Some thoughts on Tennessee, from a guy who has never lived there. I believe the western portion of the state is rated as a fairly high risk of major earthquakes. In that area, it may be good to find a home that is built to withstand an earthquake.

If a person has allergies, Tennessee may not be a good place to live. It is about in the center of what some people call the "allergy belt."

When moving to a new area, some experts recommend renting a home for a year to see if you actually like the area. This allows time to experience the area in various seasons and to learn which areas may be the most appealing. My parents decided to move to a new area just before retirement. They bought a home before moving there. If they had rented a place before buying a home, I'm fairly certain they would have moved to another location. They discovered that some of the things they thought were important, really were not important to them. They also learned that they deeply missed the friends they had known for 50 - 60 years!