Rural Eastern Tennessee (Memphis, Knoxville, Oak Ridge: rental, buying, construction)

[john-staten island]

Originally Posted by Pameladeville

Great information, Serious. We are also looking to retire to East Tennessee and our property hunt has been going on for about ten months. Initially, we thought we wanted to go the very rural route. After visiting up there (we live in Austin, TX) we changed our tune. We need to be near a city of substantial size, but not as big as Knoxville. The Johnson City area is on our list for our next visit, so I’m trying to suck in as much information as possible. Good luck in your hunt, VermontMan!

I got to spend a few days in the Tri-city area in East Tennessee recently. I really liked what I saw, scenic, rural but all the amenities you need. I liked Bristol a lot, kind of handy having 2 states dividing the city. Semed really laid back, downtown Bristol didn't have much as it appeared most of the shopping had moved to retail centers and of course Walmart. The location is pretty unique, lots of outdoor recreation in all directions. Johnson City seemed to be the most vibrant, pretty ride between there and Kingsport. Its an area that needs more exploring for me but it passed the initial look-see, Knoxville did not. I've always used road trips after internet research to help decide if an area catches my interest, so far so good with Bristol....

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by john-staten island

I got to spend a few days in the Tri-city area in East Tennessee recently. I really liked what I saw, scenic, rural but all the amenities you need. I liked Bristol a lot, kind of handy having 2 states dividing the city. Semed really laid back, downtown Bristol didn't have much as it appeared most of the shopping had moved to retail centers and of course Walmart. The location is pretty unique, lots of outdoor recreation in all directions. Johnson City seemed to be the most vibrant, pretty ride between there and Kingsport. Its an area that needs more exploring for me but it passed the initial look-see, Knoxville did not. I've always used road trips after internet research to help decide if an area catches my interest, so far so good with Bristol....

The Washington Post recently did an article on the financial woes of Bristol, VA. Bristol, VA's government has made poor financial decisions over the years, and compounded with changing economic trends, ` severely hurt the city. Bristol Compressors, one of the primary employers in Bristol, VA, is shuttering within the next several months.

The TN side is doing better with the Speedway, the hospital, The Pinnacle and associated retail, and a lower tax/regulatory burden, but the Bristols have never had the industrial employment base of Kingsport (Eastman/Domtar/Press) or the diversified economy of Johnson City. As the decent employment Bristol did have left, it's struggling to find a new identity.

I wouldn't want to be a resident on the VA side. Property values are crumbling. Services are being cut. The outlook is not positive. Ultimately, I think the VA side's financial issues will need to be dealt with by the state of Virginia. While local government

That doesn't mean Bristol is dead - go out downtown on a weekend or to The Pinnacle and there are a lot of people spending money. Retail in downtown Bristol has increased over the past five to ten years. Dining is pretty good.

[john-staten island]

I guess the Taxes jump out at me when comparing the Bristols...Bristol Tn.has zero income tax, but a higher sales & real estate tax than the Virginia side. When I walked down State St in Bristol I had no idea the really interesting configuration of a city in 2 states.... I had mentioned Knoxville as a city that my first impression didn't attract me. That is mainly based on the traffic of 75, 40 merge that goes around the city. Just seemed the highways were overwhelmed by the volume of traffic and some were flying despite lots of break lights. I do think it would be nice to have a big college town like Knoxville nearby for the rural towns in east Tennessee. I can certainly see why so many find the region a great place to live.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by john-staten island

I guess the Taxes jump out at me when comparing the Bristols...Bristol Tn.has zero income tax, but a higher sales & real estate tax than the Virginia side. When I walked down State St in Bristol I had no idea the really interesting configuration of a city in 2 states.... I had mentioned Knoxville as a city that my first impression didn't attract me. That is mainly based on the traffic of 75, 40 merge that goes around the city. Just seemed the highways were overwhelmed by the volume of traffic and some were flying despite lots of break lights. I do think it would be nice to have a big college town like Knoxville nearby for the rural towns in east Tennessee. I can certainly see why so many find the region a great place to live.

VA also has personal property tax on vehicles and boats that TN doesn't have. It isn't a lot, but worth considering.

The VA side is kind of hamstrung by weird VA laws regarding cities and how they work. While the local governance has not been good, at least as much of the problem regarding financials goes back to Virginia law.

