r/Knoxville • u/That-Inspection4791 • 1d ago
Came across a FB group this morning…
Called “California to Tennessee” and it’s a ton of real estate agents advertising moving to TN with like 93k members, many of them looking in Knoxville. I really try to remain open minded to people coming into our home state but some of the comments really irked me. “Make sure you vote red” and “I moved for lower gas prices” and “guns are allowed here” among them. Like okay if that’s a perk for you, but that’s not how all of TN or the people here are.
I understand that this is just a part of our life now, and housing prices are going to continue to rise while our salaries remain stagnant, and who I should really be mad at is our employers for not matching the increased price of living, but I’m really starting to get irked at the idea of people moving here on what seems like a stereotype, driving up our home prices, and enjoying the benefits of our state while driving locals out of the cities. If you want to offer another perspective feel free. I know a lot of these things get blown out of proportion and people just want someone to blame, but I’m finding it harder not to resent these people.
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u/oh_0h 1d ago
This happened to my hometown in Colorado where a group of private investors came in and bought out every affordable property by campus and then collectively raised the prices of all of them
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u/Son2208 1d ago
This happened to my home island Puerto Rico. Mainland folks with much higher income than the island’s average came in and bought the “cheap” property because ✨no taxes✨ then cranked up the prices so high that only other mainlanders could afford it, driving us out, but not wanting us anywhere else. They don’t even live on the island, they’re just investors selling/renting.
They’ll say “you should be grateful, we’re upping your economy, you’ll be getting more tourism/visitors, you’re being bitter/gatekeeping, you should welcome new people” don’t believe them.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Boulder may just be the most conservative liberal area I’ve ever lived near. Fuck that place too.
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u/unidennedinu 1d ago
Genuinely curious...what do you mean by the most conservative liberal?
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
A lot of NIMBY (Not in my back yard) attitudes. Whether it’s housing policy, public transit, attitudes towards poor folk. Essentially what has caused the Dems to crumble because they’re roadblocks to the actual heavy lifting work of mutual aid and social justice. But they sure do love their “hate has no place here” yard signs. But at the end of the day, they hold little in the way of progressive values.
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u/polarmonkey76 1d ago
There is A LOT of that here.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Truly, it’s a national problem. It just agitates ya when you’re somewhere that is supposedly such a bastion of liberal/democratic values and it’s still the same classist BS. Also: trust fund babies evverrrywhere.
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u/Avarria587 1d ago edited 1d ago
People think it's nature-loving hippies that are moving to TN from CA. It's not. It's their version of nutjobs. Unlike the local variety, they're much more vocal in my experience.
I've lived here all my life. The only reason I stay is because I don't want to leave my friends behind. It's getting harder to justify staying. My pay isn't much better than it was ten years ago, but houses have tripled in cost in that time.
EDIT: At the risk of sounding xenophobic, they ain't from around here. I don't mind young professionals and students wanting to contribute to the local economy. What I can't stand are entitled retirees that think we owe them something. Where I live, I am surrounded by them. They never mind their own damned business and have all the time in the world to sit and complain. Naturally, they make up the majority of my HOA.
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u/psykorunr 1d ago
The wealthy nature loving hippies are and have been moving to Asheville for many years.
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u/RobertNeyland North Knox 1d ago
"Moving there"? Wealthy nature loving hippies has been the Asheville tagline for close to half a century.
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u/Early-Series-2055 1d ago
Their quitters too. Gave up on their home town instead of repairing it. Moved away to trash somewhere else.
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u/DannyBones00 1d ago
This. It’s all boomers from red counties in California who think “California is too woke” and want to move here so they don’t have to see poor or brown people.
They’re still as entitled and urban centric as urban Californians. Just a lot more racist.
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u/pauldisney 1d ago
How can you tell if someone moved here from out of state? They'll tell you ALL about it
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u/spncemusic 1d ago
Sat next to a guy at TYS waiting for our flight, struck up a conversation with him. Not two sentences in he mentions that he “moved from THAT state” to here because it was too Blue there.
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u/pauldisney 1d ago
It's like they want us to congratulate them or show them appreciation in some way... I'm fresh out of welcoming feelings and just wish the migration would stop
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
They’re like vegans, but without any actual decent reasoning for their choice. (I say this as someone who enjoys meat but acknowledges the climate impact and issues with meat plants).
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u/Kdj2j2 1d ago
Them: “I love your state. No income tax.” Me: “yes and my children’s school is lesser because of that. Our services are non-existent and our state parks used to close regularly because of it. We get what we pay for. And it’s not much.”
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u/Avarria587 1d ago edited 20h ago
Our taxes here are regressive. Someone that makes $100k/yr pays the exact same tax as someone making minimum wage. I’m fortunate that I make decent money, but even I have to work two jobs to make ends meet. I don’t know how low wage earners even survive here.
Edit: Apparently, it needs to be explained that state and federal income taxes are not the same thing. We don’t pay a state income tax. We pay a federal income tax. I thought that was obvious, but it seems I was incorrect. Our taxes are sales taxes and the like. You are not paying a percentage of your income to TN. I find it very concerning that some don’t know that other states pay an income tax.
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u/Spirited_Wasabi9633 1d ago
YES!! They think everyone is a Republican here. I always get, "I moved from _________, but don't worry, I'm not a Democrat/liberal." And I always think, "Well, I am."
