Considering Relocation for Young Family. Should we do it? (Franklin: transplants, insurance)

[Magpie425]

My husband and I have 5 small children. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. The cost of living here is terrible. The property taxes are going up. For a house that's under 1200 sq. ft., we paid $230K for it and taxes are $4000+ a year. We're looking for a change of scene.

The suburbs of Nashville seem to have everything we're looking for. The houses seem huge and beautiful. The property taxes seem very low. The pace of life seems slower and the cost of living seems less. Is this all true? What's the catch? Are the public schools lacking? Is the crime high? A house in Hendersonville for $230K would cost at least upwards of $800K here. Is the workmanship shoddy? I'm just not sure if what I'm seeing is too good to be true? How's the job front there? I mean, I know it's terrible all over the country, but how does the Nash. area rate in comparison to the Chicago area?

A lot of people have said to stay in Chicago because of the culture and diversity. Honestly, that's not a concern for us. We have no desire to go downtown. We want somewhere quieter, more rural and not so busy as here. And, even though TN has winter, it's no where near as nasty as it is in Chi-town, is it?

[septimus]

it is significantly cheaper here than major cities. Our house is twice as big as our last house and $200k less and we don't have drive-by shootings anymore.

Schools have been the focus of the last two administrations and the standards have risen dramatically. They are good in the suburbs and I'd say they are good in metro nashville too except they have more issues.

As for jobs it really depends what industry your husband is in. IF he happens to be in IT he can probably have his pick of jobs. Other industries it depends.

[sickofsnowychi]

We used to live in the NW Suburbs of Chicago, and we were tired of the high costs, crazy traffic, rude people, etc. We researched a lot of places and we ended up moving just south of Nashville (Franklin) in January 2011. We LOVE it. We have 2 girls that are 2 and 5 and it has been an amazing experience for us. The weather is definitely better, people are so much nicer, pace is slower, it is such a wonderful change from Chicago. We couldn't be happier. Feel free to message me with more questions or anything else. I love hearing about people from Chicago that are looking for a similar change.

Originally Posted by Magpie425

My husband and I have 5 small children. We live in the suburbs of Chicago. The cost of living here is terrible. The property taxes are going up. For a house that's under 1200 sq. ft., we paid $230K for it and taxes are $4000+ a year. We're looking for a change of scene.

The suburbs of Nashville seem to have everything we're looking for. The houses seem huge and beautiful. The property taxes seem very low. The pace of life seems slower and the cost of living seems less. Is this all true? What's the catch? Are the public schools lacking? Is the crime high? A house in Hendersonville for $230K would cost at least upwards of $800K here. Is the workmanship shoddy? I'm just not sure if what I'm seeing is too good to be true? How's the job front there? I mean, I know it's terrible all over the country, but how does the Nash. area rate in comparison to the Chicago area?

A lot of people have said to stay in Chicago because of the culture and diversity. Honestly, that's not a concern for us. We have no desire to go downtown. We want somewhere quieter, more rural and not so busy as here. And, even though TN has winter, it's no where near as nasty as it is in Chi-town, is it?

[DonCorleone]

I agree...I think a lot of transplants are surprised (pleasantly) when they find out that housing and utilities are more affordable here. A few years ago (at the height of the housing market), I think the sense was that houses here were "dirt cheap"...which was not the case actually.... Now the pendulum has swung back towards the middle a little bit, but housing is still relatively cheap compared with mega cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, etc.

Definitely look at Hendersonville...good schools, low taxes, plenty of retail/restaurants, growing area, pretty easy commute to Nashville. Williamson County to the south is definitely attractive too...very good schools, same pro's as Hville though some areas are a little more expensive real-estate wise. You might also check out Mt. Juliet as well to the east.

One thing that might surprise people from out of town is that this area is heavily dependent on cars. Public transportation is fairly non-existent here. Yes there are city buses, but if you live in the 'burbs, you're driving everywhere unless you happen to live in Mt. Juliet or the east corridor where there is a burgeoning commuter rail service. So, auto costs may be higher than your used to if you depend on taking busses or trains in Chicago. Another "catch" if you will, is that homeowners' insurance has gone up pretty substantially for most areas due to a rash of exceptionally bad luck and bad weather. Not sure how it compares with Chicago, but that might be somewhat of a surprise.

Overall, though, I think you're right...the cost of living here should be significantly cheaper than the inner loop of any major US city.

Let us know if you have specific questions about specific areas.

[shinestx]

Yes... you should move. And visit Chicago 1-2 times (or even more if budget permits) each year. We do the trip about once every two years (but we have no family there). It's an easy trip... and by all the money you will save, you will be able to afford the trip (even staying at a nice hotel downtown to do all those cultural things that people tell you that you'll miss). Good luck!

[ImComingHome]

Anybody looking to do the opposite....move from Nashville to Chicago?