Driving Until You Qualify

This week’s musical inspiration comes from Willie Nelson’s iconic 1980 country hit On the Road Again. The song captures the feeling of constant travel—an increasingly relevant theme for many aspiring homeowners who find themselves venturing farther from their roots in search of affordable housing across the Metro Atlanta area.

Home prices in Metro Atlanta have not declined significantly, and with mortgage rates still hovering around 7%, the monthly payment impact has been minimal. For first-time buyers targeting homes under $500,000, the search has now extended well beyond the perimeter. Areas that once offered affordability just outside the I-285 loop—like Tucker, Decatur, or Smyrna—are now seeing prices push toward or exceed $700,000, often requiring monthly payments in the $5,000 range.

As a result, the dream of homeownership is taking many prospective buyers to more distant communities like Douglasville, Cartersville, Dawsonville, Murrayville, Jasper, Tyrone, McDonough, Monroe, and Covington. These locations—once considered remote—are quickly becoming the new frontier for those who are, quite literally, “driving until they qualify.”

It’s worth noting how dramatically the landscape has changed. Not long ago, cities like Roswell, Alpharetta, Cumming, Canton, and Marietta were considered the outskirts. Today, average home prices in many of those areas exceed $800,000.

This growing affordability gap is not just a housing issue—it’s a community issue. The lack of attainable, entry-level homes in the Metro Atlanta core is pushing young professionals, new families, and essential workers farther from where they grew up, work, and want to build their lives. If we don’t address this, we risk losing a generation of talented, motivated young adults to other metropolitan areas that are doing a better job of providing sustainable, affordable housing.

Our future depends on creating communities where the next generation can truly live, work, play—and most importantly—stay.