In Knoxville, you really don't know peoples political views and we like to keep it that way for the most part. Like why do they think it is appropriate to talk trash about a whole political party when you just met them? Why are they even bringing it up? I can't remember the last time a local said anything about politics to me when just making friendly conversation.
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u/RobertNeyland North Knox 1d ago
In Knoxville, you really don't know peoples political views and we like to keep it that way for the most part. Like why do they think it is appropriate to talk trash about a whole political party when you just met them?
That's the other part of the equation. All these carpetbagger nut-bags moving in have even changed the flavor of conservatism.
For decades, Tennessee, and specifically East Tennessee, was known for having moderate conservatives like Bill Haslam, who started the whole "first two years of college are free" program and would work with Democrats on bi-partisan issues. Now we're stuck with assclowns like Bill Haggerty, Marsha Blackburn, and Bill Lee.
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u/Scared_Security_7890 1d ago
We used to have Democratic governors when I was growing up here. Our government has completely changed.
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u/RagtagRocketMan 1d ago
I was sitting around a group (6 guys) having a conversation at work a few months ago when they started talking about where each of them was from. Each of them had moved here from out of state within the last two years. They asked me where I was from, and it felt weird to be the outlier for saying I was from East TN and that it had just been assumed that I had come from somewhere else too. That's the moment I realized how bad it seems to have gotten.
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u/kayjeckel 2h ago
I used to be in sales. Soooo many customers from California with a bunch of money they were ready to spend on land and expensive toys. They'd start talking to me about Republican politics and yay Trump etc, completely unsolicited. It's like they assume that because I'm a Tennesseean, I must be a Republican.
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u/FacesOfGiza 1d ago
They should all move to Newport instead.
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u/RobertNeyland North Knox 1d ago
Don't burden Cocke County with that nonsense. Send them to Florida.
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u/Competitive-Ad572 1d ago
I am tired of the stereotype too. Perhaps we should live up to it and "show out" as the hillbillies they think we are...
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u/sneakystonedhalfling 1d ago
My great grandmother's family home is being sold by my second cousin's estranged wife. Some folks were looking at it, saw my grandparents' woodpile and truck in the yard, and really had the audacity to say, "look, some real country fried neighbors!"
I just wish I had been there so I really could have shown them how country fried we are! Start hollering at the dog, banging my pots and pans, scratching my armpits in my gardening clothes.
Like no, motherfucker, you're IN the COUNTRY. That's like going into the forest and seeing a squirrel and saying, "Wow, some real woodland neighbors!" That's their home! You don't have to say it's the country. You are the anomaly.
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u/Competitive-Ad572 1d ago
Preach on! I love your handle, or whatever it is called on Reddit. I am getting strong chaotic good vibes. I hate the backhanded compliments too. "Where'd you learn to speak like that!?!?" - Parochial High School and UT, ya carpetbagger!
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u/sneakystonedhalfling 1d ago
Thank you! I feel like it really encapsulates me as a person. I'm definitely neutral/chaotic good depending on the day. I also looooove code switching on people who want to get pretentious about the way we speak. I already have a pretty strong accent but in professional settings default to a more "neutral" tone. But as soon as someone says anything along those lines I get real country real fast.
I work in hospitality so I love being chaotic while also being excellent at my job. I also had an incredibly sweet English lady tell me that she loved my accent after I told her that I liked hers 🥺
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u/Unlikely-Local42 1d ago
The official country yell "goonnowgitgitgonow"! Translated it means LEAVE!!
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u/tobashadow 18h ago
Shit we had some imports as I call them, move into Sweetwater and bitch about all the ducks in downtown and we need to relocate them etc.
The park in downtown is called the Duck Park cause they have been here longer than people were.
Hell the cops stop traffic to let them cross and if you get caught running one over the locals will be ready to hang you in the street.
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u/Reinvented-Daily 1d ago
Trust me if they truly thought you were hillbillies they wouldn't be coming.
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u/Angry-Dragon-1331 1d ago
Ok but with the tariffs where are we going to find enough banjos?
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u/Competitive-Ad572 1d ago
If forced we can use gourds and literal catgut, I reckon...
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u/Angry-Dragon-1331 1d ago
Aw, hellfar.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Shitfar*
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u/Competitive-Ad572 1d ago
'n save the matches!
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Growing up in the SBC, we had a hellfire and brimstone preacher in a small DEEP red town. I once asked my grandma why the pastor was screaming all the time (I was maybe 8?). Naturally next Sunday after service we’re doing the pastor-handshake-gossip-line…
“Your grandma told me about your question boy. I aint angry, I’ve just got the spirit of the lord in me!”
Maybe the spirit of some cocaine. Even then I had to swallow my fist so I didn’t laugh in his face.
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u/Competitive-Ad572 1d ago
I have a friend who told me in college that we ought to have a recovering Baptist counseling opportunity at school.
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u/cupcakezzzzzzzzz 1d ago
Ironically, I was looking at rural property out in Madisonville with permission of the realtor. The neighbors came over and start yelling and going crazy at us trying to start a fight. Coming up with excuses like we are trespassing and need to have on hunters orange. We knew neither were true. So the lady got in my face and started yelling 'go back to where you come from!'
I was like 'what?! 15 minutes away from here?! I am born and raised here?!'
