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I've been doing some research on differnet states and cities. I've looked into Columbia,SC and now looking into Nashville,TN. I live 15-20 minutes outside of Reading(towards Morgantown). The area is way to exspensive for us to afford. We're looking for a area that will be cheaper. I have some questions about Nashville.
Housing- What do houses that have atlest 2100SF+ go for? I've seen some for sale that are around $150,000-$180,000. Is that accurate? What areas around Nashville within 20-30 minutes would have the cheapest houses? What builders are the best in the area, and have houses in the low to mid $100,000? Any areas to avoid would be great too!
Rentals- Are there any house rentals in theNashville area that are between $1000 and $1400 a month?
Taxes- What are housing taxes like? Where I live on a $300,000 house, you'd pay close to $7,000, if not over. Are the taxes cheaper then that? What would taxes be on a $180,000 house?
Terrain- Whats the terrain like in Nashville?(ie: flat, hill, mountiany,etc). Where I live its pretty hilly. We'd like to move to a place thats flatter and where your not going up and down hills(think, Hershey,PA flat).
Weather(Tornadoes, Hurricanes, flooding, etc).-. I've noticved that Nashville can get cold in the winter. Where I live now, we have many days in the teens and twenties. We'd like to get away from the really cold tempatures. What is the average tempature in the winter?
We do have a concern on the humidity and weather patterns. How humid does it get? Also, another concern is the weather. Does Nashville get alot of hurricanes and tornadoes? How about flooding? Are there any areas to avoid that are flood areas?
Outlets- Does Nashville have any Factory outlets? I like to go to Ralph Lauren, Tommy H, Dooney & Burke, J Crew, etc. My Mom likes Bass, Neutralizer, & Easy Spirit. If Nashville doesn't have any factory outlets, whats the closest?
Deli Meat,etc- Do any of the supermarkets or delis sell Boars Head cold cuts? Boars head is pretty much the only cold cuts we eat. Also, do any of the supermarkets sell Snapple Fruit Punch and Pomi Strained Tomatoes?
Restaurants- What type of Restaurants are in Nashville ? Do you have anything like Buca Di Beppo? Any restaurants with a verity of foods(pasta, fish, plain chicken,steak,etc)?
Gas prices- What are the gas prices like in Nashville? Last I saw, our gas was between $3.95 and $3.99ish. Is it the same, less, more?
Attitudes- I probably used the wrong word. Where I live now, the people seem to be on ths snotty, snobby side. Most of the people you meet that are nice, are from out of state. Its rare to meet someone from PA and not have them be snobby. Is it like that in Columbia?
Horses- Are there any good horsey areas outside of Nashville that have hunters barns, no more then 30-35 minutes away? What about tack stores, etc?
Jobs- Whats the job market like in Nashville? Where I live, its nearly impossible to get a job. Your either to young or have out of work for over 20s years and they think your a moron b/c you stayed home to raise your family(my Mom). I've applied and interviewed with severl stores, etc. I either never hear from them or never get the job. Its really
frustrating, especially when you need money! My Moms looking for a entry level IT job(Data control clerk, operator, something very simple that you don't need a degree). I'm looking to go to school to become a nurse, but in the mean time I'm going to need a job(not retail). How easy would it be to get a simple office job, hospital, or even pharmacy? Are entry level, simple IT jobs common? I'm hoping it'll be easier there then where I am, but I'm not sure anymore!
I know I asked alot of questions, most are going to tell us if Nashville is going to be an option for us.
Yes, you can get Boar's Head meats here (I guess in most supermarkets, I know Publix carries them). They even advertise it on the radio. And you can get Snapple (I'm not sure about the fruit punch, but I would assume so). Sorry, I don't know about Pomi Strained Tomatoes; I don't remember seeing them anywhere, but that doesn't mean you can't get them here somewhere.
Gas prices here are similar to what you quoted; right at $4.
Rentals- Are there any house rentals in theNashville area that are between $1000 and $1400 a month?
Been looking at Nashville area rental homes as well and I don't know your exact housing requirements, but...
It does not seem that the $1000-$1500 range gets you much until get into outlying areas.
Search on Craigslist and you will have a good idea.
