Brentwood, TN and Surrounding Areas (Franklin, Spring Hill: real estate, apartment complexes, rental homes)

[majica26]

My husband just received a job offer at a company in Brentwood, TN. It looks like we will be relocating to this area very soon. I did some research on the area and found it is a great place to raise a family (we have an 8 year old and a 9 year old). However, the property values are pricey.

At the moment we are looking for a rental home, but plan to buy in the next year or two. Some nice rental homes we found are east and southeast of I-65 (Cain Ridge, Indian Creek, Antioch). I am just going off what I found online. We plan on making a drive over this weekend to scout the area. I did find some negative info about this region online, especially about Antioch which was basically portrayed as a very bad part of town with a high crime rate. Obviously, this would be our worst nightmare.

My question is, what areas in Brentwood or surrounding areas are a good place for a middle class family with 2 small children and still reasonable in price? I'd like to find a subdivision where there is a community pool and playground for my kids and an active rec center with little league sports. We are looking for homes where the monthly rent is between $1300.00 -$2,000.00/mo (preferrably on the lower end, though we are willing to pay on the high end if it means a safe place to live).

The quality and location of the schools is also very important to me. I am a teacher so would like to be near the school. Ideally, I would love to be near a school that feeds into Brentwood High, but I am not sure the area is in our price range. Easy access to a grocery store, pharmacy, or gas station would also be nice, with shopping no more than 20 minutes away.

Any suggestions on what areas in and around Brentwood fit the bill?

[BirdieBelle]

I would search online in the Granbery and Crieve Hall school districts in south Nashville.

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

It is just north of the Brentwood city limits, and would be a good commute for your husband.

Both are good elementary schools and would be a good fit for a few years while you decide if you want to buy in Brentwood down the line. The problem is that about a million other people want to do the same thing, so demand is high.

Another option would be to try to rent in the Brentwood High zone, although rents there usually start around $2200 for a 30+ year-old home.

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

[airen123]

I second Granbery and Crieve Hall to start out as a rental before your kids get to middle school (5th grade)
Franklin is a popular option if you can find a rental, and the schools are good.
Another option is the Nolensville area (zip 37135). The high school is building next year and should be ready by the time your kids get there, and it's in Williamson Co. Fairview is another area, a bit more rural, and not know much about it.

[majica26]

Thanks for this info. I will get on researching these areas right away. I have also heard good things about Franklin. @WMSN4LIFE ~ I followed your links and these are townhomes and apartment complexes, which I don't think I can sway my husband to, lol. I'll look into rental homes in the area though.

[BirdieBelle]

Yes, those were the only rental options that came up. There were not any rental homes on Realtracs in those school zones when I searched.

Your best bet for single family homes might be local classifieds or sites like this:

Map of Studio - 3 Bedroom Apartments and Houses For Rent Between $1,300 and $2,000 Near Crieve Hall, Nashville, TN


Right now it's only showing one home in Crieve Hall.

[skyblueNashville]

If you're considering the southeastern part of Davidson, you might want to add the Shayne Elementary area to your search. It's a truly wonderful school.

[majica26]

Just to update here, after researching, I found Franklin though is beautiful and has a great rep has an alarming amount of violent crimes having been committed in the last few months and regularly for the past few years. See this awesome map feature I found at: 312 Fletcher Court, Franklin TN - Trulia ...if you scroll down you can sort the map to display crimes in the area, amenities, schools, etc. It all so tells you what kind of crimes have been reported and when. Areas that I found that had almost no crime at all were Nolensville (thanks for the tip!), Spring Hill, and Thompson Station.

I was unable to find much in the way of rentals in the Granbery, Crieve Hall areas as was previously advised. Brentwood itself is way too expensive, and Cain Ridge/Antioch are truly crime riddled. So I am concentrating in Nolensville, Spring Hill, and Thompson Station. We will be viewing some homes this weekend. These areas also appear to be similar to the one I live in now. Close enough to the city to still enjoy city life (25-30 min drive), but far enough away that the you get more bang for your buck price wise. We also like the quiet suburban life. Easy access to I-65 makes for a quicker commute as well.

I will keep updating the forum as we move along through the process. Thoughts and comments welcome!

[CountryGirl2b=]

I have only lived in Franklin for 2 years but never thought of it as "crime ridden"! The reason there is more crime than Nolensville is because of population. Franklin is a city of 60,000. Nolensville is basically just residental and 3,500 residents. Thompsons Station is less than 3,000. Spring Hill is 27,00. Probably the crime is skewing higher in Franklin than Spring Hill because of the Cool Springs mall area - stores, businesses, restaurants, night life. I honestly never worry about my house being robbed. Maybe longer term residents can help out here but I think you are getting the wrong impression about Franklin. You may in fact be happier in Nolensville or Spring Hill, but would hate for you to miss out on a really great place to live. Lots of country music stars live in Franklin - Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood . . . Scott Hamilton the skater and Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys live in Franklin! Really, at least do a drive through!!!!

[BirdieBelle]

To rule out Franklin based on a crime map that appears to have listed all crimes in the past YEAR would be short-sighted. My parents have lived near that address for nearly 15 years and have never had one single incident.

The Nolensville, Spring Hill and TS areas are nice as well, but you will need to understand that if you move there, it's not actually 25-30 minutes to Nashville. You will be in your car all the time, and it takes 25 minutes just to get to the interstate. There is a major I-65 widening project that will last for the next 2 years that makes a commute from Spring Hill take 45 mins to 1 hour. The home prices are lower because of the distance, so it's a trade-off. If you will mostly be home all the time except for the occasional grocery run, it won't matter as much, though.

As long as you know that going in, those areas are fine to live in. I just wouldn't want to drive there.

[airen123]

I have never thought of Franklin as crime ridden? It's a pretty affluent city...Nashville, yes. When reporting stats on crimes, TN counts every deed in occurrence whereas other states only count as one. For example, breaking and entry carrying unregistered gun=2 crimes, where other states count as one crime. So it looks like a lot more here.