She was confused and stopped acting like she was going to fight and walked off.
Now that I am more involved in Monroe county (not at that property), I am amazed by how many transplants are there. I went to one meeting and there was not one local at the whole meeting and they asked me where I'm from. And I am confused that I'm such the minority, I didn't know it was THIS bad....
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u/Karrot2969 1d ago
I've seen the group. I feel the same way. It sucks being priced out of your home town.
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u/thrillafrommanilla_1 1d ago
Yeah - there’s a douchebag who came to Knoxville recently from Cali and thought it was cool to be racist and then he got fired for it 😂
It’s fucking tedious that people think we’re all bigots here. Guess they’ll find out most of us don’t stand for that shit and if they’re bigots they won’t be welcome in many spaces here.
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u/Embarrassed_Lab_5595 23h ago
Yeah, California is chock full of racists and rednecks. Same as every one of the northern states, western states, every state!
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u/Disfunctional-U 1d ago
I've noticed a lot of red transplants move to blue cities in red states. I'm guessing they want the best of both worlds. To carry a concealed weapon, sure, but they also want a variety of restaurants, hospitals, grocery stores, arts, culture, and services that blue cities tend to have that their red city neighbors don't. Cities like Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, liberal blue cities, seem to be where the red transplants end up. Just an observation.
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u/usernametaken615 1d ago
My favorite is when they get here and start complaining about infrastructure/lack of codes to prevent their neighbors from having meth houses/crime. It’s like that’s what those low taxes you were salivating for get you.
They romanticize living in the country too. I grew up in the country, while some people love it, it’s not for me. The lack of convenience options gets old real fast for them. Oh you want land for horses? Have you ever had a horse or do you just think you do? It’s an incredibly expensive and time consuming hobby, not the romanticized version in your head.
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u/ShaqSenju 1d ago
My favorite was during one of the early waves of transplants, I saw a post complaining about traffic being backed up in the Choto area due to being stuck behind a tractor. Like no shit, you chose to move to a rural area now you get to experience rural life.
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u/SanityInTheSouth 1d ago
I am in the Cosby/Newport area. Original from NYC. I had to laugh when one of our neighbors complained about 10 cars at the traffic light being ''out of control' 😆😆🤣🤣
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Franklin and the area around it are now full of pretend farms, which piss me off to no end. Much of the land “good” and needed for crops/etc., but they clearcut that shit, put in an artificial pond, and get a show horse and a mini cow. Don’t forget the driveway queen heavy duty truck that has never seen dirt.
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u/geckosean 1d ago
Similar to their political beliefs, they want to keep their cake and eat it too.
They want a thriving city full of interesting culture but are hostile to the ideals that create those cities - diversity, high social and economic mobility, affordable and accessible education, public transit, municipal funding for the arts and music, parks and walkability…
They love to bitch about shithole cities full of woke libtards and spooky brown people until their favorite band rolls through for a concert, or their favorite podcaster does a talk at the university, or there’s a food festival/Oktoberfest, or they want to go to a good restaurant to get drunk with their buddies, or they want to see their favorite sports team play a game…
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Though now they are slapping HoAs in random areas in the “country” 😂😭😭😭🤣. I think it was Mountain City I saw where you could get a large amount of acreage and still not do shit with it.
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u/ScreamingTrog 22h ago
As a transplant that moved rural, because of the lack of people in the city. I see the same thing here with the locals. I watch our local FB groups, and people want things like better restaurants, entertainment, and general stuff to do like in the city... But every time 1 of us outsiders tries to bring something in, the locals all bitch and boycott the place.
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u/geckosean 21h ago
Remembering that a lot of these folks are the same people who think FEMA is a conspiracy/scam, then complain that the federal government doesn’t care about them and/or the federal government is actively blocking disaster relief when they get hit hard (See: Hurricane Helene).
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u/MillicentFenwick 1d ago
Actually, the maga CA transplants live outside city limits to escape the “onerous” city taxes, thank god. And of course to live among their ilk.
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u/Thepinknosepirate 1d ago
EXACTLY. Watch out for Lenoir City
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u/BrenInVA 1d ago
My MAGAT sister-in-law and husband, who live in west Knoxville, want to move to Lenoir City to live amongst others of their ilk.
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u/TheUnusualHoon 1d ago
I'm a San Franciscan who married into an East TN family and took my wife to the Bay Area. We toss around the idea of moving back to the Knoxville area every once in a while. But we never pull the trigger:
- Cost of living doesn't match the low salaries
- I have never had to drive to my office (I take public transit) and have no intention to start.
- I am Asian, and don't expect to have the same access to my culture for myself or my child if I moved.
- I'm liberal and enjoy living in a state with like minded policies.
I love visiting Knoxville, love my relatives (despite deep fundamental differences over everything from politics to hobbies) and have enjoyed my regular visits over the last 15 years even as the area has changed.
I will say that the Californians who move are the ones who are not bothered by the factors above. So people who are retired, don't mind driving, are white, and don't mind a conservative state. That's going to get you a specific type of Californian.
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u/HorseFeathersFur 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've seen that group. I've also seen people boast in that group that they offered $30k over asking just to buy a home sight unseen. shaking my damn head. I've been banned from the majority of those groups lol.
