Is there anything out there....... (Knoxville: rentals, affordable house, job market) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

peanutsdad · 12-15-2010, 03:12 PM

I have been surfing this forum for months now to see what is out there in the Knoxville-Seveirville area. I want to move my family towards that area due to the fact the wife and I love it out there. We decided that we would like to move out that way.We are just a stone throw away in NC, about 2 hours away. I use to install home automation, i.e. home theaters and such. I have 4 more months till I have my Associates in Accounting. I already have one Associates degree in Automotive Technology. I have looked and looked but I have not seen anything that could "pay me" what I am use to seeing. I have been a project manager for multimillion dollar homes and still can not seem to land something. So I ask......is there anything out there anymore or am I just wishing?

Barking Spider · 12-15-2010, 06:05 PM

Sad to say that the job market in Knoxville is just not all that great. Suggest you keep plugging away and maybe you will land something.
Good luck!

hiknapster · 12-15-2010, 10:27 PM

We own an auto repair shop. We just opened and are dealing with road construction and it has been VERY tough going.

We moved here from Florida where my husband has 22 years experience and his degree in Automotive Technology, too. His pay down there was not great but it was absolutely ridiculous here. After five years here, opening the business was our only shot. If we can't make it we may just have to move away. It's come to that. But I truly believe that when the construction ends we have a good shot at it.

Like Barking Spider says, keep plugging. This is still a recession and a bad time of year. Things may get better. Out of all of TN, Knoxville is one of your best bets. It's 7 percent unemployment. It's not South Dakota but it isn't Detroit or Florida, either.

Best of luck!

LilCabinGirl · 12-16-2010, 05:35 AM

Dear Peanutsdad,

Knoxville is a very hit-or-miss kind of place. My husband and I moved here from FL almost 3 years ago. Luckily, I was able to secure a job before we moved here. My husband was able to find a job shortly thereafter. Our jobs paid well below what we were making but our costs of living went down too. We find that Knoxville is a very easy place to live even if you don't make a whole lot of money. There are many people here that own homes on $20-$30K a year.

Fast forward 3 years and we both now have better paying jobs. My salary is better than what I was making in Tampa. We still live in our little affordable house and plan to stay here. We try to stay within our means.

If you crunch the numbers, maybe you'll find that you can make it here on less and bide your time until you can find something that will pay you better. If you are new to the accounting field, it may be difficult for you until you gain more experience.

Good luck and keep plugging away!

LCG

calvinbama · 12-16-2010, 07:06 AM

Its tough out there. I have a bachelors degree in Economics as well as one in Urban Planning. I am still looking for my first real full time job and working my FOURTH internship. If you have a job now I would not take the risk of moving somewhere else until you have something solid lined up. Everyone wants to say the recovery is advancing, but I'm just not sure. Maybe since the stock market is rebounding nicely some of these border line retirees' 401k's have recovered to the point that they can retire and open up the job market for more productive and tech savy young people. Maybe not though

peanutsdad · 12-16-2010, 05:02 PM

I want to thank you all for your posts. I know salary wise is a big thing. I know from the past I can make it on 30k a year and be the only one working. I have been doing it now for 2 years and we have 2 kids. We do pretty good on that. We are home bodies and stay home alot unless we really need to go out. We also live off the land as much as possible. We both do the garden thing and I hunt.We have only one car payment and other than that just your basic utility bills. No cells here. All we would really need is internet. We are very simple as you can tell.

hiknapster · 12-17-2010, 01:27 PM

I just want to comment that we live very much within our means, or we did. We have one house that we bought for $113,000. No car payments. One child.

The reason why we are trying to run our own business is because the pay was getting ridiculous. The last job that my husband had he brought home about $200 and worked about 55 hours a week. I cringe to write that because it sounds like a ridiculous lie. It is not.

The cost of living is low here, and I am sure that it very much depends in what field you are in, but just because it is inexpensive, it is not a guarantee that you will thrive. Another thing to consider is that home prices are pretty good, but they are no longer the cheapest in the country and rentals are on par with a lot of other places. Just something to think about.

What I am saying is you probably have an equal chance of making it or not, and a lot depends on what you do. If you live within your means you have a great shot, as opposed to someplace like NYC, but find a job before you move here.

When we moved to this area it was one of the best deals in the country, five years ago. That is no longer the case. We will see what happens in the next couple of months. We are at the point where we are no longer limping along. We are in dire straits. If things don't work out, I already have a job offer in swFlorida and my husband can pick and choose where he works. Of course, we know people down there. Hint: It's good to know people. Especially in Knoxville. That's all I will say about that.

peanutsdad · 12-21-2010, 07:16 PM

All good points. I have been searching all the job sites. If any one knows of a security company or a company that does home audio and is hiring, please let me know. Or even an electrical contractor that needs a electrician helper who has experience...send them my way, if you all dont mind. I just need to something to get me over there.

INTN · 12-22-2010, 02:35 PM

I'd echo many of hiknapster's comments My family moved here about 7 1/2 years ago. I never found a decent job that paid well and became self-employed, which I have been for five years. I already had two associates and I just finished a BA and am looking for traditional employment again.

Who you know is way more important than what you know or what you can do. I realize that is true all over, but I'd so moreso here. We too are considering a move if we don't catch a break here.