Most likely moving to Memphis next summer! (Bartlett, Germantown: fit in, real estate)

[MStoAZ]

Greetings,

I am a fequent visitor to this forum and now that I may be moving to Memphis next summer, I would like your opinion on where to settle down. I am originally from Oxford, so I know my way around the area somewhat, however, I never spend much time in the suburbs. I am married with no kids, however we are planning to have kids in the next few years. We are also both in education. We have not secured jobs yet, but I don't think we will have much of a problem- we both hold master's degrees, multiple years of experience, and we are both young. We plan to stay wherever we move to for 5--10 years, maybe more.

Here's what I need your help on, I would like to know about:

• Safety
• Schools
• Amenities (restaurants, bars, parks, etc.)
• Convenience to Memphis
• Best home resale projection
• We can spend around $175,000 on a house, so most affordable housing
• Best quality of life

I would like this information on these suburbs:

• Arlington
• Millington
• Collierville
• Germantown
• Bartlett
• Lakeland
• Anywhere else we may fit in

Thanks for your help!

MStoAZ

[eastmemphisguy]

Originally Posted by MStoAZ

Greetings,

[*]Arlington[*]Millington[*]Collierville[*]Germantown[*]Bartlett[*]Lakeland[*]Anywhere else we may fit in[/list]Thanks for your help!

MStoAZ

If you work in schools, I suppose your workplace could be anywhere, but here's my take on the towns you listed. Schools are at least acceptable in every suburb though I have no idea about Millington's.
1. Arlington is all the way across the county and is just recently getting developed. Far from just about everything but easy access to I-40 and new houses are affordable.
2. Millington isn't even a suburb. It's a true small town and also quite a drive from Memphis. Completely off the radar of most people in the area, for better or worse. Most of northern Shelby County is rural and quiet. Some people like that. Some don't.
3. Collierville is upscale and mostly built up since the 90s, though they also have a ridiculously cute old town square with a few older houses nearby. Top notch schools, but not sure what you will find under $175,000. Far from Memphis as well, but more suburban and less rural than the first two towns and more things are available in Collierville. They have a Target, a WalMart, plenty of restaurants, and an outdoor mall, so you may not find yourself having to leave so much.
4. Germantown is the most upscale town in Shelby County. It has a reputation for snobbishness, though I think it is a nice enough town. Lots of little boutiques. Although there are some newer houses, they tend to be very expensive. Most houses are large and were built in the 70s and 80s and may require some maintenance or updating. At your budget, you're probably limited to a condo though. The western side of Germantown has very good proximity to de facto business district of Memphis, Poplar Avenue between Oak Court Mall and Kirby Parkway. Just like Collierville, schools are excellent.
5. Bartlett has a bit of a blue collar reputation and is definitely more affordable than Germantown or Collierville. It's totally safe and practical, but not especially prestigious. The Wolfchase Galleria, the largest mall in town, is nearby as is just about every conceivable shop and restaurant. You should be able to take your pic of houses in Bartlett.
6. Lakeland is very small and in between Bartlett and Arlington. I don't have much to say about it, other than that there are not many lakes in the Memphis area, and it might be nice to live near one.
I would also urge you to consider East Memphis, though that is a bit of a vague term and many real estate salesmen will use the term to lure people into less desirable neighborhoods. The housing stock varies quite a bit in prices, age, and sizes For good schools, stick with areas zoned for Richland, Shady Grove and White Station Elementaries. Sea Isle Elementary is ok too, but Colonial Middle and Overton High, which are also over there are not as good. If you're planning to stay in an East Memphis home for the long haul, stick to White Station Middle/High zoned houses.

[MStoAZ]

Originally Posted by eastmemphisguy

If you work in schools, I suppose your workplace could be anywhere, but here's my take on the towns you listed. Schools are at least acceptable in every suburb though I have no idea about Millington's.
1. Arlington is all the way across the county and is just recently getting developed. Far from just about everything but easy access to I-40 and new houses are affordable.
2. Millington isn't even a suburb. It's a true small town and also quite a drive from Memphis. Completely off the radar of most people in the area, for better or worse. Most of northern Shelby County is rural and quiet. Some people like that. Some don't.
3. Collierville is upscale and mostly built up since the 90s, though they also have a ridiculously cute old town square with a few older houses nearby. Top notch schools, but not sure what you will find under $175,000. Far from Memphis as well, but more suburban and less rural than the first two towns and more things are available in Collierville. They have a Target, a WalMart, plenty of restaurants, and an outdoor mall, so you may not find yourself having to leave so much.
4. Germantown is the most upscale town in Shelby County. It has a reputation for snobbishness, though I think it is a nice enough town. Lots of little boutiques. Although there are some newer houses, they tend to be very expensive. Most houses are large and were built in the 70s and 80s and may require some maintenance or updating. At your budget, you're probably limited to a condo though. The western side of Germantown has very good proximity to de facto business district of Memphis, Poplar Avenue between Oak Court Mall and Kirby Parkway. Just like Collierville, schools are excellent.
5. Bartlett has a bit of a blue collar reputation and is definitely more affordable than Germantown or Collierville. It's totally safe and practical, but not especially prestigious. The Wolfchase Galleria, the largest mall in town, is nearby as is just about every conceivable shop and restaurant. You should be able to take your pic of houses in Bartlett.
6. Lakeland is very small and in between Bartlett and Arlington. I don't have much to say about it, other than that there are not many lakes in the Memphis area, and it might be nice to live near one.
I would also urge you to consider East Memphis, though that is a bit of a vague term and many real estate salesmen will use the term to lure people into less desirable neighborhoods. The housing stock varies quite a bit in prices, age, and sizes For good schools, stick with areas zoned for Richland, Shady Grove and White Station Elementaries. Sea Isle Elementary is ok too, but Colonial Middle and Overton High, which are also over there are not as good. If you're planning to stay in an East Memphis home for the long haul, stick to White Station Middle/High zoned houses.

