Buying a Home in Alpharetta
Buying in Alpharetta follows Georgia's statewide closing process -- an attorney-conducted closing required by state law -- with the main Alpharetta-specific step being an understanding of how the city's own 5.750-mill rate stacks on top of Fulton County's and Fulton County Schools' own rates, plus real due diligence on the wide price range across the city's varied neighborhood types.
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Learn moreGeorgia requires an attorney-conducted closing
Georgia is one of a handful of states where state law treats a real estate closing as the practice of law -- only an attorney licensed by the State Bar of Georgia may conduct one, per Georgia real estate closing law. Buyers should budget attorney fees as part of standard Georgia closing costs.
Transfer tax and intangible recording tax: who pays what
Georgia's real estate transfer tax is $1 for the first $1,000 of the purchase price plus $0.10 for each additional $100, customarily paid by the seller. Buyers financing their purchase instead pay Georgia's intangible recording tax on the mortgage amount -- $1.50 per $500 (0.30%) of the loan, capped at $25,000 on any single note; cash buyers avoid this tax entirely. Given Alpharetta's higher median price relative to the other Atlanta satellites in this dataset, this intangible tax will typically represent a larger absolute dollar amount here than in a lower-priced market, up to the $25,000 cap.
The City of Alpharetta's own millage rate, on top of Fulton County and school rates
The City of Alpharetta's 2026 (fiscal year 2027) millage rate is 5.750 mills total -- 5.000 mills for general government operations and recurring capital, plus 0.750 mills for debt service, per the city's own 2026 Property Tax Guide. This is only one layer of a buyer's total bill; Fulton County's own rate and the applicable Fulton County Schools rate also apply, and this pass did not independently verify a single current combined figure -- see taxes for the fuller, disclosed picture.
Georgia's homestead exemption and a wide neighborhood-level price range to research directly
Buyers of a primary residence should file for Georgia's standard homestead exemption after closing. Given the real spread between Alpharetta's varied neighborhood types -- from Avalon's walkable mixed-use development to Windward's established lakefront luxury homes to more moderately priced areas elsewhere in the city -- confirm current, address-specific comparable sales rather than relying on the citywide median alone (see housing-market and best-areas).
Key takeaways
- Georgia law requires a licensed attorney -- not just a title company -- to conduct every real estate closing; budget attorney fees as part of standard Georgia closing costs.
- Georgia's transfer tax ($1 per $1,000 of price plus $0.10 per additional $100) is customarily seller-paid; the buyer instead pays the intangible recording tax on any mortgage (0.30% of the loan, capped at $25,000) -- larger in absolute dollar terms here given Alpharetta's higher median price, up to that cap.
- The City of Alpharetta's 2026 municipal millage rate is 5.750 mills (5.000 general/capital + 0.750 debt) -- one layer of a total bill that also includes Fulton County's and Fulton County Schools' own rates, not independently verified to a single combined figure this pass.
- File for Georgia's standard homestead exemption after closing, and confirm current, address-specific comparable sales given the real price spread across Alpharetta's varied neighborhood types.
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