Possible move from NJ to Knoxville area (Gatlinburg, Charlotte: sale, house)

[J.fenton]

(Hi, I am so excited to find this forum. My family(myself, hubbie, and 3 kids 12 and under) is seriously considering a move from NJ to either the Knoxville are or to the Lattimore NC area. My husband will be attending college in one of the 2 places to get his degree in Bible and Missions. This will be a huge move as we both have lived in Nj all of our lives. The move depends on the sale of our home. Our situation will require us to live very frugally and I was wondering if anyone had input on the comparison of the 2 areas. I have been to TN(Gatlinburg) and to NC(Asheville area) both are beautiful but I dont know much else about either place.
ANy input is greatly appreciated!

[oldmanbob]

Hey Jfitton, I can only endores our area, and Knoxville has so many great things to mention, and we have some great Bible Colleges here. You can see all the data, on city data. Let us know, what your looking for, as we have many lakes, great State parks, and if you like College sports, than Ut, is always a plus. With the town, spread out, you choices with neighborhoods, and small town feel, is great, and the cost of living here, is good, and about the same job market, you will find in most cities, our size. Give us more information, and you will see lots of answers. Good luck in selling, and finding your next home.

[jabogitlu]

Living frugally, I would research what sort of tax burdens North Carolina and Tennessee will place upon your family personally. In general North Carolina has a heavier taxation but it all depends on your situation.

Johnson Bible and Crown are both near Knoxville. Their locations would allow you to live actually on the Knoxville perimeter, so you could possibly get a good deal on housing.

I've never been to Lattimore, but its location is a bit more rural. It's sort of too far from both Asheville and Charlotte to be involved with either city's economic engines. I would imagine that it's going to be easier for you to find a job in the Knoxville area unless you sort of live near Gastonia, allowing your hubby to drive to college and you to drive to work nearer to Charlotte.

How long to you plan to live in TN or NC? Your kids are going to qualify for in-state admissions and tuition if you stay in one state long enough. The University of Tennessee is excellent, and several other Tennessee Board of Regents Universities are good, but North Carolina has a **much** better public education system with its universities. Living in North Carolina might be worth having your kids qualify for residential admissions to UNC. Things may have changed now, but back when I was applying to universities (2005) I think the percentage of out-of-state admissions at UNC was something like 15%.

[dave1961]

Originally Posted by J.fenton

(Hi, I am so excited to find this forum. My family(myself, hubbie, and 3 kids 12 and under) is seriously considering a move from NJ to either the Knoxville are or to the Lattimore NC area. My husband will be attending college in one of the 2 places to get his degree in Bible and Missions. This will be a huge move as we both have lived in Nj all of our lives. The move depends on the sale of our home. Our situation will require us to live very frugally and I was wondering if anyone had input on the comparison of the 2 areas. I have been to TN(Gatlinburg) and to NC(Asheville area) both are beautiful but I dont know much else about either place.
ANy input is greatly appreciated!

I recommend taking a one week family vacation to Knoxville. That will give you time to scope out the area and mingle with the natives. You really need to see it and feel it for yourself. Knoxville proper and greater Knoxville covers a large area, so give yourself time to see it all. I recommend late spring or early fall, as those are very pretty and comfortable times of the year there.
BTW, I'm originally from NJ, moved to FL, and will be moving to Knoxville when (if) I sell my house next year. Let's hope the economy picks up a little by then!

[J.fenton]

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice! THis has been a great forum to explore, and the people have been so friendly and kind.

[ElizabethinDowntownKnox]

Hi J. Fenton. My husband and I moved here from NJ about a year ago and are loving it!!! We both lived in NY/NJ all our lives before making the big move. Your impression may be different depending on the style of living you enjoy as well as the location that you choose. Before moving here, we also considered living in western NC but fell in love with eastern TN. Living frugally is possible in the Knoxville area and I'm sure is also possible in NC. I would recommend that you spend some time in both places and talk to those living there. If you have any specific questions, please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer them for you. A general idea of the style of living that you enjoy - even in NJ terms - would be helpful (e.g. do you enjoy Hoboken or Hammonton or Atlantic City or Rahway?)