Tag: housing
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Remembering Kingsberry: Kingsport’s Prefab Legacy
Did you know that one of Kingsport’s most desirable neighborhoods is made up of prefabricated homes? Don’t let the word prefabricated fool you. It simply means the home’s components were precision-cut in regional Boise Cascade factories and then shipped to the building site. From there, local builders assembled the houses on-site. Think of it like…
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Commuting: What Kingsport’s Traffic Patterns Say About Us
We hear a lot about the growing traffic on I-26. In a perfect world, maybe we’d all live in the same city where we work. That would ease congestion, reduce stress, and add hours back to our day. But modern life is rarely that tidy. In households with two working adults, it’s common for each…
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Move To Kingsport Monthly Report – April 2025
Kingsport is rapidly emerging as a nationally recognized relocation destination, with new data showing sustained and widespread interest from across the United States. In April 2025 alone, 50 families relocated to Kingsport from 16 different states—an average of 2.5 new families per workday. These new arrivals weren’t limited to nearby areas; families came from as…
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A Matter of Perspective: Housing, History, and Kingsport’s Future
We hear a lot about housing affordability these days. The real challenge is distinguishing between national trends that affect everyone and local conditions that vary by community. Our perception of the data is shaped not just by statistics but also by our age and lived experiences. I once knew a Realtor who entered the market…
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Tennessee’s Most Valuable
If you’ve heard me talk about growth, you’ve heard me talk about “all things in moderation” or “not too hot, not too cold, just right,” suggesting a balanced, thoughtful approach to growth and community life. It points to a place that’s not too large to feel overwhelming or impersonal, but not so small that it…
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Move To Kingsport – March 2025
Month of March 2025: Past 12 Months (ending March 2025): Since 2020: The recent data indicates that homes in Kingsport are slightly more affordable than the past year when considering the price per square foot. In March 2025, the price per square foot was $140, an $18 decrease compared to the past 12-month average of…
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Making Fair Comparisons: Housing Markets Across Eastern Tennessee
Comparing cities can be tricky—it’s a lot like comparing yourself to someone else. For example, if your friend saves $10,000 while you save $5,000, they might seem more successful. But if they earn twice your salary, you’re actually saving at a higher rate. It’s the difference between saying, “Who has more?” versus “Who is doing…
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Tennessee’s Housing Challenges: Where and Why It Got So Expensive
Check out this report from The Sycamore Group. It’s the most comprehensive explanation I’ve seen. There are many charts and figures that paint a picture of housing trends all across Tennessee. In my opinion, it’s very consistent with what I’ve been saying for several years now, but it covers every county in Tennessee. It helps…
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Balanced Growth: How Our Region Compares
Last week, the Census Bureau released updated population estimates for metropolitan areas from 2020 to 2024. Curious about how our region compares to similar metros nationwide, we analyzed all metros within 10% of the population of either Kingsport-Bristol or Johnson City. A healthy metro growth rate typically falls between 0.5% and 1% per year, equating…
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Kingsport’s Workforce: Living Here, Working Everywhere
Many of us remember when Kingsport was a commuter town—factories were built, and people came here to work. For many, securing a blue-collar job with a steady paycheck was the ultimate goal. Each morning, a steady stream of headlights flowed into town, and at day’s end, taillights disappeared as the whistle signaled the workday’s close.…
Kingsport Spirit 