Neighborhood Advice for young couple (Goodlettsville, Spring Hill: real estate, to rent, houses)

[trailblazer33]

My sister is moving to Nashville in a few months for work, and she and my brother in law are really excited to be returning to Tennessee. They have no clue where to look for a place to live; I know they would prefer to buy but are very open to renting right now as well. They plan on having a family in Nashville as well.

They are definitely not as adventurous as I am, but they don't want bland, homogenous, religious suburbia either. She is concerned about schools, but I was under the impression you could live anywhere in Nashville and enroll your children in magnet schools.

So..

They have three dogs, and want a yard. They prefer a garage. They are in their mid-20s. They are likely concerned about "crime," but this is NOT code for a neighborhood that excludes particular races or socioeconomic groups. They want an easy commute to work (downtown-ish). They are selling their current home, and asking mid $140s, and their budget in Nashville will be comparable. Do you guys need any more information to start offering up some suggestions?

Thanks!

[New2Tn]

Originally Posted by trailblazer33

My sister is moving to Nashville in a few months for work, and she and my brother in law are really excited to be returning to Tennessee. They have no clue where to look for a place to live; I know they would prefer to buy but are very open to renting right now as well. They plan on having a family in Nashville as well.

They are definitely not as adventurous as I am, but they don't want bland, homogenous, religious suburbia either. She is concerned about schools, but I was under the impression you could live anywhere in Nashville and enroll your children in magnet schools.

So..

They have three dogs, and want a yard. They prefer a garage. They are in their mid-20s. They are likely concerned about "crime," but this is NOT code for a neighborhood that excludes particular races or socioeconomic groups. They want an easy commute to work (downtown-ish). They are selling their current home, and asking mid $140s, and their budget in Nashville will be comparable. Do you guys need any more information to start offering up some suggestions?

Thanks!

"Toyota Venza 2011 Commercial - YouTube"

[trailblazer33]

I don't get the joke.

[rossc]

Is Toyota spamming the forum now?

$140's, garage, decent neighborhood, yard....is all possible, but you won't find it anywhere near downtown. Nashville isn't a large sprawling area like Atlanta, so you don't have to go far to find affordable.

[BirdieBelle]

I think the Toyota ad is a comment similar to "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Speaking of which ...

I'm stopping in from "bland, homogenous, religious suburbia" to offer some guidelines:

Their housing budget is on the low side for Nashville.

Yes, you can live anywhere in Nashville and enroll your child in magnet schools IF your number is chosen in the annual school selection lottery. It is a game of chance. There is a large chance their (future) kids won't get selected for the magnet schools. It's not a gamble I would be willing to make.

Lots of young couples move here wanting houses with charm that are within walking distance to shops and restaurants in good school systems but can't afford the $300K-$600K+ it usually takes to buy in those neighborhoods.

Because of this, however, some often overlooked areas are getting new interest. I've linked to some previous threads that may give you some insight. Don't judge them all by the thread titles. They get into discussions of neighborhoods that IMHO would be a good fit for your sister.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...nashville.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...ods-charm.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...ly-budget.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/nashv...-becoming.html

Off the bat, with the most important factors being budget and school zone, I would recommend the Crieve Hall section of South Nashville, though the prices there are creeping up again.

http://www.realtracs.com/SearchResul...ZivroZ3LVLfYyQ

[trailblazer33]

Thanks for the threads. These will be helpful giving them some perspective.

[CountryGirl2b=]

I love Crieve Hall! Almost moved there but the layouts weren't great for us. NICE big grassy yards. I thik I good place for a starter home. Do you know where they might be working? Does it need to be in Nashville proper or a surrounding area? Spring Hill (a good half hour - 40 minutes to downtown Nashville) has some homes in their price range:

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

[trailblazer33]

My sister will be in downtown Nashville. She doesn't mind a commute, but I know 40 minutes is too long.

[vivelafrance]

Originally Posted by trailblazer33

My sister will be in downtown Nashville. She doesn't mind a commute, but I know 40 minutes is too long.

Yes and Spring Hill is 40 minutes without traffic. You may want to consider Hermitage, Bellevue, Donelson, or Goodlettsville. They have similar or lower prices than Spring Hill, are more diverse, and much shorter commutes. Old Hickory would be a good option too and it has a lot of character.

[artemis]

Or try Inglewood, 37216. We're 10 minutes from downtown.