[COPO]

Suggest you give significant consideration to important location factors to narrow your search as presently it's an enormous area. These are just a few things to consider, but just the tip of the iceberg.

1) Is being in or near a large city important?

2) Is being near a large airport for convenient travel important?

3) Are nearby modern healthcare facilities important?

4) Nearby professional sports teams, museums, recreation and cultural facilities important?

5) Is being near the coast, lake, or river important?

6) Is being near the mountains important?

7) Do you want mild winters, but still 4 seasons, or warm year round like south Florida?

8) Newer home, or older home that can be improved? Adding garage and pool are easy if you find the right house and location.

9) Is being within a neighborhood important or being out in the country without neighbors to do what you want?

10) Being near existing friends and family important?

11) Income tax free states like TN, TX, and FL are popular, but often have higher property taxes to make up for it.

12) Most importantly is a budget range.

Of the states you mentioned, probably overall GA or SC is going to have the most bang for your buck if that is important and living within an hour or so of Atlanta will provide all the nearby modern conveniences of a big city, but still far enough away from issues like traffic congestion and inner city crime. I would look to the northern area of GA 60-90 minutes from Atlanta as you have beautiful country in the foothills of the mountains, but still close to great healthcare, Atlanta airport, and cultural facilities.

Real Estate agents are normally experts in a specific area of a city, so first narrowing down your search area, and then picking a top local agent will likely yield better results.

There's a million online resources available that will assist you in narrowing your search and helping to guide you as to your most important factors. Good luck.