mass family moving to middle tn (Chattanooga, Maryville: rent, mortgage, house)

[stephanies4147]

my name is stephanie and husbands name is rick,we have 2 girls madison age 11 and mckenzie age 5..the reasons for this move in list form

1-too cold here in mass
2-not enough friendly people
3-the cost of living is insane
4-too over crowded
well come to think of it there are too many reasons to want out.anyway...we are very friendly people...but do try to stay to ourselves. my concerns are tornadoes and dangerous critters..are they more of a problem in middle tn than they would be in the north part of the state?and the other question are work is there any?my husband has his own painting company here and we plan to sell this home and buy a house and have no morgage and have something like 20,000 to support us till he finds a job.does this sound dangerous or is it at all posible?

[carazoe]

Your plan sounds fine to me. Lots of people are renovating their homes in lieu of selling and purchasing so your husband should be able to find some work. The housing market is also pretty good at the moment.
I've been here over 20 years and have never seen a tornado and never been attacked by any dangerous creatures so I think you will be safe.

[stephanies4147]

thanks for the reply..i hear alot about storms and poisonous critters in the south ...i guess it kinda scares me ...thanks for your input

[moving123]

My wife and I were born in Middle Tennessee and have moved all over the country and even other countries. However, we are back home in Tennessee because it is so beautiful with the mix of lakes and mountains, the ample housing market, the friendliness of people, and the cheaper cost of living. Your husband will have no problem finding painting jobs. They are plentiful. Please see my PM for some other info..

[Kevin south of Nashville]

Depending on your specifics, you might rent first; get your bearings here locally and then spend a little more time choosing the best area and deal for your plans. Congrats on being able to make the move and be mortgage free! That will be an amazing stress relief for sure :-)

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by stephanies4147

my concerns are tornadoes and dangerous critters..are they more of a problem in middle tn than they would be in the north part of the state?and the other question are work is there any?my husband has his own painting company here and we plan to sell this home and buy a house and have no morgage and have something like 20,000 to support us till he finds a job.does this sound dangerous or is it at all posible?

Tornadoes/Severe weather - Severe weather is very prevalent here...dozens of severe storms per year with hard rain, wind gusts, hail, and even tornadoes. I've explained before about the probability of being hit by a tornado here. It's higher than most of the rest of the country, save for the plains. Most tornadoes do some damage, but stronger tornadoes (the deadlier kind) are more rare...probably more rare than people like to say they are (something like 16-17% are F3+).

I'm not going to say "don't be afraid of severe weather"...you can't just say that and it be so...but as a lifelong resident of the region, I can tell you that I actually enjoy watching the storms. Fortunately, none of my family members have had severe damage from any of the storms -- most of the time the extent of the damage from the "common" storms are a lot of limbs and sticks, and the occasional downed tree, which is annoying to clean up. I wouldn't not move here just because of the weather. Weather is a risk, but no area of the country is immune to natural disasters. Flooding is more common and widespread than tornadoes...so just be smart and don't pick a house that is very close to a flood plain or not far above a large creek.

As for the "dangerous critters"...I assume you mean poisonous bugs (spiders) and snakes and such? Not much of a problem. With spiders (black widows, brown recluses), just be careful when in damp, dark areas, like a basement or shed where you rarely go. Wearing gloves and long sleeves when digging through old boxes or wood piles should pretty much neutralize any real risk. Bites from those two spiders out in the open, or in a bedroom are extremely rare. There are poisonous snakes here, but that's primarily an outdoor risk...just watch yourself when hiking or walking in a heavily wooded park...not as common in people's yards. Again, the risk is pretty low.

Btw, there are coyotes here, but they don't tend to bother humans. If you have pets, you might make sure they have a safe place indoors that they can get to, or a pen they can stay in at night.

[stephanies4147]

thanks for all the replies and advice.....as for the coyotes we have them here too..they dont bother me at all and i don't have pets but i do have a small child that at times can be fearless..I would not not move there because of storms..i am very much excited about this opportunity to better the lives of my family....is there a certain area in middle tn that is quiet, family orrientated,rural but not too too far from stuff...ive first started looking towards chattanooga and maryville but found out they are busy and a little over populated and touristy..

[jenntenn]

Just to clear something up for the OP
The "Middle Tennesse" area runs north to south, from the KY border to the AL border, there is no North Tennessee or South Tennessee per se. When discussing the very general divisions of the state they are West, Middle and East.
Generally the state is going to have the same "critters" north, south, east, and west...with some exceptions being made for the more mountainous regions of the eastern parts of the state.
Not sure how you are putting Chattanooga and Maryville in the catagory, because one is a pretty populated urban community and the other is a fairly small town...so i am fairly confused as to what kind of place you are looking for. If touristy is not you thing then you will need to stay clear of Nashville and some of the surrounding communities, some of which thrive on the tourist industry FYI.

So maybe just a few more details about the kind of area you would consider living would help us out in pointing you in the right direction.

[Antioch]

Originally Posted by stephanies4147

thanks for all the replies and advice.....as for the coyotes we have them here too..they dont bother me at all and i don't have pets but i do have a small child that at times can be fearless..I would not not move there because of storms..i am very much excited about this opportunity to better the lives of my family....is there a certain area in middle tn that is quiet, family orrientated,rural but not too too far from stuff...ive first started looking towards chattanooga and maryville but found out they are busy and a little over populated and touristy..

Your risk for tornados drops a lot in the East Tennessee area, vs. Middle and West Tennessee. March-May is prime time for storms and tornadoes around here. There was and F-2 yesturday. Maryville and Chattanogga are on two different parts of East Tennessee, which actually have overall lower population between the two cities than any area of the higher populated areas of Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee is the most populated part of Tennessee and the Metro Nashville area is the most populated area in Tennessee. So if you want the rural atmosphere, low population, but still close to stuff I would look more in to East Tennessee and portions of Northwest, TN, or possible southern Middle Tennessee near the boarder and the counties that are closer to Huntsville, AL.

[stephanies4147]

i'm sorry about the mix up...dont mean to confuse anyone....i no that maryville and chattanooga are quite a distance away from each other i guess when ur face is glued to a little map for so long towns do not seem so far away from each other lol...i guess i should start with what i am looking for..we'll start with tempature is there a warmer part of the state? and i would like to have a nice piece of land with neighbors not too close,shopping centers not too far.