Casual economic indicators....ie.....just what I've seen (houses, buying)

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by blueeyes30

Well as a native of Johnson City, I had to move away for a better job. The Tri-Cities region isn't known for high paying jobs. The type of jobs that are out there (service type) generally pay very low. It's even worse across the border in Virginia. Once you get past Abingdon, jobs are not very plentiful. But most small to medium sized places that are not part of a major metro area are generally like that. However, I just assumed service type jobs would pay low regardless of location. As an accountant, I make more in Nashville than I would in the Tri-Cities.

I like to read other state forums as well. Vermont seems to be in the same boat: alot of low paying jobs but faced with higher property taxes and high heating bills.

Very well said. It is very service oriented so the wages are going to reflect that. Asheville is even worse; the difference between wages there and the Tri-Cities is not enough to even talk about yet the housing and other costs is a huge difference.

[mbmouse]

It's not just service jobs. The pay wage in general is lower here no matter what the occupation. Hubby is an Engineer. He gets job offers all the time that are located in other states that are 20k and up more per year than what he makes here. However the cost of living difference makes it seem like only a 3k to 5k a year raise. To us, that is just not worth the quality of life here for us and the kids. Heck our kids getting 14 years of public school (2 years free at North East State) makes the long run MUCH better here.

[Tony1790]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

It's not just service jobs. The pay wage in general is lower here no matter what the occupation. Hubby is an Engineer. He gets job offers all the time that are located in other states that are 20k and up more per year than what he makes here. However the cost of living difference makes it seem like only a 3k to 5k a year raise. To us, that is just not worth the quality of life here for us and the kids. Heck our kids getting 14 years of public school (2 years free at North East State) makes the long run MUCH better here.

How do you get 2 years free at NE State? Is that something for everyone, or is that an agreement that you specifically have? I only as for my teenage son.

Thanks

Tony

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by Tony1790

How do you get 2 years free at NE State? Is that something for everyone, or is that an agreement that you specifically have? I only as for my teenage son.

Thanks

Tony

Any student graduating from a Washington or Sullivan County school from this past year on who has a 3.0 or higher (might be 2.8 but can't remember exactly right now) gets two free years at North East State. Have your son talk to his guidance counselor at school. They will have all the requirements. There is some paperwork to fill out, of course but not much difference than applying for any scholarship. It is in part the lottery money and the counties pick up the difference from what I understand. My sons counselor told us about it a few months back.

[Tony1790]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

Any student graduating from a Washington or Sullivan County school from this past year on who has a 3.0 or higher (might be 2.8 but can't remember exactly right now) gets two free years at North East State. Have your son talk to his guidance counselor at school. They will have all the requirements. There is some paperwork to fill out, of course but not much difference than applying for any scholarship. It is in part the lottery money and the counties pick up the difference from what I understand. My sons counselor told us about it a few months back.

Thanks for the info!

[todayzcatch]

Tony i feel your pain man. i was here in 01 for 3 yrs. and lucky was able to finish school at that time, had to donate plasma to doit though. did want to mention to you just in case some of your co workers havent told you. there are online schools for lpn and rn that allow you to get your degree without step foot into school. also seeing as how youve waived your right to employee benefits you must have other coverage? if so there are home health agencies that pay more than wellmont/msha and you only have one patient.

[todayzcatch]

can you not edit your post on this forum? anyways on economics tri cities wages are very low, many business are cutting back/moving. thats why they are offering the 2yr free at the collage. they are trying to offer education benefits to set up a workforce that can one day fill the positions of future business brought to tri cities. oh yeah and on the many schools for education yeah there is but the medical programs are backed up for quite a while (registration).

[quantguy]

Unfortunately, the problems described here are ones I see throughout the USA over the last few years (I travel a lot for my work).

I really don't know of any mid-to small- sized MSA that doesn't have problems similar to the tri-cities. I am currently operating out of Greenville-SpartanburgSC, about to move to the tri-cities, and boy, do the problems described here sound familiar.

For example, I have a new neighbor from CA with two ME degrees. So far, the best offer he has had is as a production worker at BMW or as an assistant plant manager at a local college. Both positions pay less than half of what he was making in CA. And his story is not untypical.

I wish you the best in finding better employment Tony. It is out there. It does take a lot of work to get lucky. The best thing I can advise you is to find someone to work with you on resumes, interviews, etc. I did and getting my CV revamped helped me a lot. Even the slightest little tweak can sometimes make all the difference.

