Moving from Ontario Canada to Tennesse...need help! (Franklin, Columbia: transplants, real estate market) - Nashville - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

logluqu · 10-26-2010, 06:59 AM

My husband is transferring to Tennesse for work...the area he works in is between Brentwood and Nashville. We have three small children, and we are in our mid 30's. Our criteria is : #1 BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, #2- LOW CRIME, #3, FAMILY ORIENTED /MID TO UPSCALE NEIGHBOURHOODS. Looking to purchase a house around $450,000-$550,000. What towns or cities would you recommend? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...littel apprehensive and nervous about it all since I've never lived outside of Canada and I want the very best for my children.
Thank you very much!

brentwoodgirl · 10-26-2010, 07:17 AM

Brentwood would be perfect for you. Close to work and meets all your critera. Brentwood High is ranked about 200 on best schools in US list, Ravenwood is ranked around 400, I think. So both schools are nationally ranked. It is the most upscale suburb of Nashville and full of families/kids.
It's also well within your price range.
Franklin in the first suburb south of Nashville and it also has great school and is an upscale/family area.
There are other nice suburbs around Nashville, but I would stick with Williamson County since it's close to his office and meets all of your critera.
We have Canadians living in our neighborhood.

aaronmidnight · 10-26-2010, 07:20 AM

First, take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. If you come with an open mind, a willingness to embrace a new way of life and a tolerance for hot summer weather, you'll probably fall in love with Tennessee.

Now, to answer your question, I'd suggest looking for houses in Brentwood.

Brentwood has some of the best public schools in the state, it will be close to your husband's work and you should be able to get a very nice house for $450,000-550,000.

Another option might be Franklin. There are actually a number of different options in Franklin - from the more rural areas near Grassland to the shopping and restaurant convenience of living near Cool Springs. Franklin is also known to be pretty safe and to have good schools.

But I'd still suggest Brentwood for you. It would be more convenient for your husband's work and also better in terms of access to both Nashville and Franklin.

FYI, Nashville and Brentwood are next to each other. You wrote your husband will be working "between" Brentwood and Nashville, but unless he literally works on Old Hickory Boulevard, he will have to work in one or the other.

Good luck with your move and feel free to ask additional questions after you've visited the Nashville area and looked at specific neighborhoods around Brentwood.

DonCorleone · 10-26-2010, 10:27 AM

Agreed with all of the above. I'll also toss out a great website for real estate that a lot of non-locals don't seem to know about: www.realtracs.com. Search under Williamson County or by city to narrow the field down and you can see every listing under your price range.

Brentwood or Franklin is a no-brainer I think. Fits all of your criteria.

Best of luck...and yes, I've met a surprising number of Canadian transplants over the last 2 years.

HastingsJD · 10-26-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logluqu

My husband is transferring to Tennesse for work...the area he works in is between Brentwood and Nashville. We have three small children, and we are in our mid 30's. Our criteria is : #1 BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, #2- LOW CRIME, #3, FAMILY ORIENTED /MID TO UPSCALE NEIGHBOURHOODS. Looking to purchase a house around $450,000-$550,000. What towns or cities would you recommend? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...littel apprehensive and nervous about it all since I've never lived outside of Canada and I want the very best for my children.
Thank you very much!

You might check out a previous thread I started - forgot the exact title but something about where to look in the 400-600 range. We're also thirty somethings with kids looking for much of the same criteria as you. There was some helpful info posted on that thread that might be beneficial to you as well.

Good Luck!

Ldoubled · 10-27-2010, 12:12 AM

I agree with the Realtracs.com site. You can even search by school. We're going through rezoning right now. The county is growing and will be constantly rezoned. They are trying to say that the current rezoning will hold for 5 years but their own figures show otherwise. Brentwood and the Grassland area of Franklin have less room for growth, hence greater stability. Both feed into good high schools. Your best bet is to buy or rent close to Brentwood Middle or close to Grassland Middle (I wouldn't call Grassland rural). Also, be aware that part of Brentwood is in a different county with a different school system.

Bizarre rezoning notwithstanding, this is a great area. You can drive from an urban area into some of the prettiest countryside you've ever seen in about 30 minutes. You're convenient to some nice weekend trips to Atlanta, Louisville, St. Louis and Indianapolis. We moved here from Michigan (and prior to that, from Ottawa) and my husband moved into a work situation of fellow transplants. The advice we were given and seemed to be valid was to give it 6 months. There is a bit of an adjustment but I think you'll be pleased.

sliverbox · 10-27-2010, 10:55 AM

Something you might want to consider is the fact that Nashville is going to likely be way, wayyyy cheaper than Canada because from what I've been reading, Vancouver, Toronto, and most other major Canadian cities are currently incredibly expensive. What would probably qualify as a $650,000-$700,000 house in Vancouver would be $150k in Nashville. The way I see it, if you don't have to spend money, then why do it when you can get something good for less? Schools are another issue. Perhaps consider renting first before buying. That way you could find a happy medium and perhaps save A LOT of money.

logluqu · 10-27-2010, 01:25 PM

Wow....that was a great deal of fantastic information about Brentwood. I can't thank you enough. One BIG difference from Tennessee and Toronto is definitely the real estate market. My husband and I and some of our friend cannot believe the inexpensive housing market you have in Brentwood/ Franklin ect....it blows are mind. We live an hour north of Toronto, most of the people we know commute to Toronto to work. It is VERY expensive in Toronto and surrounding areas to live just as it is in British Columbia. A $450,000 home in Brentwood would sell for $800,000-1,000,000 in Toronto and area. (and that is usually not including much land!)

Thank again for your help and once we find out more concrete information I will be back.

logluqu · 10-27-2010, 01:26 PM

Any advice on elementary schools in the area? Public or private best?

HastingsJD · 10-27-2010, 01:39 PM

Hopefully someone who currently lives in the area will respond, but in my searchings on this forum I've been told that Lipscomb, Scales and Edmondson are all good/excellent public elementary schools in Williamson County. (Again no first-hand knowledge - this is just what gathered from this forum.)