After a brief cooling in late-2022, Sandy Springs snapped back with a vengeance: Q1-2024 saw homes sell in 17 days, 2.5 days faster than metro Atlanta. Single-family inventory under $700 k is down 28 % year-over-year, so multiple offers are the norm in sought-after school districts like Heards Ferry and Ison. Cash buyers still scoop 24 % of closings, but NMHL’s 14-day guaranteed closing levels the field for financed buyers.

Price points to watch:

• Condos/Townhomes: $350 k–$450 k around City Springs and Pill Hill medical district
• Entry single-family: $500 k–$600 k in North Springs, 30350
• Move-up estates: $850 k–$1.1 M in Huntcliff and Riverside

If you’re relocating from the West Coast, your buying power jumps 30–35 %; a $1 M budget here buys a 4,200-sq-ft brick colonial on a wooded half-acre, minutes to MARTA’s red line.

Property taxes in Sandy Springs are governed by Fulton County, the City of Sandy Springs, and Fulton County Schools. The 2024 combined millage rate is 29.5 mills, translating to about 1.11 % of fair-market value. On a $635 k median home, expect roughly $7 k annually, but exemptions can trim that bill:

• Standard homestead: $30 k off assessed value saves ~$350/year
• Senior 65+ assessment freeze: locks valuation at purchase price
• Floating exemption: keeps increases capped at 3 % per year

Investors pay the full freight—no exemptions—so factor that into cash-flow calculations on the rental townhomes near City Springs. Appeals must be filed with the Fulton Board of Assessors by mid-May; NMHL keeps a list of local appraisers who can compile a 10-page rebuttal for around $400.

School attendance zones are the quiet engine of Sandy Springs prices. Homes zoned for Heards Ferry Elementary and Riverwood International Charter (IB) command a 12–15 % premium over counterparts feeding into Ridgeview Charter. New families flock to the triangular pocket between Roswell Road, Hammersmith Rd, and the river where walkability to the river trail meets top-tier API scores.

Fast facts:

• Heards Ferry ES: 10/10 GreatSchools, $650 k median home
• Riverwood High: IB diploma, 96 % graduation rate
• North Springs HS: arts magnet, slightly lower home premium

Even buyers without kids should care: an extra 10 % value hold over a 10-year ownership cycle equals $65 k on today’s median, easily offsetting mortgage insurance or higher rates.

Georgia Dream backs three down-payment products that pair perfectly with NMHL’s loan menu. All can be used inside Sandy Springs city limits:

Georgia Dream Standard

• $15 k forgivable second mortgage at 0 % for 15 years
• FHA 3.5 % or Conventional 3 % down allowed
• Household income limit: $92,500 for 1–2 persons in Fulton
• Min 640 score, but NMHL can go to 580 with manual underwrite

Georgia Dream PEN & CHOICE

• $15 k–$20 k for protectors, educators, nurses, military
• Same income limits, but higher purchase price cap ($400 k)

NMHL First-Home ExpressOur overlay adds a free $750 appraisal credit and a 0.125 % rate beat versus any other lender’s loan estimate on the same FHA or VA product within 10 days. Most clients in the Pill Hill condos use the $15 k Dream funds plus seller-paid closing costs and walk to their shift at Northside or Emory Saint Joseph’s.

Big banks often shut the door on credit dings or write-off-heavy tax returns; NMHL builds programs around real life. In Sandy Springs, 34 % of applicants are business owners or 1099 consultants. Our flagship tools include:

• Fresh-Start Non-Prime: 500–619 scores, 10 % down, bank-statement or full-doc, no PMI
• 12-Month Bank Statement: use 100 % of deposits, loans to $1.5 M on estates in Huntcliff
• VA IRRRL Express: drop your rate with no appraisal, no income docs, close in 10 days
• Credit-X Rescore: rapid 30–50 point improvement in 5–7 days by reporting utility and rent tradelines

Last quarter, a Roswell Road chiropractor came to us with a 589 mid-score and $180 k in write-offs. We used 24-month bank statements, grossed up deposits by 6 % for business expenses, approved him for $825 k with 15 % down on a brand-new build on Hightower Trail, and closed in 26 days.

Because Fulton County is considered a high-cost area, 2024 loan limits jump:

• FHA: $523,000 (duplex $669 k, triplex $809 k, four-plex $1 M)
• VA zero-down: $766,550; above that, 25 % down on the difference
• Conforming: $766,550; our NMHL Jumbo Plus picks up to $1.5 M with 10 % down

VA buyers love Sandy Springs’ walkability to the VA clinic on Clairmont and quick access to the Atlanta VA hospital in Decatur. Using NMHL’s VA Builder-Buy program, veterans can purchase a new construction townhome in City Green and finance up to $50 k in energy upgrades—solar, EV charger, smart thermostat—rolled into the same 30-year note with no additional lien.

FHA 203(k) renovation loans are another sleeper hit: grab a $480 k fixer in the Spalding corridor, finance $75 k in renovations, and still stay under the FHA cap. Our in-house draw team inspects and releases funds within 48 hours, so contractors stay motivated.