Buckhead buyers ask local questions. They want to know whether the parcel is really in the City of Atlanta, what the condo budget shows and which trees can come down. A seller who has the answers ready gives a buyer fewer reasons to slow down during due diligence. This page lists what to gather, and why buyers ask for it.
Records to gather before you list
- The Fulton County parcel record and your most recent tax bill. Buyers use them to confirm the city and to estimate their own tax.
- A year of power, gas, water and sewer bills.
- Your deed and any survey or plat you have.
- For a condo: the declaration and amendments, bylaws, rules, the current budget, recent minutes and any special assessment notices.
- For a house in an HOA: the covenants, rules, budget and the association’s contact.
- Permits and receipts for additions, roofs and major systems.
- Any tree permits or Arborist Division letters for the lot.
The Fulton County Board of Assessors' 'Property Search' quick link goes to its qPublic (Schneider) parcel search, where a parcel's owner, values and tax district can be checked. (Fulton County qPublic, checked 2026-10-19)
Pull your own parcel record before you list so you see what a buyer will see. If your address reads “Atlanta” in a ZIP that also serves Sandy Springs or Brookhaven, the tax district on that record answers the first question a careful buyer will ask. See is it in Buckhead.
Condo sellers
What Georgia’s condo statute says
- O.C.G.A. § 44-3-111 (the condo document-delivery rule) applies only to the FIRST bona fide sale of each residential condominium unit for residential occupancy, whoever the seller is. O.C.G.A. (Justia), checked 2026-10-19
- For a covered (first) sale, the contract is voidable by the buyer until at least seven days after the seller delivers the listed documents (floor plan, declaration and amendments, articles and bylaws, any ground lease, long management contracts, budget, and facility leases), and the contract must carry a bold legend saying so. O.C.G.A. (Justia), checked 2026-10-19
That rule covers the first sale of a unit, not a resale. Even so, a resale buyer will want the same documents, and having them ready shortens their review. Ask your association early for the papers and any statement it provides at a sale, since it may take time to produce them. If buyers may use FHA financing, they will check the building on the HUD lookup.
HUD's Condominiums search lets anyone look up FHA-approved condominium projects by location, name or status. (HUD, checked 2026-10-19)
Taxes and homestead at closing
Taxes when a home sells
- Georgia property taxes are charged against the owner of the property on January 1 (O.C.G.A. 48-5-9). DOR notes that for most counties taxes are due by December 20, but this varies by county. Georgia Dept. of Revenue, checked 2026-10-19
- In Fulton, a granted homestead exemption renews automatically while the owner keeps living in the home under the same ownership. If the deed changes, the exemption is removed and the owner must re-file. Fulton County Board of Assessors, checked 2026-10-19
Ask your closing attorney how this year’s tax will be split at closing. Buyers will look at your bill, but your homestead exemption and Base Freeze do not pass to them, so expect questions about what their bill will be. File for homestead at your next home. See property taxes and homestead.
Tree permits and buyers who plan work
Under Atlanta's tree ordinance, no one may remove, destroy or 'impact' a regulated tree on private property without a permit from the City Arborist. On private property, a regulated tree is any non-pine tree 6 inches or more in diameter at breast height (DBH), or any pine 12 inches or more. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
The City of Atlanta Arborist Division (Department of City Planning) protects the tree canopy on private property. Tree removal is permitted either under a building permit or through an application to remove a dead, dying, diseased or hazardous tree, and properties are posted before removal under building permits so the public can appeal. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
Buyers who plan to rebuild or add on will price the trees. If you removed trees under a permit, have the permit ready. If a big tree stands where a buyer might build, do not promise it can come down; point them to tree permits and NPUs and the City Arborist.
Rentals
A City of Atlanta short-term rental license may be obtained by an owner or long-term tenant for their primary residence and one additional dwelling unit. Hosts must apply for a license and post the license number (STRL) on all advertisements. (City of Atlanta, checked 2026-10-19)
If you have rented the home short term, tell buyers which license you held and point them to the City’s rules. Do not describe the home as rental-ready; the buyer’s own situation decides what they can do.
Listing with an agent or taking a cash offer
Most sellers weigh the two. We print no figures for either, because the numbers depend on your home and the offers you get. These are the questions that separate them.
| Question | Listing on the MLS with an agent | A cash offer from a buyer who buys houses |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees the home | Buyers and agents who search the MLS and the sites it feeds | The one buyer making the offer |
| How the price is set | By the offers that come in after the home is marketed | By that buyer, from their own estimate |
| Repairs | Negotiated with the buyer after inspections | Ask which repairs the offer assumes |
| Timing | Set by showings, offers and the buyer’s financing | Set by the buyer; get the closing date in writing |
| What to ask | What the agent charges, what it covers and how the home will be marketed | The net figure in writing, every fee and who pays closing costs |
Run both on the same terms. Write down the net you would receive from each, after every fee you will pay, and the date you would close. Then compare the two numbers and decide which matters more to you.
How Gold Peach Realty sells a home
Gold Peach Realty publishes this guide, and its MLS listings appear on our homes-for-sale pages. You can read how it works with sellers on the Gold Peach Realty experience page. Tell us about your home below and an agent will reply.
For Buckhead owners
Want your home featured here? List with Gold Peach Realty.
Homes listed with Gold Peach Realty are featured in the listings on this guide and on the brokerage’s other Georgia community sites, next to the buyer questions people are already searching.
Questions buyers ask
Does the seller’s homestead exemption carry over to me?
No. In Fulton, a homestead renews automatically only while the same owner lives there. When the deed changes, the exemption is removed and the new owner must file.
Source: Fulton County Board of Assessors
Who pays the property tax in the year I buy?
Georgia charges property taxes against the owner on January 1. Your closing documents decide who actually pays for the year, so check them with your closing attorney.
Source: Georgia Dept. of Revenue
What should I gather before selling a Buckhead home?
Buyers will ask for the parcel record, utility bills and, for a condo, the association’s declaration, bylaws, rules and budget. Your homestead comes off when the deed changes, so tell your buyer to file their own.
Source: Fulton County Board of Assessors
Next step
Send your address through the form above, or contact Gold Peach Realty to talk about timing and price.
Rules, rates and maps change. Every rule on this page links to the office that sets it; confirm with that office before you rely on it.