Moving from Silicon Valley — need some local experts (Franklin: foreclosed, mortgage broker)

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by hubbstar

3) Are there parts of Brentwood / Franklin that have more character and charm? Mature trees? Space between homes? Boutique restaurants, bars and shops? If so, what are the specific neighborhoods / streets we should explore?

Thanks!

Brentwood was built on a "one house per acre" rule, so there is plenty of space in the more established neighborhoods like Brenthaven, Meadow Lake, and Belle Rive. The zoning laws have been tweaked to allow "one-acre density," which brings in slightly smaller lots with a proportionate amount of common green space.

Here is a sample home in Brenthaven:
Showcase Photo Tour | 8126 Devens Dr Brentwood, TN 37027

There are boutique bars and shops in a growing area called Town Center, which is between Franklin Road and Wilson Pike. It's a start. Vignette, Raine and Fresh Style are just a few of the new shops.

[brentwoodgirl]

We lived in Green Hills, then Oak Hill, and now Brentwood. There are things we like and dislike about each area.

Green Hills: convenience, great restaurants, shopping, cute houses. When we had children when we moved out of Green Hills to get more house and mostly a bigger yard.

Oak Hill (between Green Hills and Brentwood): huge yards, still very convenient, mix of families and older residents. Deer and other wildlife in our yard, which was great. We lived in walking distance of Radnor Lake and loved that area. But we weren't as comfortable with the schools. We visited the public schools, attended private schools, tried the lottery for a couple of years and then decided to move to Brentwood. Didn't love the fact that all of our children's friends in our neighborhood went to different schools, played sports at different places, etc.

Brentwood: love the schools, especially love that we don't have to worry about private school or lottery anymore. We may still consider a classical school in the future, but here private school is an option, not a necessity like it can be in parts of Nashville. With 3 children, that was going to be a constant stress in Nashville as every couple of years we would be having to figure out what to do as a child started school or moved up to the next level. Love the small town feel, 90% of children in Brentwood go to public school, so all your neighborhood friends will likely go to the same school, play sports at the same places, etc. We really like that part of Brentwood. It's definitely not as convenient to shopping and restaurants as living in Nashville.

We live in a newer subdivision in East Brentwood. But that doesn't mean there isn't any character. On a 3 mile walk with my family this weekend, we walked by a 150+ year old church, a treed area with a lake/pond, a completely wooded area with no houses, an area with a couple of gorgeous farms and at least one historic house (and one well known celebrity's house next to a farm) and a 100+ year old spring house. The next time I do that same walk I am going to take some pics to add to the picture thread. All of that is within 1.5 miles of my house, all nice areas to walk or ride a bike. So living in a newer subdivision doesn't mean you can't live near pretty and interesting things.

On the transition from Nashville to Brentwood, it is a bit like moving to a new town as far as meeting new people. From sports, our business, and other things, we knew half of my daughter's Kindergarten class in our Nashville school, which was great. I thought surely we would know lots of families when we moved down here too, but we knew very few from our actual school. That was a bit surprising to us. But it's because so many of the people in Brentwood tend to do school, sports, church, etc. all in Brentwood. But once you move here, you quickly get to know tons of people for that same reason.

You could always rent in Nashville and enjoy the amenities for the first year and then look at Williamson County when you get closer to school. I will say that I know lots of families that have moved from Nashville to WC, but only one who has moved from Brentwood to Nashvile. They spent one year at Percy Priest Elementary and were so discouraged they moved back. So that's something to consider when your children are school age.

There's my book. If you made it this far, hopefully this was helpful. All the areas you are considering are really nice. So it's just a matter of priorities and what lifestyle you prefer.

[hubbstar]

Wow, wow, wow… this thread is legit! You all are incredibly helpful, so before I start trying to reply to everything, let me say THANK YOU

One thing on my commute currently… I live 7 miles from work, which takes me about 12 minutes. Some days I bike. I never sit in traffic. So a 35 minute commute in bumper-to-bumper I65 madness sounds like hell.

