Interesting conversation concerning Fairfield Glade (Knoxville, Jackson: appointed, sales, low crime)

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by Kachina1

Hi Tek Freek! Did the woman say where she would like to relocate once her home sells? Closer to an urban area I would guess? What areas are you considering as an alternative to FG?

Shreveport, Louisiana. Closer to those things missing in my post and her family.

Originally Posted by JoeCartpath

Those issues are exactly the things my wife and I are weighing when considering a move from Memphis.

For all of it's problems (high property tax, dysfunctional local government, etc.), we really like our modest home here, we love the neighborhood and enjoy the convenience of the location. We're within 2-3 miles of probably 30 or more restaurants, including a wonderful local one within walking distance. We're within 5-10 minutes of Lowe's (2 of 'em), Home Depot, Costco, Sam's Club, WalMart (2 of 'em), Target (2 of 'em) and a large regional shopping mall - and all the stores located near it. We live practically right around the corner from two major grocery chains (not to mention the grocery departments at Walmart, Target, Sams & Costco - and the Aldi store). We have the comfort of knowing we have immediate access to one of the better medical centers in the country (4 major hospitals plus LeBonheur Children's Hospital, St. Jude and any number of clinics).

We've spent time in Cookeville to get a feel for how we like it there - and to try to decide if we'll be content in that area. We pretty much ruled out Crossville right away simply because Cookeville offers more of the things we're used to - but, even if we lived in Cookeville, we'd have to travel to Nashville or Knoxville to find a lot of things that are practically right in our neighborhood now. Would the slower, quieter life there make up for those inconveniences? We haven't yet decided.

We also spent time in Murfreesboro to try to get a feel for that area. The advantage is that it's larger, has more of the amenities we're used to, and is much closer to Nashville for the rest. Of course, those are also disadvantages if you're looking for a slower, quieter lifestyle.

We don't have to decide yet...we've still got a few years before retirement...but we're trying to make sure that, if we do move to another city, we know exactly what we're getting into so we only have to move once.

From the description of your area you could live on our street... except our government is not dysfunctional (the next city over has that problem, but we don't), and our neighborhood is starting to get a bit seedy. All the new people coming in aren't maintaining the properties as they should.

We keep looking eastward in TN because we want to keep to a higher elevation, which mediates the weather. Being from Central IA I've had more than enough of hot, humid summers and frigid, windy winters.

We have time to look and other states we are considering. If nothing else we'll build a town home here and let someone take care of the snow and mowing while we travel the country. We have snow birds all around the area. We can follow their example.

[Bones]

Tek_Freek and JoeCartpath, you have to do your homework on your wants, desires, and needs before a major move.....
For me Crossville was a perfect town to retire near. I like sitting back and relaxing without all the hustle and bustle ( and problems ) of a large city........

[JoeCartpath]

Weather and scenery is one big reason we're considering the Cookeville area. It's a few degrees cooler in the summer (and that makes a LOT of difference once it gets above 90 degrees!), but the winters are still mild.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by JoeCartpath

Weather and scenery is one big reason we're considering the Cookeville area. It's a few degrees cooler in the summer (and that makes a LOT of difference once it gets above 90 degrees!), but the winters are still mild.

Just weigh everything that's important to you and make a compromise if needed......
I had lists with must have, would be nice to have, and went from there.....
Even though I'm 10 miles or so from Crossville, I'm 5 - 10 degrees cooler in the summer and 4 -5 degrees warmer in the winter....

[thequickster]

If you lived in Florida you would understand.

[Bones]

Originally Posted by thequickster

If you lived in Florida you would understand.

HaHa, been there/done that............

[DubbleT]

Guys, have you checked into the tri cities area?
My main reason for leaving Memphis is the weather, followed by my desire to get away from big city living and all the problems that accompany it (and King Willie of course!). I spent a long time looking at Blacksburg NC, Abingdon VA, Cookeville, and the tri cities.
Went with the tri-cities area in part because I like not paying income tax, so I'm staying in TN. In part because, depending on exactly which little town I end up in, I will only be 10 to 20 minutes away from anything I could ever need. I'm also going to be a half day, or less, from five or six larger cities, just in case I decide I miss some of those big city amenities.

