got really bad news today.

derekcasey · #1 01-15-2010, 06:13 PM

i got a phone call today saying the railroad is doing away with my district. i will have to move to chattanooga, cinncinatti,louseville or knoxville in a year. the company is just giving us fair market value for our homes and nothing to help us all move. many of us just biult our homes in the last 3 years. we more than likely won't have enough to pay our homes off. we are all at a loss. we don't have a clue what any of us are ganna do.

we're all going to have to move with pretty much just the money in our pockets.

68driftr · #2 01-15-2010, 06:19 PM

That suck's

Look at the brite side maybe a change will have a good effect on your future

tom c. · #3 01-15-2010, 06:41 PM

could be worse i had to move to l.a. 33 years ago to even get a job
so they could transfer me around. i moved away from the big city looks
like you'll be movin' to it. at least you'll get to see some new parts of
the country. at least you got more than 2 weeks notice and a last check.

rayjay · #4 01-15-2010, 07:05 PM

Unfortunately working for the railroad can mean having to relocate. I had an uncle and family [including a male cousin a year older] that lived across the street when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade in a suburb of Atlanta, 67 or 68. First they went to Charleston SC for a few years then Salisbury NC where my uncle retired in the 90's. See them once or twice a year.

**timberbeast** · #5 01-15-2010, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekcasey

i got a phone call today saying the railroad is doing away with my district. i will have to move to chattanooga, cinncinatti,louseville or knoxville in a year. the company is just giving us fair market value for our homes and nothing to help us all move. many of us just biult our homes in the last 3 years. we more than likely won't have enough to pay our homes off. we are all at a loss. we don't have a clue what any of us are ganna do.

we're all going to have to move with pretty much just the money in our pockets.

That's tough - can you hold onto your house, rent at your new location and sell your home yourself when the market recovers? There's no "good" alternative - I wish you the best of luck. I live 10 years in Lexington, KY, Danville is a great community. You might like Chattanooga, though. it's a nice city, and Louisville and Cincy aren't the worst places on earth.

Keep as positive an attitude as you can - hope you land in a good place.

1eyedjack · #6 01-15-2010, 07:48 PM

At least you have a job still to support you and your family. Change is always--- sometimes for the good.

I fell your pain my work changed last year and I was ready to quit but since then they have changed again for the better. So stay postive it will all work out. -------1eyedjack

JAT · #7 01-15-2010, 07:53 PM

I have a bit of personal experience to share on your options plus a similar experience.

I was a WG 13, working as a Toolmaker at Charleston Naval Shipyard. Well, we all know, in this area anyway, that ol' Slick Willie and the BRAC folks shut it down plus a batch of others in the mid 90's.

I had one shot at one placement. One per customer, period. Take it or leave it, never knew where it might be. OK, didn't take the offer, my choice. We sold our house for basically a break even, if that, and sold it ourselves so no commission.

Chas was so depressed because of the closure (largest employer in the state of SC) the real estate mkt was in the tank in a big way. We chose to move closer to our church which happened to be a non industry, cater to the retirees county with very high real estate prices. Again, our choice.

I am just now making less than a dollar more than I was in 1995 w/o the bennies. Trying to get back into the civil service venue as we speak.

Now, city choices............born and raised in So. Indiana, on the river directly across from Louisville, pronounced "Loo uh vull". The Ohio River Valley has a ton of humidity, poor air quality and weather records to show more cloudy days than sunny - a real downer, believe me.

The traffic is really bad, not saying other large cities are any better, just not good. I lived in downtown Lou for several years when single, normal problems for a large inner city, no magic bullet has been found for their problems. I would not return if for anything because of the leaden skies. I am not a Super Sunshine Pollyanna person, rather pragmatic, but didn't realize what a downer the weather was.

I have frequented gunshows in Knoxville, shot a sectional or two just out of Cinncy and knowing the Ohio River Valley, I'd opt for Knoxville with my limited knowledge. Have never been to Chatt.

