Well I have finally convinced my wife we need to get out of Illinois some day. This is not going to happen right away but we at least we are seriously talking about it.

Anyhow I am thinking about Tennessee because is a fairly solid red state, has milder weather, has no state income tax, seems to be in very good fiscal condition, lower cost of living, and is still fairly close to family here in northern Illinois.

Wife likes the Smoky Mountain region and would really like to live in a home with a mountain view, even a distant one. We have been looking at Maryville area which is a suburb south of Knoxville and large enough to have it's own hospital, Blount Memorial, low crime, and decent shopping, etc. Property taxes on a home like we own now are about 85% less in that area. Plenty of homes available with a basement as wife likes the storage space LOL.

Anyhow we are just in the early stages of planning something and certainly are not ready to move yet or probably even within the next couple of years. It is important that we are fairly close to good healthcare so we don't want to be too isolated and like being fairly close, but not too close, to a larger city such as Knoxville. I believe Maryville is about a 20-30 drive from Knoxville and an airport is nearby also.

So any fellow forum members have thoughts or experiences to share good or bad on what they think about living in the Maryville Tennessee area or living in Tennessee as far as the state?

Thanks for any replies!

I lived in Knoxville for four years and enjoyed it. Being from Chicago it is a major cultural adjustment. The proximity of the Smokies and the University of Tennessee are a real plus. Coming from Illinois, it rains a lot in the winter and folks do not drive well in the snow. Medical services in Knoxville are good. I spent most weekends in the mountains. BTW it is pronounced MERRville. No state income tax, but high sales tax. Gun friendly as well.

My wife and I are planning on a move at retirement. One thing she absolutely insists on is quality medical care. It may be something that you consider. I know nothing about health care in Maryville but a quick Google search show that University of TN has a medical center there. I'm guessing that would offer very good services.

TN is an awesome state to live. I've been gone almost 10 years and miss it everyday. I'll get back them some day though.

Every time someone mentions retiring to TN I mention that when I left the sales tax rate was like 9.25%. In Kentucky, groceries and prescription drugs are exempt sales tax. If you found a place on the north side of Knoxville along I-75 someplace you could save a lot of money by doing your grocery shopping in KY.

Thanks for the replies, very helpful and encouraging. Ilinois has a high sales tax too, about 10 percent around here though grocery food items are exempt and pharmacy drugs are exempt. However what we would save on property taxes alone would be about 9K a year and that number is sure to increase the longer we live Illinois.

I love the Maryville area. Nice country, great people, and the no state income tax would be nice. As said before, I don't like the high sales tax, but I guess it evens out.

If not Maryville, look around Johnson City. If I had to move tomorrow, I'd move to the Hampton area, which is about 15 min east of Johnson City. Very rural, but Johnson City has a great hospital and any shopping or restaurant you could ask for.

Tennessee, Georgia, & South Carolina are areas that my wife & I are looking to retire to. We have absolutely no ties to the Pacific NW. Her family is in Knoxville & Savannah. My family is in California(uhhhh, no ).

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
... folks do not drive well in the snow.

No disrespect, ZSMICHAEL, but I grew up living on both sides of the Mason-Dixon and this kind of comment always cracks me up.

Most people up north cannot drive on snow and ice either, but their roads are kept fairly clear so they rarely have to do that. Road clearing equipment south of the Mason-Dixon is rare because most of it would rust and fall apart before it ever received a full use.

There are some good snow/ice drivers on both sides, but they are rare and even they have their limits.



.

quote:

Most people up north cannot drive on snow and ice either, but their roads are kept fairly clear so they rarely have to do that. Road clearing equipment south of the Mason-Dixon is rare because most of it would rust and fall apart before it ever received a full use.

My comment was based upon personal experience as I lived also in VERY RURAL Wisconsin as well as Knoxville. My wife is from the South and she serves as a personal example. I did all the driving while in the Great White North. The roads are not well maintained in Chicagoland either.

You are entitled to your delusion, no disrespect intended.

quote:

BTW it is pronounced MERRville.

That was not correct in 1960's. My first wife graduated from
"MURVILLE College". The cheerleaders had the "give me a M, give me a U, Etc.

quote:

That was not correct in 1960's. My first wife graduated from
"MURVILLE College". The cheerleaders had the "give me a M, give me a U, E

I defer to you. It must have been my Yankee ears.

It's a decent "big little" town - basically Knoxville. Lived in Knoxville 3 years. It's spread out but most is on that west side.

I'm not sure it has the mountain view that you want. Hills in the distance really.

Personally I prefer Murfreesboro back in middle TN.

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

quote:

BTW it is pronounced MERRville.

That was not correct in 1960's. My first wife graduated from
"MURVILLE College". The cheerleaders had the "give me a M, give me a U, Etc.

It's more like Mare vul.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

quote:

BTW it is pronounced MERRville.

That was not correct in 1960's. My first wife graduated from
"MURVILLE College". The cheerleaders had the "give me a M, give me a U, Etc.

It's more like Mare vul.

Anush is correct.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
It's a decent "big little" town - basically Knoxville. Lived in Knoxville 3 years. It's spread out but most is on that west side.

I'm not sure it has the mountain view that you want. Hills in the distance really.

Personally I prefer Murfreesboro back in middle TN.

Yeah we understand mountain view would be limited and have looked at quite a few properties online but compared to how flat things are here in Illinois we would welcome it. Something like this would be fine.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grumpy1,

Yeah there are bad winter drivers everywhere but we are hoping to see a lot less snow than we see here in Chicago land and the ice it brings as it melts and then freezes. The older I get the more I fear dealing with ice, especially when walking.

Last few winters here in Illinois it was not unusual to have to shovel snow 3-4 times a week during December and January.

Just buy your milk and bread then hunker down until it melts the next day.

quote:

Last few winters here in Illinois it was not unusual to have to shovel snow 3-4 times a week during December and January.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah I know. It rains alot more than you are used to in the winter. You can drive into the Smokies and see snow in November if you want. I spent a lot of time there in the winter when the tourists left. The average winters are highs in mid 50s and low in the thirties. You can probably stay home when it snows and wait for it to melt. The University offers cultural opportunities if interested. Oak Ridge is another interesting area west of Knoxville. The highest proportion of PHDs anywhere. I however would prefer Maryville area.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Just buy your milk and bread then hunker down until it melts the next day.

LOL, that works!

My Dad lives about 10 miles north of Maryville, it's beautiful country for sure. If I ever had to leave Georgia east Tennessee would not be a bad choice.