Moving to the area (Johnson City, Kingsport: for sale, apartment, house)

[zxanadu]

Hi,

Just discovered this site where I am finding a wealth of information, since I am considering moving from Massachusetts to the Tri-Cities area.
I own a home outside of Boston and after visiting family near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, I realize how ready I am to leave behind this noise, frenetic pace, high living costs, and -20 degree Winters!
I found the people in Virginia to be so nice, and I suspect that will be the case in Tennessee as well.
Kingsport was in the running until I read of one writer's experience with the acrid smell in the air and another's comments about a nearby Eastman Kodak plant.
Everyone has offered valuable information, and I'll just keeping looking in from time to time for more comments.
I am looking to buy a reasonably priced home in a quiet area that will have some ammenities, but not overly expensive to live in.

Thanks,
Zxanadu

[wwjdmom]

Originally Posted by zxanadu

Hi,

Just discovered this site where I am finding a wealth of information, since I am considering moving from Massachusetts to the Tri-Cities area.
I own a home outside of Boston and after visiting family near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, I realize how ready I am to leave behind this noise, frenetic pace, high living costs, and -20 degree Winters!
I found the people in Virginia to be so nice, and I suspect that will be the case in Tennessee as well.
Kingsport was in the running until I read of one writer's experience with the acrid smell in the air and another's comments about a nearby Eastman Kodak plant.
Everyone has offered valuable information, and I'll just keeping looking in from time to time for more comments.
I am looking to buy a reasonably priced home in a quiet area that will have some ammenities, but not overly expensive to live in.

Thanks,
Zxanadu

This is truly a haven. I completely understand you wanting to get away from all of the big city problems. People here are truly nice, and the weather is mostly good. No -20 winters for sure although it can get pretty cold here in the winter. The area has everything you could possibly want, like good shopping, good restaurants, nice scenery, nice churches and a nice, wholesome, normal place to raise kids.

You will have no problem finding a nice house for much less than what you are used to seeing in the big city, although the difference between here and Charlotte, NC where we moved from was not as big as we had hoped. The northern cities are more expensive from what I understand though, so I think you should be happy with the prices of homes here. There are a lot for sale around here, and I think you should be able to make a bargain.

We didn't pick Kingsport for the same reason you state, and somebody warned us against Bristol as being not so nice, but I haven't really spent enough time there to know if that's accurate. We picked Johnson City, but there are a lot of other nice little towns around here as well.

Welcome!

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by zxanadu

I found the people in Virginia to be so nice, and I suspect that will be the case in Tennessee as well.

I believe your suspicion is correct!

Kingsport was in the running until I read of one writer's experience with the acrid smell in the air and another's comments about a nearby Eastman Kodak plant.

Eastman Chemical and Domtar (paper mill) both produce unpleasant smells - Eastman sometimes, Domtar pretty much all the time. But the odors only affect a very small portion of Kingsport, probably less than 5% of Kingsport's total land area (44 sq. miles). In most of the city you won't smell a thing. If you live/work west of I-26, north of Hwy. 11-W, or south/east of Hwy. 93, you're pretty much in odor-free zones.

Five years from now, Eastman's impact on the air (and the nose) will be considerably less than it is today:
Eastman - Eastman Proposes to Invest $200 Million in Equipment to Reduce Air Emissions (http://www.eastman.com/Company/News_Center/News_Archive/2007/English/Corporate_News/071108.htm - broken link)

[mbmouse]

I am in Kingsport just about every day of the week for work. I can smell a slight smell maybe 2 times a month or so and it is only a whiff or two. Only once in a great while is it strong but it does not effect me in anyway. My business partner was born and raised here, she says she hears people talking about it but has never smelt it herself. I guess you just get used to it?
I do know there have been some people who have visited who have allergies and/or are very sensitive that it has really bothered. So the best advice I could give is, come visit, stay awhile and see if you notice it.
Kingsport is really a great little thriving city, I really enjoy it and it's people.

[zxanadu]

Thanks to wwjdmom, mbmouse, and kamoshika for sharing your thoughts and providing more information on the Tri-Cities area.

I found particularly interesting the article on Eastman Kodak that kamoshika provided. We have a sprawling Eastman Kodak facility in a nearby town that years ago was forced into cleaning up its act. Glad to hear it's going to happen in Kingsport as well.

I hope to be visiting the Tri-Cities area this Fall. Until then, I've got a lot of research to do! By the way, how many months would one have to heat a home there and is the heat pump a good choice?

[jabogitlu]

I would say that a heat pump is about the best choice. I think it would be dangerously unwise to invest in gas heating in this day and age, and unless you live in some remote place in Johnson, Unicoi Greene or SWVA I doubt you'll want to use wood.

We heat our apartment generally from October to March, but sometimes September nights can get too chilly without the heat. January is by far the coldest month (our electric bill was $369) followed by February, then December.

You'll have to use AC at least July-September, most likely most of June as well.

[SarahSal]

Heating from October to March is about the same for us.. We have a heat pump, too, but also shut off some rooms and use gas logs, which are very effective and fairly cheap we've found. However, we've seldom used our air in the summer and have ceiling fans in most rooms that seem to keep things cool. Compared to CT, where we often used our heat from early September until early or mid-May, the costs are significantly less here.

(This board is *too* much fun -much more interesting than watching drivel on tv! (I probably should be reading instead)

[jabogitlu]

Tell me about it, I should be in bed I gotta get up for work at 3:30.

You seldom use air in the summer!? Oh, honey, how do you do it? Share your secret, I'd love to turn mine off. I'm in a second story apt though, and I think that heat rises here. I'm a native Southerner and I can barely tolerate those 95 degree days inside. I can take them just fine when I'm outside IN it, but if I have to be shut up inside a house it's gotta be cool!

[SarahSal]

Secret is a a very old house with 12 inch thick brick walls and no windows on the south side - plus loads of ceiling fans in almost every room!

[zxanadu]

Wow, one month's electric bill of $369! Here in New England, with a lot of nagging I clock in at about $45 per month.
All things are relative, however, since our heating bills will be heading toward crisis mode. 40% of our area is heated by oil, which is now between $4 and $5 per gallon. I've made my house energy efficient every which way and depending upon the cold will use 350 to 640 gallons a year.
Many here are converting from oil to natural gas, but I'm not sure that's the answer. Besides, I may be leaving the area soon.
Thanks to everyone for the advice re heat pumps. I'm looking forward to my trip to the Tri-Cities!