So Many Moving to Tennessee WHATS THE EFFECT? (Knoxville: homes, high school)

[shadowwalker]

So many people moving here and bringing their problems. Mixed with the problems already here. You got Nashville. Not a very nice place to live. Unless you have a sack of money and don't have to interact with the "working stiffs" much. Otherwise, your just one of the many here. And more coming every day.

[jaqkmq]

TN is beautiful - God has graced it - but our problem was the expensive food at the grocery and the low wages. Housing is somewhat cheaper and real estate taxes - however, sales taxes are higher. Most people welcomed us - but yes - we had a few clashes when folks found out we were from up north. They didn't understand - that our grandparents were from the south - had to go north after WW2 to get a job in the automative industry. We decided to move across the line to Georgia - near Woodstock - the wages are higher (and we are young and still working) the nurses are paid $30 - $40 hour / in TN we were paid $19-$23 hour. Several $$$ different. We still visit East TN - because of the beautiful mountains.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I don't know about that. I wouldn't move to Tennessee just because of economic reasons. One must really sit down and put on paper exactly what is important. Money is very important but don't base moving your entire family on it. Research the area and lifestyle before doing so, otherwise you will be very frustrated with your decision.

WE hear a lot of complaints on this forum also, some of it from people that haven't even moved here yet.

Hi there Hiks!
It's been a while since I've talked to you, and yes, I agree with your statement.
We, meaning my husband and I are having a major dilemma here
We sold our house in FL ( FINALLY!! YEAH!), and we moved the same day up to PA. Put our furniture into storage, and are now staying with my in-laws. We came to the conclusion, that this is NOT the place we want to be, and it surely changed for the worse within 4 years. My husband has NC in mind, and I was thinking about TN..... I'm just trying to figure out, what the job market will be like for my husband in NC and TN?
I am at a loss here, and we are really at odds right now on where to move to next. We are really screwed up ........... Anybody have ANY input? Thank's

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by MovingBack2PA

Hi there Hiks!
It's been a while since I've talked to you, and yes, I agree with your statement.
We, meaning my husband and I are having a major dilemma here
We sold our house in FL ( FINALLY!! YEAH!), and we moved the same day up to PA. Put our furniture into storage, and are now staying with my in-laws. We came to the conclusion, that this is NOT the place we want to be, and it surely changed for the worse within 4 years. My husband has NC in mind, and I was thinking about TN..... I'm just trying to figure out, what the job market will be like for my husband in NC and TN?
I am at a loss here, and we are really at odds right now on where to move to next. We are really screwed up ........... Anybody have ANY input? Thank's

First, a few questions. Are you thinking of moving to a city, a small town, or a rural area? And, what type of jobs are you interested in? What other things are important to you? Schools, colleges, nature, public transportation, etc.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by alleycat

First, a few questions. Are you thinking of moving to a city, a small town, or a rural area? And, what type of jobs are you interested in? What other things are important to you? Schools, colleges, nature, public transportation, etc.

Hi there
We are interested into the country living, but have to be close to a larger town, due to my husbands job (barmanager/ bartender). College would be an issue, due to our son attending college...he's 19.
That's pretty much it....we are happy people, want to (have to) make money to live. I am at the point to start believing this place my husband and I have in our heads doesn't exist.

[MB2]

BTW...I am very familiar with Knoxville/ TN (which I love), and my husband with Mooresville/ NC (which he loves). We have found out, that Mooresville is definately TOO expensive for us to afford (with a kid in college!), and I am DEFINATELY don't want to be "housepoor" again, like we were in FL! So, I guess right now we "retreated" back to PA, where it all started 4 years ago, and come up with a game plan. Our move all depends on a good paying job position for my husband, since he will be the main bread winner.
Thank's for the input....I am a little down about this whole thing...

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by MovingBack2PA

Hi there
We are interested into the country living, but have to be close to a larger town, due to my husbands job (barmanager/ bartender). College would be an issue, due to our son attending college...he's 19.
That's pretty much it....we are happy people, want to (have to) make money to live. I am at the point to start believing this place my husband and I have in our heads doesn't exist.

