Crafts Fair - Nashville (Franklin, Hendersonville: real estate, houses, neighborhood)

[alleycat]

I know it's a little late to post this, but the big fall crafts fair is on this weekend in Centennial Park. It's runs through Sunday sometime (and late Sunday is actually the best time to go if you're looking for bargains . . . the vendors will often flex on price rather than cart their stuff back home).

[isew4u2]

AlleyCat - you seem to know the Nashville area well. I've been offered a position in Nashville and I'm trying to decide the feel of Nashville. Having been born in VA, lived in FL most of my life and now in TX. I have a young family and I want an area safe. The office is in Davidson Cty I believe. I love to quilt and my girls are 8 and 10. I want to feel safe but not afraid of a fixer upper, but would like an area that has a lot to offer.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by isew4u2

AlleyCat - you seem to know the Nashville area well. I've been offered a position in Nashville and I'm trying to decide the feel of Nashville. Having been born in VA, lived in FL most of my life and now in TX. I have a young family and I want an area safe. The office is in Davidson Cty I believe. I love to quilt and my girls are 8 and 10. I want to feel safe but not afraid of a fixer upper, but would like an area that has a lot to offer.

It would have probably been better to start a separate thread; that way you would get a variety of other opinions. But, that's okay. Maybe others will find it here (or maybe Mdmouse will move it to a separate thread for you).

Anyway . . .

First a few questions. What's your price range? Or you planning on sending your kids to private or public schools? What is your acceptable commute time?

[isew4u2]

I'd like to stay about where I'm at now $315-$350K range if possible - need a yard prefer bigger (would love a basement) - I have a 14' long arm sewing machine so I need an extra room somewhere - prefer public schools grades 5th and 3rd. The office is in Davidson close to downtown - I prefer a shorter commute - but I'll do what i have to for the neighborhood and school system. Pref under 30 mins. it's give and take isn't it?

[alleycat]

With that price range you have a lot of options. Probably my top three choices for you would be Williamson County (Frankin or possibly Brentwood), Sumner County (Hendersonville), or Wilson County (Mt. Juliet). Rutherford County might be okay, but the commute in that direction is getting to be intolerable.

All three counties have a pretty good school system from what I hear and the commute is more or less within your 30 minute range. You can get more house in Hendersonville or Mt. Juliet, but Franklin is very nice. Brentwood is very pricey (but convenient). $350k would be on the low side there but I think you could find something; and the lots in Brentwood are one-acre or more by zoning (unless they've changed it in the last few years to allow PUDs or something like that; the real estate people here would know that).

I could even suggest some place in Metro Nashville that are very nice. The only problem would be the schools when the kids get older. The elementary schools in Nashville, and I think most of the middle schools, are okay, but some of the high schools are iffy (there are some good high schools, some okay ones, and some just plain bad ones).

Basements are fairly common here, although not all houses have them. Or you could divide a large garage to make into a sewing room. By the way, my mother sewed a lot . . . including quilts; boy does a old-fashioned quilt frame take up a lot of room.

[alleycat]

Oh, another option might be Kingston Spring just outside Metro in neighboring Cheatham County. The commute into downtown from the west is probably better than any other direction. I live in Bellevue in the southwest part of the county and commute to MetroCenter near downtown. My commute isn't bad at all (unless there's an accident).

[isew4u2]

You've been really helpful - thanks so much.