Teach Us About Nashville (Franklin, Hendersonville: hardwood floors, transplants, countertops)

[numberfive]

Hi folks! My wife and I were looking to uproot to a new area, and beautiful Nashville is on our short list. We're leaving Chicago due to how expensive it is here and the harsh winters/cold. We have some questions that hopefully you can answer, and haven't been asked a billion times already...

1. Which areas should we focus on for the top schools in the Nashville area? I see Hendersonville and Mt Juliet being recommended often, are there better areas than those for young families in terms of activities, restaurants, downtown suburban life, etc? I work remotely, my wife can transfer to any metro area with her gov't job.

2. TN seems like a very wooded state, does this mean you have truck-sized mosquitoes to go along with it? Just how bad are the bug issues with mosquitoes/ticks/spiders?

3. Where do people take their rifles to go shooting? Here we have to pay $20-30/hr/person at an indoor range or drive an hour and pay $50 for the day. Are there areas in Nashville where you can walk out into your back yard and shoot as long as there's a solid backstop and the neighbors are fine with it? Or walk out to an old quarry or something?

4. How is Nashville for allergy sufferers, would they be miserable there, or ok with minor medications? And is there an allergy season, or are there year-round threats?

5. Are locals friendly to transplants? We're going to be bringing an accent with us, does this mean we'll have to "try harder" to make friends in the area?

Thanks so much for looking!

[flamadiddle]

Disclaimer, I do not live there, but know a good bit about the area. I've been considering a relo too, but cannot find a decent home with basement/acreage/good schools for ~$600K.

Franklin, TN is the hot spot right now...

Be warned, home prices are crazy high in the Nashville area now due to the demand. Keep in mind that unlike Chicago, most homes in Nashville do not have a basement (due to the bedrock just below grade) so factor that in and look at the price per sq. ft. to compare.

I'll let the locals fill in the details you asked about...

[artemis]

Originally Posted by numberfive

Hi folks! My wife and I were looking to uproot to a new area, and beautiful Nashville is on our short list. We're leaving Chicago due to how expensive it is here and the harsh winters/cold. We have some questions that hopefully you can answer, and haven't been asked a billion times already...

1. Which areas should we focus on for the top schools in the Nashville area? I see Hendersonville and Mt Juliet being recommended often, are there better areas than those for young families in terms of activities, restaurants, downtown suburban life, etc? I work remotely, my wife can transfer to any metro area with her gov't job.

2. TN seems like a very wooded state, does this mean you have truck-sized mosquitoes to go along with it? Just how bad are the bug issues with mosquitoes/ticks/spiders?

3. Where do people take their rifles to go shooting? Here we have to pay $20-30/hr/person at an indoor range or drive an hour and pay $50 for the day. Are there areas in Nashville where you can walk out into your back yard and shoot as long as there's a solid backstop and the neighbors are fine with it? Or walk out to an old quarry or something?

4. How is Nashville for allergy sufferers, would they be miserable there, or ok with minor medications? And is there an allergy season, or are there year-round threats?

5. Are locals friendly to transplants? We're going to be bringing an accent with us, does this mean we'll have to "try harder" to make friends in the area?

Thanks so much for looking!

An accent, lol.. I have a Chicago "accent", don't worry about it, really.

I've got a friend who started a gun club out West of town, we shoot out at his place. Within city limits will get you arrested. You'll have to check local laws.

Lots of air-borne allergies, I manage with OTC allergy meds. Cottonwood season (now) is a tough one for me.

I have a personal preference for Hendersonville, so I will recommend that area.

As far as basements go, there are homes here with basements. It's not like they don't exist.

And lastly, I"m a Cubs & Blackhawk fan, so don't let anyone tell you that you're not welcome here. :-)

[titanspreds_04]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

Franklin, TN is the hot spot right now..

Not really, many suburbs are hot right now.

The hottest areas are probably the up and coming neighborhoods of Nashville.

[N.Cal]

4. I've been here 4 years now and have been sick pretty much the entire time. Even the Vandy Allergy Sinus Asthma Pulmonary Clinic can't get the allergies under control. Miserable.

Blackhawks and their fans suck.

[brentwoodgirl]

What is your budget for a house?

[numberfive]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

Disclaimer, I do not live there, but know a good bit about the area. I've been considering a relo too, but cannot find a decent home with basement/acreage/good schools for ~$600K.

Franklin, TN is the hot spot right now...

Be warned, home prices are crazy high in the Nashville area now due to the demand. Keep in mind that unlike Chicago, most homes in Nashville do not have a basement (due to the bedrock just below grade) so factor that in and look at the price per sq. ft. to compare.

I'll let the locals fill in the details you asked about...

Interesting! What's your idea of "decent" for $600k? Our home right now is ~2100 sq ft (with basement) and 50 years old, on a quarter acre. Valued at ~$430k. Just about anything would seem like an upgrade to us, size/year wise.

It's also funny that you're in Atlanta too, that's one of three areas we're looking at (Atlanta, Dallas, and Nashville). Dallas home prices are through the roof and continuing to go up, and coupled with high property taxes, it makes more sense for Nashville or Atlanta.

[numberfive]

Originally Posted by artemis

An accent, lol.. I have a Chicago "accent", don't worry about it, really.

I've got a friend who started a gun club out West of town, we shoot out at his place. Within city limits will get you arrested. You'll have to check local laws.

Lots of air-borne allergies, I manage with OTC allergy meds. Cottonwood season (now) is a tough one for me.

I have a personal preference for Hendersonville, so I will recommend that area.

As far as basements go, there are homes here with basements. It's not like they don't exist.

And lastly, I"m a Cubs & Blackhawk fan, so don't let anyone tell you that you're not welcome here. :-)

Good stuff, thanks for the info. I just brought up the accent part because transplants aren't welcomed in some areas in the country.

[numberfive]

Originally Posted by brentwoodgirl

What is your budget for a house?

We're more interested in finding an updated house (hardwood floors, granite countertops, open floor plan, lots of kitchen counterspace, and big open familyroom area). We're not really sure what's reasonable for the area in terms of housing costs.

We're used to the $3k PITI payments we're making now, so any money saved there is a bonus. I think that puts us at the $500k mark, but we've seen some homes that look nice in the $350k range. We don't want to go overboard with too much house.

[Vandy-bound]

We lived in the Chicago NW suburbs before moving to Brentwood. I don't recall seeing your budget in your initial post, but that will help to narrow down the right Nashville area. Williamson County schools are amazing, but I think Mount Juliet and Hendersonville schools also rate very well. If your wife has to commute, knowing her tolerance for time would be helpful in narrowing down the location as well.

TONS of allergens, nearly year-round. Vanderbilt's ASAP clinic is not bad-just depends on what you're allergic to and how you tolerate medication, etc. Allergy shots can be a lifesaver in the long-term.

Basements are available in some areas, depends on the terrain. And of course, your price-point.

We've also lived in the Atlanta area (Cobb County) and enjoyed (mostly) our time there--though it was a long time ago. The traffic in the region has apparently only worsened over time, so if commuting into downtown is an issue, you'll probably need to be inside the Perimeter.

I will say that many of our family and friends remain in the Chicago area. While they enjoy visiting "The South," it is a different lifestyle and they can't imagine living there. While we grew up in the Chicago area, we can't imagine going back. I *highly* recommend spending some time in the areas you are considering before moving. They all have a different vibe and it can be hard to compare.