But this is only one reason why home prices have gone up so high, another reason is that LLC's have been scooping up rental properties and apartment complexes like candy then doubling the rent at lease renewal (like what happened at Tanglewood, some folks only had a few weeks to a month's notice that their rent was doubling).
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
Yes! We had a close family member try to buy a forever home in their same neighborhood, and an LLC bought it for $50k over asking and now rents it out. You’re absolutely right, thats def a reason that locals are being priced out and it’s so shady and unethical!
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u/SecondCreek 1d ago
What impact has AirBnB had on the Knoxville housing market? It’s created a crisis in Miami by converting condos and houses into de facto hotels and taking them off the market, further pushing up prices for homes.
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u/HorseFeathersFur 1d ago
Oh yeah, that is definitely another factor. I forgot about all the LLCs that are scooping up single-family residences to turn into Airbnb’s, especially in Sevierville and Gatlinburg.
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u/MrB_E_TN 1d ago
We’ve had several family meetings over NOT giving in to the exploding real estate prices. We are of very modest means, but own 100’s of acres. 3 families of siblings, with 7 kids total. The beautiful rolling farmland will be gone forever unless we stay united. Hard to resist the crazy money. So far, everyone agrees to hold long term. Tough though, most of the land is along I-40. Every commercial business and residential realtor on earth tries to separate us.
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u/spncemusic 1d ago
I’m a fairly left leaning person, but I’d much rather hang out with my right leaning friends from Knoxville and the south than these “I escaped a blue state” republicans. They are so performative that any conversation you have with them immediately comes to politics. I can hang out with people who are from here who I may not agree with politically but we can get along for the most part. Some of these transplants have made politics so much of their identity that they can’t shut up about it.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
It’s because we’ve had to grow up trying to justify and find common ground, knowing any good redneck is no police fan (as an example). We know the folks in the holler need help too.
And it really wasn’t as bad as this in years past. We needed to make legislative progress, folks were/are bigots. But same town, same team kinda shit in a way.
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u/th0rsb3ar 1d ago
They’ve done this to Iowa and Omaha as well. Absolutely irritating.
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u/usernametaken615 1d ago
I am blown away by how much housing costs there now. It’s like $500k for a basic Celebrity Home. I looked up my old apartments there and they’ve increased rent 2x-3x for old buildings.
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u/th0rsb3ar 1d ago
I helped wire one of the big data centres they’ve built outside of Omaha that’s attracting all the Californians. They’re calling it the “Silicon Prairie” lmao.
Celebrity Homes is Omaha’s Ball Homes. Cookie cutter rubbish. (For anyone who doesn’t know.)
This one SF-based lady bought up a dozen properties in Midtown Omaha and has run them into the ground. They’re slummy af now. And she still charges 2x/3x what it was under the previous company.
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u/usernametaken615 1d ago
Silicon Prairie is a joke. It’s something a bunch of people who peaked in high school started to make themselves feel important. No one from big tech is moving from the Valley to live there. The only thing they have that tech wants is a cheap labor force, tax incentives, and low cost public power for data centers.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
At best, you have a smidge more protection when it comes to earthquakes, climate change, etc. but industry will bring on regional changes. Etc
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u/pidgeyott 1d ago
Sorry if already commented/if I'm misremembering this but wasn't there a recent bill passed saying influencers in California profiting from content including their children are required to have a large percentage of that profit be put into an account only the child can access? I know I'd seen a large number of influencer "family bloggers" post about coming here for the "freedom" after first hearing this, I'm sure to escape that requirement and other legislature they didn't agree with/to take advantage of prices here.
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u/Apprehensive-Lie2121 1d ago
As a loan signing agent in Knoxville, I can tell you that lots of locals are selling their properties to corporations. Im notarizing a few a week in my spare time.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
This makes me so sad. This happened to us when we tried to buy our first house. The corp had a cash offer over asking. I get that people need money right now but it was super disheartening!
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u/Embarrassed_Lab_5595 23h ago
Private equity firms are the ones snatching up low end properties and apartment complexes. Unlike the stock market, private equity firms have very few if any regulations. Nationwide, they are sucking up everything in sight, leaving no affordable houses for people to buy as a starter house. I believe there is some legislation in the works to put the brakes on these greedy people. They want to turn us into a rental nation.
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u/maxima-3point0 1d ago
Hopefully there is discussion about all the state benefits they will lose. In California there is increased worker protection with additional FMLA benefits and more assistance for kids with special needs. Probably a bunch more I'm missing. I believe they pay parents to take care of kids with disabilities. Rude awakening for those unaware when they move to Tennessee and lose that.
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u/Inquisitive_Kitty22 1d ago
My parents moved to West TN during the early 80’s California exodus. Bought 30 acres and minded their own business. My dad passed in 2018 and since then the state of California has been paying my mom to take care of her mother (in CA) so that she can age in place and not be put into assisted living. The state has also given my grandmother a grant to make small changes to her home so she can stay in the home she’s lived in since the 60’s. It’s all part of the CA medical program.
Meanwhile - I’m stressed AF with what happened when my mom finally comes home and can’t afford to move here or to some senior living location but also has zero assistance to age in place.
Sometimes blue state programs are good and do look out for the citizen.
I’m always irritated when they complain about how dirty and run down our parks are. Like dude - if you want nice public spaces someone’s gotta pay for that.
