Young Couple Looking for Advice on Areas in Nashville (Brentwood: apartment, rentals)

[nate42]

Greetings forum!

This is my first post, although I have been combing the forum for a couple weeks. My wife and I (mid 20's) recently moved to Nashville in June from Indiana and really like it so far! We both work at Vanderbilt and signed a 9 month apartment lease in Bellevue. Although the Bellevue area is nice, my wife and I want to look at other areas to potentially buy in. I'd love to hear your thoughts. We're looking for a 3 bed/2 bath house in a decent area. Location is important as we're looking for a 15-20 minute commute to Vandy. We know about Bellevue but would be interested to hear about Donelson, Hermitage, and any other areas that you would recommend. We'd like to purchase a house in the $150,000-$200,000 price range.

Thanks so much for your help and advice! This forum has a wealth of information.

-Nate

[soulful]

There are some nice areas of Hermitage. I would be slightly concerned about meeting your 15 to 20 minute commute time during peak rush hour/accidents/etc.

Are you looking for a more suburban or urban neighborhood? I don't know if public schools are a concern?

This is certainly a good time to buy, as the market continues to be rather slow.

[nate42]

Thanks for the reply! My wife and I actually drove to Hermitage/Donelson yesterday and decided that it's a little farther from the Vandy/West End area than we'd like. We really liked the area around Whitebridge but later found that the homes were most likely out of our price range. Now, we're thinking about the Charlotte Park area (if we can find a road/neighborhood that seems safe) or staying near Bellevue. For $150,000-200,000, it seems like we'll get the most out of our purchase in those areas and still won't be too far from Vandy. Public schools aren't a concern for us yet, as we are just recently married and don't have any children. Thanks again for your response and I welcome any advice from others as well!

[brentwoodgirl]

I would look at Crieve Hall- zip 37220. It is a nice area, ranch houses, big yards. It is very convenient to Vandy. It is between the Harding and Old Hickory exits on 1-65 South. It typically is higher than $200K, but I saw 4 houses in your price range listed on realtracs right now.Stay in 37220 zip though. Some of 37211 advertises itself as Crieve Hall but not all of it is nice.

[kpellatiro]

Brentwoodgirl is right; some of these areas will say Crieve Hall but feel very different. Parts of McMurray and Whispering Hills (just south of Crieve Hall) are attractive to many of the folks I am able to help with your criteria. Property values decrease in the areas that look overrun by rentals, so trust your gut and drive the neighborhoods as much as possible.

The Nippers Corner area (east of Brentwood along Old Hickory Blvd) will also be something you’ll want to see. It’s just outside of your desired drive time, but you may like what you get for the money in a neighborhood like Villages of Brentwood. Bellevue has some very appealing neighborhoods, particularly those in the best school systems. You mentioned not having kids, but schools are also something to keep an eye on for your investment.

Hope this is helpful.

[kpellatiro]

Also, though you’ll hear (and see) a number of troubled areas in East Nashville, if you are looking for a more urban living environment… I’d at least consider East Nashville. Know what you are missing :-) Inglewood has a lot to offer in your price range; renovated homes with big backyards, close proximity to downtown, and a fun social scene around the corner.

And just to make sure – are condos (even sexy new ones) out entirely or would you want to consider them too?

[nate42]

Thanks so much for the input! My wife and I will definitely take a look at East Nashville, Crieve Hall, and the Nippers Corner areas. We're not completely against condos, but are leaning toward a house right now. Thanks again for all the insight!