Guides
Atlanta home buying
and mortgage guides
I'm Zion Chen, a licensed Atlanta REALTOR and a mortgage loan officer licensed in Georgia and California. These are all my guides: the buying process, city comparisons, property tax, school zones and how each type of loan works, with a source for every number.
- 17
- in-depth guides
- 151
- cited sources
- 88
- FAQs answered
- Nov 12
- last updated
01 · 6 guides
Buying a home
The process, new construction, investment property, moving from out of state and choosing an agent.
Atlanta home buying guide · 2026New
Buying a home in Atlanta, start to finish
A plain-language guide to buying a home in metro Atlanta: current prices and inventory, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Duluth, Suwanee and other cities and school districts, the Georgia buying process, costs, property tax and mortgage pre-approval.
5 min read4 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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Choosing an Atlanta agent · Buyer guide
How to choose an Atlanta real estate agent
Before you hire an Atlanta real estate agent: how to check a Georgia license, the written buyer agreement required since August 2024, negotiable compensation, eight questions to ask, and what a bilingual agent can do for you.
4 min read3 sourcesUpdated Oct 23
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Atlanta school districts
How to check which schools an Atlanta-area home is zoned for
How to check which schools a metro Atlanta home is zoned for: schools go by address, not city or ZIP. What Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Cobb and Atlanta Public Schools cover, the official lookup tools, how boundaries change, and the district for each city.
5 min read10 sourcesUpdated Oct 25
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Atlanta new construction · Buyer guide
Buying a new construction home in Atlanta
Before you buy a new home in Atlanta: why builders are cutting prices in 2026, how to compare a price cut with a rate buydown, why your agent should register you on the first visit, builder contracts and independent inspections, and why a new home's tax bill can jump in year two.
8 min read8 sourcesUpdated Nov 11
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Atlanta investment property · Out-of-state investor guideNew
Buying an Atlanta investment property from California
What to know before buying an Atlanta rental, especially from California: price comparison, how to check rents, the cost checklist, DSCR loans, owning personally or in an LLC, Georgia deposit rules, filing in two states, FTB 3840 for 1031 exchanges, and the 3% withholding when you sell.
6 min read8 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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California to Atlanta · Comparison and checklistNew
Moving from California to Atlanta: prices, property tax, income tax and cost of living
Before moving from California to Atlanta: September median prices ($899,720 vs. $399,900), Prop 13 vs. Georgia property tax, 4.99% vs. up to 13.3% income tax, BEA cost-of-living indexes, the home-sale exclusion and 3 1/3% California withholding, buying vs. selling first, and the 30-day license and car registration rules.
7 min read19 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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02 · 3 guides
Selling a home
The selling process, seller costs and attorney closings, selling and buying at the same time, plus the home-sale exclusion, capital gains, state withholding and FIRPTA.
Selling a home · Taxes and withholding, 2026
Taxes when you sell a home in Atlanta: the exclusion, capital gains and withholding (2026)
A 2026 guide to taxes when you sell a home in Atlanta: the $250,000/$500,000 exclusion and its 2-of-5-year tests, partial exclusions, the 3-year window after renting it out, 25% depreciation recapture, 2026 capital gains brackets, 1031 exchange deadlines, Georgia 4.99% tax and 3% nonresident withholding, FIRPTA 15%, inherited vs. gifted basis, two worked examples and a checklist.
10 min read14 sourcesUpdated Nov 7
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Selling a home · Atlanta, 2026
Selling a home in Atlanta: 10 steps from pricing to the attorney closing (2026)
A 2026 guide to selling a home in Atlanta: value and net proceeds, choosing an agent and commission after the 2024 NAR settlement, disclosures and the pre-1978 lead rule, pricing, showings, comparing offers, Georgia due diligence, appraisal, attorney closings and tax proration, with a net-proceeds example.
