Franklin too expensive... (Murfreesboro, Columbia, Brentwood: affordable houses, neighborhoods, buy)

[englishproff]

So it looks like we will be moving to nashville aroung may of next year...my office is going to be in Franklin, and although we would love to live there--it seems a bit expensive. Can anyone give me an idea of a lower cost of living area within a 20-25 min max commute of the Cool Springs Galleria area? We dont mind spending 200k on a home, but areant impressed with what we would get for the money in franklin...
thanks for all your help!

[akm4]

You might find what you're looking for in Arrington. Head out of Franklin on Hwy 96. Once you cross over I65, you'll go towards Murfreesboro a few miles and you'll see Arrington signs. Very rural. Large estate homes and more modest, affordable houses too. If you're willing to gamble on the commute traffic, Spring Hill is an option. Trouble is, you lose a lane going south at the 96 exit. It bottlenecks and you end up in s l o w traffic. Upside is a beautiful area in Spring Hill/Thompson Station and more house for the buck than Franklin. You can stay on the Wmsn. Co. side and enjoy a great school district too.

Good luck!

[TennesseeRebel]

I lived in Franklin/Brentwood almost 5 yrs and loved it there. I was there in 1991 when Cool Springs was nothing but a bunch of streets with nothing on them but empty fields. The only way I could afford it was by being a houseparent at the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home!

Brentwood schools are the best in the state (better then some private schools) and both my kids did well in them.

[gtf1]

How about Spring Hill, College Grove, Nolensville, Thompson's Station are all good areas with affordable housing. Spring Hill is really not that rural these days but some of the other areas south of Cool Springs are if you are looking for that kind of thing. Just be careful to get a good feel for where I-840 is going to make sure your piece of heaven is right in the middle of a future growth area. Spring Hill will definitely be a huge growth area in the future and it is about 20-25 minutes from Cool Spring on a decent traffic day. Expect the spec home in Spring Hill for sure as that is really all there is there but heck, that's going to be the case for anywhere out in the areas you are looking because it hasn't been developed that long. Cool Springs was a cow pasture as recent as the early 90s so it will be hard to find alot of character-filled homes built in the last 10-16 years.

If you can hack another 5-10 minutes of commute, Mufreesboro is a great place to live and you would always be going the opposite direction of major traffic. Check out the downtown area there and see if you like the town. Go via I-840 and you are there in 30 minutes.

Truthfully, while Williamson County is a great place to live, 200k won't buy you anything with character. Why not look at Nashville neighborhoods? The commute from Nashville is about 25-30 minutes to Cool Springs and you would again be going opposite the traffic!

Have you looked at realtracs.com? It is a good place to start looking at properties and you can get an idea of what houses go for around this area. You'll still have to find a realtor but you can at least see pics/stats of homes there first and map where they are.

Good luck with it all!

[phalynx]

Arrington is very nice, but I don't think it's very affordable. We are moving back to TN ourselves and our old house was listed a few months ago for 399k. We paid 127K for it.. Of course it was a few years ago.

[akm4]

Yeah, looks like everything currently listed in Arrington is on large parcels of land, jacking up the price. Some in College Grove, though.

[TNLove]

I think Spring Hill is the next Cool Springs with what's going on down there. I live about 10 minutes from official Cool Springs where all the subdivisions and on Columbia Ave to Old Franklin and Spring Hill it's growing by leaps and bounds like Cool Springs did.

But you're right about the rural parts of Franklin (heading towards the 840 ramp) looks like it will be growing simply because of the way 840 is going.

[blueoktober]

Except Spring Hill has a single TWO lane road that goes through it. I live in Spring Hill and work in Cool Springs. It takes about 40 minutes in the morning and closer to an hour in the evening. It's a nightmare. I read the same postings here before I moved and I wish someone had laid it all out on the table for me.
Highway 31 is a parking lot from downtown Franklin to Spring Hill - and why shouldn't it be? It's a 2 lane road! And if you have read anything related to this then you will know Spring Hill has no plans to widen ANY road until .....2016. Yes, 10 years from now. I moved in, and I am moving right out. The natural beauty is being destroyed with no plans for any smart growth. Who in their right mind would allow a Super Target and 33 other retail stores on a TWO LANE road that right now is a nightmare AND wont be expanded for 10 years???? All they see here is dollar signs. And one day it will come back to haunt them.

[gtf1]

Originally Posted by blueoktober

Except Spring Hill has a single TWO lane road that goes through it. I live in Spring Hill and work in Cool Springs. It takes about 40 minutes in the morning and closer to an hour in the evening. It's a nightmare. I read the same postings here before I moved and I wish someone had laid it all out on the table for me.
Highway 31 is a parking lot from downtown Franklin to Spring Hill - and why shouldn't it be? It's a 2 lane road! And if you have read anything related to this then you will know Spring Hill has no plans to widen ANY road until .....2016. Yes, 10 years from now. I moved in, and I am moving right out. The natural beauty is being destroyed with no plans for any smart growth. Who in their right mind would allow a Super Target and 33 other retail stores on a TWO LANE road that right now is a nightmare AND wont be expanded for 10 years???? All they see here is dollar signs. And one day it will come back to haunt them.

I'm only asking for curiosity sake and not being a smart alleck at all I swear but have you ever tried going to other direction out to the parkway to get to 65? I've never done that but often wondered if it would save time. I know some people live off the parkway and never have to get on 31 unless they are going to the grocery, etc., and then don't really have to contend with the traffic. But I realize you are talking about going down 31 during traffic so you probably don't live off the parkway there. What about going down 431? Would that work to avoid traffic? Often wondered about that too but never did it. I wasn't sure how far down 431 was from 31 by the time you get to Spring Hill anyway. Just curious. You sure seem pissed though about living out there so it is probably best that you can get out of there. No sense living anywhere that irritates you that much. I'm completely serious too. The low housing costs out there will engulf that area in people in no time.

[TNLove]

Originally Posted by blueoktober

Who in their right mind would allow a Super Target and 33 other retail stores on a TWO LANE road that right now is a nightmare AND wont be expanded for 10 years???? All they see here is dollar signs. And one day it will come back to haunt them.

Are you talking about the Target/Kroger/etc off Columbia Ave?