BM Asks: Where ELSE besides Jackson? (Knoxville, Cookeville: houses, jobs, university)

[veganwriter]

Okay ... I'm still searching. I thought Jackson was the spot ... but all this info I'm getting about the CRIME. Hey ... if I was cool with crime I'd have stayed in California.

So .. where else should I look for friendly (somewhat) people, cheap home/land (five acres or more), and an economy with jobs? (I'm a truck driver but I've also spent years working as a counselor/case manager ... and I was a tech writer prior to the dot.com crash.)

I actually want a place OUT in the country. i don't want to live in a city nor in town. I've heard Paris, TN is good too. Knoxville and Nashville areas sound good, but I suspect that trying to find a small fixer-upper on five+ acres of land is out of the question these days.

Comments?

[Eat]

For your mix of skills, I would say the Knoxville area is your best bet. You can find your 5 acre fixer upper around here with a little effort.

[alleycat]

Paris is a great place to retire, especially if you have outdoor activities, but it's not the best location for jobs.

Nashville might be a good choice as far as truck driving jobs are concern since it's a diistribution center. And while a fixer-upper on five acres wouldn't be as easy to find as a typical suburb house and lot, it can be done if you have a little patience and are willing to make a 45 to 60 minute commute to wherever you end up working. I would suggest looking in some of the more rural areas to the west of Nashville (parts of Cheatham, Sumner, Dickson, and Robertson Counties).

[JMT]

Originally Posted by veganwriter

Okay ... I'm still searching. I thought Jackson was the spot ... but all this info I'm getting about the CRIME. Hey ... if I was cool with crime I'd have stayed in California.

So .. where else should I look for friendly (somewhat) people, cheap home/land (five acres or more), and an economy with jobs? (I'm a truck driver but I've also spent years working as a counselor/case manager ... and I was a tech writer prior to the dot.com crash.)

I actually want a place OUT in the country. i don't want to live in a city nor in town. I've heard Paris, TN is good too. Knoxville and Nashville areas sound good, but I suspect that trying to find a small fixer-upper on five+ acres of land is out of the question these days.

Comments?

Check out the Cumberland Plateau, particularly the Cookeville and Crossville areas. Cookeville is half the size of Jackson but has almost as much stuff as Jackson (stores, restaurants, etc) plus a state university, 2 symphonies, and is home to one of the largest trucking companies in the South, Averitt Express.

Another trucking company last month announced it's opening a new training facility in Cookeville and will be hiring 250 new drivers in the area in the next couple of years.

You can get inexpensive land in some of the counties surrounding Cookeville and Crossville. Check out White, Overton, Jackson, Fentress counties.

[1o1proof]

I live about 25 miles from Paris and think you would like the town. Prices on houses in the country are fair, much cheaper than the jackson area. You say your looking for a place in the country that would be no problem if you live say 15 mins from town.

As far as work, there are several trucking companys in the area that are always looking for good drivers. Most are the home at night type, however there are some that do longer hauls. Just my .02 cents but I would think it's worth your time to at least look into.