Even the thought of relocating to a new city can be overwhelming. I know, because my family moved to Chattanooga more than 25 years ago from a small town in eastern Kentucky called Ashland. When you’re moving to a new place, the best scenario is visiting several times before you move to get a sense of the schools, community, neighborhoods and environment where you want to put down roots. But thanks to technology and internet research, you can still learn a lot about a city – even if you can’t make repeated trips before you move.
To help you through this process – not to mention saving you time and money – we recommend this process to help you with relocating to Chattanooga or one of its surrounding communities.
Step 1 | Start with Research
If you’re relocating to Chattanooga because of your job, the research on neighborhood options is less overwhelming. You’ll likely want to be within a specific driving distance from your employer. This is different for everyone – some people don’t mind a commute and others consider a long drive time a deal breaker, no matter how much they love a certain home or neighborhood. If you work from home, or are relocating to Chattanooga for retirement, your choices are much greater. Either way, we can help you home in on the right area.
To get you started, visit our Chattanooga neighborhood guides that provide a high-level overview of the surrounding communities.
If you have children, picking the right school is a big part of this decision. Click here for links to many of the region’s educational options.
Learn more about Chattanooga with our Government Resources page.
Chattanooga and neighborhood crime data can be found on City Insider. This website is a great way to stay in the know about what’s happening in local neighborhoods.
Even more information is available on our About Chattanooga page.
Step 2 | Connect with a Chattanooga Realtor
When you’re learning about a new city, it’s important to find a realtor who knows the real estate market, the best and up and coming neighborhoods, and helps match your wants and needs to the right community. Even if you’re months (or even a year) from relocating to Chattanooga, connecting with someone you trust early helps streamline the process. You might not be ready to buy, but the right realtor can help direct your search based on your wants and needs.
It’s good to remember that working with The Fuqua Group costs buyers nothing – it’s the sellers who pay realtor fees. By learning your price range and what type of home you’d like to ultimately buy, we can send properties your way that might work for you. And if you’re not ready to buy, this process will give you more information about the amount of home you can get in your price range.
If you’re interested to learn more about Chattanooga and the process of relocating, we’d like to hear from you. We’d be honored to work with you and learn more about your possible relocation. Call or text Cheryl Fuqua (423) 505-4880 or Brad Fuqua (423) 605-5167. You can also email us at Cheryl@cherylfuqua.com or Brad@bradleyfuqua.com.
Step 3 | Get Pre-Approved
It’s easy to miss this step in the relocation process. Talking with a mortgage broker early in the home buying or relocating process can help you determine the loan that’s right for you and your financial situation. There are also some important things you need to do (and a few you don’t!) that will help make the mortgage process go more smoothly.
We have relationships with several mortgage lenders we trust, and we’d be happy to connect you. Simply email us at cheryl@cherylfuqua.com or call or text (423) 505-4880, and we’ll gladly share their contact information.
Step 4 | Create a List of Your Needs, Wants and Extras
Do you know what you want to find in a home in Chattanooga? Do school zones matter? Do you need to be closer to your job? Can you afford the same type of home in Chattanooga as in your previous city? Do you like living in a more rural or more metropolitan area? What’s great about Chattanooga is there are so many options – you’re sure to find the right home to suit your needs. Buy creating a list of must-haves, wants and extras, this helps your realtor uncover the home that really is right for you. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, we can help with that too!
Step 5 | Make a Visit to Chattanooga
Once you’ve done your research on neighborhoods and home values, it’s time to see them for yourself! On your first trip to Chattanooga, our goal is to rule in and rule out the right community for you – not necessarily find the exact home for you. It’s when you’re seeing the communities with your own eyes that you can really determine the location that best fits your family. Taking time to scout out the area will be invaluable and give you greater peace of mind when you do decide to buy a home.
During this visit, don’t forget to make time for exploring. Chattanooga is a wonderful city – with lots to see and do. Plan your trip with downtime included – catch a concert on the river, go for a hike or take one of our famous tourist attractions like Rock City or Ruby Falls. You can even catch a Lookouts game if you’re visiting in the summer. Once you get a taste of Chattanooga, you’ll see why we love it here so much!
Chattanoogafun.com is a great start for finding interesting - and fun - activities for the whole family. We can also help with personal recommendations!
Step 6 | Find a Home – and Make the Move
Once you’ve seen the city for yourself, we can put you on a customized home search – that will only send you properties that are in the neighborhoods you love and meet your needs. When you do find the one that’s just right, we’ll guide you every step of the way through the negotiation and closing.
Nothing about that sounds easy, right? We understand that relocating to any new city sounds daunting. But take comfort that we’ve done this before and helped many families through the process of relocating to Chattanooga. We’d be thrilled to help you too!
