[SMOKEY2112]

Originally Posted by DUNNDFRNT

Ocala has some rivers close by that people go tubing on, and some springs for swimming, daytona is probably 2 hours and northern tampa beaches 1,5 hrs depending on traffic

Thank you...I thought I saw places on the river or something...

[SMOKEY2112]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

Tennessee and Oklahoma are constantly battling for the cheapest states to live in.

I spent a decade in Nashville and loved it. The cost of living is affordable and it's still within a reasonable drive of Chicago if you want to visit on a weekend trip. The median household income in Nashville is about $46,000, so you should be fine, although most of the people with real money in the area lives in Williamson (south) or Sumner (North) counties. I'd suggest that, since you have children, you live in a suburban county because Metro-Nashville schools aren't exactly top quality. The cities of Hendersonville (Sumner County) or Franklin (Williamson County) are very nice places to live and raise a family.

Out of all the places I've lived (Just about every major Florida metro, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas), If I had my choice, I'd return to Hendersonville, TN.

Good luck OP!

Honestly I was dead set on Nashville...but then I started coming to this board and started reading and reading AAAAAND reading and then I was thinking maybe I shouldn't move to Nashville...like maybe it wasn't for me...and then I started looking at other places..the only thing about Nashville that worries me is the religion thing...just from reading...and I could be wrong...but it seems like maybe people worry about it more in Nashville than the other places I'm looking into...kinda iffy on parts of NC of course... about the religion thing. I do know that Hendersonville and Franklin are really nice and family friendly...good places to raise a family...but I know that they seem more expensive than other parts of Nashville...My friends in Florida told me to consider there and then I have a couple of friends from Florida who live in NC...so I started looking there as well...you read and read and read and sometimes I think the more posts that I read on here...I get more confused...lol Ideally wherever I move, I would like to just rent a house or apt for 6-7 months and then try to buy a foreclosed home... at least that's what I'm hoping for...

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY2112

Honestly I was dead set on Nashville...but then I started coming to this board and started reading and reading AAAAAND reading and then I was thinking maybe I shouldn't move to Nashville...like maybe it wasn't for me...and then I started looking at other places..the only thing about Nashville that worries me is the religion thing...just from reading...and I could be wrong...but it seems like maybe people worry about it more in Nashville than the other places I'm looking into...kinda iffy on parts of NC of course... about the religion thing. I do know that Hendersonville and Franklin are really nice and family friendly...good places to raise a family...but I know that they seem more expensive than other parts of Nashville...My friends in Florida told me to consider there and then I have a couple of friends from Florida who live in NC...so I started looking there as well...you read and read and read and sometimes I think the more posts that I read on here...I get more confused...lol Ideally wherever I move, I would like to just rent a house or apt for 6-7 months and then try to buy a foreclosed home... at least that's what I'm hoping for...

I heard a lot of the same thing when I moved to Nashville around 2000, I can honestly say that the only time I attended church while living in Tennessee was when I was on a trip to Cincinnati. From the mid-1990's to now, there have been so many people moving to Middle Tennessee that it's pretty diverse as far as religion and people go. There are a lot of transplants from Florida, California, and Texas there.

Both places have their advantages and disadvantages. For me, the biggest disadvantage of Florida was the economy, career situation, and cost of living. It's a tough place to make a living and hold a career, especially when the cost of living is higher than the pay.

Of course, coming from Illinois, it wouldn't matter much to you but when I left Florida I really enjoyed the rolling hills and mountainous topography of Middle Tennessee and really enjoyed meeting friendly people that I didn't have the chance to meet back home.

Franklin is very expensive but I managed to rent in Hendersonville, a 2BR townhouse for $750/mo. When the economy was great and I was making good money I was able to buy a 4BR house in Hendersonville on the lake for $220k. (I've seen homes sell within the area starting from the $80k range into the millions, Hendersonville is where a majority of the country music stars used to live in the old days.) Property taxes never exceeded $1,200/yr.

Good luck with your decision!

[sware2cod]

Since you have a 12 year old, you should check colleges and their free scholarship programs in TN, FL and NC.

Some states have very cheap or free tuition for in-state students that had specific GPA. Sometimes the GPA isn't as high as you might expect.

[SMOKEY2112]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

I heard a lot of the same thing when I moved to Nashville around 2000, I can honestly say that the only time I attended church while living in Tennessee was when I was on a trip to Cincinnati. From the mid-1990's to now, there have been so many people moving to Middle Tennessee that it's pretty diverse as far as religion and people go. There are a lot of transplants from Florida, California, and Texas there.

Both places have their advantages and disadvantages. For me, the biggest disadvantage of Florida was the economy, career situation, and cost of living. It's a tough place to make a living and hold a career, especially when the cost of living is higher than the pay.

Of course, coming from Illinois, it wouldn't matter much to you but when I left Florida I really enjoyed the rolling hills and mountainous topography of Middle Tennessee and really enjoyed meeting friendly people that I didn't have the chance to meet back home.

