Best time to move and rent in Nashville area and suburbs (Franklin: real estate, apartment complexes)

[yohoho]

I have two options for my move to the Nashville area. I could move at the end of the summer. Or I could move in November/December/January.

There seems to be a trade off between these two times. At the end of the summer, more places might be available, but the competition will be higher as well, which would naturally make the prices higher.

But in the fall/winter, though there might not be as many place available, available places would have to be priced a lot more competitively as there will be less renters as well.

Does it seem like this generally true for Nashville? Do places become available in November/December/January?

Ideally, I'd love to be able to rent a small house near some treed areas for at or under $600 in the outer areas of Nashville.

I'm coming from Boston, a place where the rental market is fiasco--you have to fight with other renters, realtors, your neighbors to get yourself a decent place at a reasonable price. So I'm not sure if time of year renting really matters as much in Nashville.

Any input is much appreciated!

[Chris Mannino]

If you can find a house for under $1,000 a month anywhere in Middle TN at any time of the year you are a magician. I rent houses all year long. The price doesn't fluctuate with the season so any time is a good time but $600 is going to be impossible. You may have a slim chance of renting a studio apartment at that price. I'm originally from NY. Boston is as close as it gets, so I'm trying to figure out where in the world you were able to rent an apartment for $600 in Boston. Best of luck to you.

[mgoosten]

I agree I don't think you will get anything for that price especially house wise. I do have a friend that has an apartment for around that price. I get listings from a relator and have gotten a few under $1,000 in a nice area but not far below $1,000 and not alot.

[yohoho]

Just a glance at craigslist will prove you wrong, Chris Mannino. Houses are harder to find, but there are a lot of apartments in apartment complexes as well as duplexes, 1 and 2 beds, going for around $600.

You definitely can't find single housing in Boston for $600, but you can pay that much if you're sharing with 1 or more people. I'm moving to Tennessee precisely because of the significantly lower cost of living.

[Shino306]

Time of year will not affect pricing of rentals.
I'd also be wary of Craigslist...it's not as popular in Nashville as it is other places, I say this having spent 5 years in the NE. Lots of people who post real estate questions on here coming from some where else have found great "deals" on the Nashville page only to find out later it's a scam. So be sure you do thorough homework and check the place out in person before committing to anything.

[BirdieBelle]

Originally Posted by Shino306

Lots of people who post real estate questions on here coming from some where else have found great "deals" on the Nashville page only to find out later it's a scam.

It's true. People don't use Craigslist as much here, and there have been news reports of at least 5 or 6 Craigslist rental scams since last summer. They copy actual online rental listings but change the payment info. So the house looks real and is actually for rent but the "renter" is a scammer.

[boingolover]

there are plenty of legitimate rental listings on the Nashville CL, though there are some scams as well. as the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

It sounds as though there might be some miscommunication. The poster originally mentioned they were looking for houses, but perhaps they meant housing in general, including apartments, duplexes etc, and not just single family homes. An actual single family home w/ yard would indeed be nearly impossible to find anywhere near Nashville, or even anywhere not-so-near Nashville, for $600 / mo, unless you were renting out a room in said house, or perhaps if said house were in one of a few choice neighborhoods and included free "human shaped chalk art" on the floors...

[yohoho]

I have a one or two people who have lived in Nashville in the past and they've had pretty good luck finding housing via craigslist. But it's very useful to know that it's not necessarily as reliable as it is in other cities (and even then, I'm always careful when dealing through craigslist). And yes I meant housing in general for around $600. I was under the impression that Nashville housing was fairly cheap and that in the outer suburbs (Franklin, etc.) it wasn't too good to be true to find a nice one or two bedroom apartment in the $500-700 range.

Thanks for all the information though everyone. It's actually making me rethink Nashville as a possible place to relocate. It may not be as ideal as I had hoped in terms of housing.

[jenntenn]

Go to Realtracs.com There are quite a few listing in Nashville that fit you budget. I mean they are not super nice and updated but they are for sure livable, some being in great locations like the Villager located in Green Hills. There are also a few places in Orleans Estates which is located in Franklin. Are they new?...no, but they are safe, on a good end of the town and are super convenient to everything. Good luck and let me know if you need anything else