Personally, I don't think there would be much difference day to day living in one over the other, other than taxes. Virginia is notably more aggressive on traffic enforcement. If you work in VA, you'll pay income tax to VA, even if you live in TN.

The problem with the Tri-Cities is that it is so geographically isolated from other metro areas. Portions of Bristol, VA to Knoxville will probably be a two hour drive. For seniors, medical is always a concern in small towns and rural areas.

[TooManyChoices]

I took a somewhat recent driving tour of TN (came from upstate NY). In general, I was looking at river front / lake properties, but wanted to check out surrounding areas and cities in addition. I wasn't particularly impressed with Bristol, although it does have the advantage of live in TN, shop in VA. The Johnson city area was better than I expected, and having ETSU there is a plus.

I spent a night in Knoxville, which was OK. I'd expect it to be much busier when school (UT) is back in session. (I took a morning run around the campus.)

I also managed to make my way to Chattanooga, where I also spent a night, as well as Nashville and Cookeville on my return. Quite a whirl wind tour, but I did get a slight idea of possible areas I might be interested in.

For the OP, someplace near Johnson City might be an interesting spot to be. About 1.5 hours to Knoxville, not close but doable if absolutely needed for a short period of time. Fairly close to mountain activities, and water fun in the area.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by TooManyChoices

I took a somewhat recent driving tour of TN (came from upstate NY). In general, I was looking at river front / lake properties, but wanted to check out surrounding areas and cities in addition. I wasn't particularly impressed with Bristol, although it does have the advantage of live in TN, shop in VA. The Johnson city area was better than I expected, and having ETSU there is a plus.

I spent a night in Knoxville, which was OK. I'd expect it to be much busier when school (UT) is back in session. (I took a morning run around the campus.)

I also managed to make my way to Chattanooga, where I also spent a night, as well as Nashville and Cookeville on my return. Quite a whirl wind tour, but I did get a slight idea of possible areas I might be interested in.

For the OP, someplace near Johnson City might be an interesting spot to be. About 1.5 hours to Knoxville, not close but doable if absolutely needed for a short period of time. Fairly close to mountain activities, and water fun in the area.

I look at it like this.

The outdoor options within a half hour of JC are absolutely excellent. I think it's better than that distance around Knoxville. Unless you're big into the outdoors, there is simply more on offer and often at a lower price point in the countryside around Knoxville.

[firemediceric]

So happy I found this forum and this thread in particular. I plan to move from Florida to East Tennessee in the latter half of 2022 upon retirement at age 54. I'm interested in the Cosby area for how quiet and rural the setting is. I'm also considering Cumberland County further to the west. Because the temperatures in those places seem to track a few degrees cooler than some of the other areas such as Maryville, it also makes them appealing to me.

Any recommendations for a single guy looking for an area as rural as possible with wooded acreage for seclusion yet have conveniences such as a Walmart within 30 minutes drive or so? I don't need to worry about employment, schools, and hopefully health care won't be a consideration.

[llsmith42]

Check out Cumberland Cove west of Crossville.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by firemediceric

So happy I found this forum and this thread in particular. I plan to move from Florida to East Tennessee in the latter half of 2022 upon retirement at age 54. I'm interested in the Cosby area for how quiet and rural the setting is. I'm also considering Cumberland County further to the west. Because the temperatures in those places seem to track a few degrees cooler than some of the other areas such as Maryville, it also makes them appealing to me.

Any recommendations for a single guy looking for an area as rural as possible with wooded acreage for seclusion yet have conveniences such as a Walmart within 30 minutes drive or so? I don't need to worry about employment, schools, and hopefully health care won't be a consideration.

I'm not a fan of Crossville proper. It has a significant amount of crime. My ex-girlfriend had family in Monterey, and it's a nice small town if you're interested in the Plateau. You may also want to look closer to Cookeville. If you're considering lower temperatures, you might also want to check out Carter and Unicoi counties.

[Caliandra]

Okay - I've read all of the above posts and have made many notes - Thank You !! I'm looking for the same as everyone else..A Nice place to live BUT I have horses and need l acreage (min 5+) but also would love to be near riding trails (coming from CA - we ride Western) and open land (woodsy / mountains? or ?? ). I would prefer distant neighbors as in CA, you may have 5 acres of land but the next house is still built as close to your house as possible - Utilities I presume.. However, I have faith that what i'm looking for can be found in T. I would truly welcome and appreciate any and all suggestions / guidance.