You can shop for local real estate online at www.realtracs.com (broken link) I think you can find the prices you mentioned, but they may be older fixer uppers, too, for the square footage you are seeking. Look at the counties surrounding Davidson (Nashville is in Davidson). Taxes are waaaaaay cheaper than the $7K you mentioned unless you buy a lot of acreage or a mansion. You can find the tax rates county by county at this address:
TN Comptroller of the Treasury - Division of Property Assessments - 2007 Property Tax Rates (http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/PAnew/LR.asp?W=07 - broken link)
Note: we don’t have state income tax, but our local sales taxes are higher than you probably have in PA. Our gasoline prices are the same as you mentioned.
Horsey areas are all over the place. But if you want the lower priced housing in a horsey area, don’t look at Williamson County (Brentwood, Franklin) which is one of the wealthiest areas in the US (many of the country musicians are there or moving there).
That $150K-$180K you mention is at or slightly above the median price for the area. Look at Sumner County (Hendersonville, Gallatin, Portland, White House), Robertson County (Greenbrier, Springfield, White House) and the unincorporated areas immediately outside those cities within those counties. I mentioned White House twice because it’s located in two counties.
Note: I’m only commenting on the areas I know since I’m more familiar with the areas north of the city. There are places that qualify elsewhere, too, and I’ll leave others to comment
The terrain varies from flat to hilly (small hills mostly). Some homes are at the top of very steep hills but I haven’t seen too many main roads or town centers that are have steep inclines. It’s very possible to choose a home on flat lands with a driving commute to/from your main work/shopping areas on mostly flat terrain. There is still a lot of farm land around Nashville, or newer housing developments on former farm lands where the terrain is mostly flat or gentle rolling hills. For tack stores, you might have to seek out the Tractor Supply Co. locations. There’s a newer one in Hendersonville and there are other locations in Gallatin, Old Hickory, Springfield, and elsewhere
I used to live in the Poconos (Carbon County, PA), and we don’t have anything here as hilly/mountainy as that. I lived on top of a mountain and faced one ice storm after another and swore “never again!” when I left. We don’t get winters like that here. Our winters are relatively mild, especially to anyone that’s lived in PA. I think the total snowfall for the season was about 6 inches. Overnight temps fell into the teens rarely. Mostly they fall into the upper 20s to low 30s. January’s average daily high is around 45 and average daily low is about 28 according to the statistics at The Weather Channel. You might find early morning frost or ice that quickly melts with sunrise. You will laugh at how quickly the schools and businesses close down when snow flurries start to fly.
How humid does it get? Not as bad as Florida, where I’ve also lived. I don’t notice humidity here at all after living in Florida, but I guess others will say otherwise.
We might get the remnant low pressure system of a hurricane with torrential rains and minor winds, but it’s rare. Tornados have happened around here, but it’s also more rare than the Midwest. A tornado event occurred earlier this year in Castalian Springs, northeast of the city. The city itself (downtown!) had a tornado about a decade ago. Tornados can happen anywhere in the country at this point.
Are there any areas to avoid that are flood areas? There’s a risk that if the Center Hill Dam or the Wolf Creek Dam (both currently being repaired) failed, that it would be a serious flood event for locations immediately along the Old Hickory Lake/Cumberland River areas and there are maps posted in the libraries for people wondering if their homes are at risk. It’s something you’d want to research. This means parts of Hendersonville, Gallatin have a flood risk for the areas by the lake.
There are a bunch of outlet stores in the Opry Mills Mall, but note the mall is geared mostly for tourists. You can find the store directory here: http://www.simon.com/mall/directory.aspx?ID=1259
For Deli Meat,etc- Publix Supermarkets will be your best friend. They are in Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, and Gallatin north of town. They definitely have Boars Head.
Restaurants- I’ll let someone else respond since I don’t frequent restaurants much.
Attitudes- Nashville consistently gets high scores for friendliness. Learning traditional southern politeness/manners quickly goes a long way in how quickly you’ll be accepted by the natives.
Jobs- not sure since I haven’t had to face the job market recently. I would think it’s better than average for entry level IT positions and not so good for upper level IT positions (thanks to overseas outsourcing). Look at Careerbuilder since it seems to get a lot of use by local employers.
Last edited by MiddleTNresident; 06-19-2008 at 06:07 PM..
