Moving to Cookeville - lots of questions (Crossville: relocate, rent)

[fntintn]

My husband and I are looking to relocate to TN from WI at the end of July, early August. I have a few questions:
1 - Does anyone have any good internet spots to look for a place to rent? We want to rent a house, we need at least 3 bedrooms, and we would like a bonus room or den or family room in addition to the normal living room.
2 - What is the job market like? My husband is in management - everything from restaurants to convenience stores to housekeeping departments for hospitals. He is currently driving a delivery truck, which is his only time not in management in over 20 years. He is sending out resumes, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips?
3 - We have a son who will be a freshman in the fall. We saw the Cookeville High School does a year round school, with a six week summer break. So, that factors in the timing of our move. Does anyone know when CHS starts in the fall?
4 - Any other tips? It's hard planning a long distance move! And I have not ever done this before, so I don't even know the questions to ask!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by fntintn

My husband and I are looking to relocate to TN from WI at the end of July, early August. I have a few questions:
1 - Does anyone have any good internet spots to look for a place to rent? We want to rent a house, we need at least 3 bedrooms, and we would like a bonus room or den or family room in addition to the normal living room.
2 - What is the job market like? My husband is in management - everything from restaurants to convenience stores to housekeeping departments for hospitals. He is currently driving a delivery truck, which is his only time not in management in over 20 years. He is sending out resumes, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips?
3 - We have a son who will be a freshman in the fall. We saw the Cookeville High School does a year round school, with a six week summer break. So, that factors in the timing of our move. Does anyone know when CHS starts in the fall?
4 - Any other tips? It's hard planning a long distance move! And I have not ever done this before, so I don't even know the questions to ask!

I love Cookeville and hope to live there someday. I consider it among the nicest towns in Tennessee.

However, PLEASE have a job before you move there. The current national economic situation has hit Cookeville, too. Between April 2007 and April 2008 Putnam County (Cookeville) has lost 200 jobs, and its unemployment rate has gone from 3.9 to 5.2 percent. All of the surrounding counties have also lost jobs in the last year (especially Crossville-Cumberland County which lost around 500 jobs) so there's a lot of competition there for employment.

Having said that, there's always a job available for someone who's willing to work hard. Cookeville has over 100 restaurants and a whole bunch of retail, so there's probably a pretty good turnover in management type jobs. An Olive Garden restaurant is opening in Cookeville this week, a new Lifeway Christian bookstore is opening in the next couple of months, and a new Aldi grocery store is currently under construction. Otherwise I'm not aware of any new retail developments taking place in Cookeville, unfortunately.

If he is able to drive trucks, trucking companies in the area are ALWAYS hiring. The 2nd biggest trucking company in Tennessee happens to be headquartered in Cookeville, Averitt Express. Has he sent them his resume?

Also, Oreck (the vacuum cleaner people) has its factory and other offices in Cookeville and seems to have a lot of Help Wanted ads in the paper.

You can find For Rent ads at the local newspaper's web site:
Herald-Citizen Online Edition - Cookeville, TN

As for Cookeville High School, it is an outstanding school, one of only a handful in the state with the International Baccalaureate Program. CHS is a large school (by Tennessee standards anyway) with about 2,300 students. Even though it's a big school, its size means there are tons of clubs and organizations that your son can join so he can make friends. I don't know when classes start this coming school year, but this past year it was in late July. I imagine it'll be the same this year. Here's CHS's web site where you might be able to find more info:

Welcome to Cookeville High School

I wish I could have more positive things to say about the employment situation in Cookeville. I hope you're able to move down here! Cookeville really is a choice place.

Good luck!

[fntintn]

No, we are planning on him having a job before we move. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on places that were hiring.... I did not know Oreck was there - I saw a listing that might be something for him, so thank you for posting that! I'm also going to look up some of the other places that you mentioned.

The links you posted were very helpful. Thank you! And I am glad to hear such good things (from you and elsewhere on this forum) about CHS. That is the tricky part - timing this with school. We thought school started at the end of August at the earliest (here is it early September), so that put the rush on us. There are several factors that make August the time to move, and it looks like we might even be down a week earlier now with the school situation. It's one of those do-it-now-or-wait-a-year situations, and we really do not want to wait a year, ya know?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by fntintn

No, we are planning on him having a job before we move. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on places that were hiring.... I did not know Oreck was there - I saw a listing that might be something for him, so thank you for posting that! I'm also going to look up some of the other places that you mentioned.

The links you posted were very helpful. Thank you! And I am glad to hear such good things (from you and elsewhere on this forum) about CHS. That is the tricky part - timing this with school. We thought school started at the end of August at the earliest (here is it early September), so that put the rush on us. There are several factors that make August the time to move, and it looks like we might even be down a week earlier now with the school situation. It's one of those do-it-now-or-wait-a-year situations, and we really do not want to wait a year, ya know?

I think you're wise to want to move before the beginning of the school year. But don't take my word on when school starts, you should probably call the high school yourself just to make sure.

In addition to Oreck and Averitt Express, SunTrust Bank has a large operation in Cookeville and often has Help Wanted ads in the paper.

Your husband might also want to check out the human resources site for the university, Tennessee Tech. They sometimes have job openings for management jobs in their food services areas or other departments on campus.

Human Resource Services -- Employment

[fntintn]

Thanks again! You have been very helpful!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by fntintn

Thanks again! You have been very helpful!

It's my pleasure! I really do hope things work out for you so you can move down here. Be sure to keep us updated!

[fntintn]

I will definitely do so!

[firepower]

It seems school in Putnam County starts earlier every summer.
This year sometime the last week of July.

We get 8 weeks but start back way too early! Too hot!!

I love the 9 & 2 but I wish we went till the middle of June & came back the middle of August.


Firepower

[fntintn]

This will be our first experience with the 9 & 2. The nice thing about it is it will make it easier for at least the kids and I to visit back up here - my son can see his friends, and we can all see my daughters, who won't be moving with us, although they are thinking about coming next year. But I am thinking we might have to adjust our move date up a week... at least we are renting now, so we don't have to worry about waiting for the house to sell.
Thanks for the info!

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by fntintn

My husband and I are looking to relocate to TN from WI at the end of July, early August. I have a few questions:
1 - Does anyone have any good internet spots to look for a place to rent? We want to rent a house, we need at least 3 bedrooms, and we would like a bonus room or den or family room in addition to the normal living room.
2 - What is the job market like? My husband is in management - everything from restaurants to convenience stores to housekeeping departments for hospitals. He is currently driving a delivery truck, which is his only time not in management in over 20 years. He is sending out resumes, but I was wondering if anyone has any tips?
3 - We have a son who will be a freshman in the fall. We saw the Cookeville High School does a year round school, with a six week summer break. So, that factors in the timing of our move. Does anyone know when CHS starts in the fall?
4 - Any other tips? It's hard planning a long distance move! And I have not ever done this before, so I don't even know the questions to ask!

have you been to cookeville? just curious why there instead of murfreesboro or crossville?