Buying in Nashville
When you think about moving to Nashville, what are your primary motivations? Were you born here, and you moved away to see “more of the world”? And now, you’re returning home to Tennessee because there’s something about Nashville that calls you back home? What *is* that something about Nashville? I can’t find the words to describe what that magical pull is all about. But there’s a song that really describes it for me: “The House that Built Me.” Miranda Lambert sings it, but it was written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin. According to a source I know, the song was originally pitched to Blake Shelton (Miranda’s husband) to be narrated by a male singer, but Miranda heard it, loved it, and knew (wisely, I believe) that the singer of this song should be female.
I also felt the song deeply a couple of years ago. My mother passed away in November 2010, and about six months later, we were auctioning off a good deal of the contents of her house. She had lived there some sixty years, and as the antique Hoosier cabinet and the maple tables and the big metal desk she had painted pink were transported to the front yard, my friend and business partner Becky reminded me of that song. Houses are filled with things that we love, and my mother’s house was definitely stocked with things. My brother and I were there to observe and to watch those possessions we had known for years find new owners. Becky was a marvelous friend that day; she was also busy observing. She knew that the current bid on one of my mother’s antique “pie safes” was pitifully low, so she upped it to a much higher price so she could claim it. That pie safe now sits in my kitchen.
So if it’s not family, what else about Nashville attracts you? Yes, we are a creative city; we have a plentiful supply of art, music, sculpture, beautiful parks and green space. Green space is an important element for a lot of folks. It’s possible to still buy land here, for a reasonable price — unlike California or New York or other parts where acres of land would be simply unimaginable. And we are a friendly city; we just like people here. Those are good features to keep in mind as you begin your search for a new home in or around Nashville.
What’s important to you? We have it all, really. Privacy (if you want some acreage); condos with clubhouses and other amenities right in the middle of things, walking distance to great places (if you choose that). Trendy contemporary homes (in East Nashville, particularly); stately and spacious traditionals (in all corners). Modestly-priced homes to multimillion dollar mansions. It’s likely that the kind of home you want now may reflect the kind of home that built you, so enjoy the emotions of coming back home.
Miranda Lambert, The House that Built Me