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Old 08-03-2013, 06:26 AM
 
4 posts, read 5,227 times
Reputation: 10

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I'm wondering if anyone could help ease my anxiety about moving our large family out of W.Michigan to a Nashville suburb by helping me decide where good places to buy a home would be. I've been searching extensively for months for housing that will fit our budget and sizable family but then I discover some poor ratings on the assigned middle school and/or high school (we have no more elementary children, all are in the middle & high school levels now). It's becoming frustrating because I tend to be drawn to older homes due to many of them having sizable square footage but lower prices because of some minor or moderate updating needed, which I like to do. (I don't like cookie-cutter homes all crammed into a small space w/ no privacy). But I keep worrying about ending up in a rough neighborhood (ie: depreciating home values, crime...) and/or a poor school district. Of particular concern was an area referred to as Marrowbone...I found homes I like, but also found a very poor rating on the assigned high school. Are the ratings I'm finding accurate?
Also, I've read some threads about the local culture but none seemed to address the local culture of the public school systems. Where we live now, our local public schools, save for a few, reflect the conservative, Christian values of the community and I don't worry about the "push" to teach controversial things to my kids. We can't really afford to send all of our children to a private, Christian school so have relied on the public school system up until now.
Any insight or advice would be so appreciated as we anticipate an employment change that would move us out of our midwest comfort zone for the first time in our lives.
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Old 08-03-2013, 08:24 AM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,719,497 times
Reputation: 98359
It would help to know how many kids you have, what your housing budget is, and where you will be working.
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Old 08-03-2013, 08:52 AM
 
4 posts, read 5,227 times
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Right, sorry about those exclusions earlier. We have five kids. One is in college & currently living near his campus but would follow us if we moved out of state and live w/ us until he got settled w/ job, schooling, apartment, etc... We also have a niece who lives w/ us off and on and there stands a slight possibility of her moving w/ us as well....bringing us back to 5! Also, we would want to accommodate out of town guests/relatives too. So I'd be pretty much looking for a 4 bedroom (we'd have 2 kids per room) and if no basement, then a bonus room or some other comparable extra area. Our budget started quite low but we've slowly realized we needed to expand it due to our requirements and unfamiliarity w/ the areas. I've moved the max up to $240 but had started w/ a max of $200. $240 seems to be generating more square footage and amenities in my searches as of late. But I'm starting to wonder if we have to spend a lot more to also be in a better, safer neighborhood w/ good schools.
The job transfer is for my husband and he will need to be on the road covering a southern region including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Raleigh NC area, etc. So it probably would also be important to have a reasonable commute to good highway access.
The whole idea sounds exciting to finally get out of the little "bubble" I've lived in my whole life but also so very daunting as everything is unfamiliar and different. We do not want to make any major mistakes in uprooting our kids and moving them all so far away from what they know. We would like the experience to be positive for everyone.
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Old 08-03-2013, 08:59 AM
 
Location: Franklin, TN
3,760 posts, read 7,069,606 times
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Best website to look for houses is realtracs.com. Very hard to find a "proper" basement here - if you do find one the house has been built into the side of a hill. Williamson County is known for its schools but I'm sure there are more options in other counties.

Here are homes in your price range in Williamson County:

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

But the further out you go the more house you'll get. Spring Hill is about 30 minutes from downtown Nashville. Close to 65.
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Old 08-03-2013, 09:23 AM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,719,497 times
Reputation: 98359
I would look in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) in the Siegel and Blackman High districts.

You may need to open up to the idea of a tract home to fit your budget needs, although there are some older established neighborhoods there as well. It is a good school district with good access for your husband getting on the interstate.

Realtracs is the local MLS website. Unfortunately the way the market is here, 50% of the homes there will already be under contract. But it can help you narrow down areas.

The basement issue here is usually resolved with a bonus room over the two-car garage.
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Old 08-03-2013, 09:52 AM
 
Location: Crosstown *****
1,062 posts, read 2,045,669 times
Reputation: 557
Quote:
Originally Posted by sallynn View Post
Right, sorry about those exclusions earlier. We have five kids. One is in college & currently living near his campus but would follow us if we moved out of state and live w/ us until he got settled w/ job, schooling, apartment, etc... We also have a niece who lives w/ us off and on and there stands a slight possibility of her moving w/ us as well....bringing us back to 5! Also, we would want to accommodate out of town guests/relatives too. So I'd be pretty much looking for a 4 bedroom (we'd have 2 kids per room) and if no basement, then a bonus room or some other comparable extra area. Our budget started quite low but we've slowly realized we needed to expand it due to our requirements and unfamiliarity w/ the areas. I've moved the max up to $240 but had started w/ a max of $200. $240 seems to be generating more square footage and amenities in my searches as of late. But I'm starting to wonder if we have to spend a lot more to also be in a better, safer neighborhood w/ good schools.
The job transfer is for my husband and he will need to be on the road covering a southern region including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Raleigh NC area, etc. So it probably would also be important to have a reasonable commute to good highway access.
The whole idea sounds exciting to finally get out of the little "bubble" I've lived in my whole life but also so very daunting as everything is unfamiliar and different. We do not want to make any major mistakes in uprooting our kids and moving them all so far away from what they know. We would like the experience to be positive for everyone.

If he has to go to Georgia and Alabama (may the force be with him), wouldn't Knoxville or Chattanooga be a better option? Knoxville has very good schools.
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:28 AM
 
2,428 posts, read 5,530,809 times
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I would probably look in Rutherford County too and maybe Wilson County.
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Old 08-03-2013, 01:24 PM
 
4 posts, read 5,227 times
Reputation: 10
I waited to post until we heard more about his territory for travel. But since I last posted, we've now reconsidered settling into Clarksville, where we initially began our search. We have family there who claim the distance isn't all that much between the two to force us out of our desired area (Clarksville) so long as husband has quick access to highway. We have heard wonderful things about most of the Clarksville schools.
I appreciate all the links and suggestions. I will be checking them out as our decision isn't made yet. As for the suggestion to check out Knoxville or Chattanooga, I will definitely research this option. This whole things has so many aspects for us to consider.
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