@mlp206 — would you feel safe walking the streets at night in the good parts of East Nashville? The crime map doesn't seem to show any havens… what are some of the "best" streets in that part of town?

@GWoodle — we haven't given too much energy to Bellevue. Thanks for the suggestion. How is rush hour traffic on I40?

@septimus — Westhaven (from the website) reminds me of The Truman Show Does it feel that pollyanna in person?

@Wmsn4life — that house looks awesome! Thank you for that, as well as the pointer to Town Center. Is it growing at a snail's pace, or is it on a steeper trajectory?

@brentwoodgirl — this is great info! I did make it all the way to the end. It is so specific to our situation. Playing the school lottery doesn't sound fun, and the thought of 3 kids in private school gives me a lot of angst… especially when there are great public options the next county over. I like the idea of living more urban for a few years and then moving to Brentwood. One question: when you moved from Nashville to Brentwood, did you and your husband find yourselves making new friends? Or do you still regularly see your friends from Green Hills / Oak Hill?

@nashvols — first, thanks for such a thoughtful reply. Lots to respond to here…

Originally Posted by nashvols

-For the same relative price, what is more important -- a larger yard or a more unique/older neighborhood? Also, do you prefer new construction or older?

Like traffic, size is relative. Coming from CA, everything seems palatial. For the next several years, I prefer a more unique/older neighborhood. Eventually, I'll probably want a bigger yard, garage, more space. Generally I like older construction with updated kitchen & baths. I love to cook, so a good kitchen is almost a must. I'm not opposed to new construction, but I find most of it these days to be a bit uninspiring and tired.

Originally Posted by nashvols

-How important are sidewalks to your house choice? (as in, sidewalks that connect to city streets rather than subdivision sidewalks)

Both types of sidewalks are important. My wife loves taking walks with the baby (soon to be babies) during the day, although I'm not sure that's as enjoyable in Nashville summer heat. But we do like to walk around the neighborhood and—in a perfect world— to local shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

Originally Posted by nashvols

-How about proximity to parks and greenways?

Important, but they don't need to be next door, especially if we have a decent yard (keep in mind, we have no yard now).

Originally Posted by nashvols

-Do you primarily shop/eat in big box stores or chains, or do you prefer locally owned or mom and pop places?

We shop at Costco for staples and generally buy our produce, meat, eggs, milk, etc. at Whole Foods. Our preference isn't as much about local vs. chains but rather healthy, organic, fresh. Farmer's markets are great, too, as are local mom & pop places as long as they meet the quality/fresh/healthy bar.

Originally Posted by nashvols

-What sort of activities are you interested in?

Most of my free time is consumed with family and guitar. I am absolutely dying to get on the water during the summers and do some boating, water skiing, etc. I do like to road bike, and we like going to parks as a family when the weather is nice. We also love going up to the city and letting the dog run around the beach by the Golden Gate bridge or spending an afternoon in Half Moon Bay looking at the Pacific coast

Originally Posted by nashvols

Are you Christian or any other religion, or non-religious?

We would both consider ourselves devout Christians, although our time in CA has developed a much less dogmatic faith than what we had as a result of growing up in the midwest. All to say, I love Jesus, and I have really strong beliefs and convictions that guide my life, but I have grown to appreciate others' perspectives and enjoy talking to people about differences in beliefs in a way that's not vitriolic or demonizing. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life.

Originally Posted by nashvols

Are you conservative or liberal?

I'm politically frustrated I don't know how I'd categorize myself… libertarian with a conscience? I don't fall neatly under either broad brush stroke, but I definitely lean more conservative than liberal on most issues.

Originally Posted by nashvols

Would you prefer to live in an area with like-minded or similar people, or does that not a concern?

Following on the above, I appreciate diversity of thought as I think it sharpens and leads to personal growth. But that only works when you have open / inquisitive minds on both sides of an issue. If I had to error on a side, I'd rather live somewhere where people are generally conservative. What I don't want is to live in an area that's extreme in either direction.