We are moving to TN from PA about 20 minutes from you in Pottstown... we leave next week! We are under contract on a house in Spring Hill... 2250 sq ft, $220K, taxes around $1000 a year (gasp.. yes... ONE thousand!), GREAT schools (IMHO), with a variety of things to do around the area. As for some of the questions you asked... I grew up in Nashville (Goodlettsville/Hendersonville area) and I think you may be under the impression that its a little behind the times. We have always had a large variety of products available in the area (the products and restaurants you mentioned are similar to this area in PA). As for jobs - I would say there are plenty available - but search on Craigslist.org to get a general idea as to what is available.
Attitudes... sheesh -- you just would not believe the difference. People are actually nice there AND... drumroll please... they SMILE sometimes! I know... shocking.
as for weather... the temps here last summer were pretty high, but in TN it was hotter. HOWEVER, just about everyone there has central air conditioning vs here where you may not even have window units in your house and its like 95 outside. I was melting last summer in our tiny apartment!
Anyway... I think its an awesome place. I really liked the Columbia/Pegram area, but we just wanted to be in the Williamson County schools.
When we first moved here it was nice and quiet, not alot of trrafic and the people were ok. 8 years later, 422 is always backed up due to construction, the people in Berks county are the snottiest I've ever seen and the taxes are outrageous! Driving was pieceful 8 years ago, now you either have a car up your bumber b/c your going to slow or a someone giving you the finger and blasting their horn at you! Sometimes I feel like I'm in NYC! It'll be nice to move to an area thats calmer and the people are nice!
I'm not under the impression that Nashville's behind the times at all. Around here theirs no way you can get Snapple Fruit Punch or Pomi anything. The stores use to deliver them, but now they won't. I was just asking if they carry those items out there.
Oh, the gas where I am is actually $3.99 now. In Denver its $3.84-$3.89.
Howdie Pa`ans,
My family is in the Harrisburg and Philly areas where I lived and worked in real estate, music and teaching. I`ve been doing the same thing in Tn. for 20 years now. While in Pa. and N.J. prior to Pa., I could barely afford one little shack that I bought in Hummelstown but I did learn a lot about real estate in Pa. working with my brother-in-law, an MAI appraiser. Since in Tn., we`ve purchased 22 properties in 20 years, flipping or keeping and renting them. Anyway, I am probably the only realtor in TN. who serves all 17 counties of the mid-ten market. We have realized great enjoyment and great profit through Tennessee property opportunities. I am familiar with every community and property value within a 60 to 70 mile radius of Nashville.
Taxes vary quite a bit but even the highest are only a fraction of what they are in Pa. and N.J. I help people on a regular basis who relocate to mid-ten from all parts of the U.S. You need: Equine friendly, great values, low taxes, commutable to Nashville, resale value, fairly level to gently rolling. Basically, the farther you go from Nashville, the more for the money. So, you decide how far from Nashville is ok, how important is having the best school systems, how close do you need shopping and hospitals. Then I can narrow down your best areas. I can search and forward mls prints of the best fits to your email if you like. You study the pictures and data, choose some that look interesting, I do a thorough market analysis on your choices and you plan to see in person. One thing that can be a frustration for long distant is that any super nice properties at great deal can be gone pretty quickly. I had a family come from Florida on a Monday to see 7 homes which we made appointments to see on Friday. By Monday morning, 6 out of the 7 were contracted. They were very disappointed on Monday morning and they looked at the 1 out of 7 that was still available. That episode just proved that all 7 of those properties were some of mid -Ten`s best deals out of the thousands of homes. Anyway, best of luck and let me know if I can help you.
Just left Nashville earlier this month & here is why. It is not as cheap as you think to live, houses are old, traffic is ridiculous & drivers are rude & will cut you off & flip you off any chance they get. The winters are awesome, summers are HOT, but again traffic sucks always! South of Nashville (Brentwood/Franklin) is beautiful but a cluster and VERY expensive but very nice. There is tax on food, I think 9.25% and the unemployment rate is very high in Nashville, TN area, I think 11%. Downtown is ok but again, traffic is a big issue. Not the cleanest of states either.
Found it hard to meet people unless you hang with people from work. I am not sorry to have left Nashville at all. I did like east TN, found it to be beautiful, not sure about the jobs but it is very beautiful. If I ever had to move back to TN I would go east of Nashville, way east. Nashville is not for everyone & it was not for me. Ok place to visit but not for everyone.
I know not everyone loves Nashville but...houses are old?! Nashville is a pretty young city. Most of the housing stock is like 30 years or younger! Cities like Brentwood, Hendersonville, and Mt Juliet were only incorporated in the 70s.
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Pa. to tn.
