NYers retiring to TN (Jackson, Savannah: 2009, rental, mortgage)

[Tri-Cities Native]

Hey Annie,

Didn't know if you read up on septic systems yet or not but here's an EPA published document that does a good job explaining them. http://www.epa.gov/owm/septic/pubs/h...guide_long.pdf

A lot of folks around here have gas stoves that are fed from a propane tank that is filled periodically. The tanks can either be above ground or buried.

[LauraC]

If you plan to go back to NY a lot, you'd be better off near an international airport than in East Tennessee.

[BJandROSE]

We decided to move from FL to TN we have found that the Monterey area provides seclusion without being totally in the boonies. Cost of property there is very reasonable and is between Cooksvile and Crossville which are just big enough. Cumberland Lakes and Cumberland Cove are nice communities. We should be closing on our home sometime this month and can't wait to leave Florida.

[NY Annie]

Tri-Cities, thanks very much for the info on septic systems and we will probably get propane wherever we settle - I hate electric cooking.Laura, thanks for the hint on airports but I don't see us returning to NY often.

[dlk33]

Just wondering, have you considered Cookeville?

[Castle256]

I like Cookeville because it's just about the same distance to Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga so I have three large metro areas all about 80-100 miles away depending on where you are going in the city.

[hiknapster]

Please don't say that you bid on a place without visiting first. There is a MASSIVE difference between the northeast "country-side" and The South's. I lived in the "sticks" in Mass., for 24 years and you couldn't pay me to live in many of the rural areas around here.

Besides, it just isn't a good idea to buy until you've seen the place, area, etc., no matter where you move.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by NY Annie

Tri-Cities, thanks very much for the info on septic systems and we will probably get propane wherever we settle - I hate electric cooking.Laura, thanks for the hint on airports but I don't see us returning to NY often.

Okay, just wanted to let you know. When I do the drive to NY (LI) solo, it's a two day trip.

[JEANNE61]

I live in Adamsville, West tenn . . approx 100 miles from memphis, 140 miles from nashville, and about 5-10 miles from Saltillo ... i got lost one day on one of my many 'lost ' rides thru the countryside. .which is lovely btw .. and found Saltillo . .we had lunch in a little restaurant . .the only one of two in the town .. the waitress told us that was going to be their last day , they were closing . .i went back last week and sure enough they were gone and a mexican place has opened ...
a small convenience store .. 5&10c we used t o call them in NY .. but of course, nothing in it is anywhere near a nickel or a dime .. ha
not much more on the one 'main' s treet of Saltillo .. n ice boat dock at the foot of that street and a tiny cafe r ight on the d ock .. .
very small town .. i doubt they have any parades . .actually, we took a ride there t his past xmas and there was a skinny guy in a santa suit s tanding on the main st corner ..
a small town here is NOTHING like one in NY. . i spent my first 48 yrs in NY . and then the next 14 i n WPB fl .. . adamsville is pop 2005 .. and believe me , that's small enough for me ..
as long as you won't be looking for a job .. or NEEDING a JOB . . .then saltillo or any small town should work out for you . .
hope you or your hubby likes fishing cause i'm pretty sure thats' all there would be to do in Saltillo ..
other than walking around .. .
good luck with your hunt ... .

i must make a slight correction here. . . the 'dock' is not truly a dock ' it is a slanted piece of land going DOWN into the lake .. a landing if you will ???? dont' want to mislead you .. .there's no wood involved. just a parking lot with a few pick up trucks with trailers on them . . and the cafe .

[NY Annie]

UPDATE

We didn't get either one of two properties we liked in Saltillo - and I am relieved although my husband is disappointed. Each of us has had surgery since that time and just resumed looking. I found a new agent, this one a whole lot more active and I think we may have found another property to get excited about. This one is just north of Jackson, about 30-40 minutes from Rte 40.

It has well-water, a negative for us - time to read up about that - we really were wanting "city" water - but the property is private and in the middle of mostly farms yet not too far from a small town - that looks bigger than Saltillo did. I'm waiting for more info from the realtor. At least this house doesn't have a catfish pond! Those are the ugliest things and we are not fish eaters! And the little I read about ponds is they are a lot of work and you can't swim in them!

Jeanne, thanks for the info on Saltillo. No, we are not going to be looking for work. I'm already retired and my husband will be when we move.

Jeanne& Laura, former NYers - we'll have to meet for coffee one day and I'll have a friend here ship us some bagels!

Napster, yes, we are planning to buy without a trip down there. I will have a NACHI house inspector give me a report and if we DO hate it when we move down there, we'll figure something out.