Houses still carrying damage from the 2021 Newnan tornado

The National Weather Service rated the March 25-26, 2021 tornado EF4, with peak winds of 170 mph and a track of nearly 39 miles that began near Texas in Heard County, crossed Coweta, and ended southeast of Tyrone in Fayette County. It strengthened to EF4 as it moved into Newnan. A federal major disaster declaration for the storms followed that May.

Some houses along that path were never completely put back together. Typical examples are a new roof over a ceiling that still sags, racked framing or a cracked slab nobody addressed, an outbuilding that was never rebuilt, or repairs done without the permits a buyer's inspector will ask about. We buy at any of those stages. It helps to know what the insurer paid for, what was finished, and who did the work.

Newnan's historic districts: listed is not the same as designated

Newnan has several National Register historic districts, among them College-Temple, Greenville-LaGrange, Cole Town, Platinum Point, downtown, the Newnan Cotton Mill and Mill Village, and Chalk Level, which joined the National Register in January 2026. Under federal law, that listing places no restrictions on a private owner who is not using federal money or a federal permit.

The city's own Historic Preservation Overlay is narrower and is the one with teeth. It covers only properties designated by ordinance, and a district may include only properties whose owners applied. After designation, any material change to a facade facing a public street requires the Historic Resource Commission's certificate of appropriateness before the city will issue a building permit. Ordinary repair that keeps the existing design and materials is exempt, interiors are not reviewed, and designated properties appear on the city zoning map.

Septic is the rule outside the sewer lines

Coweta's 2021 comprehensive plan records that about 80 percent of the county's water customers use septic tanks. Even some towns are entirely on septic: Sharpsburg says every house inside its limits has one, regulated by the county health department. Coweta County Environmental Health in Newnan issues residential septic permits and holds whatever records exist for a system.

An undocumented tank, a drainfield that ended up under a later addition or driveway, or a system nobody has pumped in years is not a reason we would pass on a house. It is one of the things we price.

Coweta County property we buy

  • Houses with unfinished or unpermitted repairs from the 2021 tornado
  • Older houses in and around Newnan's National Register districts
  • Homes in the former mill villages of East Newnan, Sargent, and Arnco
  • Houses on failing or undocumented septic systems, including in Sharpsburg
  • Houses left to heirs who never opened an estate
  • Rentals in Newnan, Senoia, and Grantville, occupied or vacant
  • Mobile homes and acreage in the unincorporated county

Records, courts, and closing in Coweta County

Newnan is the county seat. The Coweta County Clerk of Superior Court, at the Justice Center on Greenville Street, is where deeds, security deeds, and liens are recorded, and the Coweta County Probate Court hears wills, estates, and year's support petitions. The Assessors' Office appraises property, and the Tax Commissioner sends the bills and collects them, mobile home and timber taxes included. County Code Enforcement, part of Community Development, enforces the county's ordinances in unincorporated areas. Like every Georgia closing, this one is run by a licensed attorney.

Asking for an offer starts with the address, sent through the form on this page. The questions that most often change a Coweta number or closing date are whether storm work is unfinished or unpermitted, whether a Newnan property is designated under the city overlay, whether the septic system has a permit on file, and whether someone has to be appointed in probate court before a deed can be signed. Our number arrives in writing, and nothing in the house has to change first.

Frequently asked questions

Will you buy a Newnan house that was never fully repaired after the 2021 tornado?

Yes. Partly repaired, unpermitted, or untouched, we buy it as it is. Insurance and contractor paperwork helps but is not required.

My house is in one of Newnan's historic districts. Does that limit the sale?

Usually not. National Register listing alone does not restrict a private owner. Only properties designated under the city's Historic Preservation Overlay need a certificate of appropriateness for street-facing exterior changes, and the zoning map shows which ones are.

Is my Sharpsburg house on sewer?

The town says all houses within its limits are on septic. Any permit for your system would be with Coweta County Environmental Health.

Do you buy in East Newnan, Sargent, and Arnco?

Yes. Older houses in those former mill villages are part of what we buy in Coweta County, in any condition.

The house belonged to a parent who died. Can we sell before probate is finished?

We can agree on terms early, but closing waits until the Probate Court in Newnan gives someone authority to sign, unless the heirs qualify for a simpler route. The closing attorney will tell you which applies.

Coweta County property and court resources

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