I work with a lot of clients relocating to the Middle Tennessee area from out of state. This can be quite overwhelming if the client has no idea where they want to live. Quite often, they simply know they want to be within so many minutes or miles of Nashville. I recently read a post from an individual on another forum who was stressed over trying to decide whether to live in Pleasant View, TN or Brentwood TN. She was trying to make her decision based on the "house" that she could purchase in Pleasant View compared to Brentwood. I had to respond to her cry for help and hopefully will save her a lot of unnecessary stress.
Middle Tennessee is a huge area! I suppose I am a little unusual in that, as a Realtor, I work five different counties. Since I have grown up here and have family all over, I am very comfortable working numerous cities and communities. I have also had four children who have attended public schools in four different school systems. Again, first hand knowledge is priceless! As someone who has lived in numerous communities, it is very apparent to me that there is a huge difference in locations and lifestyle in each city. I grew up a country girl in the rural community of Joelton, TN. However, I must admit that it would be very hard to move back to such a community after living in Brentwood and Murfreesboro, TN. My children love visiting the country, but their lifestyle would prevent us from moving to a city such as Pleasant View or Joelton. If we were to relocate, I would need to take into consideration the lifestyle that my family now enjoys and place that above and beyond the house that we could purchase in various locations. A house becomes a home because of the family inside. I would never recommend moving to a city simply because there was a great house there!
If a family starts out searching "Middle Tennessee" for a 3 bedroom home priced between $200,000 and $250,000 they will quickly be overwhelmed with options and possibilities. When relocation clients contact me about moving to Middle Tennessee, I start out by recommending that they first decide on a city or community in which to live. Sometimes they already know that they want to live in a specific city. But most often, they are clueless as to which community around Middle TN fits them best. Trying to compare houses between Brentwood TN and Pleasant View TN is like comparing apples to oranges! On the flip side, trying to compare the city of Brentwood TN to Pleasant View, Tennessee is comparing Wal-Mart to Saks Fifth Avenue. The lifestyle provided by these two cities is completely different. Neither community is "better" than the other. But, each community will be a better fit for a specific family looking for a specific lifestyle. The family that enjoys the bustling lifestyle of Brentwood TN would probably not be happy with the laid back and rural atmosphere of Pleasant View. It is been my experience that families are never happy when they settle on a city because of a house. Relocating can be a lot less stressful if individuals will follow a few simple steps in their move and keep their lifestyle in the fore front at all times!
First, if time allows you should always plan a trip to simply visit the area and spend time in the various cities and communities. Contact a local realtor and request a tour of their city. Hopefully, you will be able to find a Realtor who will service more than one location to make your life even easier! Don't even attempt to find a house on this trip. Focus on the community and the lifestyle that each community offers. Thin
k about your hobbies, recreational activities, sports and other activities that you and/or your children participate in. Are these activities something that you WANT to give up, or do you really NEED to keep these activities in your life? Are you the type that likes to stop by a Starbucks for a quick cup of coffee and see a movie at the last minute? If so, then a great house located in Pleasant View may not make you happy in the long run. I believe that buying a home in a community that provides the best lifstyle for your family is the absolute most important factor in purchasing a home. Your move will be much easier on the entire family if the activities they are currently involved, and the lifestyle they currently enjoy, are continued in the new city. While there will always be changes made in a relocation, they do not necessarily have to be life altering!
Second, once you have narrowed down a city or community, consider which part of that city fits your lifestyle the best. For instance, in North Murfreesboro there is a wonderful new multi-million dollar soccer complex. Everything from recreational league to adult competition leagues play at this complex. If you have a child, or perhaps even you, are interested in soccer, it might be prudent to purchase a home on the north side of town. If not, you may be faced with a 20-30 minute commute to cross traffic during rush hour if you buy on the south side of town! This rule applies to attending church, school zones, dance, commute time to the office, and all other aspects of your life. Which portion of town will provide you with the BEST lifestyle for your family.
Now that you have selected the city, and area of that city that you want to live in, you are finally ready to start your house hunt. The number of available homes that fall within your search criteria should be very manageable at this point. It is much less stressful to consider all the available homes in a specific area compared to all the available homes in an entire region. You already have your community selected, you simply need to select your home.
Relocating can be stressful, but if you will keep these three simply tips in mind it will make your move much easier. Just remember to:
1. Work with a local and knowledgeable Realtor
2. Select your community first
3. Select your home last!
Hopefully keeping these tips in mind will make your next move much easier! If you are considering moving to the Middle Tennessee area, please feel free to contact me at 615-566-3789 or visit my website at http://www.SoldonTN.com. I'd love to help make your next relocation a pleasant one!
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