Buford, GA real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Buford sits in two counties at once. The north part is in Hall County and the south part is in Gwinnett, which means two assessors, two tax commissioners and two very different sets of county exemptions. On top of that, Buford runs its own school system and its own power, gas, water and sewer.
Buford neighborhoods buyers ask about
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Buying a home in Buford: what to know
The rules that apply everywhere in Georgia are on the Georgia page. These are the Buford details that trip people up.
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Find out which county the lot is in before anything else. Gwinnett's regular homestead takes $10,000 off the county value, $8,000 off school and $7,000 off recreation, and adds a value offset exemption that holds the county assessed value steady. Hall's regular homestead takes $2,000, though since the 2025 tax year Hall has also capped assessment growth at 3% for county and school taxes. Same city, two different sets of rules.
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The city's homestead exemption is one of the biggest around. Buford's regular exemption is $250,000 off fair market value, which is $100,000 off the assessed value. Owners 65 and older get a complete exemption from City of Buford school tax on the home and up to one acre, which is not the same as all city tax. The regular exemption you apply for with Gwinnett or Hall and the city honours it. The senior one you have to apply for in person at Buford City Hall by April 1, once.
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Buford City Schools follows the city limits, not the ZIP code. The district requires a student to be a full-time occupant of a home inside the city limits, and a current City of Buford utility bill is accepted proof. Many 30518 and 30519 addresses are outside the line and go to the county system instead.
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On Lake Lanier you probably do not own down to the water. The Corps of Engineers owns most of the land around the lake outright, and a permit grants no real estate rights. The shoreline stays open to the public, so a fence to the water is not yours to build.
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The dock permit dies at closing. Federal rule says shoreline use permits are not transferable and go null and void when the permitted facility is sold. The new owner has to re-apply, and the Corps caps how many permits exist at one time.
Selling a home in Buford
Your frozen value does not go with the house.
Buford's value offset exemption freezes the assessed value to a base year, and the base resets after a sale. Gwinnett's works the same way on the county portion. Tell buyers your tax figure is not the one they will get.
Two bills, two due dates.
City of Buford bills go out in late October and are due in December. Your county bill comes separately from Gwinnett or Hall on its own calendar. Make sure both get prorated and paid.
If there is a dock, send the buyer to the Corps.
The Corps says a real estate agent has no authority to make recommendations or grant approvals about Lake Lanier permits. If a past owner changed a dock or cut trees without permission, the new owner can be made to fix it.
Buford real estate questions
Am I in Gwinnett or Hall, and why does it matter?
Buford spans both. Your county sends a county bill and the city sends its own. Inside the city the county school line drops off, because Buford city taxes fund Buford City Schools instead. The two counties also offer very different homestead exemptions.
What homestead exemption does the City of Buford give?
The city's regular homestead exemption is $250,000 off fair market value, which works out to $100,000 off the assessed value. Owners 65 and older get a complete exemption from City of Buford school tax on the home and up to one acre. File the regular exemption with Gwinnett or Hall. The senior one is the exception: that one is filed in person at Buford City Hall by April 1.
Will my kids go to Buford City Schools?
Only if the home is inside Buford city limits. The district requires proof of full-time residence there, and a current city utility bill counts. Buford is the only city in Gwinnett with its own school system. Confirm the address with the district.
I am buying on Lake Lanier. Do I own the shoreline and the dock?
Usually not. The Corps of Engineers owns most land around the lake outright, and a permit grants no real estate rights. The shoreline stays open to the public, and the dock sits under a Corps permit that ends when the property sells.
Does the dock permit transfer to me?
No. Federal rule makes shoreline use permits non-transferable, and they go null and void when the facility is sold. You have to apply on your own, and the number of permits is capped, so never assume the dock comes with the house.
Buying or selling in Buford? Talk to a local agent.
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