Would we fit in in Nashvile? (Memphis, Murfreesboro: HOA fees, condos, houses)

[budgiegirl]

Originally Posted by rusty222

I happen to be a gun toting republican formally but that doesn't categorize us. I have many conservative thoughts and many liberal thoughts. Not even sure about libertarianism i am still learning, but i do believe in some govt oversee, but .... the right kind. whatever that means probably agnostic might be a better description of us. we just don't practice religion. seems to me that from where i came from on Long Island either it was Catholic or Jewish. (my family went to a protestant church for a time) I have little use or need for any of it, but do recognize the value for many as to the social aspects of a church.
I dont like to get hardcore about anything, including the ends of the political spectrum.


:-)

As a gun toting Republican, I think you will certainly find your niche here . However I go back to my original point, which was about religion. Having moved from the northeast myself, I would say the hardest thing for me to learn to cope with was the religion. It should not be a deal breaker for you, it wasn't for me, but I underestimated the degree to which religion permeates the culture here. I am just saying it is a consideration. In the north, religion is largely a private matter. Not so in the south. If you are comfortable discussing your lack of religiosity, then you will have no problem! I tried to duck out of conversations whenever possible but it wasn't easy. I also learned that you have two years to tell people you are "still visiting" when they ask you if you have found your home church. By now, I have been here so long that everybody has given up on converting me and my kids.

[artemis]

I've been here more than 13 yrs, and I've never been asked about my religion.

Rusty, you'll be just fine. A lot of us aren't churchgoers.

[bspray]

Originally Posted by budgiegirl

As a gun toting Republican, I think you will certainly find your niche here . However I go back to my original point, which was about religion. Having moved from the northeast myself, I would say the hardest thing for me to learn to cope with was the religion. It should not be a deal breaker for you, it wasn't for me, but I underestimated the degree to which religion permeates the culture here. I am just saying it is a consideration. In the north, religion is largely a private matter. Not so in the south. If you are comfortable discussing your lack of religiosity, then you will have no problem! I tried to duck out of conversations whenever possible but it wasn't easy. I also learned that you have two years to tell people you are "still visiting" when they ask you if you have found your home church. By now, I have been here so long that everybody has given up on converting me and my kids.

Make no mistake about it, religion is a big deal here. Having come from Texas, it was a bit of a shock. Having said that, I've had a few people at work ask me if I had found a church yet and offer to help if we were looking. One person in our neighborhood inquired. We've never been approached about it by strangers.

Absolutely no one was militant about it and everyone just seemed genuinely trying to help. No one seemed offended when I told them we're not really religious. The one thing that always drives me crazy when I tell someone I am not religious is when they say they will 'pray for me'. I don't know why that little self-righteous statement gets me so irritated but it does. I haven't had a single person in Nashville say that to me yet.

[budgiegirl]

Just this year I had a teacher call on my son and ask him his religion... She called on all the redheads in the class, presumably to show that not all redheads are of the same religion. It made my son very uncomfortable. He also had to make a project about himself in symbols, including which religion applied to him. He put a cross down just to "blend in". What he really wanted to do was put the flying spaghetti monster. It is way different down here than up north, there is no way to couch that. That being said, if you have a thick skin about it, then it doesn't really matter. My skin has grown thicker.

[artemis]

Where does your son go to school? That's just crazy!

[budgiegirl]

Originally Posted by artemis

Where does your son go to school? That's just crazy!

That is good old Williamson county!!
I was shocked... but what can you do?
He said he just stumbled over himself and could not get any words out, and the teacher asked him, "Are you mixed?", and he said yes!
And we like this teacher!

The only good to come out of the whole experience was introducing him to pictures of the flying spaghetti monster, which cracked him up. He's in 7th grade.

[CountryGirl2b=]

I have to say that after living in CT, I found Nashville folks to be VERY friendly . . . almost TOO nice! Well, there's isn't such a thing but when I first moved here I had about 8 Publix employees ask if I needed help finding something - and this was just on ONE visit.

I'm not a real estate agent but I think you might have a hard time finding someplace to live for $60,000. I think it's a bit low for the area. You can do your own searches on realtracs.com. Maybe I didn't look in the right areas but pickings were slim to none for $60,000. Maybe you'd be better off renting?

[N.Cal]

we would probably be able to spend up to maybe $60K or so of course
hopefully less

I think in Nashville this price point will be very difficult.

[rusty222]

Well okay we are learning we wont know for sure what we can afford till we see what we get for this thing up here and that might be a bit off from now we might be able to squeeze a bit more we are talking condo, not house.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by CountryGirl2b=

I have to say that after living in CT, I found Nashville folks to be VERY friendly . . . almost TOO nice! Well, there's isn't such a thing but when I first moved here I had about 8 Publix employees ask if I needed help finding something - and this was just on ONE visit.

I'm not a real estate agent but I think you might have a hard time finding someplace to live for $60,000. I think it's a bit low for the area. You can do your own searches on realtracs.com. Maybe I didn't look in the right areas but pickings were slim to none for $60,000. Maybe you'd be better off renting?

It has been my experience that Publix employees are friendlier than most grocery stores. Much better than average, no doubt.