Job Question (Oak Ridge, Clinton, Alcoa: employment, living in, shop)

[hiknapster]

I don't know if things are cheaper than in Michigan. I suspect that it is cheaper there. HOWEVER, if you are only getting $8 to $10 an hour, I would think that you would get at least that here, if not more.

I'm 45 with only a high school education. I find that at our age, people tend to hire us because we are more reliable and have work experience.

I don't think there are a lot of manufacturing plants in Knoxville, but, on the other hand, my neighbor seems to find a new job every couple of months. He works there for a few days, and then quits.

I hear the pay is pretty good in Nashville, but housing costs are higher.

I'm not sure about the Tri-Cities area.

[too-crazy]

Thanks allycat. That would be most appreciated. It doesn't even have to be car related, since they aren't doing so well for the car companies.

hiknapster isn't that the truth! It seems that some of the younger people aren't as dependable as us older ones. I have a child like that myself but the other one is a real go getter. Many of the people our age were raised by parents who had it rough and were loyal to thier employers. Some of the younger ones had things handed to them and haven't learned how valuable a job really is.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I don't know if things are cheaper than in Michigan.

According to city-data.com, in 2005 the median home price in Michigan was $149,300. In Tennessee it was $114,000. The average property tax in Michigan was $1,461, in Tennessee it was $715.

[hiknapster]

Things have changed a lot in two years. Michigan has some of the cheapest housing prices in the country. Of course, there is a reason for that.

If the gentleman can't find a job, it is definitely time to move. I bet property taxes are much lower here, too. And I think there are jobs in the auto industry in Tennessee, so it would be a good place to look.

Just putting all the facts on the table, so he has this information ahead of time.

This year, Knoxville's median price for the first quarter of 2007 was 150,000. Lansing's was 126,000 and Grand Rapid's was 129,000.

I know there are more recent info on Michigan, since it is big news right now, but that is what I could find in a pinch.

Home prices take short drop - May. 15, 2007

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Things have changed a lot in two years. Michigan has some of the cheapest housing prices in the country. Of course, there is a reason for that.

If the gentleman can't find a job, it is definitely time to move. I bet property taxes are much lower here, too. And I think there are jobs in the auto industry in Tennessee, so it would be a good place to look.

Just putting all the facts on the table, so he has this information ahead of time.

This year, Knoxville's median price for the first quarter of 2007 was 150,000. Lansing's was 126,000 and Grand Rapid's was 129,000.

I know there are more recent info on Michigan, since it is big news right now, but that is what I could find in a pinch.

Home prices take short drop - May. 15, 2007

I guess I missed where the OP said he wanted to move to Knoxville. As you've pointed out before, Knoxville is not the cheapest place to live. There are plenty of areas in Tennessee that are cheaper than Knoxville and have cheaper housing than in Michigan.

To too-crazy, if you want to move to Tennessee, come on down and check it out. As alleycat pointed out, the Nashville area has a ton of manufacturers in the automobile industry. The Nashville area is also beautiful. Many (but not all) of those factories are in smaller towns with lower costs of living.

Southwest Airlines has cheap fares between Nashville and Detroit.

[hiknapster]

He didn't say he was moving to Knoxville. Nashville is even more expensive.

I'm just trying to be helpful.

[pdq]

There is a working auto industry in middle TN. Nissan in Smyrna is the largest. The problem is not getting a job there, it's being able to afford to live there with the job. That's the same problem with Knoxville, lots of low paying jobs but much higher housing costs. You might want to look at the areas that are getting the new auto plants. Toyota is starting up in Tupelo MS. It's very very cheap to live there. Honda, Hundai, and others are locating in MS, AR, AL, IN, etc. Getting in early when the factories startup is your best bet since housing costs will be lower and you will have the better pick of jobs. Those that come late to the party usually get nothing to drink.

Good luck to you.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by pdq

There is a working auto industry in middle TN. Nissan in Smyrna is the largest. The problem is not getting a job there, it's being able to afford to live there with the job. That's the same problem with Knoxville, lots of low paying jobs but much higher housing costs. You might want to look at the areas that are getting the new auto plants. Toyota is starting up in Tupelo MS. It's very very cheap to live there. Honda, Hundai, and others are locating in MS, AR, AL, IN, etc. Getting in early when the factories startup is your best bet since housing costs will be lower and you will have the better pick of jobs. Those that come late to the party usually get nothing to drink.

Good luck to you.

I used to live near Tupelo. I cannot imagine a worse place to live except maybe the Mississippi Delta. I don't care how cheap it is to live there, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Besides, there will be THOUSANDS of people vying for jobs when that Toyota plant opens. It's the reason Toyota chose Mississippi, they'll have a ready supply of plentiful, cheap labor. When Nissan built its plant near Jackson MS they had something like 10 applicants for every position.

Smyrna's not THAT expensive, nor are La Vergne and Murfreesboro. And many of the suppliers are located in smaller towns that are even more affordable.

But I guess the original poster needs to enlighten us on what exactly he wants. Big city life? Small town? That should help us be able to offer more specific recommendations.

[knoxgarden]

This company in Knoxville does chrome plating.
Contact Us • Knoxville, TN (http://www.greenkoteipc.com/Contacts/ContactKnoxville.aspx - broken link)
There are several companies around that do powder coating.
Motorcycles and classic cars are popular here. They need a lot of chrome so I'm sure there are more places that do that type of work.
Look on Monster.com and on craigs list for jobs.
You might find more companies around Chattanooga. They have some large metal founderies there.
This one does plating.
Metal Finishing Services, Polishing, Buffing, Decorative Metal Plating, Signal Plating, Chattanooga, TN

[too-crazy]

Wow, thanks for all these replies! First off I should clarify that I'm a girl. I'm divorced a couple years and so I need a job that will support me. I don't really care for the big city. Right now I live in the country but my 19 year old daughter hates it and she's coming with me so I'd like to find something in between. Not to country, not to city. Hope that makes sense. Also I'd really like to get away from the chrome plating. My shop smells so bad and there are quite a few people with cancer there, which doesn't surprise me. But I'm checking out all the things yous have written and would love some ideas on where it's cheaper to live. Of course I'd like a low/no crime area but I think thats a given. You have all been very helpful and I really appreciate the help. It's scary moving from one state to another and you all are making the job hunt and where to live hunt a lot easier. Thanks so much!!