Relocation to Nashville "area' (Murfreesboro, Franklin: real estate, to rent, condo)

[Colin's Mommy]

Hi all - thank you in advance for any replies - my husband and I (along with our 3 y/o) are looking to relocate - Nashville "area" being one of our picks - I am sorry if this is more detail than needed but I figure the more info I can share the better...

1. Budget --> looking to rent for first 6months-year around $1,000+

2. House/Condo/Townhome? --> detached "something" preferred

3. Employment Status(commute/work from home) --> I am a nurse my husband will be an entry level accountant

4. Children(public school vs. private) --> either or - as long as they are safe and serve their purpose

5. Suburban or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of the two --> Suburban

6. Easy access to public transit, important or not? --> Nope

7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood. --> Middle-upper class, safe

* late 20's early 30's professionals with an expanding family
* Within 25 minutes of a decent sized hospital - any names would be great
*45 minutes (or so) to major airport
*Good library within 10 minutes or so
*Farmers market within town
*Parks, parks and more parks
*Walk able downtown that isn't a ghost town - even if it is only a few blocks long/wide - as long as it has some "life"/"charm"/history
*depending on job markets we will probably be looking to spend around 200K when we purchase a home - in a "perfect world" it would be 1+ acres very, very close to a small/medium downtown area within close distance to amenities (grocery store, target [I know!] etc
*We are pretty laid back individuals that enjoy being outdoors and being able to walk around our small downtown with a variety of local restaurants, park etc - our zip code consists of approximately 70,000 people while our "downtown" has about 7,200

Thank you so very much for any and all suggestions

[steindle]

The only place I can think of that even remotely fits your criteria is Franklin. If you find another "non-urban" walkable downtown within 20 miles of Nashville, let me know.

[bwood bell]

I can think of a few areas that would work well while you're renting, but $200k for an acre+ in an upper middle class area is a pretty tall order. I also am not sure if you want an acre plus to rent as well. That would be a pretty tall order to have that with all your other wants.

When looking at your list, Franklin comes to mind first. However, finding an acre+ for $200k there when it's time to buy won't be easy. However, the public schools are great there so you wouldn't have to pay private school tuition. If that bumps up your budget some then I think that's definitely what I would recommend for you.

Also, do you have a specific ongoing need for being near a hospital? There are decent medical centers (including Williamson Medical Center that serves Franklin) in the suburbs, but depending on why you need to be near a hospital, the best hospitals are in Nashville proper and probably out of the 25 minutes from Franklin requirement (depending on where in Franklin, time of day and any other traffic issues).

Franklin has a farmers market, but if you look in other areas without a market, there are several CSAs here with pickup locations throughout the area that kind of replace the need for a farmers market. Delvin Farms and Avalon Acres are two popular ones.

[BirdieBelle]

My suggestion would be Nolensville. It has an adorable, authentic town "square" (really more of a block) that is not as pretentious and upscale as Franklin's, and Nolensville Elementary is excellent. The principal there is top notch. There are still lots of heavily traveled country roads there, though, so I don't know how walkable it would be from your house. In your price range you could get an older home with more land or a newer home in a cookie-cutter subdivision with a smaller yard.

RealTracs Real Estate Mid-South Search Results

Renting is a separate search, and for your requirements I would look in the Cool Springs area.

[vivelafrance]

Hendersonville/Gallatin could work also. Gallatin has really made strides in revitalizing their downtown area. The square is now full of local restaurants and a few shops. There's a renovated theatre, farmers market, and library on the square, too. Hendersonville has a wonderful park system and lots of shoreline on Old Hickory Lake. Hendersonville has a new outdoor shopping mall with a central plaza that more or less functions as its "downtown" due to Hendersonville being a very young city (incorporated in 1969) It hosts community events, farmers markets, and has some decent shopping choices. It's also connected via Greenway to the city's library with a 5-10 minute walk.

Here's a website with a little info on historic downtown Gallatin
Greater Gallatin, Inc. - Main Street Gallatin Tennessee - Square Fest - Palace Theatre

And Hendersonville's faux downtown
The Streets of Indian Lake | Tennessee | Shopping | Dining | Movies

[Colin's Mommy]

Hmmmm sounds like Franklin is a little pricey? While renting property doesn't really matter - but to purchase we would really like 1+ acres - we don't need to be walking distance to town, a few miles would be just fine - I just want to be able to walk around and enjoy it when we get there (ice cream shop, play area etc). I am an RN and will be going back to school to become a Family Nurse Practitioner - so a hospital is preferable within that 30 mile(ish) range for jobs and emergencies. Thank you for all the help

[BirdieBelle]

Yes, Williamson County has much higher home prices overall.

Williamson Medical Center in Franklin is an excellent hospital. I have had three children there and all sorts of medical procedures done and recommend it highly.

Murfreesboro has Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Smyrna has Stonecrest Medical Center, so Nolensville would be a central location between all three choices. I'm sure you've already Googled the hospital info, though.