Tag: tennessee
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Finance: Love It or Hate It, It Matters
Finance. Ugh. It’s a topic that’s both critically important and endlessly dull for many. But let’s break it down in a way that actually matters: Just like managing a personal budget, is your government living within its means? Is it making politically popular promises it can’t sustain? Is it simply kicking the can down the…
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The TRI Advantage
On a recent recruiting trip to Long Island, NY, with Tennessee Tourism, one of the most frequently asked questions was about airport accessibility. Our team usually includes representatives from various parts of the state, and this trip featured folks from Nashville, Knoxville, and the Tri-Cities. As a Tri-Cities resident, I was able to share my…
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Meet the Burchfields
As I delve into my family tree, small details breathe life into the stories of my ancestors. They seem like fictional characters, yet they are my flesh and blood. I marvel at the hardships they endured and feel grateful for the relative safety and predictability of my own life. Take my maternal grandfather, Charles Blaine…
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Tennessee: Less Taxing
We recently participated in the annual Ideal Living show in partnership with Retire Tennessee. Each year, local chambers of commerce and tourism organizations collaborate to answer questions at this bustling event, where attendees explore relocation options. This past weekend, we were in Greater New York (Long Island). Over the next few weeks, we’ll visit New…
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ACT scores: Kingsport leads region in Class of 2024
The Tennessee Department of Education recently released the district-level ACT scores for the 2023-2024 academic year. Since 2018, all students—not just those planning to attend college—have been required to take the ACT. As a nationally standardized test, the ACT serves as a valuable benchmark for evaluating district performance on a nationwide scale. Regionally, Kingsport stood…
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2024 Ends with Lower Prices, Smaller Home Sizes
The December 2024 single-family housing market in Kingsport was slower during the holidays with 48 new families relocating from 21 states. The median purchase price of $285,000 was 15% lower than in the past 12 months, and only 3% higher than the median of all homes sold since 2020. Although prices were lower, the amount paid per square foot was higher. Buyers…
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Sold Out!
It seems like every time a new subdivision begins construction, social media buzzes with the familiar question: “Who’s going to buy these homes?” It’s as if we imagine knowing every potential homebuyer personally. An assumption is made that it’s only for outsiders. When someone posts on Facebook seeking advice about relocating to the area, responses…
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Beyond the Paycheck: Cost of Living in Northeast Tennessee
It’s common to hear about recent college graduates receiving higher-paying job offers outside the region and comparing them to similar positions here. However, those comparisons often overlook critical factors, such as cost-of-living and tax implications, which can make a significant difference. Even within Tennessee, where the state government and tax structure are consistent, living costs…
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Northeast Tennessee offers an attractive alternative
Housing is a cornerstone of economic development, serving as a powerful driver of economic growth. Reporting statistics per capita is important because it standardizes data by accounting for population size, allowing for fair comparisons. By normalizing data, per capita metrics avoid misleading interpretations arising from raw totals, especially when populations differ significantly. With that in…
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First Families of Tennessee
First Families of Tennessee was established by the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) in 1993 as a Tennessee Bicentennial project. Membership is open to anyone who can prove direct descent from a person or persons living in what is now Tennessee before or by statehood in 1796. I began my First Families journey recently. My…
Kingsport Spirit 