Attention Floridian transplants! (Johnson City, Franklin, Bristol: truck rental, rentals, crime)

[tampa-chrissie]

In April we moved from Tampa (born and raised in the Bay Area) to Chattanooga. We bought a house and found a school for our son. We wanted to leave behind a the high real estate market, long commutes and high insurance costs. We found Chattanooga suffocating or maybe we were just going through am adjustment stage. Either way my husband got a job offer to return that was not going to be matched in TN so we came back.

Both places have different things to offer. Chattanooga is very family friendly, while Tampa has a much more diverse cultural. My feelings about both are probably equal.

[candlesallnat]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

That's why I say to have jobs before you come. It was the only drawback to moving here. My husband had a job right away, and got decent pay, but the guy turned out to be dishonest to his customers, so we both ended up struggling to find a job. The job market is very tight and we were really miserable for awhile.

What kind of jobs are y'all looking for?

we thought we had jobs with a retail company and then when we got here we updated our appl. etc then she said i'll call you tomm, well that day came and gone and nothing, i have tried to call her and get nothing. the way we look at it there is a reason meantime we keep plugging along.

[hiknapster]

Oh, I understand, Candlesallnat. I didn't really mean specifically you. Things happen. They did to us, too.

I was just really surprised by how difficult it was to find jobs here.

But you are right, I am so glad that things fell through for me, too, because I ended up with the best job in the world. I wouldn't change a thing.

[dnemke]

I would like to put up a clothesline and hang sheets. Not allowed here, I got sited for this.

[legalcat]

We cant wait to move from Florida.. its over crowded, theres a language issue, everyone is in a bad mood all the time, it takes me 1 and a half hours to drive 17 miles to work each way. Forget about the price of real estate... people are demanding $400k for a house they paid $150k for only 2 or 3 years ago and havent improved on, its disgusting. We want to move out of our starter home and its so absurd. Even if we sell it for a HUGE profit, we would still be paying 3x the mortgage on a house thats hardly much bigger not to mention probably $600+++ per month for taxes and insurance on top of that. I'm shopping for land in Tennessee and its shockingly cheap compared to Florida. I cant wait to get out of here but we have about 5 years left because of my husbands job.

[florida_native]

As my username states, I'm a Florida Native, born and raised mostly in Pensacola.

I have also lived in Biloxi, MS, Wichita Falls, TX, & Waco, TX, all during the 90's

I moved to Knoxville May of 2000 after my divorce from my first wife.

It was an excellent move on my part. I have managed to build a nice life for myself here in Knoxville.

I got remarried May of 2004 to a wonderful woman, and we had our first child August of 2006.

Pensacola's economy is terrible and became much worse after Hurricane Ivan destroyed a lot of people's hopes and dreams back in Sept of 2004.

Most of my family lives in Pensacola, and I visit them at least twice a year.

My wife and I spend the majority of our time on the beach (past the Gulf Islands National Seashore towards Ft. Pickens) enjoying the calmness of it all.

After my wife graduated from UTK with her Master in Social Work May of 2005, she wanted to move to Pensacola, which we did. We managed to work and live in Pensacola during the worst hurricane season on record.

We managed to endure

Tropical Storm Arlene
Hurricane Cindy (CAT1)
Hurricane Dennis (CAT3) (Lost power for 1 week)
Hurricane Katrina-We got CAT1 winds and rain. (Lost power for 1 week)

Now keep in mind, I grew up with dealing with hurricanes, my first was Hurricane Frederick back in 1979.

My wife didn't want to remain in Pensacola after dealing with the hurricane season of 2005.

We then decided to return to Knoxville May of 2006 and our daughter was born August of 2006, and things have been great since we have been back.

[blevisay]

yet another Florida Native.......I left a year ago for Portland Tn. Pretty much for the reasons everyone else has brought up. The cost of living being the major factor.

[Breucklyn]

Have lived in Orlando since 1979 when it was the "City Beautiful". Now, it is ugly and I refuse to learn a second language. :>) We have been looking via the internet and with a REALTOR for a special home with character, acreage and poss waterfront for about 6 months now but nothing compares to the home I have here. Guess that will be my tradeoff. I have started having garage sales so I can cut down on the expense of moving. :>) mbmouse has been a great help though we have not communicated lately. She has a wealth of information here on the board. Our home here is on a huge lake and we have lots of trees. I'm hoping to duplicate that in TN at a price I am willing to spend. Unfortunately, however, with the rise in home prices in Orlando and the low pay, affording my house will be a challenge for many people. Linda

[Tinman313]

Been in Florida since 1975,I'm ready too leave ASAP when real estate ever comes back I'm gone.....Originally from the Finger Lakes of New York

[dreamofmonterey]

Originally Posted by JMT

I'm originally from Tampa but have also lived in Gainesville, Fort Pierce, Miami, and Citrus County, Florida. My family cemetery is in Dunedin, and I have relatives all over Florida from Pensacola to Jacksonville and on down to Homestead. I say that just so you know that my roots run deep in Florida. I'm a 5th generation Floridian.

But I will NEVER move back to Florida. Besides the ridiculous cost of real estate, Florida has regulated itself to death. You can't dig a hole in your back yard without getting a permit first. Well, not quite, but you get the idea.

Florida is crowded, expensive, and full of bitter old retirees who complain at the littlest things. The roads are bottlenecked in the summer, but in the winter they're nothing but parking lots. It's ridiculous.

Summers in Florida are a nightmare. The temperature is 85 degrees at 2 in the morning. UGH!!!

As a kid, we used to go boating down the Homosassa River. It was crystal clear, you could see the white sandy bottom of the river, the water was pure, cold and delicious. But now there's only 1/3 of the water coming out of the springs as there was 40 years ago because of the huge increase in population and all the people who irrigate their lush yards--they want the same kind of grass they had back in Ohio or Michigan, grass that needs regular watering, unlike the sawgrass of Florida that can go weeks without rain. And all the pesticides and herbicides wash into the river so that even the fish (mullet) population is just a fraction of what it used to be.

And I haven't even gotten started talking about the giant Florida bugs! YECH!!

JMT I couldn't really add to this post- 85 degrees at 2 AM- that says it all. Loved Christmas on the beach- but August in S Florida was literally unbearable!.

sunny