Buying a Home in Marietta
Buying in Marietta follows Georgia's statewide closing process -- notably, one where a licensed attorney, not just a title company, must oversee every closing by state law. Beyond that state-level structure, the main Marietta-specific step is confirming which school district and which combination of city/county/school millage rates apply to a given address before writing an offer.
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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. This is a structural difference from states that allow title-company-only closings, and 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. The closing attorney calculates both and includes them on the settlement sheet.
Confirm city limits, school district, and applicable millage before offering
Because a "Marietta" mailing address can sit either inside the actual city limits (Marietta City Schools, plus the city's own 4.692-mill municipal rate) or in unincorporated Cobb County outside them (Cobb County Schools, no city millage), confirming a specific parcel's incorporation status and school-district assignment is a real, necessary pre-offer step here -- not a generic disclaimer. See taxes and schools for the fuller breakdown.
Georgia's homestead exemption and property-tax appeal process
Buyers of a primary residence should file for Georgia's standard homestead exemption after closing, and Cobb County (like other Georgia counties) allows property owners to appeal their annual assessed valuation if it appears to run ahead of market value -- a standard, real option relevant given Cobb's rising property values driving increased tax revenue even at a flat millage rate (see taxes).
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 paid by the seller; the buyer instead pays the intangible recording tax on any mortgage (0.30% of the loan, capped at $25,000) -- cash buyers avoid the intangible tax entirely.
- Confirm whether a specific address sits inside Marietta's actual city limits (Marietta City Schools plus the city's 4.692-mill rate) or in unincorporated Cobb County outside them (Cobb County Schools, no city millage) before writing an offer.
- File for Georgia's standard homestead exemption promptly after closing, and know that Cobb County allows annual assessment appeals -- relevant given rising property values in the county even at a flat city millage rate.
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