Area around Raymond (Jackson, Clinton, Natchez: rentals, houses, tenants)

[drew0601]

Hi,

We may be moving to around the Raymond area due to a change in jobs. We currently live in the Western US. My wife's family lives in TN, so we are thinking about this change because 1) closer to her family, 2) better growth potential in this new job, 3) lower cost of living can help us save more. We understand the demographics, and we feel that closeminded rednecks are everywhere and really don't look into the negatives of MS. There are four of us, my wife and two sons. We will homeschool the boys (ages 4 and 1) and that is a decision we made prior to even knowing about this job in MS, so schools are not in question.
What we do need to know are:
Where are good places to live? Currently we live in suburbia, and hate it, we are looking for more of a country type of area. We hope to sell our house, but we plan on renting for at least 6 mos until we know the lay of the land. Residents, what do you think?

We have two dogs (aussie and poodle) and one cat. Are there plenty of rental houses in the area(s) that allow for pets?

Are there many "rent to own" type of arrangements as well?

We love to camp and fish, are there any areas nearby that we might want to focus on?

Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
D

[auntbee]

There are country type areas around Raymond, but you may have a problem finding one to rent. Check out the Jackson newspaper website for rentals in the area (clarionledger.com).

[SouthernNomad]

Hi -

I just responded on your other thread, but to say a few words about rentals, you won't find too many in Raymond. Jackson would be a lot easier, but you might try contacting a realtor in the Raymond area to see if they have a list.

When I was there (about six years ago), there were a couple of rent-to-own signs in town, but be careful. There was a landlord in the area who was notorious for cheating his tenants. He is hopefully long gone, but be sure you know what you're signing before you get into anything!

[ideehomom]

drew0601, call Godfrey and Ivy realty in Clinton, MS (close to Raymond).
They told us about some rentals.

[blueridgemama]

If you're looking for a rural life with lots of outdoor activities, Raymond is a good choice. You're close enough to Jackson that you can shop or go to a doctor, but you are definitely out of the city when you live in Raymond. There are lots of acreage properties and somewhat of an historic home area in town. For outdoor activities, the Natchez Trace is a beautiful stretch of road that goes from Natchez, MS, through into Nashville, TN. It goes right by Raymond. Check out Rocky Springs campground area about 30-45 minutes south. There's a great small river for the kids to swim in and hiking and running around. There's an old church and graveyard that are interesting to see and open to the public. One more stop down is something called, I think, Owen Falls, which is a salt lick cave with a tiny waterfall over the top. My parents got engaged there, but the water table has dropped over the years and less water comes down. That is (or at least was about 6 years ago) also a very nice small swimming hole.