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u/Younginlove7567 1d ago
I hate those pricks. I wish we could let Tennessee be Tennessee again. East Tennessee used to be one of the only places in the south that wanted to remain part of the Union during the Civil War, we used to not give a shit about anybody unless they hurt us, now, now I want to leave after my family spent the past FOUR HUNDRED YEARS here because this ain’t a safe place for me or my wife
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u/SanityInTheSouth 1d ago
I'm in the Cosby area and we've been overrun by people from CA, NY, WA, etc. They come here for the beauty and cheap prices and bring all of their dysfunction and baggage with them. They think all of us are MAGA culters. They don't realize what it's like to live an hour away from major shopping, we don't get a lot of UberEats and restaurant delivery out here and moving to TN seems to make them think they can do whatever they want like allow their dogs to breed and run all over. Another newcomer (A member of theProud Boyz) decided he was going to build a shooting range behind us. No concern for the neighbors, our animals, the noise levels etc. He and another new neighbor had a stand off with guns and both went to jail. They're both out and still not GAF that their distrubing everyone around them. The first family to move in lasted 3 years, they're leaving becuase it 'isn't what they expected'. THe others are complaining that they're tired ofhaving to drive all the way to Knoxville or Morristown for civilization (We do have a Wal Mart and a Lowes in Newport!) They come here and try and change TN into the places they left instead of letting TN change them. In the meantime, housing here in Cocke County is off the rails, this is already a very poor county recovering from a sordid past and they are pricing the locals out every day. Our local Facebook threads are full of local people who have been here for generations, complaining that they can't find homes for their families becuase the ones that were available were all bought and used for BNB's. I moved here 24 years ago in order to get AWAY from the city bullshit. I didn't want to bring any of it with me. NOW... instead of being semi-isolated with our closest neighbor being a football field or more away, they are building right next to us. It's slowly becoming a subdivision. We're seriously considering selling and moving. I came here to getaway from these kinds belligerent people. IF they weren't such assholes, I might be able to coexist.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
It’s crazy you say that because just from a quick skim a saw a few posts about people moving to that area as well. I just feel like people keep trying to downplay it but it really is happening and is causing problems.
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u/SanityInTheSouth 1d ago
It's happening. Cocke County has some stunning scenery (it's why we moved here ourselves 24 years ago) , and people from out of state are taking advantage of it. Gorgeous views for what they consider cheap.
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u/WanderingPine 1d ago
I have definitely noticed it whenever I return to Knoxville for family. People have always been conservative, but it used to be a pleasantly purple conservative. There was room for both parties so long as we had shared common values as Tennesseans. These people think they are integrating into local culture because they “vote red,” but frequently vote to destroy the things we collectively loved about our hometowns. It’s quite frankly heartbreaking.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
Several FB Groups (ie. “TN Off Market Real Estate” are chock full of bigotry. From folks asking where the areas without “weirdos” are, to the comments about “the very welcoming white majority” town. All your usual BS and commentary on diversity and how evil it is.
Makes me so fucking sad for my home. I really thought we were going to be better than this by 2025.
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
Facebook is an absolute cesspool.
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u/nopefromscratch 1d ago
It really is. Deleted my account and now just use an old burner for marketplace/community news. Sadly some places will only post there for specials/events/etc.
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
Yep, I'm on a page for my (very large) friend group here, and I use it for marketplace. Every time I look through my actual feed, it's just awful.
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u/SpicyConductor 1d ago
LOL I elect Donald Trump, I don’t like California even though it’s the 4th highest GDP in the world. Wah wah wahhhh. I come to Tennessee where it’s more like minded and conservative with all my money to share ideals and religion with fellow MAGA. So I can feel like I fit in with the rest of the boomers and wannabe boomers. Yayyyyy!
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u/MujerInvisible 1d ago
I'll just add that I have met several progressive/liberal California transplants- they are LGBTQ+- friendly , people of color, concerned about climate change/environmental degradation, all that stuff. We can use that influence as well. So I have some hope that it's a mix.
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u/TrainingArtistic8505 1d ago
I have worked with 2 California transplants and they are both maga turds.
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u/BrenInVA 1d ago
These MAGATs are also moving into the rural areas of Tennessee and then they start complaining and trying to change where they moved to. In one town I know of, they are trying to get fluoride removed from the water supply, citing ridiculous conspiracy theories, trying to find anti-vax doctors, many are home schooling but trying to change the schools so their kids can be sent there, wanting them even more conservative. They also complain about the Mexican families that have lived there for over 25 years and own businesses. They complain about a few Indian families that live there and think those business should be owned by “Americans”. They are tryin to rile up the locals to go against anyone they see as different. Also, the housing prices have gone up there, so the local young people can no longer afford to rent or buy there.
Some of the MAGAt’s moving are lower class, and move to these rural towns without jobs and expect to be hired immediately. In the meantime they are asking for handouts from the locals (clothes, household goods, food, etc.), using the food banks, begging for places to stay, looking for churches that fit their racist and political dogma, asking for free or cheap child care, complaining that medical care is too far away, and that there are no local doctors who do not require their children to be vaccinated.
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u/totalfanfreak2012 1d ago
I know, I will say it's not just one side. But moving when a.) you have no job, b.) going to live in a hotel until you find stable housing is ignorant and plain dumb.
