Kentucky/Tennessee Residents?

[Newbee]

Hi there,

Might sound strange, but… anyone from or live in Kentucky/Tennessee?
The topic of pulling up stakes and moving has come up, and this is one area of the country I'd consider. Would like to ask some questions, learn more, and get a better feel. Specifically looking southern KY, northern TN, Bowling Green, near the Daniel Boone forest looks nice…. I would like a rural setting, but have 3 kids, so schooling is very important too.

Anyways, if you think you might have some insight, please shoot me a PM or eMail at  kmcdona1 _at_  twc.com
I don't mind carrying on most parts of the conversation here, but dunno if the board wants to hear?
Thanks.

- K

[Dunkel]

Any requirements for employment involved?  Bowling Green is a nice area, about midway between Louisville and Nashville. Aunt still lives there. Their oldest son lives in Eddyville, five more years to pull on a ten year sentence.  He's not a big fan

[Perry]

"but dunno if the board wants to hear?"

No problem, I might even be interested in learning about the area.

[Newbee]

LOL! I can see why he might not like it. I hear it's beautiful when you're free to move about. 

Well, we've looked into moving south for as long as we've been together (wife hates it up here), but we've always predicated moving on me having a job. I've looked off/on over the years, sent resumes, never a hit, hardly ever even a call. I've heard it said more than once if looking to relocate, move! Then find a job. Much easier when you're already invested in relocating. Not many employers interested in the added risk... That being said, I've got a bachelor's in Graphic Design and am quite the geek at the pre-press stuff... but printing's just been decimated as an industry, the pay-scale's half what I used to make, and there's little work. I'd probably take home just as much working a non-descript office gig as a cube-drone... So while I'd LIKE to find the dream job running a $25m printer's prepress shop for the next 25-years, just dunno if that's going to happen. At this point I'm exploring the idea of moving sans-employment (*gulp*). I've got a stable work-history, CDL-license, worst-case I can drive a garbage-truck! Wife is a dental hygienist, she requires licensing per-state, but most reciprocate w/ NY, so probably looking at 6-weeks wait for paper-work and she's good to start applying to places (also stable work history, great recommendations available from current employer, etc.)

So, career aspirations and financial realities aside (  ), my first concern is schooling for my kids. They're  8, 10, and 12 this year, so I'm looking at elementary, middle, and high-school. Tough trifecta when you're shopping in 'rural' area's? What I've noticed is there is often an affluent area outside most metro area's (genteel farming!), that are known to have good schools for the area (and high taxes!) While we're not well off by a stretch, we do have good credit (and work!), so a small old run-down place in one of those area's, would be ideal? I'm still not-too-old (41 ain't young) and can be fairly handy, so... fixer-upper w/ a few acre's. Toughest part is the schools (private school is not out of the question, I've got smart kids, they'll succeed wherever they go, but I want to give them the best opportunities possible, especially as we're pretty happy w/ the schools they're in now). We'll figure out how to make the other stuff work.

- K

[riverbee]

"I don't mind carrying on most parts of the conversation here, but dunno if the board wants to hear?"

like perry said, post away newbee!

off the top of my head.......g3, slowmodem are in tennessee, look for their posts when they find this thread.....there are a few others as well
kentucky, my first thought was dunkel......i see he replied!

good luck and well wishes!

[Slowmodem]

I live in TN, but not in the part you referenced.  I don't have any kids (that I know of) so I don't know much about schools.  But I'd be happy to answer what questions I know about.

You may want to consider moving to the Maryville, TN area.  That's where Senator (and former Governor and US Secreatary of Education) Lamar Alexander is from and from what I've seen the schools are all new and look like pristine colleges.  I'm sure he gets lots of money funneled there.  G3 could probably give you more information on that as he lives closer than me.  But the Smoky Mountains are really beautiful any time of year.

I've lived here nearly all my live (except for when I was in the Army and a 6-month stint of living in Manassas, VA).  I like it here for the most part.  No state income tax is a great thing (although the sales tax is kind of high).

[Perry]

University towns always have good elementary, middle and high schools nearby.

[Newbee]

  No state income tax is a great thing (although the sales tax is kind of high).

