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Old 01-26-2010, 07:15 PM
 
6 posts, read 12,795 times
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My husband and I are living in NJ and are contemplating a move to TN. We have 5 grown kids, but have recently adopted our 5 year old grandson. My husband has been working in construction, union carpenter, and I am a nurse case manager. Unfortunately, hubby was laid off about 4 months ago. He's originally from Memphis, but is leaning towards moving to East Tennessee. I am looking at 3 towns, Murfreesboro, Cookeville or Kingsport, due to their good school report. Anyone have a preference for either town, the school systems and jobs in our fields? We had hoped to retire in a few years, but that isn't possible now with our new little guy. I'm hoping someone can help us out. I've found some awesome homes in all three towns, definetly get more bang for your buck in TN over NJ!
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Old 01-26-2010, 07:39 PM
 
13,357 posts, read 39,999,844 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jerseymom7 View Post
My husband and I are living in NJ and are contemplating a move to TN. We have 5 grown kids, but have recently adopted our 5 year old grandson. My husband has been working in construction, union carpenter, and I am a nurse case manager. Unfortunately, hubby was laid off about 4 months ago. He's originally from Memphis, but is leaning towards moving to East Tennessee. I am looking at 3 towns, Murfreesboro, Cookeville or Kingsport, due to their good school report. Anyone have a preference for either town, the school systems and jobs in our fields? We had hoped to retire in a few years, but that isn't possible now with our new little guy. I'm hoping someone can help us out. I've found some awesome homes in all three towns, definetly get more bang for your buck in TN over NJ!
Well first thing on your plate should be getting a job. The unemployment rate in Tennessee is pretty high right now. Of the three towns you mentioned, their unemployment rates are lower than the national and state averages but still pretty high.

Sullivan County (Kingsport): 8.8 percent
Rutherford County (Murfreesboro): 9.3 percent
Putnam County (Cookeville): 9.5 percent

Murfreesboro is the largest of the three, by far (100,000+). Kingsport has 50,000, Cookeville has 30,000.

Murfreesboro is part of the rapidly expanding Nashville metropolitan area. Kingsport is part of the slow-growth Tri Cities metropolitan area. Cookeville is not in a metropolitan area but is the hub city for the 14-county Upper Cumberland region. Crye-Leike Commercial Realty, which just opened an office in Cookeville, calls Cookeville the "mother city" of the Cumberland Plateau.

Kingsport probably wins the beauty contest. The countryside there in NE TN is stunningly gorgeous. I would put Cookeville in 2nd, being way up on the Cumberland Plateau and surrounded by waterfalls, gorges, and large man-made lakes. Murfreesboro is relatively flat but the countryside around it can be nice with some gently rolling hills. Although since Murfreesboro's population has more than doubled since 1990 the countryside around there is rapidly disappearing.

At any rate, all three are nice places. I'd move to wherever I could find a job and make that your #1 priority. Once you have a job, everything else will fall in place.
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Old 01-26-2010, 07:51 PM
 
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Thank you so much for your reply so quickly! My husband loves the Tri City area, and has always wanted to retire to East Tennessee. I am a Northerner thru and thru, live in ski country in NJ, but am ready for a change. As for a job, my being a nurse has it's advantages as healthcare is the field to be in with this economy. What hospital are around there? How are the schools? Hubby was in apartment management while living in Memphis and says there are jobs in that field. It's so hard to decide what to do first. We have to sell our home first and no one knows how that will pan out. We are planning on a visit to Kingsport next month and had thought about going to Cookeville and Murfreesboro to look around too. Hesitate to say this but I don't like the heat, so I am leaning towards East TN. Thoughts?
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Old 01-26-2010, 08:07 PM
 
Location: Seattle
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The differences in heat between middle and east TN are negligible. The only way you'd see a difference is if you lived in the hardcore mountain areas of east TN.

The three hospital systems in the Tri-Cities are Wellmont, Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA), and the VA Hospital in Johnson City which is affiliated with ETSU's College of Medicine and with MSHA's Johnson City Medical Center. Medical is very strong in the TRI (especially in Johnson City). Check out some jobs on craigslist.com, timesnews.net and bettertcjobs.com to see just how many medical positions are opening - lots and lots, but I'm not sure if any fit your needs.

Construction would be better in the more rapidly expanding Murfreesboro, but there's still some construction going on up here in NETN as well.
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Old 01-26-2010, 08:14 PM
 
Location: Cookeville, TN
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I would say you could find a nursing job in any of those three cities - Cookeville Regional Hospital is always expanding and makes a real effort to be seen and heard in this community. www.crmchealth.org

I've also heard good things about the three school systems.

Like JMT said, pick a mitigating factor and work around that - and these days, that probably ought to be finding a job. Good luck to you
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Old 01-26-2010, 09:16 PM
 
9,803 posts, read 16,205,882 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jabogitlu View Post
The differences in heat between middle and east TN are negligible. The only way you'd see a difference is if you lived in the hardcore mountain areas of east TN.

The three hospital systems in the Tri-Cities are Wellmont, Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA), and the VA Hospital in Johnson City which is affiliated with ETSU's College of Medicine and with MSHA's Johnson City Medical Center. Medical is very strong in the TRI (especially in Johnson City). Check out some jobs on craigslist.com, timesnews.net and bettertcjobs.com to see just how many medical positions are opening - lots and lots, but I'm not sure if any fit your needs.

