Great area nw georgia, chattanooga, tn!!! (Red Bank, Dayton: rental, homes, buying)

[burr]

Originally Posted by romeo kilo

If I somehow offended anyone with my stats or opinion about this area, I do apologize. Like I have said in my previous post, I love this whole area. ..from Ringgold to Rossville to Chattanooga to Red Bank to Dayton. This whole area is full of great people and if you are from here, your response helps to prove my point. Best of Luck to you... and I am thankful to live here with and amongst some of the nicest people I have ever encountered...and I have lived in a lot of places. Peace to you and have a Blessed Day.

RK, some people are like that. Good post, made me think about the area. Unfortunately, I'm no nomad, but a homeboy.

[Katsmeeyow]

Hey Jkmewright!!! Good to see you and Grizz! Yeah, I will be about 100 miles from you!

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by romeo kilo

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If you are moving, and you are considering the Northwest Georgia area or the Chattanooga, Tn area, I would like to give you my input:
* I am a 53 year old married white male (High School education with approximately 2 years of college but no degree).
*I moved to Ringgold, Ga (Catoosa County) (Right off of Interstate 75... 90 miles north of Atlanta and 20 miles southeast of downtown Chattanooga,Tn) in Jan 2006 after living in the Tampa Bay, Florida area for 18 years. Here is what I have learned about the Chattanooga area in the past 3 years:
* The vast majority of the people here are locals...conservative and friendly with decent values and are family oriented.
* I have not personally dealt with any Race Issues in the area. I am white and both Catoosa (where I live) and Walker Counties in Ga are 95% white.
*Chattanooga, with a population of 175,000 is a little more diverse, about 60%W and 35%B.
*Hamilton County, Tn (Chattanooga) with a population of 330,000 is 75%W and 20% B
*The Chattanooga MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) has a population of a little over 500,000.
*Though Chattanooga has about 1-1.5 murders per month and its share of crime, we just dont see it.
*I have walked downtown Chattanooga on many occasions at night to go to the IMAX theatre, the Large and Beautiful Aquarium, or to the semi-pro baseball stadium ...all very near the Tennessee Riverfront. We have never once felt threatened!!
*New Homes on the Georgia side are selling now and since I moved here for about $100 per sq ft. We purchased a 3/2 1600 sq ft home on 1acre (in a small subdivision) with hardwood floors, gas fireplace, large rear deck with mountain view, 2 car garage, and stainless steel appliances in 2006 for $155,000.
*The property tax for last year was just over $1,000 (Property Tax on the Tennessee side is definitely Higher!)
*The homeowners insurance last year, including dwelling and possessions was a ridiculous $350 (Very Ridiculous if you are from Florida!!)
*My wife easily got a job at TMobile as a Customer Service Rep at about $25,000 annually when we first arrived.
*She now works for US Express (large trucking co headquartered in Chattanooga) and made approximately $35,000 last year.
*Volkswagen is building a new Automobile Assembly plant here..they have already started hiring white collar workers.
*Dalton State, University of Tenn @ Chattanooga, NW Ga Tech, Temple Univ are a few of the higher education schools in the area.
*Traffic jams are not a problem here. I have never been in anything compared to Atlanta, Tampa, DC traffic. To me, the traffic here is a breeze.
*The weather is Moderate...In the 2nd or 3rd week in Nov it starts to cool off and stays cool until about now, March. But, without the snow (1 inch last year) and ice found farther north. It is definitely a 4 season area.
*Shopping for the ladies: Hamilton Place Mall area...you name the store, and it is there. It's not only the mall, but lots of other stores (lowes, Home depot, Best Buy, WalMart, Steakhouses, Pasta, Seafood, its all there!!)around the mall that make this a HUGE shopping, dining, and retail area. Downtown Warehouse Row for Coach and other high end retailers.
*The list of things to do is incredible. Hiking, Kayaking, Rock climbing, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Hang Gliding, Cave Exploration, IMAX theatre, Kids Museum of Science, Hunter Art Museum, Tennessee River and a beautiful riverside park..great for the kids, Riverwalk, Best Aquarium I have ever seen, Semi Pro Baseball Stadium, College Basketball and football, Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain, Incline Railway, Beautiful Rock City Gardens, Civil War Battlefields, I can never remember everything. All good, wholesome, clean , family entertainment. Great for the young and the old!
*I cannot speak regarding the local schools since my kids did not attend any schools in this area.
*Although there are jobs, the downward economy is affecting this area like many others across the nation. The VW Plant is a definite huge infusion of money into the area.
*The small Airport is easily accessible
*Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, Huntsville, Al, Birmingham are all 1-1.5 hrs away.
*In summary, I am a nomad, former US Air Force, and have lived in MS,AL,FL, GA, IL, DE, VA, and 2 years in Turkey. I don't know that I will ever leave this area . The people are nice, friendly, supportive, ...the scenery is beautiful. The things to do and see are endless. The traffic is fine, the crime I dont even notice, and the cost of living is below the national average.
*Email me at 2theknights@msn.com and I will answer your questions. I will also send you photos of this area if you wish. I promote this area because I believe in it.