This is excellent information! I figured Germantown would be well out of our price range, and if we were able to squeeze into Collierville, we'd have to put in a lot of 'sweat equity' into whatever house we buy. I have looked in East Memphis (I've been to Memphis more times than I can count), but I'm not 100% sure where to look to make sure that my wife and (future) kid are in an area that is very safe for them to walk around. I'm most interested in Lakeland, Arlington, Colliervlle, and Bartlett, though less Bartlett than the other three. I'd consider East Memphis, but I don't know where to look.

Anyways, thanks for your response!

[eastmemphisguy]

I live near Richland Elementary. With the caveat that something bad can happen anywhere, it's extremely safe and quiet here. Anywhere in 38120 is a good neighborhood. 38117 north of Park is excellent too.

[85rx-7gsl-se]

Given the recent influx of people to Lakeland and Arlington, I don't see 175 going very far.

[MStoAZ]

Originally Posted by eastmemphisguy

I live near Richland Elementary. With the caveat that something bad can happen anywhere, it's extremely safe and quiet here. Anywhere in 38120 is a good neighborhood. 38117 north of Park is excellent too.

I checked 38120 on zillow, and I actually liked what I saw. I'll have to add that to the list of places we're looking at.

Thanks again!

[MStoAZ]

Originally Posted by 85rx-7gsl-se

Given the recent influx of people to Lakeland and Arlington, I don't see 175 going very far.

ummmm... thanks?

[CristenS]

Correct, $175,000 isn't going to get you into Germantown. And likely not Collierville, unless you get one of the very old small houses there. I can't imagine living in Millington and frankly I've never heard of that being on anyone's radar. Just Say No. Lakeland is in a weird place, between the much bigger Arlington and Bartlett. Bartlett is an older city with both old and new homes, schools are good and likely going to get better now that they have their own system. Germantown and Collierville have their own systems now too, with the best schools. Anything within the city of Memphis is a crapshoot with schools - some may be good now, who knows in 10 years. You can live in a zone for a great elementary but a horrible junior high. $175,000 isn't too much to get you into an area that has great public schools all the way from K to 12. (So many of the schools here are horrible if not dangerous, as I'm sure you are aware of as a teacher.)

Honestly if you haven't even gotten pregnant yet, I wouldn't buy a house based on schools. You never know what the future holds, but you DO know what the current issues are with Memphis and the suburbs. There are private schools all over the place that people drive to, and that is what many people choose for their kids.

This all being said - what are your rules for where you have to live if you get a job here? If you work for Shelby County aka Memphis City, can you live in Germantown? Or vice versa?

[MStoAZ]

Originally Posted by CristenS

Correct, $175,000 isn't going to get you into Germantown. And likely not Collierville, unless you get one of the very old small houses there. I can't imagine living in Millington and frankly I've never heard of that being on anyone's radar. Just Say No. Lakeland is in a weird place, between the much bigger Arlington and Bartlett. Bartlett is an older city with both old and new homes, schools are good and likely going to get better now that they have their own system. Germantown and Collierville have their own systems now too, with the best schools. Anything within the city of Memphis is a crapshoot with schools - some may be good now, who knows in 10 years. You can live in a zone for a great elementary but a horrible junior high. $175,000 isn't too much to get you into an area that has great public schools all the way from K to 12. (So many of the schools here are horrible if not dangerous, as I'm sure you are aware of as a teacher.)

Honestly if you haven't even gotten pregnant yet, I wouldn't buy a house based on schools. You never know what the future holds, but you DO know what the current issues are with Memphis and the suburbs. There are private schools all over the place that people drive to, and that is what many people choose for their kids.

This all being said - what are your rules for where you have to live if you get a job here? If you work for Shelby County aka Memphis City, can you live in Germantown? Or vice versa?

Thanks for the information! More thank likely, Millington is off the list, unless one of us ends up working there. The reason I want good schools is because good schools tend to stay good schools. Collierville schools will probably always be good schools. If one of us were to work for Shelby County Schools, there is a residency requirement, but we just have to live in Shelby County. As far as I know, none of the suburban schools have a residency requirement. So, we just need to be within Shelby County. As far as housing, we know we're not going to get a mansion for 175k, however, we have seen that it is possible to buy in any of the suburbs, aside from Germantown. We also know that whatever house we get is going to be older and need of a little work, which is okay for us. We are really looking for a starter home for about 5-10 years, or until we build up a little equity.

Thanks for the responses!

[eastmemphisguy]

I'm going to have to disagree with Cristen. The White Station area and schools have been good forever. We're an extremely stable community. And $175k is plenty of house budget as long as you don't require a new or large house. That's far more than my house is worth.