Looking for any advice- moving to Nashville area soon for job.

[Tinks]

My husband was asked to move to the Nashville office, which means we will be moving in the next few months. His office will be in Midtown (? I guess?) near Vanderbilt.

I know nothing of Nashville. We are empty-nesters in our 50s and can afford nice areas. We are debating whether it would be smarter to rent a condo now, store most of our things, and buy later...but that will just delay any settling and getting to know people and make friends. We can certainly afford to buy but do not know areas that would be good for our age. Any suggestions on where to begin? Any favorite neighborhoods where it will be easy to meet people? Any advice on places to join to meet people??

Trying to keep commute down as well, if that's even possible.

Thank you for any and all advice. We are happy but a little terrified as we have a great house and friends here.

 

[TinkerbelleAbbysMom]

I've lived in Nashville/suburbs, the majority of my life. Like many areas of the country, the housing market is insane here. One of the biggest issues is the population boom we've experienced and the lack of preparation to handle the influx of people. I live in Rutherford County which can be a 30 min drive but takes 1.5 hrs during rush hour. Our interstates aren't designed to handle the volume.
As for condo vs home- I'd say getting connected with a solid realtor may be your best bet to know which of those two options make the most sense. I have several realtor friends who anticipate the seller's market we are in will likely change in the next 6 months or so. For now, most homes (even the small ones) are going for $20-30k more than asking price. I'd be happy to share a few realtor names if that helps.
I love Nashville and would definitely say you can go most any direction from the core of downtown and find great neighborhoods, communities, etc. We love Rutherford county but Wilson and Sumner are great too. Williamson will be the pricier option if you chose to live outside of Davidson county (Nashville).

 

[elsbit]

I live in Nashville. If you want to avoid a commute, I would stay within Davidson county. So many people have moved here that traffic is much heavier now. The real estate market is very competitive right now and houses seem to go fast and for higher prices. It is hard to suggest areas without knowing your budget or tastes. If during your search you have questions, reach back out here and I would be happy to help.

 

[_19disnA]

Don't live in Nashville, but one place to start is have your husband talk with co-workers at the new office and see where they live and what they recommend. Might not be a bad idea to rent for awhile since the price of real estate will likely cool off by next year and you can avoid overpaying for something now.

 

[MillauFr]

I doubt if the price of real estate will cool that much as long as the federal reserve is running the printing press 24/7.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My friend's son moved to Nashville about 2-3 years ago after college. She was saying back then how expensive and competitive it was. I could only imagine it being worse with the way the housing market has taken off from coast to coast. I've done 2 major moves in my life in 2 different phases of life. The first being single moving from East Coast to California with fiance (now husband). We were younger, it was an adventure. We rented for a year before buying a house. When my husband was offered a job in the Southeast (and now with a daughter), we visited the area together. Looked at neighborhoods, schools, etc. It also helped that my husband already found a realtor by chance at a restaurant he was at when he was interviewing for the job. She was our realtor but has become a good family friend. My husband took job in January moving here, we followed in June and purchased a house in May. We knew exactly where we wanted to be and it was mostly because of school (but you don't have issue). We were prepared to rent if we didn't find a house. Five years ago, houses here were selling before they even hit the market. I did a lot of research on line. I would Google, best places to live in.....and best neighborhoods. Research, research, and then more research. I would rent for a while, go the lay of the land. Find your likes and dislikes....they're always changing. My friend moved from NJ to South Carolina. They also rented before buying.

 

[disneyseniors]

We lived in Tennessee for many years, but never in Nashville. Our most recent area was in Dickson County. The city of Dickson is building up really quickly due to the fact that it is only 30 miles west of Nashville. The commute to Nashville is on I-40 which is a mess with alot of big semi's plus all the traffic. We always went the "back" roads and avoided I-40 when we lived there. Just look at a map and you will see the better roads.
I guess the housing market is bonkers anywhere close to Nashville. I would just rent right now if I were going to Nashville. Take your time and look around at Nashville and the surrounding areas. My brother lives in Dickson and can't believe all the new housing and fast selling market for homes.
Who knows, you might not like the South or Nashville, so that's why I said I would rent for a while as it would give you time to check it all out.
Good luck on your venture

 

[Skywalker3]

We live south of Nashville, Williamson county, and we love it, BUT we bought out this way for schools. If we didn't have school aged kids, we'd most likely have looked elsewhere. Can get much more house for the money in other counties. Not as familiar w the Nashville/Davidson county best housing areas. I would also recommended spending some extended time, renting , to give time to look around, get a feel for the area, etc before you buy. My son rented in Nashville for a year, and was glad he got to do that, to get an idea of the scene and area. Hard to just read about it w/o experiencing. Best wishes on the move, and hope you'll enjoy the area! We've been here almost 13 years now, and really like it.

