Marietta mortgages and home loans, from the Square to Dobbins

When are Marietta city taxes due?

October 31. The City of Marietta's Tax Division sends city tax bills and collects payments itself. The city lists property taxes as due October 31. Cobb County's assessors mail yearly assessment notices, but those are estimates, not the city bill.

Inside city limits, the city offers a regular homestead exemption (a tax break on the home you live in). You can apply online or mail or courier a paper form. The city says you must live in the home by January 1. It also notes that, under recent state law, you may apply through the end of the 45-day assessment appeal window. Confirm the current deadline with the city's Tax Division when you file.

For your loan, escrow needs to cover both the Cobb County bill and the City of Marietta bill. A Marietta mailing address doesn't always mean a home is inside city limits, so I check each property.

Buying an older or historic home in Marietta?

Check the district rules before you plan work. Marietta has a Historic Preservation Commission. Kennesaw Avenue is the city's first locally designated historic district. Homes there need a Certificate of Appropriateness (the Commission's written approval) before certain projects start. The city also lists several National Register historic districts, including Church-Cherokee Street, Northwest Marietta Street, Washington Avenue and Whitlock Avenue.

Planning updates? A renovation loan like Fannie Mae HomeStyle or FHA 203(k) can pay for the work along with the purchase. If the home is in a locally designated district, build the Commission's review into your timeline. Inspect carefully. Roofs, wiring, plumbing and heating in older homes can affect your budget and the appraisal.

Can Dobbins Guard and Reserve members get a VA loan?

Many can. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is in Marietta, about 16 miles northwest of Atlanta. It hosts the 94th Airlift Wing. Tenants include 22nd Air Force headquarters, Georgia National Guard headquarters and a Navy Operational Support Center.

Many Guard and Reserve members don't know they may have earned a VA home loan. Per VA, Reserve members can qualify with at least 90 days of non-training active-duty service, or 6 creditable years in the Selected Reserve (and still serving, or honorably discharged or retired). Guard members have similar paths, including qualifying Title 10 or Title 32 active service. I can help you request your Certificate of Eligibility (the VA document that proves you qualify) and compare a VA loan with other options.

What this means for your mortgage

1. Confirm city or unincorporated Cobb so your taxes and escrow are right.
2. Serve or served at Dobbins? Let's check VA eligibility first.
3. Older home? Ask about renovation loans before you make the offer.
4. Run the numbers with the affordability calculator, or the DSCR calculator if it's a rental.

Common fits include FHA, conventional and DSCR loans. Statewide basics are on my North Georgia and Metro Atlanta guide.

Marietta mortgage questions

Programs that come up here

• VA Loans
• FHA Loans
• Conventional Loans
• DSCR Loans

Nearby communities

• RoswellRoswell's Historic District has its own design review, and the city takes its own homestead applications through June 1.
• WoodstockWoodstock city taxes are paid to the city, and homes near Allatoona Lake come with Army Corps shoreline rules.
• CantonCanton is Cherokee's county seat, where you file homestead with the Tax Assessors. Land and new builds need careful loan planning.
• North AtlantaFour cities, two counties: Fulton and DeKalb handle homestead differently, and condos here need a building review as well as a buyer review.