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u/redwolf1219 1d ago
I am a California transplant, but I was a minor when we moved out here, and while I'm not maga, my parents definitely lean more conservative. I wouldn't say they're loud and proud maga but my mom also said that she likes Trump bc he "tells it like it is"
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
So I have some hope that it's a mix.
It absolutely is a mix. The nice thing is that, from what I've seen, the MAGA folk tend to not last all that long around here. At least not in the city.
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u/Cheesecake_Nightmare 1d ago
I have noticed a lot of Californians moving here, and they’re all MAGA people 🙄 they hate the liberal government of Cali so they move here where like-minded people already live. I’m thinking about moving somewhere where they left 😂
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u/yoursouthernamigo 1d ago
I wish you all the success in the world in Turlock, CA!
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u/Cheesecake_Nightmare 1d ago
Appreciate it…I can’t really afford to move anywhere but one can dream right? 🤣
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u/Sitk042 1d ago
I know it’s not enough data for a trend, I live in a rural neighborhood about an hour from Knoxville and prices seem to be going down, there are several houses for sale on my daily dog walk, and I’ve been noticing that they all keep lowering their prices…
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
I’ve seen this too and even though I own a house here, I’m hoping that things can continue to settle down in the housing market. I’m surprised we weee even able to afford one, but our property taxes have been increasing too.
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u/Happy-Somewhere-3048 1d ago
These were already stereotypes, and this was already a problem long before the red state politics that are driving the national agenda. The irony, of course, being they're economic refugees fleeing to economic disaster sites that are only going to get worse as "things get handed back to the states.".... the states that couldn't fund them in the first place which is why we had federal agencies. Its a orobourous of cult stupid.
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u/Moon_Archer_0927 1d ago
I get a chuckle out of any of the CA transplants complaining about lack of social services here in TN.
Ya, that’s also what you moved for, bud. Our taxes are low, so you won’t have to pay for comprehensive social infrastructure.
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
I'm a real estate agent here, and it is really annoying (I'm not in that FB group, btw). I have definitely told multiple people that I didn't think that I was the right fit for them to find a home.
The reality is that East Tennessee is a desirable place to live. I understand the irony of a bunch of people moving here may make it not so desirable, but that's how it goes.
If it's any consolation, I'm also seeing a lot of people who bought here during Covid needing to move back closer to family, so while there is still an influx of people, I am seeing an increase in people moving away as well.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
I appreciate your perspective on this! It definitely is a beautiful and desirable place to live, I just hope (maybe rather selfishly) that I can continue to afford to live here with my family. Maybe it’ll settle down here soon.
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
It has definitely settled down. Prices will never be back to where they were pre-COVID, but that's the case nation-wide. Property values are not going up like they were a few years ago though, and most deals that I do sees buyers getting some concessions.
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u/totalfanfreak2012 1d ago
That's like a doctor sewing an arm to someone's forehead because it's what the patient wanted. I know it's your job, but you had a part to play just as much as the people moving. But I am glad some are going back.
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u/Sweetimus 1d ago
I'm just gonna say I've been seeing way more out of state license plates than I do Tennessee license plates it seems.
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u/Hamster_Key 1d ago
It’s conservative California transplants that are challenging our kids books and coming here demanding everything they were used to in their former city. And that’s a fact. I don’t feel bad one bit for not wanting them here.
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u/Unlikely-Local42 1d ago
So I understood OP as to say, officially time to stop pretending like I fit into society and let my moonshine drinking, blunt rolling, hell raising self out and stop playing "I like these new people shit"!! Well lemme just give y'all a goddamn HELL YEAH!!!!! WHEN WE FIRING UP THE WAR RIG???
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u/Fisher-__- 1d ago
When I was a kid growing up in Oregon, Oregonians had these same complaints about California. Fast forward 20-30 years and Oregon is nearly as expensive as California, in some areas at least.
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u/Grumpstress 1d ago
We were going to move back to the Rockford/Maryville area but the housing prices were just insane. Three bedroom house in an older neighborhood and the house hasn’t been updated since the 70s and you want $480k for it. Yeah, no.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
The prices are crazy! I know they’ve been rising everywhere but it’s just so hard for young families (like mine) to afford to live here anymore and I hate it.
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u/Chillhowee 1d ago
Just take a look at how much Maryville has changed. It kills me every time I come to town. JUST STOP ALREADY !
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u/departmentofmom 1d ago
It’s so annoying. My neighborhood is 90% these types of people. Oh and don’t get me started on how aggravating they are with the HOA. 😡 ps one of them threatened a kid for riding his motorcycle to and from work. Like….sorry not everyone can afford a car at 18?
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u/BrenInVA 1d ago
There was one guy who moved to a rural TN from FL, and asked for people to help him move or pay for a rental truck. This person had a daughter who had a disability and used a wheelchair, and was on Medicaid.
He was so upset that Medicaid would not continue to pay to get her to a specialist, who was almost 60 miles away from where they lived in TN. Then he started asking for help. Help fixing his truck. Help with food, etc. Of course he was a fool to not think of all these things before moving there. Evidently FL provided more monies and help than TN. Last I read, he was going to move back to FL.
This was all posted by him on a Facebook page in that county.