[mlp206]

We walk at night by ourselves all the time. And sometimes in the evenings with out kids. I truly understand your concern. I visit CA a lot and the crime there is much different than here..not that any of is acceptable. When it comes to East Nashville you want to concentrate on the East Side of Main Street or Gallatin Pike. Areas like Lockeland Springs, Eastwood Neighbors, Inglewood in particular the Brush Hill Riverwood area.

Westhaven is EXACTLY like the Truman Show..not that it is bad but it is like that.

[septimus]

Truman Show was filmed at Seaside which had the same planning/engineering firm as Westhaven. It is very well maintained, almost to Disney standards.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Like traffic, size is relative. Coming from CA, everything seems palatial. For the next several years, I prefer a more unique/older neighborhood. Eventually, I'll probably want a bigger yard, garage, more space. Generally I like older construction with updated kitchen & baths. I love to cook, so a good kitchen is almost a must. I'm not opposed to new construction, but I find most of it these days to be a bit uninspiring and tired.

If you can find something in your budget, that would generally describe a house in one of the gentrified historic neighborhoods. (Like in many areas), a lot of work has been put into some of these houses, and of course kitchens are a main emphasis on remodeling these days.

The main thing I would check out with the old houses is the electrical and plumbing. If they've been updated/replaced, great...otherwise, carefully look into it. The old cloth covered wire needs to go!

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Both types of sidewalks are important. My wife loves taking walks with the baby (soon to be babies) during the day, although I'm not sure that's as enjoyable in Nashville summer heat. But we do like to walk around the neighborhood and—in a perfect world— to local shops, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

No, walking in the Summer heat is pretty miserable. Some days it's so humid you'll be soaking wet after only walking to the mailbox. Fall and Spring (and even Winter, when it's mild) are usually pretty ideal for an outdoor stroll, though.

Walking to local shops/restaurants/coffee shops isn't easy in most areas of the metro area...but there are a few possible spots. Not so much in the suburbs (except for downtown Franklin). East Nashville would provide a fair amount of this possibility, as would 12th South, and certain areas around Vandy and Green Hills.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Important, but they don't need to be next door, especially if we have a decent yard (keep in mind, we have no yard now).

Gotcha.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

We shop at Costco for staples and generally buy our produce, meat, eggs, milk, etc. at Whole Foods. Our preference isn't as much about local vs. chains but rather healthy, organic, fresh. Farmer's markets are great, too, as are local mom & pop places as long as they meet the quality/fresh/healthy bar.

There is a Costco in West Nashville, and one in Cool Springs (Franklin/Brentwood), and there is a Whole Foods in Green Hills and one in Cool Springs. The Nashville area is probably going to be lacking compared to what your used to as far as having a number of organic/fresh food stores, but there are a few options. Other posters would probably be able to give you a more complete list.

We do have a number of small farmer's markets, as well as a large one just north of downtown. Definitely check those out.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Most of my free time is consumed with family and guitar. I am absolutely dying to get on the water during the summers and do some boating, water skiing, etc. I do like to road bike, and we like going to parks as a family when the weather is nice. We also love going up to the city and letting the dog run around the beach by the Golden Gate bridge or spending an afternoon in Half Moon Bay looking at the Pacific coast

If you are really interested in boating/water skiing, I would encourage you to at least take a look at Hendersonville. It's a nice community with a lot of people with boats/jet skis/etc. and people who generally just love the water. Being close to a lake avoids a whole lot of hassle of dragging a boat across town...you would be able to enjoy it a lot more often if you live close.

As far as parks...Nashville has some nice big parks right outside of town. Check out the Warner Parks south of Belle Meade, and Radnor Lake in Oak Hill. Those are both good "escapes" from the city atmosphere for being so close to town.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

We would both consider ourselves devout Christians, although our time in CA has developed a much less dogmatic faith than what we had as a result of growing up in the midwest. All to say, I love Jesus, and I have really strong beliefs and convictions that guide my life, but I have grown to appreciate others' perspectives and enjoy talking to people about differences in beliefs in a way that's not vitriolic or demonizing. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life.

