Southaven, MS, an Alternative to Memphis

Memphians are fleeing the city in droves. Because of the high crime rate and the ever-increasing utility bills, corruption and high taxes, people are getting fed up. Lifelong Memphians are looking for places where they can live and enjoy their property without fear or worry about theft and burglary. Southaven is just minutes from Memphis, at the very top of Mississippi. The casinos of Tunica are nearby, as is Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Schools in Southaven are highly rated here, which is a magnet for Memphians utterly fed up with the broken and dangerous school system in Memphis. Who wouldn't want to move here if they could commute within a half hour to and from work in the big city?

Southaven only incorporated in 1981. Since that time it has seen explosive growth and prosperity, much of which is due to the great casino employment and activity down in nearby Tunica. More than 1,500 businesses call Southaven their home today and with a population of just around 30,000 prosperity abounds; median income in Southaven is the highest in the state. The small city boasts 22 parks with every imaginable facility for picnics, horseback riding, bicycling, hiking and just playing. A 20-acre lake in Central Park provides opportunities for fishing too. The median income here is over $50,000, higher that that of the national average. It's very fortunate that with so much relocation to this County, that properties in Southaven are still very affordable.
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http://www.southaven.org/

Given its fast growth, Southaven has extremely affordable housing. There are several neighborhoods with older homes that have lovely mature trees. A 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Carriage Hills or the Greenbrook Subdivisions will sell in the $125,000-$1750,000 price range. The higher-priced homes will be larger. Greenbrook is especially pretty with mature pecan and oak trees. New building has not let up in DeSoto County, and because of this, new homes are available all over the county outside of the metro Southaven area. These will run more than the older homes, but generally speaking, these homes are on pretty empty lots--no heavy foundation plantings, shrubbery, and mature trees. Heritage Commons, Central Park and Ross Pointe Farms are just some of the new subdivisions within these price ranges.

There are over 250 listings in the price range between $200,000 and $300,000. These homes, unlike the less expensive homes have some extra features, like whirlpools in the baths, some wood flooring, smooth ceilings and separate tubs and showers. Most of these homes are new and many are in the county but not in the city. That would affect taxes, which would be less. I found one home that's 20 years old, with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with a deck and fenced wooded lot on about an acre for just $229,900.

There are some pretty lakes in the county and several subdivisions around them offer pricier homes in the $250,000 to $300,000 range. Sawyer Estate, Dickens Place and Nelson Estates are some more expensive areas with homes in the $350-$400,000 range. These are for the most part newer homes and some are huge, with 4 and even 5 bedrooms, smooth ceilings and some bonus rooms. The Dickens Place homes are all on large lots that are landscaped and have some trees. All these homes, in all price ranges, have access to the good public school systems in Desoto County.