Bartlett areas (Memphis, Germantown, Collierville: fit in, crime, cheap home)

[mich2fla]

We are looking into Memphis, more specifically the Bartlett area. Can any one of you tell us about the general area, schools, subdivisions, etc. It seems the housing and taxes are very reasonable...that's why we shifted our focus to TN from Florida.

We are from Michigan and want to make sure we'd fit in OK!

We probably will look into a new house. Any recommended builders or any to avoid?

Thanks for your time.

[MrsMichelle]

There are a lot of new subdivisions going up near the Arlington border. Nice, big homes, with all the bells and whistles. I haven't heard anything horrible about any builders. Though, there are some that try to get you locked into there terms (financing, amenities, etc). Bartlett is a very nice, family oriented city. There are many things to do: movies, shopping, parks, sports, etc. I love Bartlett. If you'd like any other info, just let me know.

[mich2fla]

Thanks for the reply MrsMichelle!

Any info on schools in the area? We checked schoolmatters.com, but would like a resident's perspective. Are teachers happy there are is there a division with their school boards? Good PTO involvement with the schools? Do taxpayers support the schools with mileage requests?

Another question...is the property taxes capped?

That's all I can think of right now.

[MrsMichelle]

What ages are your children? There are several elementry schools. I'd have to see which ones you would be in line for. Email me and let me know, I sent you an email. I have many friends with children in Bartlett area elementry schools. So, I can call around and ask. Just click on my screen name and it will prompt you to my email.

[Kicking4JC]

I would avoid Reeves Williams homes inless you want a cheap home with very little room to add to. I know this from electrical experience, as they run the minimum code possible. Along with my father we had to make the bathroooms operate on different breakers because when a hair dryer was running in each bathroom the breaker would trip. All the lights, (8 light bar light) in both bathrooms, both exaust fans, both dome lights over the shower, and the GFCI outlets were all tied into one breaker. Talk about a headache. I had to go to the attic and just where I needed to drop the additional wire, there was stop to the attic. It started again on the other side, but to get in you had to access the attic stairs in another part of the house.

Just a thought.

[JMSTiger]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

Thanks for the reply MrsMichelle!

Any info on schools in the area? We checked schoolmatters.com, but would like a resident's perspective. Are teachers happy there are is there a division with their school boards? Good PTO involvement with the schools? Do taxpayers support the schools with mileage requests?

Another question...is the property taxes capped?

That's all I can think of right now.

In Shelby County, if you live in an unincorporated area or inside the cities/towns or annexation reserve areas of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland or Millington your kids will attend a Shelby County School. Just about every school within the Shelby County school system is of good quality.

There is very little crime in Bartlett or any of the other suburban municipalities of Shelby County.

Property taxes in all of those suburban municipalities are much lower than those assessed in the city of Memphis.

[mich2fla]

Everyone - thanks for the input. If you have more to say, please let me know!

MrsMichelle - got your e-mail. Many thanks! I'll get back to you soon.