looking to move to Tennessee, but where ?

[JRR]

I'll second what JMT said about being relatively close to Nashville. My wife developed a rare medical condition and having Vanderbilt Medical within a reasonable drive has been a lifesaver. The physicians there have been really good about working with our local physicians.

And last year when we went to Alaska it was nice to get on a direct flight to/from Nashville/Seattle.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by hate living in florida

me and my wife are looking for to move to Tenn, but i really have no idea where, as i've really only been to Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas. i asked almost the same question about five years ago, but now it's a real possibility of it happening.

i'm a hot rod / muscle car / truck guy, love the water, nightlife isn't a big priority, we are not religious at all (if it makes any difference). we are in our mid 50's and access to doctors is getting higher on the list. i don't like big(er) citys, rather be in a more rural setting where i could be on 1/2-1 acre of land so i can have a free standing garage / work shop, but we don't need a big house, 1200-1500 sf is plenty. we are conservatives. if anyone has any thoughts i'd appreciate it. if you guys need more info, just ask. thanks in advance.

“I’ve only been to Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas”………I think you should come up here and spend time in the real life areas of Tennessee. Vacationing in Gatlinburg does not give you any sense of what it is like to live here. If I said to you I’ve only been to the Florida beach towns but I want to move to Florida I bet any Floridian would caution me to do more research about real life in Florida. I know that happens there alot and it happens here alot with people who vacation in our mountain resort towns.

There is so much more to Tennessee than Gatlinburg. You should plan multiple trips up here and visit all three of Tennessees grand divisions. All three are distinct and offer different things. (East, Middle and West Tennessee) A long distance move to another state is a big undertaking and it’s worth doing your homework before you make any moves. Of course Jobs are a huge part of this as well and economic research is also necessary.

By the way what is wrong with Florida? I always like visiting there but we have TONS of Floridians moving here. I know why the people from Illinois and Michigan are coming with their climate and economic conditions but why Florida? Nice weather and beaches, thought people liked it there. No where is perfect but I see Florida as a pretty nice place. Just my opinion though.

[hate living in florida]

Originally Posted by danielj72

“I’ve only been to Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas”………I think you should come up here and spend time in the real life areas of Tennessee. Vacationing in Gatlinburg does not give you any sense of what it is like to live here. If I said to you I’ve only been to the Florida beach towns but I want to move to Florida I bet any Floridian would caution me to do more research about real life in Florida. I know that happens there alot and it happens here alot with people who vacation in our mountain resort towns.

There is so much more to Tennessee than Gatlinburg. You should plan multiple trips up here and visit all three of Tennessees grand divisions. All three are distinct and offer different things. (East, Middle and West Tennessee) A long distance move to another state is a big undertaking and it’s worth doing your homework before you make any moves. Of course Jobs are a huge part of this as well and economic research is also necessary.

By the way what is wrong with Florida? I always like visiting there but we have TONS of Floridians moving here. I know why the people from Illinois and Michigan are coming with their climate and economic conditions but why Florida? Nice weather and beaches, thought people liked it there. No where is perfect but I see Florida as a pretty nice place. Just my opinion though.

i've driven in many parts of Tenn, just never spent any time in any of those places. we're actually going to be up there in a few weeks looking around in different areas.

i'm a native New England guy, Florida is just too hot all the time for me. there are no seasons, winter lasts about three weeks spread out over a couple of months, then it's back to hot again. i want my winter, spring, and autumn back. i hate the ocean, i'm a pond/lake/river guy (and gators are in every body of water here) so for me, Florida just isn't a good fit.

thanks for the info, i really appreciate you guys giving advice

[suzytx]

Originally Posted by danielj72

By the way what is wrong with Florida? I always like visiting there but we have TONS of Floridians moving here. I know why the people from Illinois and Michigan are coming with their climate and economic conditions but why Florida? Nice weather and beaches, thought people liked it there. No where is perfect but I see Florida as a pretty nice place. Just my opinion though.

The increasingly higher insurance rates due to those nasty hurricanes/tropical storms may figure into this. I read that many insurers are scaling back or discontinuing coverage in Florida.

[hate living in florida]

Originally Posted by suzytx

The increasingly higher insurance rates due to those nasty hurricanes/tropical storms may figure into this. I read that many insurers are scaling back or discontinuing coverage in Florida.

i'm sure that has a lot to do with it, but not in my case, my homeowners is pretty reasonable. but yes, lots of company's are pulling out, and by 2027 the state run company (citizens) will require flood insurance on EVERY policy regardless of where you're located, flood zone or not.

[y8tiger]

You might want to take a look at the Fayetteville > Shelbyville > Tullahoma > Winchester area of Tennessee. Beautiful rolling hills and lakes with enough amenities to be comfortable, while being an hour from some cities with larger medical facilities.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

In most smaller cities/towns of ANY state, medical care is typically going to be somewhat limited. Simple matter of supply and demand. Smaller areas don't have the population base to support a major hospital with lots of highly trained and skilled specialties. Anywhere I know, if you're in such a situation and have a major trauma or complicated medical situation, you're going on an ambulance (often a helicopter) for a ride to a larger city with a major medical center. In Eastern TN that will be either Johnson City (sounds like it has some issues) or Knoxville, the UT Medical Center, which I've only heard good things about. Not that those small hospitals don't have a skilled, dedicated staff, but they simply can't afford the specialties of a place with a much larger population base.

Personally, I enjoy my area in Del Rio, near Newport. Newport is not a fancy, discovered, tourist town by any means. Very much a blue collar town and frankly somewhat run down. But...I'll take that over a crowded, tacky tourist trap like Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge any day. And personally, I'll take that over a cookie-cutter, "McMansion" subdivision area filled with track homes. But that's me, everyone's desires are different. We do have some affordable homes in the area. Greeneville is also quite nice. Del Rio is pretty well into the mountains so finding flat areas for building can be a challenge.

As others have said, some on up to TN and do some exploring, it's not like you're traveling a huge distance. Might as well explore and see what appeals to you. Maybe line up a realtor or two and get a feel what your money gets you in different areas. Zillow is great-but no substitute to putting your own eyes on a place.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by hate living in florida

i've driven in many parts of Tenn, just never spent any time in any of those places. we're actually going to be up there in a few weeks looking around in different areas.

i'm a native New England guy, Florida is just too hot all the time for me. there are no seasons, winter lasts about three weeks spread out over a couple of months, then it's back to hot again. i want my winter, spring, and autumn back. i hate the ocean, i'm a pond/lake/river guy (and gators are in every body of water here) so for me, Florida just isn't a good fit.

thanks for the info, i really appreciate you guys giving advice

That's a common situation for a good number of people moving here. There is even a term for it-"halfbacks". Not derogatory or anything, just sums up the motivation for moving.