[MyCitySearchName]

do you have a preference?....based on my criteria.....what is the better choice?

[Nunyabiz86]

While you're browsing, you might want to consider the Sequatchie Valley just to the west of Chattanooga. I've heard that the area around Dunlap, and points south, is pretty nice. There's a fairly sizable (300 acres) organic farm nearby called Sequatchie Cove Farm. I've never been there, but it looks nice on the website. There's also a place called the Sequatchie Valley Institute in the Whitwell area. Last I heard, they offered seminars in permaculture and sustainable technology. As far as parks go, Savage Gulf and Falls Creek parks are located in the area. I'm not sure how the climbing is. Anyway, those are the highpoints that I ran across on the internet. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, no state income tax in Tennesse, at least not yet. Hope the info proves helpful.

[MyCitySearchName]

Originally Posted by Sleestak

While you're browsing, you might want to consider the Sequatchie Valley just to the west of Chattanooga. I've heard that the area around Dunlap, and points south, is pretty nice. There's a fairly sizable (300 acres) organic farm nearby called Sequatchie Cove Farm. I've never been there, but it looks nice on the website. There's also a place called the Sequatchie Valley Institute in the Whitwell area. Last I heard, they offered seminars in permaculture and sustainable technology. As far as parks go, Savage Gulf and Falls Creek parks are located in the area. I'm not sure how the climbing is. Anyway, those are the highpoints that I ran across on the internet. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, no state income tax in Tennesse, at least not yet. Hope the info proves helpful.

Thanks for that,

Do you people that live in this area prefer TN or AL?.....why?....I know Alabama has cheaper taxes.....but I know living there and what is on paper might be a little different.

[bullittman]

i am interested in the broker and property you that interested you near mentone/ft. payne . bullittman

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I'll interleave my responses.

"looking for:
*low cost of living

That fits other areas of AL better than Mentone.

*small government, mostly conservative.....with LOW TAXES. I'm wanting to make my next move permanent.

Then most of Alabama fits. Alabama has minimal governmental overhead, the taxes on property are FAR lower than I've seen elsewhere, and people who understand the tradeoffs love the concept.

*low crime rate

Most of the rural areas fit. Crime is more an urban phenomenon in the Bible Belt.

*gun friendly

Err, Mentone? Sort-of. Art and guns rarely mix comfortably.

*pet friendly

What kind of pet? Animals are treated as animals in a lot of the state.

*pretty scenery, with low cost acreage available near near water...MILD climate....not extreme either way.....I do like to play in snow occasionally and prefer rolling foothills near mountains. I also like hunting, kayaking and rock climbing.

Forget low cost acreage in Mentone. As for climate- mild and snow are mutually exclusive. All of AL gets hot in the summer. This IS the south. Lookout Mountain is different than rolling foothills, but very nice. The sports are all nearby.

*rural, yet vibrant community with artists, artisans, self-reliant homesteader types and musicians....within a 30 min. drive of a larger community (30k to 150k people) for business/shopping purposes

OK, time to get real. Mentone has some artisians. There is a pottery shop on the way up the mountain from Valley Head and there are other artists around there. However, Chattanooga is over an hour away. Some like Chattanooga, I don't. The "vibrant community" around Mentone is in conflict with the more conservative community.

*access to organic produce, meat and goat's milk

Health food in the south is as rare as hen's teeth. Good luck unless you grow your own.

*no big box stores or blacktop jungles. I like a town with some character, slow pace of life and interesting architecture.

The Mentone Inn is an amazing structure on a par with the hotel on Catalina Island. Other "interesting architecture" in Alabama can be 1960s trailers. AL does not have a lot of restrictions on land.

*a decent hardware store and a nice restaurant or two."

The Little River Hardware Store in Mentone is a treasure. FWIW, the owner owns a trailer park and is from New York, but understands the area better than many natives. Some of the Mentone restaurants are for sale if you want to try your hand.

We looked very seriously at Mentone and Ft. Payne, but found that it was already overpriced and had all the great property taken. However... there is a mountaintop property just outside of Ft Payne we looked at that had a good price and interesting location. Until we realized it was too small, we were considering it. PM me if you are interested in contacting the broker we were using.

We found what we wanted in a different area of the state, but we'd have to kill you if we told you where.

[harry chickpea]

That post was made over a year ago. I'm certain the property is long since gone and I have lost contact with the broker. The company was old (ole?) heritage in Ft Payne. You can use valleymls.com to see most of the properties in north alabama