Memphis Area Home Buying (Germantown, Collierville: crime, hotel, house) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

AugustaGuy · 11-30-2008, 10:44 PM

Hello,

Can someone provide insight into a great place to buy a home that's close to my office by Poplar Avenue and I-240? I have about $300,000 to spend and have three kids(18, 16, 12) in the school system. We are moving next month due to work relocation from Chicago and have received so much conflicting information about crime and poor schools that I wonder what is accurate.

We prefer an established and wooded community like Germantown with the ammenities of Collierville without the higher taxes that each represent. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Pearlbob · 12-01-2008, 08:02 AM

I assume you mean Poplar and 240 out east? (Poplar and 240 also cross towards downtown, in the western side of the city.)

You will receive conflicting school info on this site too, you can search and read everything that has been said lately about it. Overall, yes - the school system is horrible. Not just education-wise, but safety-wise too. My opinion is that out of ease to you and your family, it is best to either put your kids in private school, or live in a suburb that has safe schools. Germantown, as you mentioned, would be fine. Same with Collierville, definitely.

Living in Memphis city, your kids would be sent to Memphis school, which are about 99% atrocious, especially at the high school level when kids start joining gangs, owning weapons, etc. There is one high school that has an optional program that is okay - White Station, which is around Poplar & 240 out east. However, it's ONLY the optional program. The rest of the school is not good. Getting your kids into an optional program can be a big headache, and isn't a guarantee. Meaning, if you buy a house in the area, but your kids don't get into the optional program, you're stuck in city schools.

However, if you can afford to live in Germantown or Collierville, you could probably afford to send your kids to private in the city instead. It would be up to you. I imagine your 18 year old is in his last year, and the 16 year old would only have maybe 2 more years to go. Tuition can be brutal though.

My personal opinion is that, even though there are a couple okay optional programs in the city, I would not want to bother with the headache of fighting to get my kids into them. I'd rather just shell out the money for private schools. (Or, you could live in a good suburb.)

joninclay · 12-01-2008, 09:48 AM

I echo Pearlbob 100%. Go with Germantown or Collierville if you want to use the public school system, since those are county schools (which are good) and not city schools (which are not).

2nomadic4me · 12-01-2008, 11:21 AM

Yeah... I agree with the whole stay out of the city schools. Although, your 12yo is probably in middle school (I'm assuming but he may be in Junior High).. which from my experience of listening to my friends, the Middle School in Germantown (Houston Middle) are not the best. I don't believe that the JH's are either.. but things can change since yesterday. A friend of mine is sending her 6th grader to ECS (Evangelical Christian School) and wouldn't even consider sending her kid to Middle School. I agree with Pearlbob.

AugustaGuy · 12-01-2008, 09:32 PM

Thanks everyone, this is great info. We are used to commuting over an hour to work each way so we are also considering moving out a little further to Arlington for the shear purpose of getting more house and land for the money. We also have a couple of great Labrador Retreivers that are like kids and will need a place for them to roam as well. This forum is great...I hope that the rest of the locals are this helpful.

joninclay · 12-02-2008, 05:47 AM

Arlington is a great choice.

2nomadic4me · 12-02-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AugustaGuy

Thanks everyone, this is great info. We are used to commuting over an hour to work each way so we are also considering moving out a little further to Arlington for the shear purpose of getting more house and land for the money. We also have a couple of great Labrador Retreivers that are like kids and will need a place for them to roam as well. This forum is great...I hope that the rest of the locals are this helpful.

Some locals might not be as helpful. J/K But, a friend of mine lives out in Lakeland and loves it. It's beautiful out there. Go see it for yourself! Have you been to Memphis yet?

AugustaGuy · 12-02-2008, 04:48 PM

No, I haven't been into Memphis yet. I have been so busy getting settled into a new position. I have heard Memphis is a great city. Coming from Chicago, I am excited about visiting another big city.

2nomadic4me · 12-03-2008, 06:26 AM

Ok..heres my suggestion. Just start from wherever you are staying in Memphis and go drive around all of the neighborhoods and get a feel on what the city is like, get familiar with the streets, and when you found a neighborhood that you like: go back to your hotel/friends/families house and look that neighborhood/area (like Eastgate isn't a neighborhood it's an area) up on the internet and call a realtor (or the owner if it was FSBO).

Good Luck!