8 min read10 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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Selling and buying · Atlanta, 2026
Selling and buying at the same time in Atlanta: sell first or buy first? (2026)
How to sell and buy at the same time in Atlanta: sell first or buy first, home-sale contingencies and kick-outs, same-day closings and seller rent-backs (GAR F219), qualifying with two homes (Fannie Mae B3-6-06), the September 2026 no-lease rule for departing residences, plus taxes, homestead and a sample timeline.
8 min read9 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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03 · 2 guides
City comparisons: where to buy
Property tax, school districts and roads by city, compared with public data.
Where to buy in north Atlanta · City comparison
Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Suwanee or Duluth?
Which north Atlanta city should you buy in? Johns Creek and Alpharetta (Fulton County) vs. Suwanee and Duluth (Gwinnett County): 2026 millage rates and the tax on a $600,000 home, school districts, shared ZIP codes, where to check prices, and 5 questions to answer first.
7 min read7 sourcesUpdated Nov 11
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Where to buy in north Atlanta · City comparison, part 2
Milton, Roswell, Sugar Hill or Cumming?
Where to buy in north Atlanta, part 2: Milton and Roswell (Fulton), Sugar Hill (Gwinnett) and Cumming (Forsyth) side by side: 2026 millage rates and the tax on a $600,000 home, Roswell's 2026 increase, school districts and high schools, mailing-address traps, commutes and 5 questions to answer first.
8 min read12 sourcesUpdated Nov 11
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04 · 6 guides
Home loans
Georgia and California mortgages, first-time buyers, self-employed and visa holders.
California licensed loan officer · CA-DFPI2869394
California home loans: rates, limits and programs
California purchase and refinance loans from licensed loan officer Zion Chen (NMLS #2869394, OrangePath Financial): current rate sheet, 2026 county loan limits, jumbo, self-employed and non-QM, DSCR and foreign national loans, in English or Chinese.
3 min read6 sourcesUpdated Oct 30
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Georgia-licensed loan originator · NMLS #2869394
Atlanta mortgage loans: Georgia home loan rates, limits and closing costs
Mortgage loans and home loans in metro Atlanta from Zion Chen (NMLS #2869394, OrangePath Financial), a Georgia- and California-licensed loan officer who also speaks Chinese: purchase and refinance loans in Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Duluth and Suwanee, the current rate sheet, 2026 loan limits, Georgia closing costs, and self-employed, investor and foreign national loans.
5 min read8 sourcesUpdated Nov 12
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First-time buyer loans · Bilingual loan officer
Your first home loan, step by step
A Chinese-speaking loan officer explains a first-time buyer's mortgage in six steps: pre-approval vs. prequalification, the Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure, the documents you need, gift funds and money from overseas, what not to do before closing, and Georgia Dream and CalHFA assistance.
5 min read8 sourcesUpdated Oct 29
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Self-employed loans · Bilingual loan officer
Self-employed? How lenders count your income
How self-employed borrowers qualify for a mortgage: Fannie Mae's rules (two-year history, when one year of returns is enough, depreciation and home-office add-backs), how bank statement loans count income, business funds for the down payment, and a document checklist.
6 min read5 sourcesUpdated Nov 2
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Visa holder loans · Bilingual loan officer
H-1B and visa holder mortgages: no green card needed
Can visa holders get a mortgage? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow lawful non-permanent residents; FHA stopped in 2025. What to know about EAD and expiring visas, F-1 students, money from overseas, parents' gifts and FIRPTA when you sell.
9 min read9 sourcesUpdated Nov 5
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Foreign national loans · ITIN loans · Bilingual loan officer
Foreign national mortgages: buying a U.S. home from abroad or with an ITIN
How foreigners get a U.S. mortgage: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require U.S. residency, so buyers abroad and ITIN borrowers use foreign national and ITIN (Non-QM) loans. Moving funds from China, ITIN expiry, rental tax withholding and Form 1040-NR, and closing from overseas.
7 min read11 sourcesUpdated Nov 9
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