlanta, that thought makes sense, and it's why we want you on those roads and in those rooms before you decide.
NRG Nguyen Realty Group plans your search around the days you have, then stays with you through closing. It starts with a discovery call, where we learn what's causing your move. If you're financing, a lender conversation comes next, including whether they can lend on a home in Georgia. Not every buyer will qualify. If you're paying cash, you can skip that step.
I don't want someone trying to sell me a house, I just want someone to tell me what makes the most sense. Our strategy meeting is the place for that. We go through your numbers thoroughly, your move date and how firm it is, and how many trips you can make. We talk through what the home needs to do for you: commute, size, layout, yard and a monthly payment you are comfortable with. We also go over the buyer brokerage agreement, the written agreement you sign with your agent in Georgia, and we don't tour until it's in place.
Moving here? Start with your move date.
One weekend, many times: what a single trip can settle
We've helped buyers coming from out of state, including California, and the trip is where the decision takes shape. Many times we're able to schedule an entire tour for a weekend, sometimes over several days, organized so you can look at homes and decide while you're here on one trip.
Picture that weekend. The tour is set before you arrive, around what matters most to you. You walk each home, compare them while they're fresh, and we help you weigh them by commute and daily life. Our systems and our focus on your priorities are what make that possible. Not every move will fit one trip, and we don't promise yours will.
A weekend road won't show you a weekday morning, so test the commute before you come, in a map app with the departure time set to the hour you'd leave, from each address to where you will work. If your tour runs several days, make that drive yourself on a weekday. Should it turn out nothing like the map said, you've learned it on a tour, while you can still choose differently.
Choosing where: knowing a place from far away
Metro Atlanta crosses county and city lines, so taxes and services can differ from one address to the next. Choosing from far away works best when you decide which facts matter most and look each one up at its source.
- Schools. Check the address with the school district directly and research the schools yourself.
- Taxes and services. Read the county and city websites for the addresses on your list.
Start with the areas we work in, then read about East Cobb or Intown Atlanta if either is on your list.
Tours from a distance: what a listing's photos leave out
Some homes come up when you can't get on a plane. A live video tour lets you walk the rooms with our team in real time and ask for what a listing's photos leave out: the view from the kitchen window, the sound from the road, the condition of the floors, the ceilings, the closets, the garage and the yard. The buyer agreement comes first here too, on video or in person.
If you buy a home you have seen only on video, your due diligence period is your time to inspect it and decide. Save each trip you can make for what needs you in the room, like walking the two or three homes you are seriously considering.
Under contract: when you can't be in the room
When a contract is signed electronically, you can review and sign it from wherever you are. What changes is the timing around it. Since you can't stop by, you'll rely on what every buyer of ours gets: a checklist with our recommendations, vendors and the timing for each, process videos, and closing coordinators who send reminders and updates every week. The rest of the buying process is written out on how we guide buyers.
- Due diligence. It's negotiable, and commonly runs around 5 to 7 days. Ask for a period long enough for inspections you can't attend. Line up an inspector who can come within a few days and walk you through the findings on a video call, with photos and video in the report. Book any specialist right away, and get an insurance quote from an agent licensed in Georgia before the period ends.
- A return trip. If you can make one during due diligence, make it after the inspection report arrives, so you can see each item before you decide what to ask for.
- Wires. Set up a trusted phone number before you make an offer. Confirm any wiring instructions by calling a number you saved yourself, never one from an email.
- Closing. Tell the closing attorney's office as soon as the contract is binding where you will be on closing day, and ask what it can arrange. A package that travels to a notary and back needs time.
After you arrive: three Georgia dates
- Your driver's license. The Georgia Department of Driver Services says to apply within 30 days of becoming a Georgia resident.
- Your car. The Georgia Department of Revenue says vehicles must be registered within 30 days of moving to Georgia, at the County Tag Office, and you need a valid Georgia license or ID first.
- January 1. A homestead exemption generally looks to whether you owned the home and lived in it as your legal residence on that date. You apply with your county's tax officials, and each county sets out its own steps.
If you have a home to sell where you live now
Our team can connect you with a referral partner there, so both sides of the move run on the same calendar. That partner sells your home, and we stay in step on the dates here. Read more about fitting a sale and a purchase together.
We've collectively sold 300+ homes since 2010. For anyone relocating to metro Atlanta, our team plans the tour around your dates, advises you through the inspection and anything that comes up while you're away, and stays a resource after closing, which counts for more when you're new here. The aim is something close to I finally feel like we have a plan. Tell us what you're looking for, and our team will take it from there, by phone or video.
This page describes our general process. It is not legal, tax or lending advice.
Buyer questions
Answers, simplified.
Can I see homes and decide on one trip?
Many times, yes. An entire tour can be scheduled for a weekend, sometimes over several days, so you can look and decide while you're here. Not every move fits one trip, and we don't promise yours will.
Can I buy a home in Georgia without seeing it in person?
When the contract is signed electronically, you can sign from wherever you are, and live video tours can show you a home room by room. Use your due diligence period to have it inspected and, if you can, to visit before the period ends.
Do I have to be at the closing in Georgia?
It depends on the closing attorney's office, your lender and your situation. Ask the attorney's office early what it can arrange for a buyer who won't be at the table.
Can my current lender handle the loan?
Ask whether they can lend on a home in Georgia before you rely on their letter. If they can't, one option is for us to connect you with lenders our clients have had success with here.
Can you help sell my home in another state?
We can connect you with a referral partner where you live now. That partner sells the home, and the two sides plan around the same dates.
Keep exploring
You don't have to decide before we talk.