Miami Florida to Nashville Tennessee (Franklin, Hendersonville: real estate, to rent, headhunter)

[cymmgarcia]

Hi Guys,

Things are looking up!! My wife just got a great offer at Vanderbilt. This is exciting and nerve racking, so we really need you guys to bombard us with your local knowledge!!

My wife is really a great mom and this will be a major change for us since she'll be the bread winner and I'll be Mr. Mom (major role rivearsal). We're looking for opinions on Vanderbilt as an employer, the Nashville economy in general, Williamson County schools (Grassland Middle and Franklin High School) and home prices in the Fieldstone Farms / Temple Hills area (hook me up with a good realtor if you can).

Since she's the bread winner I need to know if the commute is safe for her as well. How is the commute (safety & time wise) on 100 (along Percy Warner Park) to 70S into Nashville (Vanderbilt)?

Are the schools in Williamson County as good as they say and is Grassland and Franklin High good or is there a better public choice?

I've slashed the price on my home in Miami by $50K to try and move it fast. We'd like to stay at or below $350K (preferrably $300K) on a 4/3 house with a decent lot. Is this realistic? Are prices stable or down in Nashville and specifically the Franklin/Brentwood area? Are sellers flexible? I'd also like to hear about Hendersonville and Old Hickory if possible.

We have to do all this by January 20th

Thanks in adavance!

[teebird1012]

I am a Vanderbilt student myself so I can only comment on several parts of your post. I know several people that work for Vanderbilt in the hospital and in the research labs and all of them have only had positive things to say about their employer. I should think your wife will be happy as well.

For commuting, 100 isn't a terrible commute and West End (70S) gets clogged at rush hour, but it's doable (nothing compared to Miami). West End northbound opens its right lane for commuters from either 6 or 7-9 AM whereas the rest of the day that lane is used for street parking. Similarly West End southbound's right lane is opened for commuters from 4-7 PM. My guess for a commute time is about 30-35 minutes.... maybe 45 if there's a wreck on 100 (but it's a 4-lane highway that moves pretty well).

I can't comment on real estate here as I don't know that area as well. I have friends here at Vandy that went to Franklin High and said it was a good experience but still, public education in Tennessee won't be on par with schools from different areas of the country (ie NoVA)

[jenntenn]

As far as williamson county high schools go i would prefer Brentwood high or Ravenwood high. With that said all the high schools in Williamson county far surpass the rest of the county schools in the state.
Vandy is a great place to work for sure..i know lots of people who work there and love it. There are some good benefits to working there as well...like discounts for your kids to attend college there.

Temple Hills and Fieldstone farms are great...so the is Grassland area in general. I have lived over there and attended those schools when i was younger (ended up taking the pvt school route later on..i am now in my 30's and live in the Brentwood area)I would take the commute to nashville via 100 and 70 anyday over having to get on the interstate...so that is a plus for sure! And if you work hours are not 9-5 then the commute will be eazy peazy.

Like i said, you might want to take a peak at the brentwood side of the county...not sure what your budget is but trust me when i say that no matter what people say...you can find a house in Brentwood for under 300k...i might suggest Brenthaven. Most of the homes are 3-4 bedrooms and 3 bath...and this neighborhood was developed in the 70's when the city required at least 1 acer lots...so good yards Only drawback is that you would be taking the interstate to town...but it is still not a bad commute.
need anything else....please feel free to ask! I will be more then happy to help

[jenntenn]

Also....if you have not tried RealTracs.com....check it out...simple property search for the middle tennessee area.

[cymmgarcia]

JennTenn & TeeBird thank you so much for the input. My 3 Kids are ages 8 thru 11 so school is a priority. Can you give me a cross street for Brenthaven so I can locate some properties and Google Earth it?

[BirdieBelle]

Brenthaven is bordered by Concord Road, I-65 and Moores Lane. Knox Valley Drive runs right through it. It is where the Brentwood Library is located. There is an expensive section of Brentwood called Parkside. Those homes are newer and more than $700,000. If you buy in Brenthaven you will probably need to renovate to some extent. Many of the 30+-year-old homes are occupied by the original owners and have paneled dens, vinyl floors in kitchen and bath and low ceilings. However, competition for homes there is very high because of the yards, the look of the ranch homes and the location. We live in Brenthaven and got a letter in the mail yesterday from a couple looking to buy here, hoping they could roust out someone who hasn't listed their house yet.
FYI, the farther east you travel down Concord, the more congested the commute.

[moving123]

Please see your PM for realtor recommendation.

[cymmgarcia]

Truth to all...

I live in Miami, but Miami is not in me!

We need all the pointers we can get!!

Come on guys!!!

[EVgirl]

Crye-Leike seems to be the most popular real estate company here, so try them. I would definitely think that your money would go further in other places than Franklin. Consider the Bellevue area, I hear they have good schools and the commute for your wife would be decent. Of course at first everything will feel like a breeze compared to South FL traffic (I just moved from there myself). If you are considering the Hendersonville area I would then also consider the Hermitage and Mount Juliet areas. Both are up and coming communities (more so Mount Juliet, Hermitage is well established but growing.) Your budget would do well there.
Another good option could be to rent near a good school and close to work for your wife for a while to learn the area and see what would best suite you and your family.
Good luck and I hope the info helped some.

[cymmgarcia]

Can anyone recommend a good HeadHunter in the IT or Financial field?