Relocating to East Tennessee (Johnson City, Kingsport: transplants, cheap apartments, lofts)

[rccrain]

Historic Homes:

1. Plenty in J'boro & Rogersville.

2. Euclid Ave in Bristol (and other areas - but thoroughly check out the neighborhood).

3. In JC, look in the area between Downtown and The JC Mall but be repaired to pay. Others are available in the newly improved "Tree Streets". See this one I saw recently - http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...604_1100891056.

4. Kpt is sure to have some options, but I'm unfamiliar with the area.

5. Blountville, Elizabethton, and Bluff City may be your most reasonable choices. Bluff City has some very nice historic homes that are an easy walk to the water front.

[jabogitlu]

If there are bank locations in Greeneville or Johnson City, another good option for you might be to look in Greeneville/Greene County. These days eastern Greeneville-Greene County is basically an exurb of Johnson City in many ways. Housing prices are a good deal cheaper there, especially if you're looking for something historical - you might end up saving 40-50k on a similar home.

Travel on 11E from many communities there (Chuckey, Afton) is 20-25 minutes into western Johnson City so it's not horrible. Just another (usually unconsidered) option to think about...

[cherrobrob]

I have seen a few homes in Chuckey and Greenville available. Just checked out the tree streets and that is exactly what we are looking for. In September we are coming up there and will check it out. Any other areas like that?

[jabogitlu]

The Tree Streets is fairly unique in the Tri-Cities, in demographics anyway. You might also check out The Gump aka Hillrise Park. Baxter Street, Woodland Ave, Cloudland Drive, Forest Ave, Lester Harris Road, Green Lane, Mountain View Circle, East 8th, 9th and 10th Streets.

There are also a few nice, older homes on Unaka and Watauga Avenues but these roads turn from beauty to dump block by block, so be careful.

[NorthernLights]

Still some deals on the tree streets but as you get further from ETSU the tree streets kind of slides downhill [imho]. Plus, a couple houses in the Tree Streets look incredible, but you need to see what's on all sides of it. I was looking at a beautiful brick home over there this spring. Really nicely refurbed. I'd have put an offer on it from back in Maryland...and been really disappointed when I drove up and found out there was a frat house two doors down and one diagonally across the street. [I mean, I'm young at heart and all but...not that much sense of humor to live next to Bluto and the Deltas] I still think to really find the kind of project you're looking for you need to come rent for a couple months before deciding. I came down here a couple times for over a year before settling on my place in Boone's Creek. It was still much more of an impulse buy than I would've preferred. I will end up losing a little money if I try and sell before prices creep back up. Fortunately if I have to be stuck somewhere until the market comes back up a bit I'm in a good place. If I had bought one or two of the other homes I was giving serious consideration too and ended up not being to sell them at this time, now that I've gotten down here and learned the area better I would've had far more serious buyer's remorse. I kind of lucked out, hope you can do at least as well on your choice.

[Ripshin]

Agree on the job searching. I have been here six weeks, and have found NOTHING. I have a good resume, but the jobs are pretty one-note, and low-paying. Plus, there is very little professional business ethic displayed in East TN. You apply to posted jobs, in person or on the Internet (as requested), and NOBODY responds, EVER. It's kind of shocking, but hearing of the unemployment situation in this area, it's not surprising. DO NOT move here without work, unless you're in the medical field, or are a restaurant manager (WHY are there so many positions available in that field?).

I'd stay away from Carter Country - it has a reputation for a reason. VERY backward. My grandparents lived there most of their lives, but it is NOT the place it was during the 30s - 70s.

[rccrain]

Originally Posted by Ripshin

DO NOT move here without work, unless you're in the medical field, or are a restaurant manager (WHY are there so many positions available in that field?).

Because most people would rather not work 60 hours/wk for $25K. When I worked at Shoney's, servers routinely turned down management positions because they could make more money in less time as servers. Plus, I didn't know many servers that reported all of their tips so a good portion of the income was "tax free".

[Ripshin]

RE: Restaurant management...Knew the hours were long, but wasn't aware of the salaries in this region. It's really bad around East TN - salaries not keeping up with cost of living. Single people are especially in a difficult spot - TWO salaries are essential to survive. Fortunately, I can live with family for now, but I see no way to make it here. I am shocked how much more expensive groceries are here, as well as items such as liquor. But then again, it is almost 10% sales tax.

[Ripshin]

Back to topic...don't have much to add on neighborhoods. Prices of homes have really shot up in JC. My parents bought a cute, 1930s home in one of the above-mentioned spots, for $70,000 in the mid-90s. It was appraised for almost $200,000 last year! (Because some dumb person paid almost $500,000 for a house next door - WAY above the market value, right before the crash.) Tree streets are OK, but not universally attractive. Holston Drive (st?) is nice in Bristol, and K-sport has an area of older homes up on the hill (if you can stand the Eastman plant smell.) Just returned from Elizabethton, and can say I would NOT want to live there. The downtown is dead, with empty stores - overall, very depressing. East TN doesn't have the extended interest, or money, to redevelope downtowns. JC has a group trying its hardest, but it is very slow going. Bristol seems to be the least desirable of the Tri-Cities, for whatever reason. Jonesborough stands out from the pack.

[donsabi]

Ripshin,
Good assessment! Almost anywhere in Kingsport you find a foul odor from time to time. Which company is producing the worse smell really doesn't matter. Smell ranges from a somewhat sweet smell to "gag a mule." For the most part Kingsport is a W-mart town. I think the failure of re-development is, as you say, the lack of interest and money, but also very poor planning by the city officials. In the year plus I have been here I have seen numerous businesses fail or relocate.