Advice on moving

[jimj]

Originally Posted by LauraC

With all of the people moving to East Tennessee, how long do you think a neighboring town to Knoxville can remain rural? Seriously, has anyone had any experience with this in another Southern state or another part of Tennessee where you moved to a town next to a city (population over 150,000) when that town was still rural? How long did it take before it was overrun and over developed after you moved to it?

We saw this in north GA. It took about 2 years for things to get real out of hand. Where we bought for the rural feel surrounded by fields and farms very quickly saw the bulldozers and graders. We left.....

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by jimj

We saw this in north GA. It took about 2 years for things to get real out of hand. Where we bought for the rural feel surrounded by fields and farms very quickly saw the bulldozers and graders. We left.....

We have had the same experience in N. GA, jimj. In only 5 years this quaint sleepy town with so much local pride and history is being swallowed up by Atlanta - and it is over 50 miles north of the city!

The traffic has become horrendous. The development is a crime against the landscape. What were lovely foothill mountains are being cleared of all those beautiful aged oaks and dozy dogwoods with box after box houses planted in their soil. What a shame. What a tragedy for all of those who love this area.

Where is the social conscience of developers and town planning committees when they allow the total destruction of watersheds, home to forest animals, and beloved home of generations of people.

Please don't let it happen in E. TN. Build, buy or farm responsibly. Each of us should take pride in preserving a natural treasure like Tennessee whether we are native-born or thankful imports.

[pdq]

Originally Posted by gemthornton

In only 5 years this quaint sleepy town with so much local pride and history is being swallowed up by Atlanta - and it is over 50 miles north of the city!
Please don't let it happen in E. TN. Build, buy or farm responsibly. Each of us should take pride in preserving a natural treasure like Tennessee whether we are native-born or thankful imports.

Sorry Gem, it's already happening. Seems that the developers/leaders all want us all to be happy and to live in a utopian overdeveloped mega-land. How could that be wrong? It worked for L.A., NYC, Tokyo, Beijing, London, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, right?

[gemkeeper]

Originally Posted by pdq

Sorry Gem, it's already happening. Seems that the developers/leaders all want us all to be happy and to live in a utopian overdeveloped mega-land. How could that be wrong? It worked for L.A., NYC, Tokyo, Beijing, London, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, right?

Well, pdq, I am a firm believer and devotee to the "tipping point" theory. I intend to be one of those who will not contribute to that insane mentality and maybe in one small gesture tip the balance the other way.

Suzanne Fedoruk's "The Not So Big House" should be required reading for any builder or developer attempting to get permits for these mega-neighborhoods. Then, we should inject 50 cc of conscience into their veins.

I am hoping that America's fascination with big, bigger, biggest will soon come to an end - and not a forced end, but one of social responsibility. I always see the glass as just over half-filled.

[mbmouse]

There is also the concept of "supply and demand" if people would look hard at resale homes that can be updated to your wants and specifications verses building a new one would slow growth down. If no one is buying new construction, they won't build as many as fast.
.......Well it is a thought anyway.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

There is also the concept of "supply and demand" if people would look hard at resale homes that can be updated to your wants and specifications verses building a new one would slow growth down. If no one is buying new construction, they won't build as many as fast.
.......Well it is a thought anyway.

MB, but sooo many people want a new house....
That's ok for them, I'm happy in my old log cabin out here in the boonies with the critters....

[gemkeeper]

Bones and mbmouse, you are both so right. My hubby and I are in that very predicament ourselves right now.

We would like to build our last home just the way we want it, but are also feeling the social responsibility to help this housing situation by not building.

The last time we bought a house with good bones - no pun intended, Bones - it took us 16 long years to fix it up bit by bit, a little each year. But, when you are committed to simplify all facets of your life, it may be time to stop fixing up and just be satisfied.

We are looking at existing homes and property. I suppose it will be just how the wind is blowing that will settle it for us. We would love to find a little neighborhood of 10-15 homes with just the right one for us with a "For Sale" sign in the yard. Lots of trees and the mts. off in the distance. Do you know of one?

What we refuse to do is get into some huge 200+ home development with all of the bells and whistles that today's developers make people feel that they cannot live without. One can easily become a slave to one's possessions and today folks are enslaving themselves to pipedream homes.

We don't need a lake or golf course. We both know how to drive. We don't need 5 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. We have an air mattress and large sofa (and there is always the back yard with those trees for the grandkids for the other thingy!). Room for 2 and nice neighbors. We're easy to please.

[jimj]

Gem,MB and Bones y'all hit it right on the head! We've had the new huge house by a developer and we've had the smaller "fixer". Our next house will not be the 3000 sqft new house if I can help it, I want a smaller fixer again so we can put our touches in it. If I can get an older house for 3/4 to 1/2 what a brand new one will cost I'm more than willing to put money in it to make it mine....

[Oneida]

Originally Posted by Oneida

Hi

We are moving to Tennessee in about 6 months. We would like to live somewhere on the east side of Knoxville. We are homeschoolers and would like to be close enough to drive the kids to Knoxville for any homeschool things that might be going on. Any advice on a nice area?

Thank you for your time and help,
Oneida

Just wanted to say Thank you to everybody who answered my post, but due to family we are looking to move to another state.

Thanks again,
Oneida

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by gemthornton

Please don't let it happen in E. TN. Build, buy or farm responsibly. Each of us should take pride in preserving a natural treasure like Tennessee whether we are native-born or thankful imports.

Well spoken, but many policy makers here are very growth/development oriented, and oftentimes irrevocable damage /development is done before people can change the mindset. Then it is too late. I fear that will be the case here.