8% sales tax here. NY's a bit over-the-top when it comes to taxes. Property, etc., are a big killer - My mortgage is over half taxes (and I have a nice house I bought on credit (e.g. not bragging, it's a big P&I payment!))
We like the natural surroundings, and do quite a bit of camping and hiking in the Adirondacks up here, it's just breathtaking. I would love to find 15-acre's on the side of a hill somewhere's...
I'm a bit concerned about the weather, frankly. We hit 90 in the summer here it makes the news. A good friend relocated outside Murfreesboro, TN a few years ago, told me last summer they had 90-days in a row where the temp didn't get below 90?! Even he said it takes some getting used to if you're a northerner. That's one reason I'm looking to altitude! LOL! I've actually contemplated taking some time to visit him. Would like to spend a few days driving around the area where he lives to get a feel.

Good point about the college towns, Perry (where I am now in Roch. we have several very good one's...) I applied to a few jobs at U of K... never heard back, LOL! Admittedly that's par for the course here, too. I suppose one hope of possibly relocating is to also find better employment opportunities. My friend has said he feels there are more opportunities where he is now, than when he lived up here. We work in different fields, but all the same, I know what he means.

- K

[Dunkel]

Bowling Green has WKU, also the Corvette plant. Along with a few sinkholes and Mammoth Cave.  Elizabethtown is a trucking hub and has Kelleys Bee supply nearby .  I would suggest the 1-65 and I -75 corridor.  I am from the eastern part of the state.  I have some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet but you would have a hard time eeking out a living in my area right now.  After thinking about it I could recommend the Richmond/Berea area.  They have EKU which was began as a teaching college. about 25 minutes out of Lexington on I-75. Still rural, about 45 minutes from Dadant    40 minutes or so from Daniel Boone National Forest, rolling hills.  The only negative would be the Bluegrass Army Depot with the countries largest stockpile of nerve agents. Sixth percent sales tax and state taxes on top of that.  Now you have me thinking about moving myself

[LogicalBee]

You might want to take a look at the USDA heat zone maps.  They give you a pretty good idea of how miserably hot it’s going to FEEL in the summer. 



Light Blue and Purples are good  , everything else is bad.   If you want pleasantly cool summers in the south, you better be above 2000 ft.  Places like Mountain City, TN are what we Northerners would call nice in the summer.  Southwest VA and Southern WV also have pleasant summers (2000' elevations).  Downside to elevation is snow, hills, and southern drivers.    OK, just kidding about those drivers   

If you don’t really like the cold (who does) and you can’t stand the heat (I’m not a lizard ) and you like a little water to drink , then there really isn’t any perfect place unless you can afford Hawaii.  So I just stay in Michigan.    Vacations to Florida in the winter time help make it bearable

[Slowmodem]

  No state income tax is a great thing (although the sales tax is kind of high).

8% sales tax here. NY's a bit over-the-top when it comes to taxes. Property, etc., are a big killer - My mortgage is over half taxes (and I have a nice house I bought on credit (e.g. not bragging, it's a big P&I payment!))
We like the natural surroundings, and do quite a bit of camping and hiking in the Adirondacks up here, it's just breathtaking. I would love to find 15-acre's on the side of a hill somewhere's...
I'm a bit concerned about the weather, frankly. We hit 90 in the summer here it makes the news. A good friend relocated outside Murfreesboro, TN a few years ago, told me last summer they had 90-days in a row where the temp didn't get below 90?! Even he said it takes some getting used to if you're a northerner. That's one reason I'm looking to altitude! LOL! I've actually contemplated taking some time to visit him. Would like to spend a few days driving around the area where he lives to get a feel.

Our sales tax averages 9.5% or so, it varies by county.  And our property taxes vary by county, too.  I have five acres with two houses and three sheds and my property taxes are around $600/year.  I bought the five acres next to me and without anything on it, the property taxes are $86/year.

Although the 90F is hot, the 75-95% humidity makes it oppressive.  Of course, most of the south is like that when the gulf moisture streams northward thanks to the Bermuda highs that sit off the coast.  Of course, it is cooler in the mountains somewhat.

[Slowmodem]

Vacations to Florida in the winter time help make it bearable

LOL  I've gone to FL in the summer and been cooler than I was in TN.  Those ocean breezes make everything all right (or maybe it was those tall drinks with umbrellas!)   

[Newbee]

You might want to take a look at the USDA heat zone maps.

Thanks for the pic!
You see that sliver of green sticking down through KY into TN? Yeah, there, that's where I'm looking!
LOL! Actually, there's quite a few maps like that, that made me start looking in that specific area. One was a night-time light pollution map and one was a crime-map. Both had a big whole lotta nuthin right about there.

