Investor · Atlanta · Member since 2019 · 580 posts · 96 votes
Hi,
I was looking at one SFH property around 220k which is about 1600 square feet sitting in .2 Acre lot built in year 2001. Overall it is in good shape and fenced clear back yard. I see nearest one high way to go to down town is 10 miles away. Also another interstate highway that goes around the city is 9.9 miles. Is around 10 miles from interstate is okay to rent or tenant prefer like less than 3 miles to go to interstate quickly to go to work around Downtown area. I also this property is on market for more than 4 months also on short sale with price drop. I wonder why it is sitting in market for 4 months if most of parameters looks okay to my eyes. How to find reasonable square feet price of this area or zip code ? Is there any free online website? I see nearest walmart, kroger, publix around 9 miles. Is that is fine. Please advise
Distance from the interstate isn’t automatically a deal-killer, especially in suburban or semi-rural markets. What matters more is commute patterns, local demand, and whether renters in that zip code prioritize highway access or not.
A few things to check:
• DOM: If it’s been sitting for 4+ months, that’s your biggest signal. Either it’s overpriced for the neighborhood, or the rental demand in that pocket isn’t as strong as the comps suggest.
• Renters vs. Owners: Some areas pull renters who don’t care about interstate access as long as they’re close to grocery stores, schools, and daily necessities. Being 9–10 miles from Walmart/Kroger/Pubix is normal in a lot of Atlanta outskirts.
• Price per sq ft: Look at sold comps within 0.5–1 mile, same build era (2000–2005), same bed/bath count. That’ll tell you quickly whether $220K aligns.
• Days on Market Seasonality: If everything else around it is moving faster, the issue is usually price, layout, or micro-location within that subdivision.
The interstate distance alone wouldn’t scare me off. I’d put more weight on real comps and rental demand.
If you want, shoot me back the zip code or general area and I can help you check the numbers.