Picking a Memphis Suburb? (Bartlett, Germantown: real estate, houses, neighborhoods)

[EricStacey]

Hello,

My husband and I are mid-to-late 30s and are looking for a Memphis suburb. We really enjoy running, golfing, road biking, shopping, grilling out, working out in the yard, enjoying our dogs, and being near other people who enjoy the same activities. We would love a really friendly neighborhood with new or newer homes in the $250-300k range. We'll be teaching at the Univ. of Memphis and want to live in TN for income tax reasons. School districts are not important. We're moving from the frozen tundra (aka, upper midwest) and are looking forward to finding a friendly neighborhood after too much midwestern reserve.

Thanks in advance,
Stacey & Eric

[maximus10]

I would say the top two suburbs in the Memphis area are Germantown and Collierville. Right now Collierville seems to be the top now because of the amenities it offers. It used to be Germantown but they don't have as much room to grow as Collierville does. Lakeland and Arlington are about the same but much smaller and new. They don't really have alot of infastructure and amenities right now because of their size. Arlington is real nice and is where alot folks are moving now and will probably be like Germantown or Collierville in years time but all they really have right now is a Kroger and McDonalds. Forget Bartlett because of your price range. Bartlett is really a 150,000-230,000 type of neighborhood. Still VERY nice but the homes are just a bit cheaper than C'ville, Gtown, Lakeland, and Arlington. C'ville tops. Germantown a close second.

[2nomadic4me]

Collierville is nice.. so is Germantown.


Now, Windyke and Southwind is not within the city limits of Memphis. They are Golf Course communities. They are nice... and the rumor is that Collierville will annex them.


They are near Winchester and Forest Hill Irene.

[98SS]

If that was my budget, I'd echo the previous posters and be looking on the lake in Lakeland, in Southwind/Windyke, Germantown, or Collierville.

The map on zillow.com is fairly handy for visualizing where these suburbs are at and where their borders are. Just zoom out until you can hover with your mouse and see the areas highlight in green. Just keep in mind that their real estate listings aren't always accurate. And if there are no pictures shown except an aerial photo, then the property is probably in contract with someone already, if not already closed. That's been my experience lately while trying to find houses on that site. To me it seems like the best way to get up to date info is to work with a realtor.

[2nomadic4me]

Where do you live currently? I have moved around quite a bit..

There are lots of nice areas in Memphis and the surrounding areas. There are also a lot of areas you'll want to stay out of.

Your budget could get you pretty much anywhere except a monster home or something in Belle Meade. ..

[maximus10]

Keep in mind that each suburb of Memphis is different in its own way. So one might cater to your needs while the other one doesn't. Germantown is the oldest and will have homes that are much older and bigger with tall trees which makes it real pretty. Collierville is younger and will have newer homes and newer subdivisions. Lakeland and Arlington are new and smaller. Lakeland seems to be nothing but houses IMO. They seem to have alot of gated communities. Arlington is the newest of the bunch and it is definitely more community oriented. The bad thing about Arlington is that it's a bit of a drive to everything because of its location. Also, all of these towns have about the same housing developments as far as square footage goes and price.

[UofMGrad92]

Southwind and Windyke are in the Memphis annexation reserve area and I can't see a circumstance where Memphis would give that up and let Collierville annex these neighborhoods. Whether you think that is a good thing or not, it is something to be aware of before moving into these areas.

[Tigertate]

Originally Posted by UofMGrad92

Southwind and Windyke are in the Memphis annexation reserve area and I can't see a circumstance where Memphis would give that up and let Collierville annex these neighborhoods. Whether you think that is a good thing or not, it is something to be aware of before moving into these areas.

You are correct about the Memphis reserve area. Memphis has had Southwind, which is a very up scale area, in the annexation crosshairs for almost 10 years, but legal maneuvering, connections with FedEx, and the lessons learned from Hickory hill, have kept this area from being annexed. To get out of Memphis reserve you have to be east of Forest-Hill Irene.

[2nomadic4me]

Anything east of HC wasn't annexed.

[KeraKera]

Check out Bartlett/Arlington off of Ols Brownsville. Very nice suburb.