The Move is On

[Koolau]

Memphis is a crime-ridden pit of a city...I'd take the Tri-cities any day of the week.

You gotta think in terms of 1950s time frame.

 

[HighFlight]

Good Luck with the move!

Nice picture....I got about 500 hours or so in the E-3A.

I've got about 3000 hrs in the E-3-driving the bus, so to speak. Really enjoyed my time in AWACS, even though that meant a lot of time in the royal kingdom.

 

[Librarian]

Congrats!

After 5 great years in Nebraska, we are on the road. Heading to eastern Tennessee for warmer weather, a much better tax situation, and closer to family in NC. These forums have been great for ideas for us-looking forward to the next phase of life. FYI, I had a stroke in Mar 2020 (essentially fully recovered), lost my FAA medical (so forced retirement), then went to work part time at our church. Spent the last 2+ years pondering the next phase. Now it's time to execute. Here's to the future!

Its quite cold & miserable here today in Lincoln.
Glad I don't have to venture out if I don't want (have) to...
But making me realize I WANT TO MOVE.
DH reminded me a father in assisted living, 2/3 kids plus good friends mean we are staying here for now....
Again...don't HAVE to go out today...(but I KNOW there WILL be days I HAVE to)
OK....

 

[bigriver]

For further background, Tennessee has three grand divisions - East, Middle, and West. They are represented by the three stars on the state flag. I'm not aware of any legal or political implications of the grand divisions - it is just a historical artifact of some sort.

The 3 stars represent the 3 major cities at the time of statehood.

 

[bigriver]

Memphis is a crime-ridden pit of a city...I'd take the Tri-cities any day of the week.

Tri-cities is a bunch of inbred family reunion cousin marriages as I understand. But I walk through the pit and nobody has killed me in 56 years.

 

[cat4ever]

just bought a cabin in between cosby and gatlinburg. so far I'm loving it, and even the wife is coming around. spent about 6 weeks there since buying in
April. I love hiking so it's a great match. If you're not into that or the outdoors in general though, I'm not sure how much there is there to keep you entertained on a full-time basis, at least around that part of the smokies.

 

[imnontrad]

I have considered Tennessee and Blue Ridge mountain area. But I am not sure about the humidity in summer.

 

[linnemj]

We moved to Blount County TN just outside Maryville in 2015. We love the area since we enjoy camping, hiking, kayaking, and driving our Miata. We have noticed that “the word is out” as we have many people moving here over the last 5 years. There has been a big increase in traffic and home prices have increased significantly.

 

[rmcelwee]

We officially retired and moved from Charleston, SC to Pikeville, TN about 6 months ago. We are loving it! I haven't updated the thread for a while but you can view it here:
https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/living-the-dream-at-the-bunny-ranch-114041.html

 

[youbet]

But I walk through the pit and nobody has killed me in 56 years.

Give it a bit more time.........

 

[JoeWras]

I have considered Tennessee and Blue Ridge mountain area. But I am not sure about the humidity in summer.

It is a surprise for many people who move from the (semi) arid West. It is something only you can decide.

I don't think it is bad at all. If anything, my skin likes the Eastern humidity. The thing about the Blue Ridge mountains is that the heat+humidity season is short.

I like the idea of moving to East TN away from central NC. But time moved on and it didn't happen. I have family there and they love it.

Raleigh-Durham is undergoing massive change as we've gone solidly in one political direction due to move-ins from out of state bringing their party affiliation with them. We previously had split politics which stalled change: good or bad. High density development is now favored. A decade ago, our city leaders looked to Portland as a model for the future. I'm not sure if they still feel that way, but I say "No thanks." We'll monitor, and a move may be in our future. For now, it is still a fine place to live.

 

[HighFlight]

We are outdoors people, so being close to Cherokee NF is ideal for us. We aren't big city, bright lights folks. A fire and a campsite fits us perfectly.

Totally understand about Raleigh. My sister still lives there, and I have family further east in Greenville area. Way too much traffic and congestion in those areas for me, especially since the med school went in at ECU (my alma mater). I baled hay where there's now med school buildings.

I own some family property in and around Boone, NC. Will be able to go there and get my farm fix-grandfather's property and it needs some upkeep. Looking forward to that.

 

[Venturer]

I'm about 25 miles south of Cleveland Tn. I have an Aunt that lives in Cleveland. Her DH was a pastor /evangilest in the dominant church up there. I love the scenery in the valley leading up to Cleveland from Dalton Ga. I think you will like the area and welcome to the south!

 

[skyking1]

Bummer about the forced retirement from a fellow pilot. Congrats on the move!
We drove through Nebraska early in the month on I-80 from end to end, and later DW and I snipped the corner on the way to Denver. I'd say it was a good decision to leave that weather. It was not bad for us, but relentlessly windy.
We do love where we live, but talk about living elsewhere on our journeys.
Kansas was at the bottom of the list and Nebraska was not far above that. We skirted past TN on the way back west, but I have driven and flown through that area before.
There seems to be a lot to do there and in Kentucky to the north.

