TN or NC? (Memphis, Knoxville, Hendersonville: fit in, transplants, sales)

[pixiewytch]

I have been trying to narrow down my search between moving to TN or NC. We currently live in Fl and my folks are probably moving to Blount County area because they are sick of skyrocketing costs of living we are all facing down here as well.

While it would be great to live close to my parents so they could see their grandchildren, I'm leaning more toward western NC. Our lifestyle needs are a little different. They are older, getting into the trucking business so they won't be home much, and have no children at home. We on the other hand are a young family needing to consider our children's future needs a priority. One of my reservations is that we are viewed as extremely liberal and progressive in our thinking. We don't support organized religion and believe everyone should be allowed to make their own choices about lifestyles, morality, etc. The more I read on the forums it seems like we might fit in better in parts of NC than we would TN. I don't know but that is just the impression I get from reading posts on the forums here.

If I didn't have kids like my parents I would buy some remote property without a care for the type of people living nearby, the schools, the culture, etc. and hole myself up on a mountain somewhere but again, I have to consider the environment my kids will be raised in. I don't want them to feel like outcasts or isolated from society because of their weirdo parents.

However, money is a huge issue here. We are leaving Fl to escape the cost of living and build our foundation as simply and debt free as possible. We want to buy small acreage and build a home. We don't want to live in a subdivision and we don't want to see any neighbors when we walk outside our door. We want to live close to nature in a small town setting but be able to drive to cultural things for the children if we need to. This is why counties outside of the Asheville area appealed to me but my mother swears that it is too expensive to live in NC. I know they have state income tax and TN doesn't. I know that Asheville metro area is expensive and I want to live in the country anyway.

I guess the bottom line is that I want to know if you think there is a huge difference in the cost of living of TN and NC, especially the price of land. I've been browsing the internet and I don't see that big of a difference so far, unless I am looking right in the middle of the city somewhere.

[Lost Vol]

Pixie, don't presume too, too much abt the distinction btwn NC and TN towns. Small towns in NC will not be much different than those in TN or FL, for that matter.

For a socially-progessive, east TN town, Knoxville might be a nice fit. As a (big) college town, it has a pretty broadminded city. It might be politically conservative (like much of the South), but - with over 20k students from all over the world, it is quite accepting of many views. At least that as my experience for 10 years there.

A good, liberal NC town wd be Asheville, NC. Hope that helps.

[insanesmooch]

I agree with the poster above me that you will most likely find once you get out of the city, small town views will still be more conservative. Places with universities are going to be more "open minded" because universities like to push people toward being 'liberal'. Also, there are so many people from differing backgrounds around universities.

As for real estate, I was glancing through a real estate paper I picked up the other day. There was a house in NC that was basically the same size as mine and about the same age wise- fairly new. The NC house was 50% more than what my husband and I paid for ours in TN. It didn't really have any more land than we have either. Maybe it was the area, I'm not sure exactly where in NC it was. Mostly likely it was toward Boone.

[chisoxfan]

Regarding costs of living: Not sure about how land prices compare between east Tennessee and western North Carolina. But if you are looking to build, there is a BIG difference in building costs. I've been researching how much it would cost to build a log home and the going rate in the Asheville area (including some of the nearby towns like Waynesville and Hendersonville) is $175-$200 per square foot turnkey (which includes clearing the land, installing water well, septic and driveway, and building a foundation). Same for "stick-built" homes. In east Tennessee, you're looking at $120-$150 per square foot. The Asheville area is a well-established haven for retirees and second-home owners and prices reflect that. Not so for east Tennessee, at least not yet.
I'd also advise doing the math on the tax bite you'd face in each state. There's a state income tax in North Carolina. Tennessee has no state income taxes and property taxes are low, but sales taxes seem like they might be on the high end. Perhaps east Tennessee residents could shed some light on this.

[mbmouse]

yes, sales tax is high, the one big draw back of TN.
Please note while looking to build your log home. You may already know this but in my line of work(mortgage) I run into this and just want to make sure you are fully informed before building your log home. Be sure that where you build your log home, there are two or three other log homes similar to the one you want to build with in a ten mile radius. Reason, If you ever want to get a mortgage on the log home, or sell it to someone who needs a mortgage, you may end up with no comparable sale for the appraisal and it will have to be classified as rural or non lend-able without weird requirements.
Just thought I would throw that in, Like I said, you may already know this.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by pixiewytch

I have been trying to narrow down my search between moving to TN or NC. We currently live in Fl and my folks are probably moving to Blount County area because they are sick of skyrocketing costs of living we are all facing down here as well.

One of my reservations is that we are viewed as extremely liberal and progressive in our thinking. We don't support organized religion and believe everyone should be allowed to make their own choices about lifestyles, morality, etc. The more I read on the forums it seems like we might fit in better in parts of NC than we would TN.

I concur. I lived on Long Island for almost all of my life, spent my last 11 years in a Maryland suburb not too far from DC, have visited both Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee this year and think you would prefer Western North Carolina, especially in the Asheville area where most of the transplants come from major Northern cities and are of the liberal bent. But, they are so close to each other, only separated by the Smokies. You could visit both places in one visit to see for yourself. I can tell you western North Carolina is more expensive than Eastern Tennessee (in my opinion, of course) but I think you would be happier in Western NC for all of the reasons why I didn't like it there starting with "too liberal." Just my opinion.

[Mike&Linda]

Pixie . . . we're like you in a way . . . liberal. We live near Tampa and are thinking about pullin' up stakes and moving north. We've been looking 50 miles or so either side of a line from Ellijay, GA to Jefferson City, TN.

I think we're going to TN though we may go west toward Memphis rather than hang with the tourist. Seems cost of livin' is less expensive out toward the middle of the state. I'm told that N. GA is becoming like Asheville, NC -- lots of city folk lookin' for weekend escape -- and prices reflect it.

Good luck.

[pixiewytch]

Thanks for all your replies. I think we have decided that western NC is going to be a tad more expensive than TN and we have to decide if we are willing to pay more for a bit more culture and diversity.