Kingsport earns another honor

¯»¿¯»¿¯»¿¯»¿KINGSPORT ‚¬ MSN Real Estate has named the Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol TN-VA metropolitan region as the 8^th Best Place in the Country for starting over. In particular, the website points out Kingsports focus on higher education, and thriving employers, as top reasons to consider moving to the region. The complete article follows below.

10 best places for starting over

By‚ Melinda Fulmer‚ of‚ MSN Real Estate

The crippling recession killed jobs, wiped out bank accounts and pushed large numbers of people out of their homes and in with relatives.‚ ‚ 

What many people need right now is a place to rebuild: a city where higher-paying professional jobs are growing and home prices are low enough to allow you to pay down debt ‚¬â€ or just save enough money for the next financial debacle.

MSN Real Estate and Local Market Monitor selected 10 midsize to large cities with the best job prospects and most affordable mortgage payments ‚¬â€ a combination that doesn’t usually go hand in hand, says Ingo Winzer, LMM president.

“Usually there’s a correlation between high-paying jobs and high-cost real estate, but that’s not so in these areas,” he says.

To be sure, these areas aren’t high in glamour, and their relative livability wasn’t a factor in our selection. Instead, on this list you’ll find cities with solid economies that give you more money in your pocket at the end of every month and a better shot at homeownership, should you decide to take the plunge.

NOTE: Job growth is measured year-over-year between April 2010 and April 2011. Average home price is as of Q1 2011, and the price change is year-over-year Q1.

10 best places for starting over

8. Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.–Bristol, Va.

• Population: 304,689
• Business and professional job growth: 4.8%
• Per-capita income 2010: $30,319
• Ratio of income to home price: 25%
• Average home price: $119.993
• Home-price change Q1 2011: -1%

The Tri-Cities region of northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was the birthplace of the country’s earliest country-music recordings.

Today, the area takes a back seat to Nashville, Tenn., in the music arena, but it is home to a number of large employers, including thriving Eastman Chemical Co., paper maker Domtar Corp. and the Holston Army Ammunition Plant.

Kingsport also is making some bold moves to boost its economic fortunes by harnessing the education of its residents. The city won accolades from both the National League of Cities and Harvard University for its city scholarship program, which pays for up to four semesters at Northeast State Community College for city high-school graduates.

A section of downtown called Academic Village is home to several higher-education facilities, including the Regional Center for Applied Technology, the Kingsport Center for Higher Education and the Regional Center for Health Professions.

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