Thoughts between Arrington and Mount Juliet (Murfreesboro, Franklin: apartments, renting, homeowners insurance)

[makaman]

hello,

i was hoping to get a little more feed back on the + and - of living in either arrington or MJ? We just recently moved out to lebanon and are renting an apartment(at the time we didnt know where my wife would be working and to get the feel of the area). My wife and I have 2 younger elementary school kids and a couple old high school grads. I know both areas have good schools. She works out in Franklin while i have the ability to work from home. From the time we've been here it seems that MJ has the bigger convenience factor when talking about stores and shops. Arrington while pretty would require just a little bit of a drive to get to stores. It also makes my wifes commute slightly shorter. The biggest thing is the cost justification between the houses we're looking at in arrington and MJ. I would expect appreciation of both but im wondering if one might appreciate more than the other? any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks!

[brentwoodgirl]

Just curious, why Arrington and not Franklin?

[makaman]

I guess it could be Franklin as well. We kinda like the Jones company houses and the Arrington area fit the 'away from the busy' feel that mount juliet didn't quiet feel like. I like the country feel while my wife liked the city feel.

[brentwoodgirl]

I would look at your options in the Page high school district. That’s a blend of country and neighborhoods. Arrington is part of that, but it’s the far edge.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to deal with the drive from Arrington to schools, grocery stores, etc, but is is really pretty.
Not sure of your price range, but you could look at neighborhoods down Arno road between Hwy 96 and 840. Arno has a country feel but would put you closer to town.
I would not want to commute from Mt Juliet to Franklin.

[makaman]

Awesome ty. I was hoping you would chime in as I've seen your responses the last couple years but couldn't IM you directly being a rookie. Thanks again!!

[brentwoodgirl]

Originally Posted by makaman

Awesome ty. I was hoping you would chime in as I've seen your responses the last couple years but couldn't IM you directly being a rookie. Thanks again!!

You’re very sweet. Good luck with your search.

[OCPreds]

How much development (more retail/grocery stores etc) is going in on the various interchanges around 840 between 65 and 24? Is this seemingly the next direction all the development starts to shift to?

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by makaman

hello,

i was hoping to get a little more feed back on the + and - of living in either arrington or MJ? We just recently moved out to lebanon and are renting an apartment(at the time we didnt know where my wife would be working and to get the feel of the area). My wife and I have 2 younger elementary school kids and a couple old high school grads. I know both areas have good schools. She works out in Franklin while i have the ability to work from home. From the time we've been here it seems that MJ has the bigger convenience factor when talking about stores and shops. Arrington while pretty would require just a little bit of a drive to get to stores. It also makes my wifes commute slightly shorter. The biggest thing is the cost justification between the houses we're looking at in arrington and MJ. I would expect appreciation of both but im wondering if one might appreciate more than the other? any thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks!

So your major factor right now is ROI on housing...

While my crystal ball seems to be malfunctioning, I don't think you will lose in either area over the next 5-10 years. But I would give the edge to Arrington right now, because the housing stock that is being built is all in the upper echelon of the market. There are no apartments or small lots being built around Arrington. And I think it will likely continue to remain that way. As some of the smaller houses and farms cash out, they will be replaced by much larger, more expensive housing. Arrington is basically turning into a wealthy semi-rural enclave.

Mount Juliet has a lot of nice housing developments, and it has elbowed its way into the upper end of nice, larger suburbs. Part of this is due to having a good amount of lakefront property (primarily Old Hickory Lake), and I think other factors would include proximity to downtown Nashville (relative to other suburbs) and the airport (without the noise concerns). More or less, Mount Juliet is going to have a greater range of housing types compared to Arrington. Arrington is going to be relatively homogenous. Large houses on large lots. Mount Juliet should hold it's value well. But I would give ROI to Arrington right now.

The biggest con for Arrington for suburban living is going to be access to amenities. The only quick trips you will have are for gas, or perhaps if you're a Tractor Supply Co. fan. Don't expect any large scale amenities anytime soon. You'll probably be doing just about everything in Franklin. There's no quick run to the grocery store, or pharmacy, restaurants, etc. 30-45 minute round trip to pretty much anything notable right now.

Something else to consider is safety. Don't get me wrong, there's not a lot of crime going on in Arrington -- but you are also wayyyy outside any city limits. So you're not going to have any city services. You will have to rely on the Williamson County Sheriff for policing and a volunteer fire department for fire protection. Your homeowners insurance will definitely be affected by this.

On the other hand, the commute from Mount Juliet to Franklin is also going to be costly in terms of fuel and wear and tear on a vehicle, so it may be a good idea to try to put a dollar figure on some of these costs before making your final decision.




Other general thoughts:
-Both areas are growing rapidly. The Arrington area is zoned for lower density, but that doesn't mean that a lot of the area along TN-96 won't fill up with development. In fact, right now they are widening that highway to Arrington -- and eventually it will be a 5-lane highway from Franklin all the way to Murfreesboro. Basically, expect things to change. Buy with the idea that the area will continue to grow (this definitely applies to Mt. Juliet as well). I know more than a few people that have gotten upset because they bought a property that backed up to a farm, only to have the farm sell and be developed. There *is* something to knowing that the development around you is *unlikely* to change.

-Mount Juliet is significantly closer to downtown Nashville and its amenities, as well as the airport. It also has the Music City Star line (Nashville's only rail commuter line. It's okay, but really only helps if one works downtown or plans to use it for certain events (like July 4th celebration, etc).

-Personally, I think locating closer to Franklin (within city limits) would be more ideal for your situation. While you might be closer to the bustle than you like, you can probably control your surroundings a little more (you'll know what will be developed, and what won't). I have nothing against Arrington itself, but I have a number of questions going forward. That area between Franklin and Murfreesboro is going to continue to develop...and it will probably be a little less planned than areas within city limits. Of course, there's also the possibility that Arrington, Triune, or Peytonsville will incorporate into a town or city at some point.

I'll leave you with this. This is Williamson County's 2040 plan. I don't believe there is anything legally binding to this, but this is the plan that the county put forth several years ago.

Final Draft Now Available! – Williamson County Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2040

[Canadian2021]

Very informative reply. Sorry to hijack your thread.
I was torn a while back between mt Juliet and Franklin. And we leaned towards Franklin by the help of wonderful people chipping on this forum.

[Canadian2021]

Where did you end up deciding to move