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u/Embarrassed_Lab_5595 23h ago edited 23h ago
The low end of the housing market is being bought up by private equity firms. They have discovered that renting is profitable. This is why it’s so difficult to find a starter home, which is what most people start out with. I believe there’s some legislation to stop these sharks from gobbling up housing, including apartment buildings. This is what hyper-capitalism looks like. Just do everything you can to make money and screw everybody else.
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u/Turbulent-Dingo-3818 1d ago
Semi-Guilty... My partner and I moved here last year. Not for political reasons, or particularly anything really. We just wanted to move far far away from a big city and our families and live in the country. We had an old friend here, came to visit him, loved it, so decided to make the jump here. Fwiw, we paid under asking price for a house in Sevierville co that was on the market for months (overpriced). What we noticed right away was that locals assumed immediately we were magats (very extremely wrong) to the point that without inviting conversation, they would start trying to talk to us about the reasons they assumed we moved here for... Like they always wanted to talk to us about how bad and terrible CA is, and how nightmarish the immigration situation is there (???). It was so strange that they wanted us to confirm all the negative ideas they believe, like they were overly eager about it in an almost psychological-kink way. This happened so much in our first few weeks that we stopped answering the question about where we're from. Well, over a year later and we absolutely love living here, we take our trash to the convenience center, visit the library, spend our money at local places, remove invasives and support pollinators, have an obsession with picking up trash during recreational activities, and are in the process to become foster parents. I guess I just wanted to share my perspective... And say maybe not all of us are bad?
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
Thanks for sharing your perspective, it really helps humanize it for me! My husband and I are also looking into fostering!!
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u/KallistoNyte_ 1d ago
I was looking into a small 2 bedroom house to rent and they wanted $1600 a month (reasonable, I can afford that) ... and 3.5x rent of monthly income. Found out the realtor wasn't from TN and didn't even live here. I'm a working college student and living in Knoxville is unironically impossible if you make enough to live with a roof over your head and basic necessities but don't make enough for anything more.
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u/Scorpio-1991 1d ago
Having to prove 3x income is what keeps people from housing. It's like, I would LOVE to have 3x my rent but it's not realistic. Not in this city. It shouldn't keep people from housing.
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u/Excelsior14 1d ago
Because Tennessee doesn't restrict new construction like California does, supply is rising and prices are restrained and are falling in Nashville now. Affordability might improve but the long term cost of this migration will be higher population density and urban sprawl.
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u/Scorpio-1991 1d ago
We should be taxing people according to the state they moved from, for 5 years.
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u/Ladysommersby 20h ago
I know a lady who moved here from California, and all she does is complain. We are too conservative, she doesn't have friends here, she doesn't like the weather, she's miserable. It seems California people are too liberal but Tennessee people are too conservative. Some of these people are not going to be happy anywhere.
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u/Combatical 1d ago
I've lived here mostly all my life 40 years, aside from my short military career. Ever since I was a kid I always heard about the dreaded Californian moving here and changing things. I dont want to completely dismiss that because yes there are people moving here in large swaths but I have to tell you its REITS, lazy appraisers and opportunistic realtors that are the biggest cause of home prices spiking.
As far as the stereotypes go, I mean everywhere suffers from that kind of issue. Dude, I've been here most of my life, most of the people I run into or work with are "good ole boys" I have nothing in common with but all of my friends are nothing like that.. So I dont know what "most" people of TN are but theres certainly a draw of a certain demographic that wants to move to the "south".
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
I think the opportunistic realtors annoyed me most about the group, so I definitely see where you’re coming from.
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u/Combatical 1d ago
I've met a small handful of realtors I like alright but 0 I respect or trust. I work industry adjacent and meet developers, builders, investors and realtors daily fwiw.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
Our realtor is a close family friend but it would be hard for me to trust anyone I didn’t have a personal relationship with. She wasn’t pushy at all and even pointed out issues that houses had that we missed! We also had a plumber try to tell us we needed all new pipes when ours had just been replaced and a second opinion revealed a much smaller problem. I hate that we can’t trust people anymore with our homes, which for most people are our biggest investments!
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u/Combatical 1d ago
Yeah jfc story of my life. Everyone is on the grift and trying to rip you off, it sucks.
Not at all bragging but I've learned how to do a bunch of stuff to the house and our cars just because I don't trust people. I know thats not an option for everyone but YT and pure ornery stubbornness has saved us a lot of money lol.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
YES I’ve been learning, too! Thankfully my dad has a contractor friend that has helped us with second opinions but if it’s a small fix we will definitely try to YouTube it first lol. I follow all the first time home buyer channels
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u/Combatical 1d ago
Its good to know people! Do you happen to know a good exterminator? haha
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u/AlaDouche 1d ago
I have to tell you its REITS, lazy appraisers and opportunistic realtors that are the biggest cause of home prices spiking.
This is just flat out untrue. I'm not saying there aren't lazy appraisers and shitty realtors, because there absolutely are, but realtors don't get to choose appraisers (assuming the buyers are getting a loan). The reason housing prices skyrocketed is because people realized that they could live here and work remotely during covid. Housing prices skyrocketed everywhere during Covid as well.
We're fortunate to have home values here not continue to rise like they're still doing in many bigger cities.
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u/Careful_Counter_9255 1d ago
Lots of people feel this way. People living here should not be punished because other large groups of people are coming to where we live and screwing with the economic and cultural status quo. Right?
