The city of Alpharetta ranked in at No. 9 on the top 25 of "The South's Best Cities On The Rise 2024" list.

 ALPHARETTA, Ga. — With a booming population and a vibrant downtown district that has been revamped over the past decade, it's no surprise that Alpharetta made the cut as one of the top rising cities, according to Southern Living.

The magazine compiled a list of 25 cities after conducting an online survey among over 20,000 Southern Living customers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South from July to August 2023.

The city of Alpharetta ranked in at No. 9 on the top 25 of "The South's Best Cities On The Rise 2024" list.

Southern Living wrote that Alpharetta "has become a walkable, family-friendly hub filled with restaurants and shops surrounding a central greenspace." With numerous restaurants, breweries and even a rooftop bar in the downtown area, the entire city also has roughly 750 acres of green spaces to take in and enjoy.

Alpharetta also features Avalon, a sprawling mixed-use area with high-end restaurants, shops, apartments, and a movie theater, which comprises 500,000 square feet of retail space. Avalon is just about a five-minute drive from Downtown Alpharetta.

In a 2022 study, Alpharetta came in as the 13th-largest city in Georgia -- totaling over 65,000 people and still growing.

RELATED: Atlanta is the largest city in Georgia. But after it, which cities are the most populated?

Credit: Awesome Alpharetta

Downtown Alpharetta

Whether you stay at Hotel Avalon or the recently built Hamilton, a 119-room hotel located in the heart of downtown, you are just a short walk or drive away from many different attractions.

The city of Alpharetta is also known for its beautiful greenery, which features trails along the Big Creek Greenway. There, you can take in the fresh air and also may run into deer, ducks and other wildlife.

Although it's just a short drive north of the hustle and bustle of Downtown Atlanta, about 26 miles away, Alpharetta has its own unique feel.

RELATED: Atlanta set to soar: 7.9 million population forecasted by 2050, projections show

"For years, Alpharetta has made regular appearances on lists of the fastest growing cities in the South, and it’s just getting started," Southern Living said.

Another Georgia city also cracked the top 25, with Gainesville, Georgia, coming in at No. 17. Gainesville was touted for it being a "resort destination," with Lake Lanier among one of its draws.

00:12 / 00:20Here's the full list below:

1. Wilmington, North Carolina
2. Franklin, Tennessee
3. Spartanburg, South Carolina
4. Huntsville, Alabama
5. Columbia, South Carolina
6. New Braunfels, Texas
7. Bowling Green, Kentucky
8. Cary, North Carolina
9. Alpharetta, Georgia
10. Bentonville, Arkansas
11. Covington, Louisiana
12. Gulfport, Mississippi
13. Palm Bay, Florida
14. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
15. Georgetown, Texas
16. Frederick, Maryland
17. Gainesville, Georgia
18. Clarksville, Tennessee
19. Hattiesburg, Mississippi
20. Morgantown, West Virginia
21. North Port, Florida
22. Lake Charles, Louisiana
23. Reston, Virginia
24. Edmond, Oklahoma
25. Dover, Delaware

 

Foreclosures and Bankruptcies Won’t Crash the Housing Market If you've been following the news recently, you might have seen articles about an increase in foreclosures and bankruptcies.

 

Foreclosures and Bankruptcies Won’t Crash the Housing Market

If you've been following the news recently, you might have seen articles about an increase in foreclosures and bankruptcies. That could be making you feel uneasy, especially if you're thinking about buying or selling a house.

But the truth is, even though the numbers are going up, the data shows the housing market isn’t headed for a crisis.

Foreclosure Activity Rising, but Less Than Headlines Suggest

In recent years, the number of foreclosures has been very low. That’s because, in 2020 and 2021, the forbearance program and other relief options were put in place to help many homeowners stay in their homes during that tough time.

When the moratorium ended, there was an expected rise in foreclosures. But just because they’re up, that doesn't mean the housing market is in trouble.

To help you see how much things have changed since the housing crash in 2008, check out the graph below using research from ATTOM, a property data provider. It looks at properties with a foreclosure filing going all the way back to 2005 to show that there have been fewer foreclosures since the crash.

As you can see, foreclosure filings are inching back up to pre-pandemic numbers, but they're still way lower than when the housing market crashed in 2008. And today, the tremendous amount of equity American homeowners have in their homes can help people sell and avoid foreclosure.

The Increase in Bankruptcies Isn’t Dramatic Either

As you can see below, the financial trouble many industries and small businesses felt during the pandemic didn’t cause a dramatic increase in bankruptcies. Still, the number of bankruptcies has gone up slightly since last year, nearly returning to 2021 levels. But that isn’t cause for alarm.

The numbers for 2021 and 2022 were lower than more typical years. That’s in part because the government provided trillions of dollars in aid to individuals and businesses during the pandemic. So, let’s instead focus on the bar for this year and compare it to the bar on the far left (2019). It shows the number of bankruptcies today is still nowhere near where it was before the pandemic. Both of these two factors are reasons why the housing market isn't in danger of crashing.

Bottom Line

Right now, it's crucial to understand the data. Foreclosures and bankruptcies are rising, but these leading indicators aren’t signaling trouble that would cause another crash.

Don’t Believe Everything You Read About Home Prices

According to the latest data from Fannie Mae, 23% of Americans still think home prices will go down over the next twelve months. But why do roughly 1 in 4 people feel that way?

It has a lot to do with all the negative talk about home prices over the past year. Since late 2022, the media has created a lot of fear about a price crash and those concerns are still lingering. You may be hearing people in your own life saying they’re worried about home prices or see on social media that some influencers are saying prices are going to come tumbling down.

If you’re someone who still thinks prices are going to fall, ask yourself this: Which is a more reliable place to get your information – clickbait headlines and social media or a trusted expert on the housing market?

The answer is simple. Listen to the professionals who specialize in residential real estate.

Here’s the latest data you can actually trust. Housing market experts acknowledge that nationally, prices did dip down slightly late last year, but that was short-lived. Data shows prices have already rebounded this year after that slight decline in 2022 (see graph below):

But it’s not just Fannie Mae that’s reporting this bounce back. Experts from across the industry are showing it in their data too. And that’s why so many forecasts now project home prices will net positive this year – not negative. The graph below helps prove this point with the latest forecasts from each organization:

 

What’s worth noting is that, just a few short weeks ago, the Fannie Mae forecast was for 3.9% appreciation in 2023. In the forecast that just came out, that projection was updated from 3.9% to 6.7% for the year. This increase goes to show just how confident experts are that home prices will net positive this year.

So, if you believe home prices are falling, it may be time to get your insights from the experts instead – and they’re saying prices aren’t falling, they’re climbing.

Bottom Line

There’s been a lot of misleading information about home prices over the past year. And that’s still having an impact on how people are feeling about the housing market today. But it’s best not to believe everything you hear or read.

 

If you want information you can trust, turn to the real estate experts. Their data shows home prices are on the way back up and will net positive for the year. If you have questions about what’s happening in our local area, let’s connect.