Looking for a Lil' Homestead - NY to Eastern TN - Tri City, Johnson City

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Meadow1958

Thanks for another perspective on the "possibility" of a place to live. I know it won't be easy to find but I too checked some of the real estate sites and found a number of places (of course you don't have the details and inspec) but at least some of those are probably fundamentally sound. The stream is the dream part, like most of the population would like, but a dream doesn't hurt as long as it's not ALL that matters.

The humidity/pollen/pollution is what I am trying to get a good comparison on. It isn't great here for mom either but I think I will just have to visit. Once I do that in the right season, I'm sure I will have a good feel for how it stacks up against what she is struggling with now, and whether it will be an improvement or at least positive tradeoff.

The low income senior apts will be the challenge but I am putting together lists from a few sites and will be checking those out too.

The location closer to the NC Triad would be best for my son to find work and may not be best for mom, not sure, that's why I thought more north and west of the Triad...? But then that depends on the small towns and other things...

I really like what I hear, read about JC alot but then it sounds like there isn't much job opportunity for techies nearby. One poster informed me of layoffs and cutbacks recently announced in a couple bigger employers in JC. What about the other two cities of the Tri, Kingston and...? What are the roads like in Eastern TN for commuting?

The best areas for heat relief are going to be from the Cumberland Plateau in east TN to the highlands in WNC. Areas like Nashville (west of plateau) and Triad (east of mountains) have a hotter, more humid climate typical of the South in the summer. The plus side is that the areas going east are going to receive little to no snowfall. I have a former coworker who lives a few miles from the NC coast in Jacksonville and today it's 45 there while we've been in the 20s.

One thing to note coming from NY is that when it snows, things just come to a screeching halt here. Schools and some businesses will close for little to nothing. It can be irritating.

I would not move here if you or someone you are moving with is in need of work. The national economy is improving, but we're going backward. The medical groups are the backbone of our local economy now and they're laying off again. Eastman is expanding, but most of the new personnel onsite are not Eastman employees, but contractors.

I work in IT and have eight certifications including the CCNA, a bachelor's (not IT related), and almost four years experience, and I'm working part-time with no time off and no benefits. When you count my unpaid holiday furloughs, I am grossing under $23k for a year. Unless the bottom falls through, I'll be relocating to Indiana in the next month, doubling my pay, and getting benefits back. Payscales in this area, at least in IT, are far, far below the market rate, even for other low cost areas.

MSHA announces changes; layoffs expected - TriCities.com: News

Holston Medical Group eliminating 25 administrative positions | Kingsport Times-News

[Meadow1958]

Thanks Emmigration that is probably one of the most relevant posts in impacting our plans and whether my son would want to head that way with us. He wants out of the North too but no reason to get behind the 8ball in a career you love and want to grow in. That will be a huge consideration. We knew Asheville wouldn't work for him but thought maybe the Triad area would offer more and we could be somewhere inbetween...? still keeping away from the worst of the heat and polllution. We aren't planning on staying together forever, we actually only joined forces because he was laid off but got work again pretty quick but since he has not yet actually got his cert, he's at the bottom so hopefully if he moves to the right area he can get an entry position and get moving. He is motivated but in the catch 22 of needing experience but can't get a job to get it. Hopefully that will change a bit more when he takes n passes the cert test. But it is still only the first cert so... But he needs to be where that field can flourish without being inside a big city which he nor I car for, been there done that and don't like it. Access is good enough... Suggestions?

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Meadow1958

Thanks Emmigration that is probably one of the most relevant posts in impacting our plans and whether my son would want to head that way with us. He wants out of the North too but no reason to get behind the 8ball in a career you love and want to grow in. That will be a huge consideration. We knew Asheville wouldn't work for him but thought maybe the Triad area would offer more and we could be somewhere inbetween...? still keeping away from the worst of the heat and polllution. We aren't planning on staying together forever, we actually only joined forces because he was laid off but got work again pretty quick but since he has not yet actually got his cert, he's at the bottom so hopefully if he moves to the right area he can get an entry position and get moving. He is motivated but in the catch 22 of needing experience but can't get a job to get it. Hopefully that will change a bit more when he takes n passes the cert test. But it is still only the first cert so... But he needs to be where that field can flourish without being inside a big city which he nor I car for, been there done that and don't like it. Access is good enough... Suggestions?

By the Triad, I guess you're talking about Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point NC. I don't really know much about it other than it's quite a bit bigger than here. The Triangle in Raleigh is where the bulk of tech jobs are. NC has higher taxes than TN.

Nashville's economy is supposedly the best in the state, but I don't see it in the call backs I get. Most of my call backs have been from the Midwest, Florida, and Texas. I have only been aggressively looking since New Year's . I have received offers of at least $40k back in Iowa and now Indiana in the last few months, but can't get $30k in this area.

If you're willing to commute up to an hour, you can probably find what you're looking for in most major metros in the South, aside from the temperature .

[phenry57]

If senior housing is a priority, maybe you should search for that first and then narrow down the rest. I think there are websites for that purpose (A Place For Mom) etc.