Pros & Cons and differences of retiring to Bristol, Kingsport or Johnson City ? (Franklin: for sale, homes)

[jabogitlu]

Well, if you're comparing it to your current city (~250k, I think you said?) then yes, there's going to be less traffic. Sometimes there is a lot of traffic, but it's mostly situational (ie 5:00 on N State of Franklin or in Jonesborough or Grey, or 3:30 on SoF at ETSU). Unless there's an accident, though, there's never traffic backup. It flows very well. If you avoid the prime time (5-6 pm), the stores (Target, etc.) aren't difficult to park at.

Of course, that all changes at Christmas. A month ago I sat on State of Franklin in front of Chick-fil-A for about 15 minutes... just... in traffic. Hey, that's why I moved OUT of Knoxville! LOL!

[Tennesseestorm]

Thanks... I was unsure of Greeneville's exact elevation, but I know it was not that much of a difference for there to be no snow there and 13 ft. in JC.

Originally Posted by AppalachianAngler

Just wanted to clarify this: Greeneville (1519 feet) is only 115 feet lower in elevation than JC (1634 ft), therefore, not a big difference at all. Kingsport (1211 feet), however, is more than 400 feet lower than JC.

[Tennesseestorm]

We have enough "warm ups" in winter to occasionally get out and enjoy outdoor activities from time to time.

Not sure about Indiana... I have never been, but I work with a guy that was born and raised there and he loathed it, but you cannot go on that one opinion. I personally think it would be drab there for me... the land is not all that exciting (just mostly flat/rolling hills), too far north and more snow in the winter, colder, etc. Personally, it would not be one of the places on the top of my list, but then again, nowhere up north would be on my list. I am not a cold weather person. I would move to South Carolina, eastern Georgia, southern or eastern North Carolina if I were to move away from east TN.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Originally Posted by dlk33

Ok, so it sounds like I'd be pleased not having to shovel snow there. Next question.... in the winter do you get outside & do the same things you would do on a regular basis, like you would do if it were fall, spring or summer, or do you stay inside out of the cold until it warms up sometime in March or April (outside of the things you have to do)?
It gets humid here from time to time in the summer, some years worse then others. I guess the thing to do there, is get things done either in the morning or early evening when it's humid.
I really do think that the extreme heat or cold becomes more of an issue once we start getting older, say after 40. When I was younger, I never ever even thought about the heat being an issue & I lived in Florida then.
Can you believe that I actually had a choice to either move to California or Wisconsin & I chose Wi. because I had never seen snow That choice was actually made while living in Hawaii.
We celebrated our 25th Anniversary in Ca.(Big Sur & San Francisco) & I thought it was beautiful! The cost to live there isn't though. I wouldn't move back to Fl. for several reasons.
As some of you know from other threads, besides the Tri-Cities area, we are also considering our retirement to Indiana, either Lafayette or suburbs of Indianapolis. Any of you have thoughts on either option? I'm willing to listen

[WalterB]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

Hi Don,
Yes the smell referred to about Kingsport is from Eastman Chemical Plant, the largest employer in the North East TN region. (It used to be Eastman Kodak, now just Eastman) I drive by it every day I go to the office. Some days I smell a whiff, sometimes I smell it for a few miles, but most days not at all. It is a chemical/sulfury/kinda sweet...heck I can't describe it other than not near as bad as a paper plant if you have ever smelt one of those! Folks around here just call it "The smell of economy".
It really doesn't bother me or anyone I know, however I have heard of some being very sensitive to it and it bothers them a lot. One man here on CD said when he came to visit he had headaches the whole time he was in Kingsport and believed it was Eastman. It is one of those things you would just have to come visit and see....or smell...for yourself to see if it would be a problem for you. On days that I can smell it, it does seem very concentrated to the Eastman area and not like a floating green smog in the sky that permeates the whole region or anything like that. My co-worker who has lived in Kingsport all of her life says she has heard people reference it but has never smelled anything! LOL!
Sorry...not sure if my ramblings have answered your question or not. I just don't really know how to describe it.

