Looking into far East Tenn for mid age couple (Knoxville: rental, hotels)

[md21722]

Others may disagree, but in our experience many dogs owners in TN let their dogs bark endlessly and you may feel like you live next door to a dog kennel. It doesn't even matter if it's HOA or not as the HOA can look the other way. We have had home showings where dogs barked through half the showing in Johnson City, Tenn. Once you cross the Virginia state line where you are required to have dog license/ dog tags barking dogs are no longer an issue.

[Creekcat]

Dog tags prevent dogs from barking in Virginia?

[ReaperG1rl]

My husband and I is planing our very 1st trip hopefully end of April for our 20th Anniversary. So we want to stay somewhere in the eastern part of the state so we want to rent a cabin that's just for the 2 of us. We'd love to enjoy Tenn, we're not too worried about Gatlinburg region right now.

We want to enjoy our anniversary, the scenery, and visit the areas we are interested in for our move near future.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by ReaperG1rl

My husband and I is planing our very 1st trip hopefully end of April for our 20th Anniversary. So we want to stay somewhere in the eastern part of the state so we want to rent a cabin that's just for the 2 of us. We'd love to enjoy Tenn, we're not too worried about Gatlinburg region right now.

We want to enjoy our anniversary, the scenery, and visit the areas we are interested in for our move near future.

Cabins are hard to find outside the Gatlinburg area. You could easily stay in the cabin then venture out. I would spend at least a day in metro Knoxville and another in the Tri-Cities.

[ReaperG1rl]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Cabins are hard to find outside the Gatlinburg area. You could easily stay in the cabin then venture out. I would spend at least a day in metro Knoxville and another in the Tri-Cities.

Thank you. We did find 1 place. Once my husband finds out if he gets full week of April 25th to 29th off ill book it.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by ReaperG1rl

We don't want to live in the city.

There are a few things you need to consider.

Johnson City is the only city in northeast TN that feels like a "typical modern American suburban city." Bristol is too small, and Kingsport is too rundown. Anything else is far too small.

There is no true "urban living," with (maybe) the exception of a few neighborhoods in Johnson City that have some walkable restaurants, bars, etc. There are no "full service," walkable, urban neighborhoods with grocery stores, etc., if that is what you mean by "city," east of Knoxville, south of Roanoke, or north of Asheville.

I'm most familiar with the annexation patterns of city of Kingsport, but even then, the city often "strip annexed" places of value that go way out into the county, and you'll see "shoots" of city limits that make no sense. For instance, at one time, there was a Sam's Club at the I-81, exit 63 interchange in Sullivan County. The city "strip annexed" along the interstate, including some housing developments, to get the sales tax revenue generated by that Sam's Club. That Sam's Club relocated, but that general area remains "in the city," even though, by any common sense look, it is not "city" at all.

The entire area varies from suburban in the vast majority of the city limits, to semi-rural in most of the unincorporated county. It's very common to find a "ranchette" - think a 3/2 ranch house with 3-5 acres of adjoining property outside of true subdivisions. It's far less common to find mass acreage - this isn't the West.

Also, typical services you may be used may not be available in truly rural parts of northeast TN. Verizon is the only serviceable cell phone provider outside the core of the Tri-Cities. Well water, and all the attendant benefits and difficulties, is the standard in rural areas. Broadband internet is tough to come by. Rural areas like Hancock County may be a half hour or more to a Walmart. Rural areas typically have IGAs, a low end grocer, and it may be awhile back to a small Food City, a regional grocer that still leaves a lot to be desired compared to bigger chains like Kroger, Publix, or even Ingles.

I agree the weather won't be a problem. Where you're from doesn't look like a metro area. TN has no state income tax and the property tax rates will be lower. Flipping through some real estate listings, housing prices are far, far lower in St. Mary's than Johnson City, and are comparable to our rural areas. The property taxes will be lower. You'll need to do the math on total housing costs.

One thing I will wholeheartedly agree with is that this area isn't the bargain it was five years ago. I have about 50% equity in my very average property in Bristol in the 2.5 years since I bought it. While there are some positives to the area, we aren't generating enough high-paying jobs or out of area money interests to warrant these valuations long-term. For personal and financial reasons, as well as generally not liking the area, I'm looking to "cash out and bail out."

[ReaperG1rl]

Internet will be a big thing for us because my husband works from home and I myself is hoping to get the same job as well. So your suggesting to look more closer to more bigger city like Knoxville but outskirts of it?

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by ReaperG1rl

Internet will be a big thing for us because my husband works from home and I myself is hoping to get the same job as well. So your suggesting to look more closer to more bigger city like Knoxville but outskirts of it?

All three of the Tri-Cities, and most all of Sullivan/Washington Counties, will have acceptable internet for telecommuting. My parents live in the unincorporated county outside of Kingsport and have a 400 mbps connection through Spectrum. The city of Bristol has fiber to the premises - it’s easily the most reliable internet I’ve had anywhere.

If interested in a property, google ISP <city name>. Most ISPs have a service area map where you can plug in an address and see if it has service or not.

[md21722]

There are many areas that have good Internet. You will find it throughout the Tri-Cities and all the way to Knoxville. Many power companies are now installing fiber Internet. In the early 2000's the big idea was to convert 2-lane winding roads into big 4-lane highways to draw corporate interest and investment. All that was done. Since then, the investments have largely been to high speed Internet. Just check each home you are interested in for Internet availability. In Tennessee, Comcast, Spectrum, and Bright Ridge (old Johnson City Power Board-JCBP), plus any others that are more local to where you're looking may offer high speed Internet. If you cross the state line into Virginia, Bristol and surrounding areas will often have Point Broadband (originally BVU OptiNet, before BVU sold that part of their business) or Comcast. Be aware that many rural properties may not have any Internet or cell service at all, so you'll need to check. I had fiber at the end of dead-end hard pack gravel road on the VA/TN state line in 2006.

[ReaperG1rl]

Where we live, just few houses down has best fiber optic, but refuse to install it where I am. Because we are just past the border of the city of St. Marys. It not Columbus, or Lima, etc. Its just a small town like with about 15k or so ppl.