Now, there is an active pistol and rifle club with a jr program just across the river on the New Albany side.............my old home club. Turning targets, crumb rubber backstop, outdoor range of 200, 300 and 500 yds into a hillside with a bunker for tgt storage with the "pit" behind it, just like the military........it was an old NG range.

Hope this helps a bit.................luck in your choice. PS One thing I did do when I relocated.............rented until I knew the area and got a feel for things. Some would say $$ wasted for the rental time but committing and not being happy makes for a long time in a house not enjoyed.

bogeycentral · #8 01-15-2010, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekcasey

i got a phone call today saying the railroad is doing away with my district. i will have to move to chattanooga, cinncinatti,louseville or knoxville in a year. the company is just giving us fair market value for our homes and nothing to help us all move. many of us just biult our homes in the last 3 years. we more than likely won't have enough to pay our homes off. we are all at a loss. we don't have a clue what any of us are ganna do.

we're all going to have to move with pretty much just the money in our pockets.

Contact an attorney...

Draxx · #9 01-15-2010, 08:35 PM

Derek, as a fellow rail, I am sorry to hear that. Although I have not been hurt personally, alot of my younger in seniority co-workers are pretty much out of luck and a place to work with the slow down.

Many have had to chase work to far flung terminals across the country, an obvious hardship on marriages and families. I hope your relocation goes as well as it can and wish you the best.

68driftr · #10 01-15-2010, 08:49 PM

Derek, look at the bright side you get to fix everything you don't like about where you are living now! Who knows you and Marty might be neighbors and go shoot together and tune your rifles up!

inspireart · #11 01-15-2010, 08:58 PM

Very close to the Great Smokey Mountains. There is Centerfire Benchrest at Unaka Rod and Gun Club. That is in Johnson City. Knoxville is a very pretty area and pretty darn gun friendly.

Then there is IBS 600 and F-Class at Oak Ridge TN which is aprox. 20 miles NW of Knoxville.

There is the Volunteer Gun Club around Knoxville proper.

I have spent a fair amount of time in Knoxville and would suggest you check it out.

Then there is my favorite. Bristol, TN. Darn I like to fly fish!

Regards, Bruce

spurs101 · #12 01-15-2010, 09:21 PM

Well timing is everything in real estate. Short story - I relocated and made out pretty good after a home for 5 years. All was well with the world and bought in my new location when value was actualy pretty high. Made a desision to leave the company after twenty years and the timing couldn't have been worse. Couldn't sell the house and my new employer finaly bailed me out with fair market value after a year. Lost $3000 after owning a home for 10 years.
During that time my wife and I rented a one bedroom - just liveable apartment.
Got to know the area and fell into a private sale in a divorce case. Yeah had to do some sweat equity and all was looking pretty well and thinking of downsizing 3 years ago. Wish I would have sold and rented, but now the housing collapse. I'd be lucky now to maybe make a few thousand IF i could find a buyer. There are alot of folks so upside down in their morgages in my area its frightening. At least I like the area where I'm at.

rayjay · #13 01-15-2010, 09:22 PM

From Chattanooga you could go up to K-town for their matches and down to Gold City [ Dahlonega GA ] and River Bend [ Dawsonville GA ].

Passinby · #14 01-15-2010, 11:15 PM

I don't want to sound rude, but you are a whole heluva lot better off than millions of other workers. Frankly, I don't see that you have much to bellyache about.

Prairiewalker · #15 01-15-2010, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekcasey

i got a phone call today saying the railroad is doing away with my district. i will have to move to chattanooga, cinncinatti,louseville or knoxville in a year. the company is just giving us fair market value for our homes and nothing to help us all move. many of us just biult our homes in the last 3 years. we more than likely won't have enough to pay our homes off. we are all at a loss. we don't have a clue what any of us are ganna do.

we're all going to have to move with pretty much just the money in our pockets.

I worked for a railroad for 31 years and moved ten times, four of those were district shutdowns.

I shut down three districts in a row.

It seemed that wherever I went, it was toast in 2 to 4 years.

They called me the angel of death.

We were guaranteed fair market value or what we paid for the house, whichever was higher; that eased the pain a lot but it was still not a lot of fun moving that often when the kids were growing up.