I live in Nashville, so I'll throw out a couple of ideas in this area. Kingston Springs in Cheatham County (but the commute into Nashville isn't bad). Springfield in Robertson County (near the interstate, the drive into Nashville isn't bad). There are a number of colleges in the area; everything from Vanderbilt University to community colleges (I can't really recommend Tennessee State however). There are several more-or-less rural communities within an hours drive to Nashville. You wouldn't have difficulty in finding a bartending job in Nashville.

Clarksville is small city (about 125,000, I think) that has its own economy (by that I mean, not dependent on Nashville). Austin Peay State University is located there.

Other possibilities include Chattanooga (I think Chattanooga is a nice smaller-sized city); Cookeville (Tennessee Tech is there); or Knoxville (I'm not that familiar with Knoxville, but people there seem to like it).

Taxes are relatively low in Tennessee. We have no income tax but have a more than average sales tax. Prices of nice homes are all over the map in Tennessee, depending on where they're located. You can still get a nice house in some areas for under $100,000, although $125,000 to $250,000 would be more common.

[DaisyMay]

the main change I see coming is the rise of property taxes because of the astronomical prices being paid for real estate by outsiders. Areas are becoming too expensive for the families that have lived on them for generations.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by DaisyMay

the main change I see coming is the rise of property taxes because of the astronomical prices being paid for real estate by outsiders. Areas are becoming too expensive for the families that have lived on them for generations.

Nashville is preparing now for a special tax rate for those 65 and older. I think some other cities are as well.

One thing that has helped my mom is being able to have her property in Montgomery County classified as a "greenway" (since it's 55 acres of woods and field). Her tax rate is relatively low under that classification.

But, I told someone the other day that I'm in a little bit of "sticker stock" over the prices of houses in some areas. I sometimes see picture of houses in the newspaper and think "I'd pay maybe $200,00 or that" and then I see the asking price . . . $450,000.

[Pathwalker]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I'm thinking of taking a vacation in Florida next year wearing a tee shirt that says "OAK RIDGE - HOME OF NUKES!" Every once and awhile I'll twitch for the desired effect.

I say we keep talking about snakes, spiders, coyotes, bats...have to think about some previous threads...tornadoes, earthquakes, icy curvy mountain roads, traffic, air quality in Knoxville, not enough sunny days...still thinking...people who invite you to church against your will and/or people that are tooooo nice so you suspect ulterior motives, people who socialize with their church meaning you are left out, "stupid" dry counties, corporal punishment in schools, jailing bad parents with absentee kids, schools that don't take your parental "helpful suggestions"...no gun control, smoking all over the place so you might have to take your business elsewhere, watermelon seed spitting contests, square/buck dancing, rampant Yankee baiting/teasing/ignoring even though you're so wonderful/smarter/tolerant than them, predominantly Republican registered East Tennessee, hunting, no Meagers or whatever the name of that store was that started with an M...still thinking...I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S A TAX ON FOOD! even though I don't pay state income tax, some places with no broadband, "good old boys" only get hired and they passed up my sterling "I'm a highly educated professional" 20 different jobs resume to hire a guy who has lived here all of his life, not enough high-end retail stores, lower wage jobs, polite men that treat you like a lady and you don't know how to handle that, non diet conscious people who offend your eyesight, people with missing teeth that offend your eyesight, people with southern accents that offend your ears, men who sit in pick up trucks and, you know, sit there, too many country music stations...and HORRORS, poor people that have lived there all the years of their life who might be living in the general vicinity of where you want to build a house.

Have I missed anything?

Well, you forgot the cute little lizards that lived under the porch of my mom's mobile home outside Maryville!

Also, I concur with the whole "local/non-local" thing in Tennessee. It was very difficult for me to find a job, even one I was very qualified for, because they wanted to hire a "local" instead. Tennesseans are suspicious of outsiders, though not necessarily unfriendly. I recall going into a restaurant in Gatlinburg back in the late 80's, and the cashier quite out of the blue asked me if I was a local. ?? In my mind, I didn't understand why that mattered.