Franklin is very expensive but I managed to rent in Hendersonville, a 2BR townhouse for $750/mo. When the economy was great and I was making good money I was able to buy a 4BR house in Hendersonville on the lake for $220k. (I've seen homes sell within the area starting from the $80k range into the millions, Hendersonville is where a majority of the country music stars used to live in the old days.) Property taxes never exceeded $1,200/yr.

Good luck with your decision!

Yes that's the one thing that I've read the most about in Florida...I really hope the economy there changes but it doesn't seem like that's going to be anytime soon unfortunately.

WOW a 4bd on the lake in Henderson for only that much...WOW...that's just amazing compared to Chicago... My condo...11 years ago...3 bd, 2 ba plus a den...duplex up..so it's 2 floors...it's probably around 1900 sq ft...it was $335K....that's just insane to me...lol I actually get emails everyday for houses for sale in Nashville, Hendersonville, Franklin, Murfreesboro...for over a year now lol A 2bd townhome for rent in Franklin for $750 is definitely a great deal!

Originally Posted by sware2cod

Since you have a 12 year old, you should check colleges and their free scholarship programs in TN, FL and NC.

Some states have very cheap or free tuition for in-state students that had specific GPA. Sometimes the GPA isn't as high as you might expect.

WOW thank you!! That's really awesome! So does the cheap or free tuition count for adults as well or is it just for kids?

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY2112

Yes that's the one thing that I've read the most about in Florida...I really hope the economy there changes but it doesn't seem like that's going to be anytime soon unfortunately.

WOW a 4bd on the lake in Henderson for only that much...WOW...that's just amazing compared to Chicago... My condo...11 years ago...3 bd, 2 ba plus a den...duplex up..so it's 2 floors...it's probably around 1900 sq ft...it was $335K....that's just insane to me...lol I actually get emails everyday for houses for sale in Nashville, Hendersonville, Franklin, Murfreesboro...for over a year now lol A 2bd townhome for rent in Franklin for $750 is definitely a great deal!

WOW thank you!! That's really awesome! So does the cheap or free tuition count for adults as well or is it just for kids?

Yeah, I looked in the MLS this morning to see what's going on with the house now and it last sold for $180k, I guess the economy, right?

I went to college in Tennessee and I'm back in school here in Texas, Tennessee's tuition is fairly cheap and if you live in Nashville/Clarksville and the surrounding counties, your kids will also qualify for in-state tuition in Southern Kentucky. One of my ex girlfriends kids started at Western Kentucky University this year, she lives in Antioch (Southeast Nashville) and her son has instate tuition.

Middle Tennessee has a very large selection of colleges (Vanderbilt, TSU, Fisk, Belmont, David Lipscomb, Trevecca, MTSU, Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, American Baptist, Aquinas, Cumberland University, Free Will Baptist, Meharry, and two major community colleges Volunteer State and Nashville State. It's one of the reasons why Nashville is known as "The Athens of the South."

[SMOKEY2112]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

Yeah, I looked in the MLS this morning to see what's going on with the house now and it last sold for $180k, I guess the economy, right?

I went to college in Tennessee and I'm back in school here in Texas, Tennessee's tuition is fairly cheap and if you live in Nashville/Clarksville and the surrounding counties, your kids will also qualify for in-state tuition in Southern Kentucky. One of my ex girlfriends kids started at Western Kentucky University this year, she lives in Antioch (Southeast Nashville) and her son has instate tuition.

Middle Tennessee has a very large selection of colleges (Vanderbilt, TSU, Fisk, Belmont, David Lipscomb, Trevecca, MTSU, Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech, American Baptist, Aquinas, Cumberland University, Free Will Baptist, Meharry, and two major community colleges Volunteer State and Nashville State. It's one of the reasons why Nashville is known as "The Athens of the South."

Wow that's a really good price for a nice home in Hendersonville!

OOooh...yah Athens of the South...that does make sense! That's alot of schools that are available that's for sure!

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by SMOKEY2112

Wow that's a really good price for a nice home in Hendersonville!

OOooh...yah Athens of the South...that does make sense! That's alot of schools that are available that's for sure!

Well, the best advice that I could give you would be to visit the areas you'd like to live first, don't just do the touristy things. Talk to people in neighborhoods that you might like to move to. Pick up a news paper and read some of the stories, look in the jobs section and real estate/rentals section. Watch the nightly news while you're there.

Good luck with your search!

[SMOKEY2112]

Originally Posted by TXRyan23

Well, the best advice that I could give you would be to visit the areas you'd like to live first, don't just do the touristy things. Talk to people in neighborhoods that you might like to move to. Pick up a news paper and read some of the stories, look in the jobs section and real estate/rentals section. Watch the nightly news while you're there.

Good luck with your search!

Thanks hon!! I never thought about reading the paper...that's a really good idea!! Greatly appreciated!