Resale Value on Property in Millington (Memphis, Bartlett: to rent, selling a home, safe area)

[JeniKer]

Is Millington a good place to buy a home? Anyone had trouble trying to sell a home there?

[Pearlbob]

Millington is typically thought of a lower class suburb of Memphis. It definitely has more poverty than Bartlett, Germantown, Southaven, etc. It's an older area, and it's not "up and coming" like Collierville or Arlington for example. I'm not sure why it hasn't seen the growth as the other areas have...maybe because people don't like driving through North Memphis to get there

I'm sure there are good neighborhoods there, but I would guess that property overall costs a lot less there, and will keep up that trend.

[JeniKer]

Thanks for the feedback, just what I wanted to know.

[Pearlbob]

It's not an unsafe area, it's just... I don't know how to explain. The rest of the suburbs have new restaurants, bars, shopping, fun things to do, new "cool" things for younger people and singles or at least things to do at night...you won't find any of that in Millington. I remember discussing this topic on here last year and the best people could say was that there was a new Wal Mart being built there.

[JeniKer]

Now is that also near Somerville? I'm still trying to memorize the areas surrounding Memphis. Right now we're in Bartlett, but my fiance found a house to rent in Somerville. But it sounds like Somerville is quite the "sticks" small town too.

[Pearlbob]

No, Millington is straight north of downtown, more west. Somerville is very far out east, like east on I-40 or Hwy 64. Millington is much larger than Somerville, as it's been around a lot longer (well, in a sense) and used to have the military base there. When the military base closed, Millington stopped growing. No, correct that - the base is still open but it closed a large portion of it's ...functions?....a while back. Somerville is definitely in the sticks, I agree with that totally.

[Pearlbob]

Here's a map. Millington is north of downtown, and Somerville isn't even on the map It is further east of Oakland, which barely makes it onto the map itself.

http://citytradesman.com/city-maps/memphis-map.jpg

[UofMGrad92]

Somerville is a pretty good drive from anywhere in Memphis other than Eads. It's about 25 miles from the middle of Somerville to the Wolfchase area, and just about any route into town from there is going to take you along that path (whether it's Hwy 64 or I-40).

If I were looking for a more rural environment and didn't mind the longer commutes than I have in Bartlett, I would live in either place. However, I wouldn't buy in Somerville or Millington right now if resale value is important in the next 5 years or so. Sommerville and Fayette County in general are up and coming, but that long commute coupled with 4 dollar a gallon gas will pretty quickly eat up the savings from lower property taxes. I would be worried that the cost of the commute coupled with the bad public schools could make the cost of living out that way prohibitive compared to Tipton County of Desoto County (for those looking to get away from Memphis/Shelby County politics all together).

Millington is just Millington, and while it isn't a bad area to live (at least most of it, and I wouldn't call any of it dangerous), it has just never taken off. My guess would be the growth of Munford and Atoka (in Tipton County) and there proximity to Millington have pulled people away from Millington proper. Of course, all that could change, but I wouldn't bet my down payment on it in the current housing market.

[mzloolue]

Pearlbob,

Apparently you have not been to Millington in quite a while.
And there seem to be some misconceptions in some of your comments.

Millington has some really nice areas.
And it is growing.
It has some new chain restaurants and I'm sure that more are coming.
The vesta home show was in Millington a couple of years ago.
If I was looking for a house, I would definitely look in the Millington area. Especially if I was looking for a house with a small acreage.

For me, Collierville is just too far out and I'm a bit worried about the overbuilding going on in Arlington.
Arlington is starting to remind me of Cordova not so long ago.
Currently upscale, but still leaves me leery.

[Pearlbob]

Adding an Outback and a Chili's in 20 years does not make a town to me In all seriousnes, as I said, there is nothing scary about Millington...it is just much, much slower to come around than any other area. And it definitely has some very poor, run down areas, more than the suburbs out east. It is not seeing the growth that other areas have seen. People are moving to the eastern suburbs for years, and that is where the growth is; if the OP is worried about reselling a home, it would probably be harder in Millington because people are not moving there in droves like Arlington, Collierville, Southaven, etc.