Johnson City/Bristol/Kingsport? (Knoxville, Bloomingdale: real estate, to rent, buying)

[angelaf]

I haven't visited this area but I'm curious about the landscape...
My fiancé and I have been considering relocating to western North Carolina and recently eastern Tennessee has come into our thoughts as well. We were really impressed with the area we drove through on our way to NC recently (south on I75 to Knoxville and then east on I40)... Is the tri-city area similarly mountainous? Can anyone compare the climate of this area to that of western NC? How about the people, culture, etc? We would eventually like to buy a place in or near the mountains with some acreage (maybe 5-10 acres)... it looks like doing this in western NC would be unlikely, unless we win the lottery. Are land and re-sells in the tri-city area any more affordable? Any info from anyone who is familiar with this area would be great!
Thanks!

[angelaf]

Come on guys... I know someone can answer some of these questions... Don't worry about this lil ol' northerner-- we won't try to raise taxes or change the way people do things down there, I promise. We want to assimilate!! We want to get out of here (here being a small town just inside Wisconsin, near the Twin Cities) to escape the winters most of all--I'm tired of nine months of winter. Also, it turns out I'd rather look at lots of trees and hills than all the open fields we have here. We have and want no kids so we won't complain about the schools. I won't demand government services that require higher taxes. I promise. We're real nice people, and we sure liked the people we met in Tennessee!

So how about the tri-city area? Or maybe there's some other area we should think about? I just graduated with my B.S. in creative writing so I'll be looking for a job (hopefully) doing something in writing, editing or research, but I'm very flexible as far as that goes. My fiancé will probably look for some kind of factory work or something along those lines... So we'll probably want to be near a reasonable-sized city but we don't want to live in the city. We're country people all the way. So we want: mild winters (although some snow is ok, just not three feet at a time, and not a real long winter), not-too-hot summers (part of the reason we want to stay in or near the mountains), plenty of sunshine (this is very, very important to me) and lots of trees. Any chance there's somewhere in Tennessee for us?

[mich2fla]

There's plenty of threads on Johnson City ~ use the search function above. Sorry, Never been in that part of TN.

[DaBranchMan]

The Tri-Cities is a very nice area. I've lived here my entire life. What sets us apart from Western NC is that there is more stuff here. We have more cities and more recreational/entertainment activities. We are a tad bit hotter than W. NC but we have just as much beauty. The Tri-Cities landscape is hilly/moutainous. The moutains are more on the outskirts of the Tri-Cities. Johnson City has moutains very close to the city. There is plenty of acreage around that area. Also, west of Kingsport, there is plenty of moutains. That area has the towns of Allandale, Mount Carmel, and Church Hill. Those cities are very close to Kingsport. Actually, if it wasn't a different county, it would be considered Kingsport. Another area with plenty of moutainous terrain is in Kingsport. It is known as Bays Moutain. It has a park on the mountain with all kinds of subdivisions going in at the foot of the mountain. Bays Moutain extends from I-26 in Kingsport to the Fall Branch area. Fall Branch is a nice town to with plenty of hills/mountains for outdoor fun. Fall Branch is about 5 to 10 minutes from Kingsport, depending on how fast you drive.
Bristol, TN/VA is also a region with plenty of moutains. It would be a wonderful area to relocate to. The Tri-Cities has all the major retailers and restaurant chains. The city with the most retailers is Johnson City. Johnson City is also the largest city in the area. The second biggest city is Kingsport. It is actually a little bigger than Johnson City if you add in Colonial Heights, Bloomingdale, and the Allandale region. Kingsport is an industrial city. It isn't the most attractive city in the world, but it does have some perks. In the past year or two, the city has improved by adding more shopping centers. The shopping centers are very nice. If you have any questions about this area that I didn't answer, then you can email me at FBBigBen44@aol.com or you can post them here and I will check back every couple of days.

I hope this helps you as much as possible.

[pioneer8]

My family has been to this area a couple of times. Once we came up from FL and went through Mont Eagle right before reaching Bristol (I believe)... That was beautiful and scary (for me)... That area, Abingdon as well, has been a dream for us... One day, I hope to get there. I share this because, I have done lots of research for the past three years, and I think it is right up there with what we wold need and from your criteria, it sounds like a good fit for you. I can't really think of anything terrible about the area... there are a few tiny personal things we wish it would provide, but we are willing to let them slide simply for the pluses we feel it offers... Cost of housing, landscape, moderate winters and still some snow! -Not to mention all that the rest of Virginia has to offer... History and a coastline...Good luck to you!

[hjlacey]

Most definately look around the tri state area! We are going to be moving just south of Kingsport. we love the area! you should look around the area.

[angelaf]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Now I wish I would have spent some time up there on my recent trip to NC. Ah well... we know we like that general area... and if it looks like a place in the country would be more affordable in the tri-city area, that's enough to make me start looking for jobs there, too. I glanced at real estate yesterday and it looks a little better than Western NC... Tucker, any info you have would be great--we'll want something kind of secluded and with some acreage, eventually, but we'll probably rent for at least a year. Also, we have two (very good, sweet) pit bulls and two cats--anyone have any idea how difficult it would be for us to find a place to rent in this area with our critters? Up here, it was impossible (ended up buying a place) but my checking into NC has lead me to believe it won't be impossible down there.
Pioneer, do you mean it was scary driving in the mountains? I was worried about that too... I went to Missoula MT a few years ago and the Rockies scared me to the point of paralysis... But luckily I found the mountains in E TN and W NC to be much, much more tame and beautiful. Instead of hating them, I loved them and I couldn't wait to go back.
I'm glad to have another area to look at... as much as I like NC, it's always nice to have more options! I don't know what the job prospects will be like in the tri-city area, but I'll certainly start looking!