Time for a change

[awh2010]

We just moved here from out of state in February, and settled in Farragut. We were warned about it being snobby, but our subdivision is on the Knox/Loudon County line and is friendly with a great mix of originals who were here 20 years ago and new families like ours. Perhaps that makes us the step children of Farragut, but honestly we love the location and our home. Our HOA is very laid back and hands off, other than keeping up the common areas and providing some social opportunities. (Unlike the HOA in our neighborhood in Nashville... Lord help them, talk about snobby wanna-be types.)

That being said, when we moved to our previous location, we rented an apartment and we do not regret the decision not to buy right away down there. (south of Atlanta) We only had about a 5 hour drive to come scope out Knoxville on the weekends. Visits will be harder for you, but I agree with the others who have encouraged you to rent first. Our realtor worked hard for us, and we spent a ton of time online researching various aspects.

We looked in the AL Lotts, Bluegrass, Farragut, and Hardin Valley (all Knox county) school zones. (our kids are young) We also looked briefly in Oak Ridge. I have some new friends who seem happy with their schools over in Loudon County (Lenoir City), though we never looked there... I have not compared the schools to those in Powell/Karns/etc...

My daughter has just started school at Farragut Primary School. It is huge. 17 kindergarten classes with 20+ kids. HOWEVER, I am impressed with her teacher and the staff I have met. The classroom is organized and kid friendly, and the other parents are, too. Since it is only K-2, the size does not scare me as much. They also seem very parent friendly, deciding HOW to get involved is hard because there are so many options.

Interestingly, 2 other new families in our neighborhood moved here from other parts of Knoxville due to the schools. Unfortunately, homes are pricier in this part than other parts of Knoxville, though not bad compared to, oh, Boston, Chicago or LA.

East TN is beautiful. It has seasons without the harsh winters, outdoor recreation, etc...

Good luck!

[hiknapster]

Great post, awh2010! Welcome to our beautiful and proud city. This is the biggest small town you'll ever see!

I do want to stress that there are excellent schools throughout Knox County, not just in Farragut. That town is very popular with transplants, and the more that move in, the more popular it gets. There are also a lot of new subdivisions so if that is your desire then Farragut is a good choice. There are some very nice subdivisions in West Knoxville, too, and there are excellent elementary schools throughout our system. Our daughter went to Sterchi, an award-winning elementary school in the Fountain City area, and the ratios were much, much lower.