Relocating to Eastern TN, which town is better...? (Memphis, Chattanooga: how much, homes)

[Lookin4myMountain]

Hi,I was hoping to get an opinion on what some cities in eastern TN, are like, any recommendations from the locals? I have been considering Greenville, Newport, Johnson city, and Elizabethton. We are a family of four,husband is a truck driver and loves fishing or Nascar, a nineteen year old great at computers and bound for college, mother homeschools and longs for a nicer place to raise the youngest. I am another one of those south Floridians desprate to leave the crowded city behind, traffic, rude people, hot humid weather, yuck!
23 years is more than enough, its way too expensive to stay. Let me know, if you can were the jobs are at, etc. God bless, and thankyou.

[Summerlashea]

Sneedville or Rogersville might also be options for you. Many people around here are truck drivers and we take our nascar very seriously! (Go Dale Jr.) These are very small, laid back, safe towns that are close to some colleges. Life definately moves at a slow pace here.

[mbmouse]

All that you mentioned with maybe the exception of Newport as it is very much off the beaten track so to speak, would fit your needs that you mentioned so far. What else are you looking for in a "home town". Maybe with a bit more info, we can help narrow your search? But my first suggestion is to always take the trip, look around. Once you get the facts and opinions of areas, your opinion of an area should be the final decider.

[Lookin4myMountain]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

All that you mentioned with maybe the exception of Newport as it is very much off the beaten track so to speak, would fit your needs that you mentioned so far. What else are you looking for in a "home town". Maybe with a bit more info, we can help narrow your search? But my first suggestion is to always take the trip, look around. Once you get the facts and opinions of areas, your opinion of an area should be the final decider.

Thanks for your replies, I would like a Walmart, a mall or theater? Are there dog friendly parks,my husband is nutts about fishing holes,any lakes he can look into? How much do the homes say a 3 bedroom cost? What about employment with the county or with good benefits for my husband? Thanks do much.......

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by Lookin4myMountain

Thanks for your replies, I would like a Walmart, a mall or theater? Are there dog friendly parks,my husband is nutts about fishing holes,any lakes he can look into? How much do the homes say a 3 bedroom cost? What about employment with the county or with good benefits for my husband? Thanks do much.......

Well, if you want a Walmart, you are in luck, there is one in just about every town. Malls? Need to go to Johnson City or Kingsport for a true mall, Greeneville has a pretty big strip mall that has J.C.Penny's, Super K-mart, Belks, Goodies and some other smaller stores and restaurants. Newprot...not much but there is a Wal-Mart. There are fishing holes all around East TN, so that is good. County job? not in the smaller areas, it is unwritten but those jobs are reserved for "locals".There is employment available, more so in (Tri-Cites, Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol) I suggest to anyone moving here to get in touch with an employment recruiter or employment placement service, before you move. A lot of jobs in this region hire that way. Or keep an eye on the local papers. If you need contact info for recruiters, email me. Homes, well that is a tough one, tough to give an average because there are 1200 sq ft 3 bedroom 1 bath homes for 70k in rural areas, and there are 3000sq ft 3 bedroom 2 1/2 baths in gated communities for 600k. So your best bet is to go to a web site like Realtor dot com and look some up. Then get in touch with a BUYERS Realtor, not the Realtor with the sign in front of the house, they are obligated to the seller. You can search by town, size, number of beds, baths etc. Dog friendly parks? I have been on many trails in and around the Smokies and there are people with their dogs on leashes and no one says a thing, I can't recall seeing any "no dog" signs either on trails. I think maybe Wing Deer Park in Johnson City allows dogs in a portion of the park, but don't quote me on that one. as for your son and Computers, College bound with it, There is TN Technology College in Gray and ETSU in Johnson City both have great tech programs.
Hope that helps!

[Brian]

So, is the Tri-Cities area a most-sought area in eastern Tennessee now?

[heathersmom]

It seems so doesn't it? The tri-cities...

[mbmouse]

Not necessarily. There seem to be a lot of people looking at Nashville or Memphis for jobs. There is a lot of folks looking to Oak Ridge, Maryville and the Cumberland plateau too. The reason I answered as I did is it seemed to me that she had already narrowed her search down to the 4 towns she mentioned that are in East TN.

[Bubba on my mountain]

My wife and I recently moved just outside Chattanooga and we have gangs running around especially on the mountains. They carry shoutguns and say they were here first. We are looking elsewhere

[Bubba on my mountain]

What I don't understand, if you want to be near a Walmart and golf courses that is not living in the country. That would be a suburb. True Tennessans live in the hills - don't want no Walmarts and don't do golf. Learn to blend in rather than change the country life style. Also, don't listen to the realtors who embellish jst for the quick buck. We have run into many of them.