 

[mandy200587]

I would rent for a bit till you know where you want to buy. Our housing market is insane with people paying over the asking price in cash. Houses go quickly because we’re having an influx of people moving here. On a good day to get from where I live in Rutherford is 20 minutes to a hour maybe a hour and a half.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I doubt if the price of real estate will cool that much as long as the federal reserve is running the printing press 24/7.

And supply is still low....and will be for the foreseeable future. If I had to make a "move" right now...I'd rent, I wouldn't buy. I'd rent out my house and rent wherever I was headed.

 

[MillauFr]

And supply is still low....and will be for the foreseeable future. If I had to make a "move" right now...I'd rent, I wouldn't buy. I'd rent out my house and rent wherever I was headed.

I would wait only because it would give me time to check out the area and figure out where you want to live. Waiting a year is going to cost you serious money as prices will probably be $50k to $100k higher next year.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We move a lot for my DH job, the last two times we have stayed in a extended stay hotels in the areas we are thinking about living. A few times I have realized I dont like the area and i am glad i did not move there.
We always move by uboxes or pods so our stuff is stored untill we officially move.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I would wait only because it would give me time to check out the area and figure out where you want to live. Waiting a year is going to cost you serious money as prices will probably be $50k to $100k higher next year.

You’re right, prices could be a bit higher, but I was thinking more from the perspective that the OP might possibly want to move back. Sometimes a move “takes” and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s expensive to sell a home, move and all that goes with that.

I also think that the housing market is unlikely to stay as red hot as it is right now for too much longer. I read an article this morning that younger potential “first home” buyers are getting priced out due to a serious under supply of starter homes. There definitely has been a migration from cities out to the suburbs, but even that is showing signs of ebbing as the pandemic wanes in the States.

 

[Tinks]

Thank you for all of the replies.

The company will be paying for the move so we are not worried about moving costs. Lucky, yes!

We are heading to Nashville next weekend to begin researching different areas in person. We do know a few people already living in suburban areas, and they will each be showing us around a little and giving their advice as well. Right now we are leaning toward living a bit further out in order to have a larger yard/more privacy. DH has said he can live with a bad commute for a few years. Retirement is not far away

We are still debating the renting vs. buying. I think we will see what things look like after we've been there in person to decide. I don't foresee that we will move back even if we dislike Nashville. We are escaping a high tax state. It's a blessing.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Thank you for all of the replies.

The company will be paying for the move so we are not worried about moving costs. Lucky, yes!

We are heading to Nashville next weekend to begin researching different areas in person. We do know a few people already living in suburban areas, and they will each be showing us around a little and giving their advice as well. Right now we are leaning toward living a bit further out in order to have a larger yard/more privacy. DH has said he can live with a bad commute for a few years. Retirement is not far away

We are still debating the renting vs. buying. I think we will see what things look like after we've been there in person to decide. I don't foresee that we will move back even if we dislike Nashville. We are escaping a high tax state. It's a blessing.

It's always nice when the company pays. We moved to California from NJ and back in the late 90s....literally didn't have to pack a single thing. Shipped both cars on the way out, but drove one back because our dog was traumatized by the flight. We loved California, and might still be there if our family was out west. Alas...we ended up in NJ, and then moved to Florida for a few years. That move didn't "take" despite the lower taxes. Lower taxes are certainly a nice perk if you like where you live or think you might like one of the states with lower taxes, but for us it wasn't enough to keep us there.

Good luck with your move....hope you find a nice neighborhood in or around Nashville

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Too funny, I live in Sumner County and will be transferring to my companies office in Richmond VA in a few months. I have a great house to sell Actually it’s a very hard move for me as I will be leaving my youngest to live with my sister as he didn’t feel ready to move out and be on his own for college and planned to live at home for 2 more years. He will be utilizing our free community college program before transferring to a 4 year college.

I wish you luck in your move and this is a great area to live and work.

 

[Darcy03231]

My SIL has lived in Franklin, TN for 40+ years and loves it. Before she retired she was nurse in a Nashville hospital and only occasionally did she complain about her commute.

 

[disneyseniors]

OP: I've been debating whether to bring this subject up or not, but thought I'd mention it. My brother has lived outside of Nashville for over 40 years and is familiar with working in Nashville at times. He said that he won't even go to Nashville now except for a doctor's appointment due to the increase in crime in town. I was surprised to hear this as he has even had offices in Nashville at one point. He's not a person who is afraid of much, so maybe its because he is more cautious at his age. I would stress thoroughly checking out the areas in and around Nashville and their crime rates, if it were me. We lived in Dickson which is 30 miles west of Nashville and another city 60 miles west of Nashville. Just something to keep in mind, even though the crime rates are pretty high in most major cities post pandemic.

 

[Tinks]

Update and a thank you to everyone who replied with ideas and good wishes. We are under contract for a home in Williamson county and are excited to set up home there. Closing date is Oct 13th. Can't wait!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Congrats OP and best wishes on ur new home and settling in!