East-mid Tennessee...where do I wanna live?

#1
VOLNPA

VOLNPA

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#1
I retire in a few years and we wanna set up shop in Tennessee. It's early but I wanna get the ground work laid and start really getting to know some areas when we come down for games. What are some towns/communities that we may want to look into? I have a nice retirement, but price still does matter. Kids are out of the house, so school districts don't matter. We are comfortable with city or country feel. Coming from PA, potential weather is not a concern. Solid HS sports may be cool to have near by, but its not a mandate. And the usual things apply. Safe. Reasonable taxes.

Let me know of any towns that may not be obvious...and where to avoid. Thanx
 
#3
#3
VOLNPA said:
I retire in a few years and we wanna set up shop in Tennessee. It's early but I wanna get the ground work laid and start really getting to know some areas when we come down for games. What are some towns/communities that we may want to look into? I have a nice retirement, but price still does matter. Kids are out of the house, so school districts don't matter. We are comfortable with city or country feel. Coming from PA, potential weather is not a concern. Solid HS sports may be cool to have near by, but its not a mandate. And the usual things apply. Safe. Reasonable taxes.

Let me know of any towns that may not be obvious...and where to avoid. Thanx
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Corbin or Somerset
 
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#4
#4
Just based on my experience:

Cookeville/Sparta - In between Nashville and Knoxville, Cookeville has Tennessee Tech, so a sort of “college” town feel. Plenty to do there. Sparta is 20-30 minutes south of Cookeville, a growing town with Center Hill Lake right next door.

Alcoa/Maryville - 30 minutes south of Knoxville and 30 minutes to GSMNP. Lots to do and has all you need unless there’s something specific in Knoxville you want.

Lebanon/Mt. Juliet - In Wilson County right next to Nashville, both towns have exploded with tons of things to do, although the housing market there is brutal.
 
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#8
#8
I appreciate those recommendations. So what's with the desire to get out of TN? Politics? Taxes?
 
#10
#10
VOLNPA said:
I appreciate those recommendations. So what's with the desire to get out of TN? Politics? Taxes?
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There’s no desire to leave Tennessee. Anyone suggesting otherwise probably hasn’t lived anywhere else. I think the natives are just tired of the overcrowding and people trying to change Tennessee to be like where they came from.

Politics is what it is. No where is perfect and the GOP dominated government here has its own problems.

Taxes - no state income tax, which is huge.
 
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#11
#11
WestTennesseeVol said:
Just based on my experience:

Cookeville/Sparta - In between Nashville and Knoxville, Cookeville has Tennessee Tech, so a sort of “college” town feel. Plenty to do there. Sparta is 20-30 minutes south of Cookeville, a growing town with Center Hill Lake right next door.

Alcoa/Maryville - 30 minutes south of Knoxville and 30 minutes to GSMNP. Lots to do and has all you need unless there’s something specific in Knoxville you want.

Lebanon/Mt. Juliet - In Wilson County right next to Nashville, both towns have exploded with tons of things to do, although the housing market there is brutal.
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One thing about the weather. The further west you go in the state, the more oppressive the summers get. Somewhere in a Cookeville to Sparta to Crossville triangle might be nice (Semi-close to Nashville and Knoxville and a little bit of elevation to suprress the summer heat and humidity).
 
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#12
#12
BigOrangeMojo said:
One thing about the weather. The further west you go in the state, the more oppressive the summers get. Somewhere in a Cookeville to Sparta to Crossville triangle might be nice (Semi-close to Nashville and Knoxville and a little bit of elevation to suprress the summer heat and humidity).
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No joke. The first time I took my wife to Memphis, the humidity about killed her, we ended up having to cut our visit short.

We actually want to retire in Cookeville/Sparta one day, hopefully it doesn’t grow too much…
 
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#21
#21
VOLNPA said:
I retire in a few years and we wanna set up shop in Tennessee. It's early but I wanna get the ground work laid and start really getting to know some areas when we come down for games. What are some towns/communities that we may want to look into? I have a nice retirement, but price still does matter. Kids are out of the house, so school districts don't matter. We are comfortable with city or country feel. Coming from PA, potential weather is not a concern. Solid HS sports may be cool to have near by, but its not a mandate. And the usual things apply. Safe. Reasonable taxes.

Let me know of any towns that may not be obvious...and where to avoid. Thanx
Click to expand...
Check out Jonesborough. Close enough the the Tri Cities to have reliable utilities, access to plenty of activities, and most major retail. But, far enough out to have great scenery, a small town feel, and a variety of housing options.

You might also want to check out Greeneville. It's further out but bigger. So there is less reason to leave town. There isn't as much to do, but i's closer to Knoxville for games.
 
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#22
#22
I've been in Sumner County just about my whole life. I love it, but the housing market is pretty brutal right now. Not Mt. Juliet bad, but still kinda rough.

Cookeville is nice; college-town feel, but still quiet. Low cost of living IIRC.

My grandfather lives in Greeneville. I'm not a huge fan, but he loves it.
 
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#23
#23
I hated Kingsport when I was 16, and there are still things I don't like about it. Atlanta just got way too big; difficult to raise a kid there. I've grown to appreciate upper east Tennessee. It's pretty and calming. Shopping sucks. But, who am I to complain? I only go to Kroger.
 
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#24
#24
WestTennesseeVol said:
No joke. The first time I took my wife to Memphis, the humidity about killed her, we ended up having to cut our visit short.

We actually want to retire in Cookeville/Sparta one day, hopefully it doesn’t grow too much…
Click to expand...

The tornado two years ago jacked up real estate here around cookeville. The alternative is to get just out of Putnam County and into Jackson County and bypass alot of expense. And get a little land with it and let someone grow hay on it so you can get farmland property tax rate. Our taxes on over 120 acres and 3 houses is only about $3000 because of the farm tax rate by allowing our neighbor to grow hay and corn and cows on our property. All in all it is still a great area in middle TN though.
 
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