Buying a home in Georgia

Georgia's effective property-tax rate is about 0.767%of a home's value per year, about the same as the U.S. average of 0.888%. On a $500,000 home that's roughly $3,835 a year.

Full Georgia property-tax guide →

Georgia involves an attorney at closing, and Georgia levies a real-estate transfer/deed tax of about 0.1% — customarily seller-paid. $1/$1,000, uniform; statutory seller (often shifted to buyer by contract). O.C.G.A. §48-6-1. On a $400,000 home, estimated closing costs run about $8,361–$12,461 on top of your down payment.

Full Georgia closing-costs guide →

Georgia runs a housing finance agency with first-time-buyer help: down-payment assistance, below-market first mortgages, and mortgage tax credits.

See first-time buyer programs in Georgia →

What you can afford depends on your income, debts, and down payment, not just the home price. Georgia's property taxes above feed straight into the monthly payment lenders measure against your income.

Enter your numbers once and see your real affordability range, debt-to-income, and rent-vs-buy break-even for Georgia:

Home Buying Steps walks you through the whole process, from checking if you're ready to getting pre-approved to closing day, one clear step at a time, tailored to Georgia where the rules differ.

• 1. Are you ready? — budget, credit, rent vs. buy
• 2. Get your finances in order — pre-approval
• 5. Making an offer — earnest money & contingencies
• 10. Closing day — every cost, line by line