Spring 2024 data from First Multiple Listing Service shows the median sale price in Alpharetta at $685,000, up 5.8 % from last April. Homes in the coveted Avalon district are averaging 18 days on market, while inventory in Windward remains under two months. New construction dominates the northern end of the city—particularly along Deerfield Parkway and Old Alabama Road—with base prices starting at $550 k for 3-bed townhomes.

If you’re relocating from the West Coast, sticker shock cuts both ways: yes, $685 k is steep, but you’re still $200 k under comparable Palo Alto square footage. Cash offers represented 28 % of April closings, yet NMHL’s Pre-Underwritten Buyer Cert helped our clients win four of the last seven multiple-offer situations because sellers trust a local lender who already verified income and assets.

• Downtown Alpharetta – Walkable, craft breweries, weekly farmers market. Homes built 2015-2022 average $720 k for 3-bed Craftsman style. Great for young families who want Avalon dining two blocks away.
• Windward – Lake Windward golf community, top-rated schools, and a 300-slip marina. Expect $800 k-$1.2 M for 4-bed executive homes; HOA fees run $900-$1,100 but include lawn care and trash.
• Johns Creek (30022) – Technically Alpharetta mailing address, award-winning public schools, Asian grocery corridor on Old Alabama. Values jumped 9 % last year; $650 k buys a 1990s brick colonial on half-acre lots.
• Tech Ridge – Future home of Microsoft’s 90-acre campus. New 3-bed townhomes from $550 k. If you work hybrid, the 400 on-ramp at McGinnis Ferry gets you to Midtown in 35 minutes at 9 a.m.
• Kimball Bridge Corridor – Transitioning 1970s ranch pocket where builders flip teardowns into $900 k modern farmhouses. Good spot for renovation loans; NMHL’s FHA 203(k) closes in 30 days.

Three programs routinely cut borrowers’ cash-to-close by 80 %:

Georgia Dream – 30-year fixed at 0.5 % below market; $10 k for standard buyers, $15 k if you’re a protector (teacher, nurse, active-duty, EMT). Income cap $92 k for 1-2 person household; purchase price cap $350 k—tough in Alpharetta but doable for condos off Mansell Road or older townhomes on McGinnis Ferry.

Fulton County HOME – Forgivable second mortgage up to $25 k; zero interest, 20 % forgiveness per year. Household income must be under 80 % AMI—about $72 k for a family of three. Works with FHA, VA, or conventional at 3 % down.

NMHL Own-in-Fulton Grant – Our own fund gives 3 % of the loan amount, no resale or recapture period, on any single-family purchase in Fulton. Combine with conventional 3 % down and seller concessions; we’ve had clients bring $1,200 total to a $600 k closing.

Fulton County mails assessment notices each May; you have 45 days to appeal. The assessed value is 40 % of fair market, so a $700 k home shows $280 k on the tax digest. Multiply by the 2024 millage rate:

• County 28.9 mills → $280 k × 0.0289 = $8,092
• City of Alpharetta 5.04 mills → $280 k × 0.00504 = $1,411
• School 20.1 mills → $280 k × 0.0201 = $5,628

Total roughly $15,131 or 2.16 % of market value—among the highest in metro Atlanta. Offset tools: standard homestead exemption trims $30 k off assessed value, saving about $350 annually; homeowners 62+ can freeze the county portion; disabled veterans exempt up to $85 k assessed. NMHL escrows 1/12 of last year’s bill plus a 10 % cushion so you never scramble for the July and November installments.

Because Alpharetta’s median sits just under the conforming limit, most buyers qualify for conventional pricing, but niche programs still matter:

Bank-Statement Loans – Self-employed consultants along the North Point Parkway tech corridor often write off income. We qualify you on 12- or 24-month business bank statements, allow expense ratios up to 25 %, and go to 90 % LTV on loans to $1.5 MM.

VA Zero-Down to $766,550 – Alpharetta has a dense veteran population from Dobbins and Fort Moore. We finance the funding fee into the loan and waive it altogether for 10 %-plus disabled vets; sellers still pay up to 4 % in concessions.

FHA 203(k) Standard – Perfect for $450 k ranch homes in Kimball Bridge that need $150 k in renovations. One closing, draws within 5 days of request, and we let you finance up to 110 % of after-improved value.

Jumbo 5 % Down – Doctors at Northside Hospital Alpharetta can borrow up to $1.5 MM with only 5 % down, no PMI, and count new-contract income day one.

Inventory under $700 k moves fast in Alpharetta; most listing agents won’t even review an offer without a legitimate pre-underwrite letter. Upload your last 30 days of pay stubs, two months of bank statements, and 2022-2023 tax returns to nmhl.com/apply by noon, and an Alpharetta-based loan officer will call you the same afternoon. We’ll run your scenario through Fannie, Freddie, FHA, VA, and our proprietary NMHL Edge engine, then issue a credit-decisioned letter you can attach to tonight’s offer.

If you’re self-employed or credit-challenged, book a 15-minute discovery call before you tour homes. We’ll outline exactly what documentation raises your score 40 points, how much Georgia Dream grant you qualify for, and what neighborhoods still close under list price. Last month our average Alpharetta borrower saved $4,200 in closing costs by stacking seller concessions with NMHL lender credits—money you can keep for furniture or that stand-up paddleboard for Lake Windward.