- K

[Newbee]

Our sales tax averages 9.5% or so, it varies by county.  And our property taxes vary by county, too.  I have five acres with two houses and three sheds and my property taxes are around $600/year.  I bought the five acres next to me and without anything on it, the property taxes are $86/year.

Although the 90F is hot, the 75-95% humidity makes it oppressive.  Of course, most of the south is like that when the gulf moisture streams northward thanks to the Bermuda highs that sit off the coast.  Of course, it is cooler in the mountains somewhat.

I hear you about the humidity, that's my problem too.  I don't mind sweating, it's when I can't sweat, that's a problem!

I have a typical suburban home, 1/4 acre lot w/ a garage, sidewalks, etc... I pay more than that every MONTH in taxes (property, town, and school, oh, but that does include my garbage collection, so ya know, it's a steal!)

Yeah, doing the math on how much more P&I we can afford w/ the various tax-rates was a nail in the coffin for NY. This common-core thing was a big one too. Admittedly, as a born and bred NY'er, I'm indoctrinated w/ the idea that everything here is the best. Sure.... but to a degree, I do believe that about our schools. Prior to common core, NY's schools were some of the best in the country - and ours some of the best in the state (ergo, I feel I have my kids in a good place right now). Southern states, especially rural, typically get a bad rap... quite the conundrum for a dude wanting some quiet country acreage who has 3 kids. If only the wife would work 5-days a week I could home-school! LOL!   

- K

[G3farms]

That little dip down area you are talking about is up on the plateau, that is Crossville up to Jamestown. Crossville is a nice place and still out in the country, going towards Jamestown it is more remote the further you go. A little further west is Cookeville with Tennessee Tech, think small college town. Several state parks and recreational areas near by, not real sure on the industry or schools since I live an hour or better east of there.

taint nutun but usn dumb hillbillies round har plus tha heat an humity....bess jus stay up thar in new yark city 

[Newbee]

taint nutun but usn dumb hillbillies round har plus tha heat an humity....bess jus stay up thar in new yark city 

ROTFLMAO!
Yeah, there's a wee bit of trepidation about some of that. Fortunately, where we are in NY is about as removed as you from NYC, probably (it's a 6-1/2 hour drive if you want to visit, philosophically and politically, couldn't be further apart). That's also one reason to get the hades out of dodge. Inane acts of legislation like the SAFE act and a litany of others (not to mention the moral degradation of much of this state, and the influence NYC politicians have on state-wide issues), has me yearning for exactly that 'simpler' quality of life. My biggest fear is the quality of education the kids get. I know they're in some good schools now, I don't know what I'm looking at moving in to? As it is, we moved across-county about 5-years ago (thinking this was going to work the next 15-years…), in large part for the schools. I'd really hate to land somewhere's first, and want to relocate nearby again due to better schools? How do you pick the 'best' you can being a complete outsider? I may find a nice place on Zillow we can afford, but the schools are sports-oriented and the picturesque hill's we moved for are riddled w/ meth labs. D'oh! I've got smart kids, they suck at sports, I need a STEM school or something, LOL!

Here it's easy, get as far away from the city's as you can. LOL!

Thanks for the heads-up about the geography! I've been looking at that 65/75 corridor someone else mentioned as well.

- K

[G3farms]

I still live on the little family farm but the city has moved west and now surrounded by subdivisions. Lucked out with the schools for my kids, Farragut is one of the top schools in the state and all four of mine came through with shining colors. Here is a link to the top high schools in the nation.......

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/tennessee?int=9abb08

If I were to pull up roots and move (which would take a mighty big mattock to dig), for the short haul I would venture across the river to Blount or Monroe counties, still very nice farm land abounds there. For the long haul it would be Crossville area or even north east to the tri-cities (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol).

 

[Newbee]

Do you mean Monroe County, KY? That's funny, that county was hitting on my scanners for the schools as well, and ironically enough, I currently reside in Monroe County… NY.

- K

[G3farms]

Nope, Monroe county, TN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_County,_Tennessee

http://www.monroegovernment.org/

[Dunkel]

Wildcats lost, Badgers lost, now I recommend the Richmond area and they get hit with a tornado.  Go to Tennessee it's amazing, Sorry guys