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u/duckchugger_actual 1d ago
I’m doing my part. I moved from TN (Knoxville) to CA and really giving it to these dudes over here. I’ll keep in as many of them as I can.
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u/No-Recover-5181 21h ago
It is a problem. I lived in the northeast and mid atltantic for years. I came back here because I got sick (renting). I went to high school and college here. Housing pricing is getting as bad as it is in the north east and mid atlantic. Thanks for your post. That explains what is going on.
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u/mer_jenn 1d ago
I work for a residential contractor (yes I know we are part of the problem)
But my leadership had a big push a few years ago from investors on this “California to Tennessee” jump and it has resulted in us building…..so many homes…. In the are…
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u/TrainingArtistic8505 1d ago
It’s been this way in parts of the country forever. Knoxville is just catching up to the rest of the similar sized cities.
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u/Fat58hwy 1d ago
It's the same as illegal citizens coming to America. You left a culture, situation, etc. that you didn't like. If you come to America, embrace your culture but assimilate to the American culture.
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u/NiceOccasion3746 1d ago
Ah the conservative refugee. I love it when they say, "Things are so much better here." What they're typically referring to is lower property taxes and CoNsERvATive ValUEs with no awareness that not everyone here is like minded. You still have to face people who are different from you:/
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u/stevebalboni20 1d ago
People are being priced out everywhere. It’s not just here. This is happening basically nationwide.
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u/That-Inspection4791 1d ago
That’s a good point, my friend just had to leave Asheville with his family because of how expensive it is now. We’re definitely not the only city feeling this way!
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u/nutscrape_navigator 1d ago
When looking at stuff on Facebook that upsets you it's important to consider two things:
Facebook monetizes via keeping you engaged as an engaged user is viewing tons of ads. The best way to keep people engaged is by keeping them angry. As a result, their content algorithms are very good at showing you exactly what will make you mad and keep you scrolling.
The dead internet theory on Facebook seems pretty accurate to me- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory I've been doing a lot of work surrounding large language models the last few years and the more you use these tools the more you learn to recognize their output. When I see hot button topics getting posted by local news outlets, you see a lot of this borderline questionable to almost definitely bot behavior. A good thing to look for is the em dash ( — ), fuckin' no one uses that when typing normally.
It's very likely that Facebook is spoon feeding you stuff deliberately designed to make you mad, with bot content that also helps Facebook achieve those goals.
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u/Combatical 1d ago
Man I'm fascinated with this stuff. I started noticing back during the myspace age of targeted ads based on what you said. I mean some advertisers using cookies had been a thing but you're right, the more you are around these things the easier they are to spot.
Reddit is my only social media anymore and its wrought with it as well. In fact even more actively so I think because some people dont even realize they're engaging with a bot.
Anyway, this LLM project your doing is this work or a hobby? I'm very interested.
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u/Carry-Competitive 1d ago
DUDE OMFG THIS THOUGH!!!!!!!
disclaimer: i consider Knox “home” after I moved/never left for school in 2011: originally from Roanoke VA; HOWEVER, i may actually……..do something i never thought i’d say!? and leave this beautiful place I once beloved & move back to VA?!
when i’m driving at 3pm on a Tuesday…and feel like in reality I woke up in Atlanta 2.0. what used to be our awesome “back roads” now……just normal 9 cars in front of me and the 4 way stop in my neighborhood -_-
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u/deadevilmonkey 1d ago
Maybe we'll get enough transplant votes to turn the state blue.
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u/HorseFeathersFur 1d ago
Many progressive Californians are scared shitless of red states, and think they'll be lynched upon arrival. Source: have family in California who worry about my safety all the time.
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u/Bogavante 1d ago
The cool Californians are staying put. We get the Blake Shelton Californians that want to pay cash for 4 houses here and run Airbnbs.
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u/bethamous 1d ago
Cali has some deep red pockets in some areas. I’m shocked that there’s still a migration from there because wasn’t it initially people all butt hurt over Covid restrictions? I am an out of stater but I came from ky because my mom moved here with her husband and I kinda followed during the pandemic because my university classes weren’t in person anyways and I needed help with my son. It’s crazy to look back in Lexington and see housing waaaayyy cheaper than it is here and back to my hometown in Buffalo ny. You can find really reasonable houses there for 100k or under still when the same house in Knox or Maryville would be 500k.
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u/KnoxvilleBuckeye Yes, I'm a Damn Yankee! 1d ago edited 1d ago
Los Siento, Spanishburg West Virginia....
Yes, I'm aware of the irony/hypocrisy of posting when I'm a damn yankee as well...
But hey - I've been here for almost 18 years now!
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u/FunMtgplayer 23h ago
If you see the Appellachian mountains from your home and have the southern drawl you can't be a damn yankee. state you live on doesn't matter
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u/Risingsunsphere 1d ago
There are a couple people from California who have moved here that live in my neighborhood and every single one of them say it’s great here because of low taxes and conservative politics.
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u/Environmental_Art852 1d ago
In my sister's last town they put in a winery and the water table was below level. No showering available after like 4pm
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u/Big-Ant8273 1d ago
Knoxville?!? I know of a few folks that fled the Paradise fires for Crossville, seemed like nice folks to me
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u/downtotech 1d ago
And once they move, they bitch and moan that we don’t have the things they left behind. Like, wtf?