People who moved to Tennessee for cheaper homes and a laid-back life say they're happy — for the most part

James Ballard did some quick math and realized he could no longer afford to live in Clearwater.  The 50-year Florida resident decided to pack up an...

February 26, 2023
5:56 PM

James Ballard did some quick math and realized he could no longer afford to live in Clearwater.  The 50-year Florida resident decided to pack up and move to Memphis, Tennessee, for a more manageable mortgage payment while on a fixed income.  "There's a song by Tom T. Hall called, 'That's How I Got to Memphis,'" Ballard told Insider. "I never thought it would happen to me, but it did," he quipped about his new state of residency. Ballard, 66, had a mortgage payment of $800 for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Clearwater, Florida.

Jordan Pandy