With views like these, you will probably find yourself comfortable pretty much anywhere in the Nashville metro. There's definitely a pretty strong Christian atmosphere (and a whole lot of churches), but a small but growing group of other faiths as well as non-religious types.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

I'm politically frustrated I don't know how I'd categorize myself… libertarian with a conscience? I don't fall neatly under either broad brush stroke, but I definitely lean more conservative than liberal on most issues.

Once again, (even though frustrated), you're somewhat in the middle here, so you probably wouldn't have any issue in any area you choose.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Following on the above, I appreciate diversity of thought as I think it sharpens and leads to personal growth. But that only works when you have open / inquisitive minds on both sides of an issue. If I had to error on a side, I'd rather live somewhere where people are generally conservative. What I don't want is to live in an area that's extreme in either direction.

I like the way you think.

[brentwoodgirl]

We do still see our Nashville friends but not as often. We used to socialize with 4 other couples several times a month, now it's more like once every few months. Two of those couples have also moved to Brentwood, but we are all at different schools, and our children play sports at different levels, so we don't see them on weekly basis any more.
And we've made new friends in Brentwood also.

[mcredux]

1) One of the big perks about Nashville is that it is easy to avoid a 30-45 minute commute. From walking out your frontdoor in Franklin to arriving at a downtown office, you're looking at 45-50 minutes.

2) This could be a toss-up. You may find a great community full of transplants in Brentwood, or you may find it a cultural wasteland.

3) Outside of downtown Franklin--which is very nice--there is very little character and charm. As you probably noticed, eyesore McMansions from the 1980's don’t have the most charming effect. For nightlife of any sort, Brentwood is a dead zone. It is probably better to make fun day trips to Franklin on the weekends, than make daily trips to Nashville.

There are a few reasons why most people want to live in Williamson County:
1) They wish to avoid the social problems (i.e., minorities) of Davidson County schools. WC county schools are still lackluster by national standards, but they don't have the social problems.
2) They want a big house and cheap land. When you factor in the amount of land, your average WC mcmansion is 50-60% of the price of the equivalent home in Davidson County. When you compare it to West End, it's 20-25%. So it comes down priorities.

Ultimately, your best bet will be the area bounded by Cherokee Road to Bowling Avenue and Murphy Road to West End. You're on the "other side" of west end , so it's more affordable. It also draws a more progressive, cosmopolitan crowd--think fewer lawyers from Ole Miss and more professors from Vandy.

You're close to 440 so you can get anywhere in city quickly: 12th south, Green Hills, Sylvan Park, West End, Downtown, East Nashville, etc. Very pedestrian friendly. Great sidewalks. Wide streets. There are three parks within a five minute drive. Plus, you can walk to Richland Greenway, which is a nice diversion. The Haloween Street party on Richland Ave is truely a sight to behold--especially for your kids. It's like something a from Norman Rockwell painiting.

Of course, the downside is you pretty much have to enroll your children in private schools or cross your fingers for a magnet shool. While Tennessee is making progress with its education system, it's still abysmal by national standards. If you follow local politics long enough, you realize our representatives are more focused on Micky Mouse issues than improving quality of life.

Not to ovesell it, but you will find a lot of families in this area in the same boat as you. They have children and they make the appropriate sacrifices. The spending goes into mortgage payments and education for the kids, and not a new BMW for when little Tiffany turns 16. Or a new boat to make your Rich Jethro neighbors jealous.

I would also suggest looking at the 12th South/Melrose Area--basically from 21st to 10th Avenue.

