Where should we look? (Knoxville, Chattanooga: real estate, crime, homes)

[bshort]

We've been looking to Tennessee for several years now, but I still have three years left until I can retire. A lot can change in three years, but we're hoping that there will still be a place for us.

Currently, we live in a rural area of Ca that is about 30 minutes from shopping and about an hour from a hospital. This is not a big deal to us. The area is flat ag land with temps from the 30's to over 100.

Upon retirement, the need for work will not be a factor. I would like to work PT, but it's not a necessity. Schools are not a factor as well. Descent internet and cell service are a definite plus.

I've scoured the state, and have viewed many different areas, but keep focusing back on the south center of the state near the Alabama border (Iron City area). Looks like Florence has most everything we would need and the drive is comparable to what we have now. Pickwick is close as well to satisfy my fishing.

We have friends and retired coworkers that have been taking up residence from Chattanooga to Knoxville to Nashville, but we want to be a bit more rural on 10 acres of partial woods.

Any info on the area would be appreciated.

[jabogitlu]

Would definitely be less expensive to live in that area. Will likely appreciate at a smaller factor than other areas, too, though.

Muscle Shoals really would be your nexus. So make sure you like that area a lot. Otherwise, I personally think life might be a little bit easier somewhat closer to I-65, with Huntsville being your base, with a quicker commute up I-65 to Nashville as well.

I was born and raised in TN and southcentral TN is just not on my radar, but for an outsider moving in, it might be great. Based on your criteria I'd encourage you to also look in Johnson, Carter, and Unicoi counties. Maybe even Greene and Cocke Counties. Not sure what your budget is.

[Normashirley]

I am thrilled to pieces when my area of the southern part of Tennessee is never on anyone’s radar - I like my critters much better than neighbors I can see out my window, lollol

OP, you might also look a little further east and check out the counties surrounding Tim’s Ford Lake.

Some areas are in good proximity to a lot better medical care than people realize, but there are also some areas that have lost their rural hospitals. No matter how healthy you are — “nobody owns tomorrow”, so plant yourself within a comfortable driving distance to doctor & hospital care

Real estate has appreciated quite nicely in my Ag county. Three years is a long way off In terms of real estate stability.

It’s a gamble to buy raw land now at premium price, or wait to see if the RE market will fall by the time you’re ready to retire.

Also, FWIW, I keep reading to stay out of Cocke County. You can do a search for Cocke County in the “Tennessee” section and draw your own conclusions. Land may be dirt cheap in that county for all I know, and if it is there’s a reason for that

[bshort]

Thanks. I've watched Ne Tn over the last few years and the area has appreciated a bit to much for my liking. At today's pricing, budget is 400K.

[JRR]

Originally Posted by Normashirley

I am thrilled to pieces when my area of the southern part of Tennessee is never on anyone’s radar - I like my critters much better than neighbors I can see out my window, lollol

OP, you might also look a little further east and check out the counties surrounding Tim’s Ford Lake.

Some areas are in good proximity to a lot better medical care than people realize, but there are also some areas that have lost their rural hospitals. No matter how healthy you are — “nobody owns tomorrow”, so plant yourself within a comfortable driving distance to doctor & hospital care

Real estate has appreciated quite nicely in my Ag county. Three years is a long way off In terms of real estate stability.

It’s a gamble to buy raw land now at premium price, or wait to see if the RE market will fall by the time you’re ready to retire.

Also, FWIW, I keep reading to stay out of Cocke County. You can do a search for Cocke County in the “Tennessee” section and draw your own conclusions. Land may be dirt cheap in that county for all I know, and if it is there’s a reason for that

We looked at the Cocke and Hawkins county areas when we were deciding where to retire to. While we did not want big city living, to us they were a bit too much in the other direction. That was about seven years ago, but both seemed a bit rundown to us. Haven't been over there lately, so it may be quite different now.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by Normashirley

Also, FWIW, I keep reading to stay out of Cocke County. You can do a search for Cocke County in the “Tennessee” section and draw your own conclusions. Land may be dirt cheap in that county for all I know, and if it is there’s a reason for that

We just bought in Cocke County (Del Rio). Area is beautiful and the people we met were nice, but it has (according to this site and stats) a crime problem. Was chatting with people on a FB group for the area and most had never had an issue. We'll see, moving in about 6 weeks I hope. We fell in love with the area, right in the National Forest, about a mile from the French Broad river.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by bshort

We've been looking to Tennessee for several years now, but I still have three years left until I can retire. A lot can change in three years, but we're hoping that there will still be a place for us.

Currently, we live in a rural area of Ca that is about 30 minutes from shopping and about an hour from a hospital. This is not a big deal to us. The area is flat ag land with temps from the 30's to over 100.

Upon retirement, the need for work will not be a factor. I would like to work PT, but it's not a necessity. Schools are not a factor as well. Descent internet and cell service are a definite plus.

I've scoured the state, and have viewed many different areas, but keep focusing back on the south center of the state near the Alabama border (Iron City area). Looks like Florence has most everything we would need and the drive is comparable to what we have now. Pickwick is close as well to satisfy my fishing.

We have friends and retired coworkers that have been taking up residence from Chattanooga to Knoxville to Nashville, but we want to be a bit more rural on 10 acres of partial woods.

Any info on the area would be appreciated.

Living out in the boonies with rapid and reliable internet is going to be tricky. I recommend you look at areas in the northern Upper Cumberland area which was among the first rural areas in the state, and even in the South, to have gigabit internet in even the most remote areas. And there are a couple of large lakes (Dale Hollow and Cordell Hull) with plenty of fishing as well as lots of rivers. The closest Walmarts would be in Tompkinsville KY, Carthage TN, Jamestown TN, or Cookeville TN. The closest hospitals are in Carthage (basics) to Cookeville (large regional) and only 90 minutes or so to Nashville which has the best hospital in the state, Vanderbilt.

And you can absolutely find homes on 10 acres for much less than $400k. Here's a sampling of places that have sold in the last few months near Dale Hollow Lake on 10+ acres:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...1045293_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...66588707_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...55788189_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...3431133_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...81061330_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...1089053_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5...1044598_zpid/?

And near Cordell Hull Lake:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...1552250_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...41553732_zpid/
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...1555855_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...1557411_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...1551852_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...1553488_zpid/?
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4...1555184_zpid/?