With the search for that perfect home growing ever more cumbersome, and the inventory getting slimmer and slimmer, wouldn’t it be nice to find a neighborhood that still had something cool to offer? Houses and condos are flying off the market all over the city, but not in one place: Green Hills. No, it doesn’t have cooties. It doesn’t smell bad. And no, it didn’t call you a name. It’s just a spectacularly forgotten neighborhood, ready for your attention.

Okay, that might be an overstatement. Green Hills is actually pretty vibrant, and as far as housing is concerned, it has maintained a steady level of supply for the past several years. That being said, length of time on the market continues to be a big challenge in Green Hills.

So why would a place that can use the word “consistency” consistently (you liked that one didn’t you?) be a place that is ripe for growth and a good deal? I will tell you why. Green Hills, once the slightly smaller, ever so slightly less expensive cousin of Belle Meade, made its name on being the neighborhood that almost was (Belle Meade). It made itself out to be an expensive, lofty place that catered to a very specific crowd.

That was a great strategy five years ago, heck it was a great strategy three years ago, but it’s not such a great strategy anymore. People that bought into that hype, who craved that lifestyle, over-spent and lost.

Here is the glimmer. (Whisper this one…) Now YOU can take advantage of that lost dream. With the hype comes some distinct and tangible advantages. Green Hills is actually exactly what the modern home-buyer needs. It is a self-contained, well-organized town. You have more than adequate shopping (The Mall at Green Hills is right in the middle of it), more than adequate grocery choices (Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and some smaller choices are also in the middle), more than adequate entertainment (The Bluebird Café, a Nashville institution, and F. Scotts) and more than adequate services (Hotels, Auto Repair, Convenience and Specialty stores). If you were going to put the perfect community on paper, it would likely resemble what Green Hills has become.

Here is the best part though: With all that bleakness (see above) came a shining beacon for modern Urban or slightly suburban living – (whisper this one also, we don’t want everyone to know) lower prices. Yes, I said it. Where as once you couldn’t touch Green Hills for less than $350,000 now you can do it for less… much less in fact. You can find fixer-uppers for $200k or less, nice ranchers for $250k or less and even some big family homes for under $400k. That was unheard of 3-4 years ago.

In times of economic stress, there is a distinct opportunity for the middle class to make a move – for young families, professionals, and empty-nesters to make that next step up the property ladder. Will it be you? Green Hills might just be the perfect place to call home, but don’t take my word for it, come check it out for yourself.

You can reach Nathan Weinberg at 615-414-9626 or nathan.weinberg@zeitlinrealtors.com, and view his featured listings here.

Gas prices are on the rise, and it’s eating into all of our pockets. The wild swings from very high to plain old high offer an air of unpredictability. So what does this have to do with buying a house, you say? It adds a new layer of concern to the home buying process.  We all create a list of questions to ask when buying a house, and now there is a new one to add to the list: How far is this house from my daily life?

Proximity has always been a concern, but it has never held more importance than it does now.  Your ability to get from A to B is being directly impacted and, as a result, we should all take a moment to consider whether that white picket fence in the ‘burbs is really what we are after.  The answer may be yes, and that is perfectly ok.  For most of us though, our quality of life is not a negotiable item.  As a result, it is time to start thinking long and hard about urban living.  Urban living offers so many great advantages:  it puts you in the heart of a city, gives you more of an identity and provides your senses with satiation.  There is a reason New Yorkers are consistently some of the happiest people in the world – it’s because life is less complicated, and they are surrounded by culture and attractions they love.

When I lived in California, it always boggled me as to why anyone would live in the Golden State, and not be able to either see or hear the water.  The most common answer was “It’s too expensive.”  My retort was simple.  Why did you move here?  If you had to pay more to live exactly where you wanted to be, and as a result might have to sacrifice a car or something else, would you do it?  I would.  Life is too short.

This applies to homes as well.  Sacrifice SHOULD be in your vocabulary unless you are among the top 1% in this country.  The real question: what sacrifice are you willing to make?  Does that sacrifice really make your life harder?  My guess is that if you think long and hard about it, you will find that the sacrifice you make to live happily will reduce stress, add life to your years and years to your life.

Happy house hunting!