1 error prohibited this search from being saved:
 - Areas is invalid

class SearchesController < ApplicationController

  before_action :set_search, only: [:show, :edit, :update, :destroy]
  before_action :require_admin, only: [:index]

def create
    @search = Search.new(search_params)
    @search.max_price = search_params["max_price"].gsub('$', '').gsub(',', '')
    @contact = Contact.new #in case it gets rerouted back to search#new

    respond_to do |format|
      if @search.save
        if @search.school_slug.present?
          #           # format.html { redirect_to @school(:search_id => @search.id), notice: "#{@school.name} search updated"}
          @school = School.find_by(slug: @search.school_slug)
          p @school.name
          p @school.id
          # format.html { redirect_to @school(:search_id => @search.id), notice: "#{@school.name} search updated"}
          format.html { redirect_to school_path(slug: @school.slug, city: @school.city.parameterize.truncate(80, omission: ''), :search_id => @search.id), notice: "#{@school.name} search updated"}
        else
          format.html { redirect_to @search, notice: 'Search was successfully created.' }
          format.json { render :show, status: :created, location: @search }
        end
      else
        format.html { render :new }
        format.json { render json: @search.errors.full_messages, status: :unprocessable_entity }
      end
    end
  end

private
    # Use callbacks to share common setup or constraints between actions.
    def set_search
      @search = Search.find(params[:id])
    end

    # Never trust parameters from the scary internet, only allow the white list through.
    def search_params
      params.require(:search).permit(:school_id, :beds, :max_price, :user_id, :name, :district_id, :city_id, :email_me, :rental, :grade, :school_slug, area_ids: [], :prop_type => [])
    end
end

irb(main):004:0> a = Search.new(beds: "3", max_price: "450000", area_ids:["1","2"])
  Area Load (0.3ms)  SELECT "areas".* FROM "areas" WHERE "areas"."id" IN (?, ?)  [["id", 1], ["id", 2]]
=> #<Search id: nil, beds: 3, max_price: 450000, prop_type: nil, user_id: nil, name: nil, area_id: nil, school_id: nil, district_id: nil, city_id: nil, email_me: nil, rental: nil, created_at: nil, updated_at: nil, grade: nil, school_slug: nil>
irb(main):005:0> a.areas
=> #<ActiveRecord::Associations::CollectionProxy [#<Area id: 1, name: "N", created_at: "2018-05-24 12:24:16", updated_at: "2018-10-10 16:22:16", msa_id: 1, state_id: nil>, #<Area id: 2, name: "NW", created_at: "2018-05-24 12:24:16", updated_at: "2018-10-10 16:22:16", msa_id: 1, state_id: nil>]>
irb(main):006:0> a.save
   (0.2ms)  begin transaction
  Msa Load (0.5ms)  SELECT  "msas".* FROM "msas" WHERE "msas"."id" = ? LIMIT ?  [["id", 1], ["LIMIT", 1]]
  Msa Load (0.1ms)  SELECT  "msas".* FROM "msas" WHERE "msas"."id" = ? LIMIT ?  [["id", 1], ["LIMIT", 1]]
   (0.2ms)  rollback transaction
=> false
irb(main):007:0> a.errors
=> #<ActiveModel::Errors:0x00007fb245504958 @base=#<Search id: nil, beds: 3, max_price: 450000, prop_type: nil, user_id: nil, name: nil, area_id: nil, school_id: nil, district_id: nil, city_id: nil, email_me: nil, rental: nil, created_at: nil, updated_at: nil, grade: nil, school_slug: nil>, @messages={:areas=>["is invalid"]}, @details={:areas=>[{:error=>:invalid}, {:error=>:invalid}]}>

class AreasController < ApplicationController

  def index(:msa_id)
    @areas = Area.where(msa_id: params[:msa_id])
  end

  def show
  end

  private
    # Use callbacks to share common setup or constraints between actions.
    def set_area
      @area = Area.find(params[:id])
    end

    # Never trust parameters from the scary internet, only allow the white list through.
    def area_params
      params.require(:area).permit(:name, :msa_id, :state_id, district_ids:[], search_ids:[], county_ids:[])
    end
end

class Area < ApplicationRecord

  has_many :districts
  has_many :counties
  has_and_belongs_to_many :searches
  belongs_to :msa
  belongs_to :state

end

create_table "searches", force: :cascade do |t|
    t.integer "beds"
    t.integer "max_price"
    t.string "prop_type"
    t.integer "user_id"
    t.string "name"
    t.integer "area_id"
    t.integer "school_id"
    t.integer "district_id"
    t.integer "city_id"
    t.boolean "email_me"
    t.boolean "rental"
    t.datetime "created_at", null: false
    t.datetime "updated_at", null: false
    t.string "grade"
    t.string "school_slug"
  end