Area around Paragon Mills Park (Murfreesboro, Smyrna: low income, houses, safe area)

[rossc]

What are your thoughts on the area around Paragon Mills Park over to Nolensville Pike and McCall St? Looks to be South Nashville and close to Berry Hill, close to One Hundred Oaks Mall and Harding Mall as well as other shopping. Fron satellite photos, the neighborhoods don't look like low income housing. They look like nice average homes. We'll be there in two weeks to look in person. Just trying to narrow down the search by looking at satellite photos and getting your experienced opinions.

Thanks...Ross

[Steve_TN]

Originally Posted by rossc

What are your thoughts on the area around Paragon Mills Park over to Nolensville Pike and McCall St? Looks to be South Nashville and close to Berry Hill, close to One Hundred Oaks Mall and Harding Mall as well as other shopping. Fron satellite photos, the neighborhoods don't look like low income housing. They look like nice average homes. We'll be there in two weeks to look in person. Just trying to narrow down the search by looking at satellite photos and getting your experienced opinions.

Thanks...Ross

Once upon a time, that area was THE area to live in and there are some nice homes. That's where the good news ends. That area is now one of the less desirable areas to want to live in due to the element that has now chosen to reside in that area or just congregate there. Steer clear!

[tnp]

I lived across the street from McCall. It was a good neighborhood when I bought my house there, and I had mostly nice older neighbors, but when the gangs and crack moved in it went downhill fast. There was a crack house a few houses down from mine. When I got shot at inside my own house in a drive-by shooting, I decided to sell the house and get out of there.

Unless the gangs have been run out in recent years, I'd stay far away from there!

[rossc]

Wow. Thanks for that info. We are really beginning to think that being close to Nashville isn't the way to go. We're thinking LaVergne, Smyrna or Murfreesboro. Close to Nashville, but far enough away...If you know what I mean. We really do want to be close enogh to shopping and restaurants to be able to walk of ride bikes. Is that possible in LaVergne, Smyrna and Murfreesboro.

We also have a specialty printing business that we run from the house. That was the other reason we didn't want to be out in the sticks. We'd like to be in the midst of a higher populated area so we can develop a customer base, but not at the expense of safety. That's why we're now thinking "close to Nashville". We've seen some very nice homes in our price range in LaVergne and Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro is pushing it distance-wise, but LaVergne is close to Nashville but out of the line of fire, so to speak.

Thanks again....

[scottv]

I don't know what your price range is, but if you want to be fairly central to businesses and still a reasonably priced and safe area you should check out Bellevue-you can access downtown Nashville/Green Hills/Brentwood & Coolsprings all within about 25 minutes.

[rossc]

I'll check out Bellevue. Our price cap isn't that high though. We want to stay under $130k. If we go over that we will have to have a mortgage. Don't really want a mortgage.

[scottv]

I sent you a link you can use in your search...just eyeballing your $130k budget, the Southeastern and North quandrants around Nashville are the only places I see with a lot of inventory in that price range-not saying they are great places to live though. Nothing wrong with having a mortgage, if you can get cheap money with attached tax advantages and use your cash to make more money elsewhere it can actually be pretty smart to borrow money. But, I know what you're saying, nice to own the house.

[rossc]

Originally Posted by scottv

I sent you a link you can use in your search...just eyeballing your $130k budget, the Southeastern and North quandrants around Nashville are the only places I see with a lot of inventory in that price range-not saying they are great places to live though. Nothing wrong with having a mortgage, if you can get cheap money with attached tax advantages and use your cash to make more money elsewhere it can actually be pretty smart to borrow money. But, I know what you're saying, nice to own the house.

I came up with about the same conclusions. We're looking a little further outside of Nashville now. More house for the money out there. Were also not experienced city dwellers. We think we'd be happier a little further out in the 'burbs.