 

[Koolau]

Bummer about the forced retirement from a fellow pilot. Congrats on the move!
We drove through Nebraska early in the month on I-80 from end to end, and later DW and I snipped the corner on the way to Denver. I'd say it was a good decision to leave that weather. It was not bad for us, but relentlessly windy.
We do love where we live, but talk about living elsewhere on our journeys.
Kansas was at the bottom of the list and Nebraska was not far above that. We skirted past TN on the way back west, but I have driven and flown through that area before.
There seems to be a lot to do there and in Kentucky to the north.

We have a good friend who lost her husband a few years back. They had lived in Honolulu for maybe 30 years but were originally form Nebraska. This summer, she finally moved back to Nebraska to be close to family (including in-laws.) I feel so sorry for her as I can barely stand October weather now in the heartland. I would probably never leave the house if I moved back "home." Here it is December and all our windows are open (heh, heh, unless the volcanic SO2 starts blowing our way.)

I know there are so many aspects of life beyond "weather" but we quickly adapted to ignoring weather reports and not worrying about what to wear when we left the apartment. Honestly, I never want to be cold again though YMMV.

 

[Palmtree]

i grew up in Johnson City. We never traveled much so as a young man I could not wait to leave that area and go out and see the world. Worked in Bristol for a couple of years then lucked into a job in Atlanta. It sent this young man to places all around the globe and I got to see places I never dreamed I would. Back then, I never wanted to return to East Tenn. 20 years later I went back for old times sake. Wow. What a beautiful place it is. I just had to grow up and be away to appriciate what a great area it really is.

 

[youbet]

What a beautiful place it is. I just had to grow up and be away to appriciate what a great area it really is.

I went to grad school in Murfreesboro (Middle Tennessee) and have relatives in Kingsport. While my roots in Chicago are deep, DW and I have thought about heading back that way. But it's tough when we have so many helpful and loved relatives and friends here........

We're also fond of north-central Arkansas and have connections there.

 

[sengsational]

I saw sales tax in TN was highest in all of the states and groceries are not exempt, as they are in many/most states, but no income tax. So overall good of you're pulling from tIRA type accounts for spending.

 

[Koolau]

I saw sales tax in TN was highest in all of the states and groceries are not exempt, as they are in many/most states, but no income tax. So overall good of you're pulling from tIRA type accounts for spending.

State taxes can be bizarre and difficult to suss out before moving. We assumed we would get nailed heavily when we moved to Hawaii. But much of our income is sheltered from state taxes and, in addition to low (and age-reduced) real estate taxes, the GET (General Excise Tax) at point of service is less than 5%. I wouldn't call Hawaii a tax haven, but for certain groups, it is more reasonable than one might expect.

When one spends mostly on consumer goods, a high sales tax can be quite daunting. Lack of a state income tax can help, but you really have to know and understand state tax(s) intricacies - especially considering your income and expenses and income sources - to compare state costs. Lots of homework for most states. YMMV

 

[HighFlight]

We considered the tax issue before deciding to move. Nebraska has an income tax, and property taxes are generally higher also (and Sarpy County, where we are leaving, is very high). Also looked at crossing the border into Iowa, to stay close to the various things we love about Omaha. Taxes there are better, but not by much. As retirees, the consumption taxes (groceries, etc..) don't affect us as much since we are past the accumulation phase for stuff. Then, I woke up this morning to 14* with a 2* wind chill. Decision gets easier when it's that cold.

 

[Koolau]

We considered the tax issue before deciding to move. Nebraska has an income tax, and property taxes are generally higher also (and Sarpy County, where we are leaving, is very high). Also looked at crossing the border into Iowa, to stay close to the various things we love about Omaha. Taxes there are better, but not by much. As retirees, the consumption taxes (groceries, etc..) don't affect us as much since we are past the accumulation phase for stuff. Then, I woke up this morning to 14* with a 2* wind chill. Decision gets easier when it's that cold.

Yep. That was kinda our thinking about moving to Oahu. We figured (wrongly) that taxes would be high - but we were okay with that since winter temps are 5 degrees cooler than summer temps. Now, don't get me started on the price of things like blue berries or breakfast cereal. No free lunch is still in effect.

 

[Out of Steam]

I have considered Tennessee and Blue Ridge mountain area. But I am not sure about the humidity in summer.

Above 3000 feet elevation or so, the heat that goes along with it is more manageable. One of the limitations of Central Virginia is that the mountain areas aren’t quite high enough.

 

[Out of Steam]

When one spends mostly on consumer goods, a high sales tax can be quite daunting. Lack of a state income tax can help, but you really have to know and understand state tax(s) intricacies - especially considering your income and expenses and income sources - to compare state costs. Lots of homework for most states. YMMV

We’re learning that state and local taxes, unlike housing costs (and car insurance), tend to even out from place to place.

In moving from Maryland to Virginia, sales tax on food, property tax on cars, and an over 65 exemption on pensions in Maryland (not there yet) make up for higher income tax rates.

Elsewhere in Virginia, added restaurant meal taxes would tip the balance a little further. Our county doesn’t have one.

 

[FlaMariner]

I have considered Tennessee and Blue Ridge mountain area. But I am not sure about the humidity in summer.

We are native Floridians and bought a 2nd home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina to escape humidity.....We find it cool in the summer...LOL

 

[skyking1]

We visited Asheville one summer, and it was significantly cooler than the lowlands only 20 miles to the south. It's a thing!