Construction would be better in the more rapidly expanding Murfreesboro, but there's still some construction going on up here in NETN as well.

Regarding heat--------checking my national " weather bible" that goes back 60 years----------Nashville averages 44 days of temps above 90
-----------------------Tr-Cities averages 14


Cooling degree units required--------Nashville----1616
-----------------------------------Tri-Cities---972


Average daily high for July----------Nashville-------89.5
-----------------------------------Tri-Cities-------84.6


Nights in July are 5 degrees cooler in Tri-Cities also.
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Old 01-27-2010, 08:47 AM
 
Location: Beautiful East TN!!
7,280 posts, read 21,333,980 times
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I have been to Cookeville and Murfreesboro for work or visit, but haven't spent much time in each to compare anything but traffic and looks of the places, but I live close to and work in Kingsport. My choice would be Kingsport...obviously.
You said you were a case nurse, my neighbor does that. Have you thought about calling the insurance Co. that you currently work for (I am assuming here as they have case nurses in hospital networks and insurance Co's have them.) and asked if there is an opening in any of the three areas you are looking at? Or if you are in house, call insurance Co's maybe? Just a thought there.
As for your husband, if he has apartment manager experience, send resumes to the housing developments in the areas. In Kingsport it is the KHRA (Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority) not sure what they are named in the other two cities.
Kingsport's city population is around 50k, however due to commuting employees, mainly for medical and Eastman Chemical Co., there are close to 100k people a week day in the city. There are only two intersections that I can think of off the top of my head that I would consider "congested" and that lasts all of 5 minutes. Compared to the parts of NJ I have been to...cake walk. Oh! and you can make left turns here! Actual left turns, directly left.
What I like about Kingsport is it is a little city that has about everything one could want, lots of shopping options (unless you are addicted to Macy's, Sac's and Trader Joe's, but about all others are accounted for.) quaint entertainment venues, parks and green ways, great library, higher ed options, movie theaters and even mini golf. Yet you can drive for less than 20 minutes and be in country side. If you like skiing, there are several slopes about 45 minutes away.
Downtown Kingsport is really becoming an urban walkers dream. Lots of antique shops, boutiques, restaurants, salons and such. You could park (for free) and walk/shop all day. Here are a few sites about kingsport for you to browse through, lots of good info and pictures. Official Site for the fast-growing and historic Downtown Kingsport, TN | Explore Downtown Kingsport
Take a Virtual Stroll Down The Kingsport Greenbelt!
Living Here (http://www.gotricities.com/livinghere/ - broken link)
Welcome to The City of Kingsport | City of Kingsport Tennessee
Downtown Kingsport Association
Kingsport, Tennessee - Recreate yourself and live the life.
For the Welmont Health Systems job listings: job search I looked and there are two openings for case nurses on the front page, don't know if they would fit you, but worth a look.
That should get you started with a lot of info. I am sure you can goggle the other two cities you are considering as well and find a lot of similar sites like these that have pictures and info about them.
Sorry I couldn't help you out with more info about Murfreesboro and Cookeville, but I know others on here who live there or closer will chime in.
Hope that helps.

Last edited by JMT; 02-23-2012 at 08:28 AM..
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Old 02-01-2010, 05:25 PM
 
6 posts, read 12,795 times
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You have all been very helpful. We are going down there on 2/12 to look at all the areas, homes, schools, and then come home and see what the realtor says is a fair price for our house. I get myself so worked up, trying to think about "where will I work, what is the best school for a kindergardener, what's the best neighborhood...etc...etc." It will work out, but I want to stay away from high crime areas (don't know many people who like them!), and a Magnet school is where I'd like to be.
MBMOUSE: Too funny about the left hand turns. When my husband moved here, he said the same thing!! I never gave it a thought because I don't know any better!! I do work as a nurse case manager for an insurance company, but there are only in NJ. What company does your neighbor work for? I was in critical care for 18 years and those days are over...kaput! Did my time, loved it, but that's for the younger crowd, thank you! I like case management, work in workers comp with the catastrophic cases. I love my job and actually don't want to leave it, but NJ is getting way to high priced for me with real estate taxes, which just went up $2000.00 on our home in one year due to reassessment! Insurance is the most expensive in the country, too.
I'd appreciate and more advice, offers of a job/house/lottery winnings....:>
Thanks to all of you!
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Old 02-02-2010, 07:24 AM
 
Location: Beautiful East TN!!
7,280 posts, read 21,333,980 times
Reputation: 2787
I believe it is Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Send your resume off to all the big ones: BC/BS, Atena, Travelers, John Deer, etc. Plus all the large medical managing companies in the areas you are looking at and go from there is my suggestion. Sounds like you have enough background in the medical that you should be able to land a job....but now a days, I would have the job before the move or several years of living expenses saved.
Hey, if you win that lottery, I'll take a piece too! hahaaha
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Old 02-04-2010, 08:32 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,309 times
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Hello, I'm in NJ and also looking to move to TN. I'm travelling there from the 13th thru the 19th. I'm looking in some of the same areas. Thank you to all who replied - it makes looking around easier. Yes, making a left - what a concept LOL. I work for a company that sells medical products to hospitals (contract negotiations and financials) and found the information very helpful. Have a great day all!
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