Originally Posted by hubbstar

Hi all -

I've been trolling over the past couple months while a decision to move to Nashville loomed. Now the decision has been made, and we're starting to move the ball forward. You all seem so helpful, so here goes…

We spent a whirlwind weekend in town a couple weeks ago and covered a lot of ground. Here's what we saw:

Franklin: Fieldstone Farms, Cottonwood area, had lunch downtown

Brentwood: McMansion sprawl east of I65 near Cool Springs exit, more cookie cutter homes further east of I65 out Concord road

Belmont / Hillsboro: Cottages on cross streets b/w Belmont & 12th south, streets b/w 21st and Belmont

West End: Richland ave, Cherokee Park

Green Hills: nice neighborhoods scattered northwest of Battery & Granny White

Reader's digest summary: loved downtown Franklin, didn't love Fieldstone farms and the rest of the McMansion cookie-cutter big box strip mall fast food suburb stuff we saw in WC. Conversely, we loved some of the more urban areas (West End, Green Hills). But the cost of desirable West End / Green Hills homes is pretty high, plus the longer term consideration of schools. Here are some follow-up questions from our weekend:

1) I'll be working downtown and thought anywhere near downtown Franklin would be an awful commute. True?

2) My wife has a feeling that she'll be more isolated in the burbs than in a more urban neighborhood like West End. We have a 2 y/o and another on the way, and she doesn't want to be stuck in the burbs with no community or a misfit community. Can anyone speak to this? I will admit we are yuppies…

3) Are there parts of Brentwood / Franklin that have more character and charm? Mature trees? Space between homes? Boutique restaurants, bars and shops? If so, what are the specific neighborhoods / streets we should explore?

4) We want to rent for a year before buying and choose an area we hope to be longer term. My concern is that living in DC for 5 years and then moving to WC is near tantamount to starting over with respect to local community and relationships, so I am nervous about the urban now, suburban later plan. We plan to have 3, maybe 4, kids, so schools and space will be of great importance eventually. Our rental budget is around $2k/mo and purchase budget will be up to $400k. Has anyone ever micro transplanted from Davidson to Williamson county and can speak to how hard of a transition that was with respect to establishing new community?

Hope these aren't too vague… we're trying to make a lot of these important decisions from CA, and it's not easy.

Thanks!

[mlp206]

Originally Posted by mcredux

1) One of the big perks about Nashville is that it is easy to avoid a 30-45 minute commute. From walking out your frontdoor in Franklin to arriving at a downtown office, you're looking at 45-50 minutes.

2) This could be a toss-up. You may find a great community full of transplants in Brentwood, or you may find it a cultural wasteland.

3) Outside of downtown Franklin--which is very nice--there is very little character and charm. As you probably noticed, eyesore McMansions from the 1980's don’t have the most charming effect. For nightlife of any sort, Brentwood is a dead zone. It is probably better to make fun day trips to Franklin on the weekends, than make daily trips to Nashville.

There are a few reasons why most people want to live in Williamson County:
1) They wish to avoid the social problems (i.e., minorities) of Davidson County schools. WC county schools are still lackluster by national standards, but they don't have the social problems.
2) They want a big house and cheap land. When you factor in the amount of land, your average WC mcmansion is 50-60% of the price of the equivalent home in Davidson County. When you compare it to West End, it's 20-25%. So it comes down priorities.

Ultimately, your best bet will be the area bounded by Cherokee Road to Bowling Avenue and Murphy Road to West End. You're on the "other side" of west end , so it's more affordable. It also draws a more progressive, cosmopolitan crowd--think fewer lawyers from Ole Miss and more professors from Vandy.

You're close to 440 so you can get anywhere in city quickly: 12th south, Green Hills, Sylvan Park, West End, Downtown, East Nashville, etc. Very pedestrian friendly. Great sidewalks. Wide streets. There are three parks within a five minute drive. Plus, you can walk to Richland Greenway, which is a nice diversion. The Haloween Street party on Richland Ave is truely a sight to behold--especially for your kids. It's like something a from Norman Rockwell painiting.

