Living in east memphis or Midtown or Germantown or cordova (Central: rentals, condo)

[queenseven]

Hi, there. My husband and I have just arrived in Memphis from Michigan and so far we enjoy staying here ( I believe that memphis has a soul). My husband now is working at U of M and we now live in a townhome in east memphis 38120 . But we are planning to buy a house in memphis or surrounding suburban area the next year for the price between 16k-21k.

We are Asian pacific without any kid and don't really care about the school district (or maybe good elementrary school only). But we do care about the security, convinence, distance to U of M and neighorhood (I will like Asian neighors). I like 38120 a lot, but I found that 38119 has cheaper houses. Is it a good area?

I have not set foot on the the mid town area yet but i am sure I will like it. We will also consider suburban areas like cordova which has a lot of newer and cheaper houses or Germantown (maybe too expensive for us).

So which one is best for us?

Thank you!

[Pearlbob]

$16,000? Maybe you mean $160k to $210k?

I don't know about having asian neighbors, but there are very good areas around UM that have homes within your price range that are in safe areas. Drive around west of Highland, around Central.

$160,000 isn't going to get you into Germantown at all, maybe a townhouse or condo there.

It seems like you could potentially live in any area of the city, if you think you'd like midtown, Cordova, east Memphis, or Germantown. Just a matter of finding a house that you like the best.

38119 is near Hickory Hill and SE Memphis, which has gone downhill rapidly in past years. Not all of it, but all of it is closing in on that area. You can still find very expensive homes there, but the proximity to HH is the reason you're seeing cheaper houses probably.

[queenseven]

Thank you for your reply, Pearlbob. Yeah... I am sorry. It should be 160k to 210k. I won't consider Germantown then. I will try central and west of highland streets. I tried white station, but there are expensive and old houses.
What does HH mean? (You said that the proximity to HH is the reason you're seeing cheaper houses probably.)
Is 38120 a good area. I heard that some professors live there.
Thanks again.

[Pearlbob]

Well...the houses around UM are all going to be "old" too if you think the White Station area is old. They are older than those! Midtown is one of the oldest areas of the city, that's a main reason people live there - the very old unique homes.

HH is Hickory Hill, as I was talking about that area of town. It was once a prosperous area of the city, sort of suburban, that has now gone very downhill over the years. Much like Cordova! (haha)

[queenseven]

Then why cordova has gone downhills these years? and HH area?
My husband and I drove to the south part of Memphis by GPS for a walmart (we didn't know that) and found almost all of the people there are African Americans( they seem harmless and friendly). But we are seeking a diverse community with some Asians maybe.
Actually I don't really like suburban areas and maybe HH area is a good option for us if it is a diverse community and has cheaper houses. (and who knows what will hapan in the next 5 years?)

[Pearlbob]

I can't say that Hickory Hill is a good area for anyone. Not safe. I wouldn't say Hickory Hill is diverse either. But yes, the houses are going to be cheaper!

What south part of Memphis did you go to Wal Mart in? "South Memphis" and the Hickory Hill area are different...south memphis (as people refer to) is more west. And also, very bad, lots of crime.

If your husband is working at UM and you like a diverse, yet safe, area, I think the area west of UM would work well for you. Just make sure to get a neighborhood of families and owners, not rentals and loud students.

[queenseven]

Thank you so much, Pearlbob. I will try west of UM (do you know the zip code of this area?), and 38120 then.
Hope to own a house ASAP.

[Pearlbob]

38111 is around UM. Also try High Point Terrace area, which is...maybe also 38111? NE of the Walnut Grove/Highland intersection.
Midtown is 38104 and 38112.

[JoeCartpath]

You might like the High Point Terrace area. It's a good, stable area that's very convenient to the U of M. It's bordered roughly by Highland on the west, Graham on the east, Walnut Grove on the south Sam Cooper Blvd on the north.

[Bowyer]

I really like 38117. Lots of nice, older houses, many are refurbished and 'modern.' The School system would likely be White Station which will help with retaining value and long term appreciation as well as a relatively safe area.

The boundaries I like are: north of Poplar, west of Estate, east of Perkins and (far) south of Summer.