The weather there is great! I went up there last week and it was just beautiful, cool and invigorating in the AM and still pleasant in the afternoon. I have been keeping an eye on the weather there all summer long and I can say that for the most part the temperature there runs about 10 or more degrees cooler than Memphis in the summer. The locals told me that in the winter there is just a little bit of snow from time to time but not really enough to be a problem. I enjoy snow, so if I want more snow it's just a short drive over to the mountains where I can enjoy it all I want, and then drive back when I'm sick of it.

I actually prefer the scenery around the area between Cookeville and Knoxville, it's just a little more rugged looking and I like that a lot. Tri cities is nothing to sneeze at though, it has a lot of picturesque farms nestled in the foothills, and some absolutely gorgeous mountain views too. There are some lakes and parks, and a waterfall or two to enjoy also.

As far as Fairfeild Glade, My dad bought some property several years ago that was supposed to be in/near Lake Tansi Village and some that was supposed to be in/near Fairfield Glade. He had a bunch of slick brochures and supposedly he visited both communities before he bought. He came up to Memphis for a visit and we actually stopped in at Lake Tansi Village, and he told me he had plans to retire there. After he passed away unexpectedly last year I went to look at these properties he bought. What a joke. Miles and miles from either FFG or Lake Tansi, and even further from anything like civilization. Looked at the plat maps, looks great, nice little subdivisions with cute street names, but the actual properties have no paved streets, no infrastructure of any kind. What few "houses" there were, were mostly double wides on dirt roads. Apparently these so called planned developments either never got off the ground or they were just out and out scams from the get go. How or why my dad was led to believe these properties were in any way actually associated with FFG or Lake Tansi Village I'll never understand. Anyone buying from out of state would be advised to thoroughly do your homework and check out everything in person. Don't always believe what some developer shows you, or the empty promises of what "will be" someday down the road. From talking to a woman at the tax assessors office in Pikeville I got the impression this kind of thing happens fairly often.

[hiknapster]

I deal with a lot of people at Fairfield Glade. A few hate it, several are indifferent but say they will probably look into other places, no one said they loved it or even liked it.

Living in a "retirement ghetto" is not for every one. Living in one far away from anything is not how I would want to spend my last years.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I deal with a lot of people at Fairfield Glade. A few hate it, several are indifferent but say they will probably look into other places, no one said they loved it or even liked it.

Living in a "retirement ghetto" is not for every one. Living in one far away from anything is not how I would want to spend my last years.

Amen! Apparently a lot of people like retirement ghettos (look at The Villages in Florida) but definitely not me. When my parents retired they moved back to Florida to where we're originally from. They were appalled. Seven years later they left and vowed never to go back. Now they live in Knoxville and are loving life.

I've never made it a secret that I dislike Crossville. I guess if someone wants to completely surround himself with other retirees, Fairfield Glade is Shangri-La. Sure, taxes are low there in Cumberland County, but that also means their schools are abysmal. I can't imagine retiring in an area where education is of such little importance as it is there in Crossville.

DubbleT made a good recommendation with the Tri Cities. It's beautiful there and has wonderful weather. For me, however, the Tri Cities is out of the question because it costs a fortune to fly in/out of their little airport, and they're not anywhere near anywhere else with a better airport. As much as I love to travel now, when I retire I plan on traveling a heck of a lot more. A few hundred bucks here and there on plane tickets will add up in a hurry if I have to fly out of Tri Cities. At least Cookeville is only an hour from the Nashville airport which has the lowest air fares--by far--in Tennessee.

[JoeCartpath]

The main reason I haven't considered the tri-city area is that it's a much longer drive from Memphis. My elderly mother and my sister live here. Both of my kids live here. More importantly, my 9-month old grandchild lives here! Being a 7 or 8 hour drive from "home" as opposed to 3 or 4 isn't a big deal if you don't visit often, but it is if you want to be able to make quick weekend trips to visit family - and have them make quick weekend trips to visit you!

I'd love to stay even closer to Memphis but, apart from Jackson, there aren't really any cities of any size between Memphis and Nashville. We're not interested in Jackson, mainly because we'd like a change of terrain....and there are no mountains in west TN.