[Presector]

I grew up in the Franklin/Spring Hill area below Nashville, and thus rode the wave of the area becoming more and more desirable, particularly in recent years. However, land has become prohibitively expensive, with $35,000-$40,000/acre being pretty much standard now.

I would like to homestead, so 10-40 acres would be ideal. But I naturally find myself questioning whether I can afford to buy land and build a house here now that I'm "grown up".

I'm not one to move every several years - I would ideally like to stay wherever I build my home for the rest of my life. Which is why I'm concerned about moving to a state, city, and area, that I know nothing about, in order to better afford land and a house.

I know the area in TN very well, and am familiar with it's benefits and shortcomings, which makes committing to the area easy, as I can easily determine whether I could live the rest of my life here. But with Arkansas, I feel as though it would be like marrying someone I haven't even met. So, is there anyone here that has lived both places?

I don't know what the culture is like in Arkansas, what the crime is like, whether there are plenty of jobs, what the political climate is, etc. But from a brief drive through, I do not like the flat-lands in the eastern part of AR.

I love mountains, but need flat pasture land for farming. So an area with a "rolling" landscape would likely be best.

[SkyLark2019]

I have some family ties to that region.

The good- quiet country living.

The bad- not a lot of "open-minded" people.

I've been happy to socialize with people from Arkansas, but keep in mind polite bigots....are still bigots.

[JoeJunior]

My sister and brother in law (from Franklin) lived in North Little Rock for about 10 years. I lived in Memphis and worked throughout Northeast Arkansas the better part of 12 years. My territory included much of the Ozarks too. I hold Arkansas in high regard, however many communities are a little quiet living. They still have some dry counties too.

You're from one of the premier residential areas in the entire U.S.--Williamson and Maury County, Tennessee. Franklin's median home prices right now are about $1 million--very expensive. Leiper's Fork is so nice that Justin Timberlake decided he'd move all of his organization there.

I would suggest you look into properties on the southern side of Columbia--between Howenwald and Fayetteville. You'll find farm land that's not priced like the ridiculous prices around Franklin/Spring Hill. And you could still be close enough to Columbia as to not disrupt your current life.

We often travel the backroads south of Columbia, and I can tell you it's some beautiful and hilly country. Very lush and green.

[sub]

Originally Posted by Presector

I grew up in the Franklin/Spring Hill area below Nashville, and thus rode the wave of the area becoming more and more desirable, particularly in recent years. However, land has become prohibitively expensive, with $35,000-$40,000/acre being pretty much standard now.

I would like to homestead, so 10-40 acres would be ideal. But I naturally find myself questioning whether I can afford to buy land and build a house here now that I'm "grown up".

I'm not one to move every several years - I would ideally like to stay wherever I build my home for the rest of my life. Which is why I'm concerned about moving to a state, city, and area, that I know nothing about, in order to better afford land and a house.

I know the area in TN very well, and am familiar with it's benefits and shortcomings, which makes committing to the area easy, as I can easily determine whether I could live the rest of my life here. But with Arkansas, I feel as though it would be like marrying someone I haven't even met. So, is there anyone here that has lived both places?

I don't know what the culture is like in Arkansas, what the crime is like, whether there are plenty of jobs, what the political climate is, etc. But from a brief drive through, I do not like the flat-lands in the eastern part of AR.

I love mountains, but need flat pasture land for farming. So an area with a "rolling" landscape would likely be best.

The Ozarks have some tamer, low-lying hills and valleys that might suffice for limited farming.
The soil is generally rocky though.
It would be culturally similar. Politics are similar with Little Rock being the only sizable democratic stronghold and it doesn’t really influence state politics as a whole.
The biggest difference is that Arkansas flies under the radar more than Tennessee, so it isn’t growing as fast.
The economy is fine though and finding a job shouldn’t be too difficult.
I’d probably recommend the central/north central part of the state or west-central for what you’re looking for.
NWA is growing faster and tends to be pricier.

[Recycledlettuce]

I've lived all over Arkansas and Tennessee. I don't think you'll find the culture too terribly different. I can honestly hardly tell the two states apart, politically. And of course, for both states you have the urban/rural divide. Memphis is very different than Johnson City, for example.

NW Arkansas (Fayetteville/Rogers/Bentonville) is beautiful, but the land is pricier there than the rest of Arkansas.

I personally love this town: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Home,_Arkansas It's much smaller so your luck finding a job will depend on the industry you work in.

If you want to stay in TN to avoid the state income tax that isn't applicable like it will be for you in AR, Johnson City is a nice TN area to scope out.

AR will be more expensive just due to that income tax surcharge, though property taxes may offset that for a large property, so you might want to consult a financial advisor to determine how you'd fare with take-home pay.

Good luck with your decision!