Of course, the downside is you pretty much have to enroll your children in private schools or cross your fingers for a magnet shool. While Tennessee is making progress with its education system, it's still abysmal by national standards. If you follow local politics long enough, you realize our representatives are more focused on Micky Mouse issues than improving quality of life.

Not to ovesell it, but you will find a lot of families in this area in the same boat as you. They have children and they make the appropriate sacrifices. The spending goes into mortgage payments and education for the kids, and not a new BMW for when little Tiffany turns 16. Or a new boat to make your Rich Jethro neighbors jealous.

I would also suggest looking at the 12th South/Melrose Area--basically from 21st to 10th Avenue.

I love this..not sure if it is serious but I still love it..

[hubbstar]

Originally Posted by mcredux

1) One of the big perks about Nashville is that it is easy to avoid a 30-45 minute commute. From walking out your frontdoor in Franklin to arriving at a downtown office, you're looking at 45-50 minutes.

2) This could be a toss-up. You may find a great community full of transplants in Brentwood, or you may find it a cultural wasteland.

3) Outside of downtown Franklin--which is very nice--there is very little character and charm. As you probably noticed, eyesore McMansions from the 1980's don’t have the most charming effect. For nightlife of any sort, Brentwood is a dead zone. It is probably better to make fun day trips to Franklin on the weekends, than make daily trips to Nashville.

There are a few reasons why most people want to live in Williamson County:
1) They wish to avoid the social problems (i.e., minorities) of Davidson County schools. WC county schools are still lackluster by national standards, but they don't have the social problems.
2) They want a big house and cheap land. When you factor in the amount of land, your average WC mcmansion is 50-60% of the price of the equivalent home in Davidson County. When you compare it to West End, it's 20-25%. So it comes down priorities.

Ultimately, your best bet will be the area bounded by Cherokee Road to Bowling Avenue and Murphy Road to West End. You're on the "other side" of west end , so it's more affordable. It also draws a more progressive, cosmopolitan crowd--think fewer lawyers from Ole Miss and more professors from Vandy.

You're close to 440 so you can get anywhere in city quickly: 12th south, Green Hills, Sylvan Park, West End, Downtown, East Nashville, etc. Very pedestrian friendly. Great sidewalks. Wide streets. There are three parks within a five minute drive. Plus, you can walk to Richland Greenway, which is a nice diversion. The Haloween Street party on Richland Ave is truely a sight to behold--especially for your kids. It's like something a from Norman Rockwell painiting.

Of course, the downside is you pretty much have to enroll your children in private schools or cross your fingers for a magnet shool. While Tennessee is making progress with its education system, it's still abysmal by national standards. If you follow local politics long enough, you realize our representatives are more focused on Micky Mouse issues than improving quality of life.

Not to ovesell it, but you will find a lot of families in this area in the same boat as you. They have children and they make the appropriate sacrifices. The spending goes into mortgage payments and education for the kids, and not a new BMW for when little Tiffany turns 16. Or a new boat to make your Rich Jethro neighbors jealous.

I would also suggest looking at the 12th South/Melrose Area--basically from 21st to 10th Avenue.

Yeah I love this too. I didn't realize WC schools were still lackluster from a national perspective. Everyone talks about them as if they're the bee's knees.

I also figured you'd have more 16 year old brats driving around in BMWs in West End than in Franklin. Maybe I was wrong?

One thing you bring to light that hasn't been discussed… the whole keeping up with the Jones' thing (anyone seen the movie?). I sense this is more of an issue in the burbs where space for crap is more plentiful. Bigger boats, faster cars, cooler riding mowers, blah blah blah puke. I have this cynical picture of the burbs (particularly the McMansion planned community areas) where folks are just trying to keep up the pretense of a perfect life while dying from the inside out. I'd love some insight here without going off the rails.

Perhaps a less incendiary way to put this is that I want to live in a community of people who are authentic and who generally don't define their worth through the accumulation of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love my toys, but they mean nothing if the more important parts of my life aren't in order.