[NorthernLights]

Hey Tony,
hang in there. NE TN has low wages true. It also has no income tax and while it makes its money from its high sales tax the state I came from [Maryland] still has 6% sales tax and also has a state income tax which always takes what the Fed refunds you back and then some and frankly a whole bunch of other taxes and fees you guys can't dream of that pick your pocket every time you turn around.
Also there are zero homes in Maryland within at least a 60+ mile [yes, I said 60 miles and MD gasoline has been averaging 10-20 cents more a gal.] hour long, commute of the employment areas in the center of the state that are available for under 215-250,000 [And I do mean zero homes available] You may find one that breaks my statement but it will be in a 'crack hood', or it will have significant, structural issues and you had better be a contractor with other contractors who owe you favors if you buy it. I am also not exaggerating the commute, for over 20 years myself and all of my friends drove at least 45 minutes one way to get to work, many who worked closer to DC drove more like 90 minutes. You'd brag about it if you only drove 25 minutes to work. Everyone drives long distances to get to work, period, there are no 'livable' wage jobs where the homes are. This is why suburban MD is tied for the second worse traffic in the US.
I came down here June of '07 and still haven't found work remotely related to the field I have a master's degree in but I already knew the market here and salted a bunch of money away to live on so I wouldn't have to go back to truck driving [a much maligned field but one that has employed me more over the years than anything I went to college for.]
You said you own land but don't want to take on a mortgage to build on it...Hmmm. When you crack that nut share it with us will you, as none of us wants a mortgage either. Still, historically if you don't get in the game at some point and buy a home, especially in a down market like this, then you won't be around smiling when we hit one of those spurts when home prices jump up thousands of dollars overnight. [Seen that happen several times in my 40+ years, I'm betting it will happen again someday] There are still lots of listings in the R/E pages for homes that are 20 - 30 minutes from town on nice sized lots, 'listing' for 120 to 150 and that is just what they are listing for. Make everyone of them a lowball offer and see if they bite.
I was able to put half down on a 2bd.2ba condo with a nice garage for my life's savings here which back in Maryland wouldn't even have covered the closing costs and down payment so who cares that my friends back there are all making 20K more than I will here. My neighbors bought these places 10 years ago in the upper 70's and can all get 110K for them now. Not phenomenal appreciation compared to the 100K gains of some of my friends back home in the same time but % wise in line with them. There are small 3bdrm ranchers I found looking last spring in my R/E search in places like Piney Flats or out towrds Erwin or Jonesborough or Cherokee or Bluff city. They won't be 2 minutes from the shopping center of JC but for 109 to 115 you can find a nice little 'first' home on a decent little lot in stable neighborhoods. If I really wanted to check my snobby northern attitude at the door I often find a trailer or double wide on anywhere from 1 to several acres, often in beautiful settings, for anywhere from 60 to 100K. I found one recently that was on 2 acres for 60K and I could practically write a check for that if I sold my condo tomorrow, live in the trailer and build another home on the property while I live in the trailer and then rent the trailer our for a monthly income. You can still do a lot here if you work the angles. Back north the only way to own a home is take a huge mortgage for 300,000+ for 30 years and sell your soul.
The economy will get better, always does, I haven't found any place over the last year that is better. If the salaries are higher then the R/E costs 50 to 100K more for the smae house or the state has higher income taxes that wipe out the salary differential. This area also has a ton of 'free' activities nearby if you like hiking and biking and festivals. For example, later today I am going kayaking on a nearby lake [free except for a gallon or two of gasoline] and then tomorrow I'm driving 50 minutes to Asheville to Bele Chere to walk around and listen to about 20 different bands, sip beer and have a steak sandwich. Nothing cheap like that 'handy' in MD. Plus the mountain vistas and rivers I look at everyday are a three hour drive from central MD and pale in size/comparison. Best of luck to everyone struggling here I suspect we have it about as rough as anybody else these days. I've seen a number of bad years like this in my 46 years and I've also seen some of my friends make a bunch of money by buying R/E in these down markets too.

[the.camera.eye]

Good observations pretty much all around.

For all the talk about the housing bubble bursting, it doesn't seem to be reflected much in Kingsport. Homes are selling, almost seems like regardless of the price. Which begs the question, "Who is buying these houses??"

Being an employee of a somewhat local grocery chain (not Food City, and most definetly NOT White's.) I can comment on prices of gas and groceries. The prices of staples (bread, milk, eggs, etc.) have increased dramatically over the past year or so, and especially in the last six months. I know the hike in the minimum wage will most likely add a few more cents to all products as well.

As far as the area in general, although the cost of living is fairly cheap (even if it is rising) the undeniable truth is the sometimes you do get what you pay for. Cheap land/housing usually means cheap/low paying jobs (at least in my experience).

Know that you're not the only one struggling to make it! We all have our days (more often than not for myself, curiously!). Good luck.