Originally Posted by Presector

I grew up in the Franklin/Spring Hill area below Nashville, and thus rode the wave of the area becoming more and more desirable, particularly in recent years. However, land has become prohibitively expensive, with $35,000-$40,000/acre being pretty much standard now.

I would like to homestead, so 10-40 acres would be ideal. But I naturally find myself questioning whether I can afford to buy land and build a house here now that I'm "grown up".

I'm not one to move every several years - I would ideally like to stay wherever I build my home for the rest of my life. Which is why I'm concerned about moving to a state, city, and area, that I know nothing about, in order to better afford land and a house.

I know the area in TN very well, and am familiar with it's benefits and shortcomings, which makes committing to the area easy, as I can easily determine whether I could live the rest of my life here. But with Arkansas, I feel as though it would be like marrying someone I haven't even met. So, is there anyone here that has lived both places?

I don't know what the culture is like in Arkansas, what the crime is like, whether there are plenty of jobs, what the political climate is, etc. But from a brief drive through, I do not like the flat-lands in the eastern part of AR.

I love mountains, but need flat pasture land for farming. So an area with a "rolling" landscape would likely be best.

[rainorsun]

Originally Posted by SkyLark2019

I have some family ties to that region.

The good- quiet country living.

The bad- not a lot of "open-minded" people.

I've been happy to socialize with people from Arkansas, but keep in mind polite bigots....are still bigots.

What do you mean by "bigots"? What kind or ...?
Are they too left-leaning politically, or too clique-ish about activities? It's not clear. Like if they're ok for you to socialize with but ...?

[grampaTom]

OP, I believe if you look around a little further from Nashville in Tennessee you can find what you are looking for without moving to different state.

[sub]

Originally Posted by JoeJunior

My sister and brother in law (from Franklin) lived in North Little Rock for about 10 years. I lived in Memphis and worked throughout Northeast Arkansas the better part of 12 years. My territory included much of the Ozarks too. I hold Arkansas in high regard, however many communities are a little quiet living. They still have some dry counties too.

You're from one of the premier residential areas in the entire U.S.--Williamson and Maury County, Tennessee. Franklin's median home prices right now are about $1 million--very expensive. Leiper's Fork is so nice that Justin Timberlake decided he'd move all of his organization there.

I would suggest you look into properties on the southern side of Columbia--between Howenwald and Fayetteville. You'll find farm land that's not priced like the ridiculous prices around Franklin/Spring Hill. And you could still be close enough to Columbia as to not disrupt your current life.

We often travel the backroads south of Columbia, and I can tell you it's some beautiful and hilly country. Very lush and green.

Originally Posted by grampaTom

OP, I believe if you look around a little further from Nashville in Tennessee you can find what you are looking for without moving to different state.

This is the Arkansas forum.
The OP said he was familiar with Tennessee and knows what to expect there.

The cost of living difference would be negligible. Arkansas might have income taxes, but it can be dirt cheap to buy into which might offset that.

I've lived in both.
Tennessee only when I was younger, but I've been all over that state countless times since then.
TN is popular right now, but generally I prefer Arkansas under most circumstances as a place to live.
It would likely suit the OP just fine.
The downside might be that Arkansas is next in line to be "discovered".

[JoeJunior]

Originally Posted by sub

This is the Arkansas forum.
The OP said he was familiar with Tennessee and knows what to expect there.

The cost of living difference would be negligible. Arkansas might have income taxes, but it can be dirt cheap to buy into which might offset that.

I've lived in both.
Tennessee only when I was younger, but I've been all over that state countless times since then.
TN is popular right now, but generally I prefer Arkansas under most circumstances as a place to live.
It would likely suit the OP just fine.
The downside might be that Arkansas is next in line to be "discovered".

If you look at the population of the two counties in Northwest Arkansas, you'll see it has been discovered.

561,000 people call NW AR home. Tyson Foods and Walmart headquarters are the reason the people have moved there.

[sub]

Originally Posted by JoeJunior

If you look at the population of the two counties in Northwest Arkansas, you'll see it has been discovered.

561,000 people call NW AR home. Tyson Foods and Walmart headquarters are the reason the people have moved there.

That’s why I say it’s next in line, but It’s nothing on the level of what you see in various parts of Tennessee at the moment.
TN had a jumpstart with two major cities and a couple others that are more in line with Little Rock.
LR is where Nashville was 50-60 years ago. Memphis used to be a more major city before it fell behind.
Knoxville and Chattanooga have either surpassed or at least are on par with Little Rock these days, depending on which stats you’re looking at.
NWA is well behind those.
Arkansas also doesn’t have the manufacturing that Tennessee has with those automobile plants.
I can’t predict the future, but I’d bet Arkansas is a ways off from hitting its stride.