Anyone ever suspected the smell/fumes to be toxic? What exactly are the vapors from? Is there a common illness that current/former employees come down with?

[ljay42]

Originally Posted by WalterB

Is there a common illness that current/former employees come down with?

Yes, money'itis. It's an illness caused by steady employment with common side effects being a stable economy, home ownership, and full medical.

[mbmouse]

LOL!! that's cute.
I have never heard of anyone say anything about any kind of illness due to the Eastman Chemical plant. I believe an OSHA rep(or 50) is always on site as well as other gov. agencies to assure it is safe. A plant that is square mile or more in size, yea it is regulated to the hilt!

[dlk33]

It's queston time again. As far as making a relocation choice between JC & Kingsport, here is one of my main dilema's w/o having visited either one just yet. According to my research, there is quite a difference in the median home cost for both cities..... Johnson City$213,000, Kingsport $133,400. About a year ago both cities were about the same, but somehow that has changed quite a bit! Since we do need to pick a location where our dollar will stretch the most, being that we will be living on a fixed income, it does make a difference. Anyone have an idea why the hugh difference?
Everything else is pretty much equal as far as cost of living between the two.
What would you say are the main differences between the two cities?

In an earlier post, I mentioned the possibility of moving to Indiana instead of Tennessee. I realize the area is much different & we would still have to contend with more snow & cold then we would prefer. What it is, is our option to still remain within a short drive (6 hours) to our grown children who will remain in Wisconsin once we leave. It's always a hard decision to move away from your children, but sometimes it's the decision that has to be made.

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by dlk33

It's queston time again. As far as making a relocation choice between JC & Kingsport, here is one of my main dilema's w/o having visited either one just yet. According to my research, there is quite a difference in the median home cost for both cities..... Johnson City$213,000, Kingsport $133,400. About a year ago both cities were about the same, but somehow that has changed quite a bit! Since we do need to pick a location where our dollar will stretch the most, being that we will be living on a fixed income, it does make a difference. Anyone have an idea why the hugh difference?
Everything else is pretty much equal as far as cost of living between the two.
What would you say are the main differences between the two cities?

In an earlier post, I mentioned the possibility of moving to Indiana instead of Tennessee. I realize the area is much different & we would still have to contend with more snow & cold then we would prefer. What it is, is our option to still remain within a short drive (6 hours) to our grown children who will remain in Wisconsin once we leave. It's always a hard decision to move away from your children, but sometimes it's the decision that has to be made.

The reasons for the differences have been debated on here before and I will leave that for others to answer. I will say to you that your heart keeps getting tugged toward your family. I will ask you a weird question. Is there a way that you could purchase a home here in TN and a home also in Indiana, closer to your family? You could perhaps buy two "smaller" homes and have the best of both worlds!?!?

[dlk33]

It's not a weird question. Actually, if it were financially possible we'd live in Wisconsin six months out of the year & perhaps Tn. the other half of the year. That however is an option for those who have quite the nest egg saved up, not us. Owning a home & living in Indiana would be cheaper then Wi. I don't see any way that we could afford a home in both Indiana & Tn. The home own right now will probably be worth $160,000-$170,000 when we attempt to sell in a few years. Our intention is to buy another home in a cheaper place to live for about $125,00 max. I don't see any way to buy two homes for $62,500 ea.
Thanks for your thoughts though

[mbmouse]

The big difference between "median house price" is the size of house. There are WAY more 500k and up homes in Johnson City than in Kingsport. The sale of 2 over million dollar homes in JC in a year, where Kingsport doesn't have any of those to even be sold, will effect those median home sale prices stats in a year drastically. However if you compare apples to apples, say a 3/2 1800 sq ft house in each city, they are pretty close. Kingsport might be a touch less, but not enough to make a difference if you prefer Kingsport to JC or visa versa.
You'll just have to come and visit and see which city feels more to your liking.