I am always amazed at people who are moving to Nashville, and don't really have a plan on how to make the most of the opportunities that Nashville has to offer. If I get the opportunity to help, I start out by asking what I think are basic questions.
- Where will you be working? Nashville is spread out and it can be very time consuming to drive across the city to work every day. If possible, I recommend that you purchase your home in a location that keeps your commuting to a reasonable time.
- Are schools important to you? If so, I would look for the schools first before looking at homes. In the Nashville area, the schools in Williamson county have the best test scores of public schools and as you might expect, home prices are a little higher because of the demand. In my opinion, owning a home in Brentwood to have access to the best schools just makes sense if you can afford it. If not, look at Franklin or Spring Hill.
- What type of activities are important to you? If you are a boating fanatic, Nashville has two lakes on the east side of town that might be interesting to you. Old Hickory lake is the only one that allows for private boat docks. If you love the downtown activities of Predators hockey, the Tennessee Titans, Vanderbilt sporting events, the music events, then you may be interested in the downtown condos or homes in Green Hills or Belle Meade.
- Is shopping your thing? Let me tell you about the Mall at Cool Springs, with over 100 places to eat in the immediate surrounding area.
The real point is this, Find out where you will be working and spending your time, then purchase the best home you can find in that area. That's what a good realtor does. I can't tell you how many people I've moved from Bellevue to Franklin because of the schools, or from Murfreesboro to Brentwood to reduce daily commuting time by over an hour. If you are moving to Nashville, let me help, it will save you a lot of money and stress.
Search for Nashville real estate here.
This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Larry Brewer of Benchmark Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Green Hills, Murfreesboro, and the middle Tennessee area
I love your take on providing good information about your city. Thanks!
Hi Larry - I give similar advice for the Las Vegas valley. Buyers can get a good sense of pricing, features and amenities online, but until you're on the ground you really can't get a good feel for the area. A solid local agent is a big help.
I went to Nashville I while back and really loved it there! Good food and good music and all of the historic houses....what a place!
Barb - I should have done it long ago, thanks
John = It's just too hard to try to learn it yourself
Rosalie - Come back and stay a little while, It's getting better every year.
Nice blog and you've given some ideas of what I need to do for a similar blog I've posted for my market. Thanks!
HI Larry - this is an excellent post about clients moving to Nashville, and I think it applies in all areas. Great post and congrats on the feature!
Larry, I find one of the big things that people and their Realtors forget to take into consideration are the activities that they like to do. Yes, we all remember "where will you be working" and the schools, but church and other things are important too!
Thanks Sharon, I thought of this while I was helping a buyer from Georgia.
Connie - I usually don't ask about Church here, we have a lot more than most cities. But for some people it's important.
Nashville is a great place to live, but you need to have some help when you decide on which part of town is best for you.
You should see some of the crazy commutes here in ATL. I don't know that they were originally planned the way they are...I'm thinking all was in one area, but then there was a job change, but you can't hardly move in the same city...at least not in this market.
I'm so thankful I bought the house I did many years ago. I'm in such a central location I can get to so many places in ATL in a short time.
With less gas.
Thom - I don't think most people understand how important it can be to have the right location to start with, and all they have to do is find the right realtor.
Larry:
Most people do take into consideration where they will be working. But not where there favorite activities are and proximity to shopping. Both very important to consider when deciding where to buy.
Evelyn - I think it's a bigger problem when they don't consider the schools that will make a major impact on their life.
Hi Larry-Good Post!
Nashville is one our very favorite cities. We'll be stopping in this August and heading to Tootsie's for some brews and great music!
I LOVE Nashville...Visited 3x last year!
Jim - Give me a call when you visit Nashville next. Maybe I'll have a brew myself.