Looks like we are moving to Tennessee.... (Columbia: where to stay, for sale by owner)

[oz in SC]

Our land in WNC is hopefully closing the end of this month,our house has a buyer just waiting for her financing to be finished,we both are done with our jobs here and my MIL has retired and is willing to move with us.

Have been in contact with a very helpful realtor in middle TN who just today drove quite a distance to take a look at a log home on 40 acres for us.

Anyway, would like to hear from people in the area surrounding Nashville, their likes and dislikes about their area,where to stay away from,that sort of thing.

Our plan is to buy at least 20 acres(to take advantage of greenbelt tax breaks) a farmhouse,some barn and livestock and grow our own food and live a simpler life.

We no longer desire to have our jobs and the pursuit of money direct our lives.

[kpellatiro]

Oz, that s fantastic! Congratulations to you and your chance to take advantage of that kind of dream. Robertson County (north west of Nashville) and maybe the area around Tim's Ford Lake (south east) has some beautiful choices for what you have described (although there are quite a few areas that you should look into with your agent).

[TNRyan23]

I was thinking Columbia also sounded like a good choice for them.

Middle Tennessee is great ( for the most part ) All we need is a beach ( real ) and we'd be set.

Welcome to Tennessee !

[oz in SC]

Thanks all.

We currently live less than ten minutes from the ocean and have been maybe two times in ten years...it isn't really what we want although I haven't really lived anywhere not next to the ocean in my life...

TN seems to be a good pick to us,no state income tax,low car taxes,the sale tax is only slightly more than here(and we have state income tax AND high car taxes AND high home insurance).

We are ranging anywhere right now,we have a stack of possibles next to our bed and it is amazing how prices vary for essentially the same properties...

I am leaning towards older farms in need of interior work because the land is then a known quantity,it WAS used to feed a family at one time.

The log home I mentioned in the first post probably isn't for us,it IS a nice home but the land looks to be a little too hilly and it is more of a getaway type property we think....it is pretty sad as it looks to have been someones dream home and is now being sold by the bank..

How IS the housing market in TN anyway?
Here in the lowcountry of SC it is dead...we have lowered the price of our home 20% from what all the realtors said was a very reasonable asking price.

If the same applies in TN it would be good for us...

Our hope is to buy the house outright or have a VERY small mortgage so as to negate the need for good paying jobs.

[TNRyan23]

The housing market here has dropped but it's nowhere close to what alot of other states are going through.

Re: Tennessee Taxes, Our sales tax is horrible and they have been trying to get a state income tax here for years. With the current financial crisis the state is in, I'd expect a state tax very soon.

[oz in SC]

Well....your sales tax actually isn't THAT bad,your car taxes are VERY low and you still have no state income tax as of this point.

Y'all should be happy because we here in SC have 6% state sales tax and then the county and city tack on their share,taxes on vehicles is based on fair market value(For example according to the state,if you own a $10,000 car, based on the average rate, your personal property tax would be $268),AND we have state income tax.

And home prices are high.

[Highland Design]

I highly recommend Putnam County. It is about 70 miles east of Nashville. Has lots of beautiful countryside and affordable property. Check out Buffalo Valley. Lots of farms are for sale by owner and not through sales agents.