[+] Rate this post positively

What a great over view..and endorsement..have you been to Nashville or Murfreesboro? jus curious how Chatanooga is different. I am a writer, about to publish a book. Fifty-ish blond somewhat conservative, who likes antiques, Federal/tradtional colonials and healthy living.
Prefer quiet areas with not a lot of traffic - would love to find a place with some nature and trees or ponds in the back versus houses...I call myself a young old fogey!
What areas around Chatanooga would I feel most at home in do you think? you mentioned a lot of outdoorsey type activities. I do yoga and dance

thanks for the great insightul post - your love of C given your travel experience means a lot.

12buttons

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by dasmarian

I think that you mean well in your post but it reads a bit off color to me. I dunno why, but I think there are some points there you might have made differently.

On the other hand, you did a nice job of stereotyping yourself.

Your post is very obtuse - please clarify..I did not get any of your references regarding that gentleman's wonderful positive post.

[eloyfan]

I didn't get any of the poster's spitup either. I thought Romeo Kilo's thread is awesome, and I am thankful for the informative post. I wish more folks were this giving.

My wife and I plan to make another big move in 5 years, when our 13 year old son finishes HS, and we would like lakefront, with some land. We can afford into the $800's if necessary. Biggest concern is nice people and no isolation from amenities, but privacy and boating/fishing/peace are a must. BIG BIG BIG into the Civil War, so that area is a great plus. Are there any lakes around Dayton or not too far from Chat that we can zero in on?

We are spending the week of July 12-18 in Chattanooga, hoping to see a lot and see if it's a place we want to retire to.

RK, thanks again for a uniquely helpful post. You stereotyped yourself as a great neighbor! I will email you before July so perhaps we can meet!

[dasmarian]

A few posts were deleted or edited by the moderator on both sides, best to leave it at that and move on.

[marymom]

Well I was very happy to read your post, you just made up my mind..Husband and I have been on the fence about moving to the area from Maryland for years. Now the ? is should we move to north ga or tn? We would really like to rent a farm house in the burbs, any ideas? We have three small kids and a large hunting dog, we need some space. I am having trouble finding rentals..the rent sights get you all turned around, also hubby needs a job. He is currently a self-employeed builder, residential and commercial and we are dying up here. Any helpful advise is needed.
Thanks

[VolDude]

All things considered, TN is cheaper, especially if you're renting. No state income tax here.

Search rentals on Craigslist and do a search in this forum on the area(s) of town each rental that interests you is located.

[SunnyP]

Romeo,
I think yours is a great post. Great info and it makes me very excited to make a visit and see what we find.

If you don't mind, what are good neighborhoods for families with young children, and reasonable housing prices in Chattanooga?

Thank you!

[shadesofaqua]

My husband and I are moving up that way in August. I am a teacher (certified in LA and FL for grades K-9) and my husband is a journeyman electrician with 20+ years experience. With school budget cuts, 120+ teachers (with less than 3 years of teaching in this county) were cut and there is absolutely no construction work in the area; therefore are no opportunities for employment here on the Panhandle of FL! We spent a few days in the Chattanooga area (celebrating our 30th anniversary) and fell in love with the area. So...we decided to take the leap and move. Hopefully we will both find employment right away, but have decided to rent a house for a few months to get a feel for which area we want to purchase a house and a few acres. The North Georgia area was one area on my list of places to research, but after reading your post I've bumped it up to position 1 on that list. Any chance you have any information on rental property (single-family home or small farms)? We still want to rent before making a big investment (especially in these uncertain economic conditions).
I had to chuckle when I read the part of your post regarding the insurance! Wow! I think we will definitely be able to live for a lot less than we do on this beach front property which is killing everyone here on taxes and insurance (each of those 2 items is more than the mortgage!)
Thanks for the interesting and informative post.