Rental Agencies in Tri-City areas (Johnson City, Kingsport: real estate market, apartment, rentals)

[ruserious]

Hello, I am another Floridian (Ocala area) thinking of moving to E. Tn.
We have family in Rogersville but are looking more into Greeneville/JC area but prefer to be in the outskirts of the city.
I am 28 years old, born and raised here in Ocala. It is not the same anymore, as most members have agreed on this post. My husband is originally from Upstate Western NY and he has been a grump for the last 10 years because he feels that FL has nothing to offer.
I am a bit of a homebody, scared to take the chance and move my whole life; but I am willing to try. Therefore, we feel it would be best to find a rental home (prefer $500-$900 range) so we can take some time to get acquainted with the area...then purchase a home IF we absolutely come to love the area. Does anyone have any input as to which companies I can contact in the Greeneville/JC area for property rentals? We are coming up on Sept. 15th for a very quick trip to check out the area and need to investigate why type of rentals are available.
This forum has been extremely informational and not to mention "exciting" to learn that many Floridians feel the same about our diminishing state.

Looking forward to any advice,
Heather

[mbmouse]

Hi Heather, yes there are a few places that act as rental agencies. Your best bet is to look to the large real estate brokers in the area, a few in this area have rentals they manage and I have heard good things about them. Stay away from the agency in JC that claims to find you just what you are looking for for a $50.00 fee. Bad news. You should not have to pay to find this information. I will pm you the contact info for some of the reputable places in the area (believe the moderators will cut because it is for a business) and here are the links to the local news papers that list a lot of rentals in the classifieds. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/ http://www.greene.xtn.net/ (broken link)
I also have family in Rogersville, I lived in Greene County (north western part) for 5 years and my folks bought in Rogersville, it was a bout a 30 minute drive to them. I moved to Gray (by Johnson City) and it now takes about an hour, but still a pretty drive no matter which way. Remember, what looks close on the map, may not always be the fastest route, there are hills to go over or around, hahhahahahha
As for the rental amount you are looking to spend is very reasonable and in range with what is common here.

[ruserious]

Thanks for the info...if I understand you correctly, you can email me the information about the rental agencies/real estate brokers that handle property management?
Do you need my email address?

Can you also suggest which area (JC or Greeneville) would be more sufficient for running an internet business? (need bank, post office, high speed internet, computer networking, office supply stores, and daily UPS/FedEX deliveries).

Heather

[mbmouse]

email sent.
As for which area...you will have several to choose from, but it all depends on how far you are willing to drive to get the UPS/FedEx drop offs and office supply stores. There is a Staples in Greeneville, just north of downtown on 11E, which has a UPS drop off inside and I have seen a few FedEx drop boxes around Greeneville. FedEx will pick up anywhere you ask them to I beleive. Johnson City has Office Max, Staples and the other one (can't remember the name!!!!) Two off of Sate of Franklin Rd and one off of Roan St. There are plenty of banks and post offices both places. High speed is also available in both towns and most surrounding areas of those towns.
Hope that helps!

[ruserious]

I was actually afraid of living too remote and facing the possibility of UPS and FEd Ex refusing to deliver (as I will have established accounts with daily deliveries) to particular areas. Have you heard of such a thing? Is this common?
I am actually pretty stressed out at this point...would prefer to rent but was just told that most require 1 year lease...and it could be a problem with the dog (although he is cleaner than kids...house and crate trained)but do not want to wait this long to buy a home. On the other hand, I am afraid of not getting financed for a mortgage without any current employment; hence I will have left Florida and my job (my credit is strong).
I may be forced to buy a home without having the opportunity to feel out any areas once I get a contract on my house here in FL. Hopefully I can find a trustworthy realtor and home inspector. From what I hear and the research I have done thus far, your real estate market is still climbing in value and a purchase may be a good investment at this point anyway.
Or maybe we could find an apartment for a few months??
Too many possibilities but always trying to make decisions and outweigh pros and cons...

Heather

[GrannyLois]

When you come up here on Friday, be sure to buy as many newspapers (Greeneville, Johnson City, Kingsport) as you can to check out the listed rentals. Also, be sure to have a cell phone with you, so you can call those places that sound good. Then you can take a look right away. I know you want to make the most of your trip up here.

Good luck to you.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by ruserious

I was actually afraid of living too remote and facing the possibility of UPS and FEd Ex refusing to deliver (as I will have established accounts with daily deliveries) to particular areas. Have you heard of such a thing? Is this common?

The only thing I have found is that Fed Ex will not deliver to some very rural areas on Saturdays, and won't guarentee the before 10:00 am delivery sometimes to the rural areas, but they are very good at letting you know that up front. Maybe you could call or check out there web site, there might be some maps??? Just a thought.