W/T areas around Knoxville (Memphis, Farragut: environment, budget, condos)

[TXboomerang]

Me and my wife are looking for a home. Just the last few weeks we have gotten really serious and started driving to some of the good looking listings online.

We really hated how high the prices were in the Farragut area, so we decided to look elsewhere.

The trend we saw was that anytime a house that looks decent and is over 1500 sq/ft and is priced under $150k, there seems to be some very ugly areas nearby. The house itself might have some nice homes around it, but you may have to go down a road passing several Moderator cut: changed to "trashy" areas that are disturbingly ugly.

Now I'm from south Mississippi, so I'm familiar with seeing these types of things. But I guess coming from a smaller town I am not used to seeing so many run down areas that are really close to nice areas. And when I say run down, I don't mean its an old house that doesn't look awesome. I personally don't care if someone is living in a 1970 mobile home so long as it looks like they care.

What I'm talking about are the ones where people have firepits in there front yard with beer bottles and cans thrown in it. A halfway rotted mattress set laying in the middle of the yard. A wrecked vehicle that looks like it has been sitting there for 10+years. Various pieces of trash and junk strewn from one end of the yard to another.

What is with this? The last time I remember seeing places so junky looking was driving through the rural areas in Oklahoma just north of the Texas line.

It seems to me that maybe a lot of these areas were just pockets of trashy homes that had big pockets of undeveloped land between them, so developers came in and just plopped some fat houses in the middle of it all because the area had "a view". Honestly, I could care less about my view from the front and back yard if I have to drive past so much junk to get to it.....

Not sure what my overall point was other than now I realize why some prices are higher, even when they aren't in the most convenient areas. It seems that if the whole area is well kept, prices are high. If there is a small area thats well kept and you have to drive through Trashville to get to it, your price goes down...

I think me and my wife have decided we can deal with a smaller house easier than we can deal with living in Trashville.

Any good areas besides Farragut and Hardin Valley anyone could recommend that is convenient to West Knoxville and not mixed with trashy homes? I suppose we are somewhat open to the idea of condos since our max budget is about $160k.

[Barking Spider]

I guess that's what happens when zoning is not enforced. Anytime you have an area that used to be rural, and now there are newer subdivisions popping up, there are bound to be the older homes that did not sell out to the developer.

There are many areas where you can put a mobile home on a plot of land and you have an instant house. Just like anything or anyplace else, if the people that live there do not have pride in their home, you will have a junk yard in the front yard.

It's not only residential. There are many areas near downtown that are run down and have many vacant and dilapidated buildings, that are on the way to nicer places. Ragas is a prime example.

[hiknapster]

I know exactly what you mean.

I've been the loudest when it comes to people complaining about mobile homes and such. I've been seriously affronted because I actually live in one.

However, we went to get a Christmas tree, this past season, and took a different route. I was stunned to see house after house that was packed with garbage. I mean the houses were packed with garbage. In many, you couldn't see through the windows because of the trash that was stacked inside the houses. All signs indicated that people lived there.

Unfortunately, I have dealt with many of these people and they can be very hostile.

You know, you hear about Appalachia, but I don't think I realized that it still exists. I guess that is their way of life and they are probably tough because they had to be.

And I know. They were here first.

That's why I'm seriously considering buying a home elsewhere.

[goodbyehollywood]

I can honestly say I don't think it's any different anywhere. There is that trashy part on the outskirts here, and I find it as unsettling as the next person. But you'll find the same thing in the Carolinas, VA, WV and KY. You'll find it in GA, AR, MS, LA and TX. You'll find the same thing in CA, only there it's the illegals, the old hippies and the surfer dudes. You'll find it in coal mining country, steel country, auto manufacturing country and smack in the middle of the Mojave, which means it's in the West, Northeast, Midwest and South.

People are people wherever you go. Sometimes, it's poverty; sometimes, it's a disrespect for authority; sometimes, it's a disregard for others; sometimes, it's just plain old not caring. Maybe it's a lack of pride, a lack of hope or a lack of options. But trade in the trailers for a surfer shack... an old garage... a ghetto... a barrio... or a rusted-out camper in the middle of the desert... and the story's the same. It's everywhere, and it's not going away.

But I wouldn't want to live next to it, either. Most people don't. And that's exactly why you pay a premium to live in areas where it seems very far away.

[SmokyMtnGal]

I understand the content of the post and the concern, I just can't get over the use of the term "white trash". Trashy I understand, but the "white" catches my eye.

[jabogitlu]

I guess I understand the concern, but my feeling is that if you don't like living near people like that, then don't. (Kudos to hiknapster for being honest enough with herself to consider moving.)

A little touchy post for me, too. Most of my (white) relatives suffer from many of the same plagues that affect the poor, black people of Memphis or NOLA - lack of education. And yep, most of them have yards, porches and houses stacked to the hilt with stuff. One of my relatives even filled one house, then moved out of it into one beside it. But can you blame these people, who have lived in a cultural backwater for their entire lives, without access to new ideas, without access to education, and even in some cases, without access to water and electricity?

I don't know where the OP is looking. If s/he ran across this stuff in Fountain City, okay, then maybe that is odd. But don't go looking in Kodiak expecting Farragut.

[TXboomerang]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

I understand the content of the post and the concern, I just can't get over the use of the term "white trash". Trashy I understand, but the "white" catches my eye.

No offense was intended. I know some people don't care for stereotypes, but I also think stereotypes usually exist for a reason. They don't always fit.

I'm white myself. My family lived in a trailer from the time I was born until I was 3. I certainly have no disdain for any person due to race, and only used the term because that is a very common term for such areas.

Like I said, I've got no problem with people living in trailers, no matter how small, old, whatever. As a matter of fact, I'd rather live by a small, old trailer where the owner cared about their place than by a nice brick house that someone has trashed up.

Me and my wife had even considered buying a manufactured home, but realized it is exceptionally hard to find a piece of land that is not restricted to site built only, unless you don't mind driving 25+ miles.

[TXboomerang]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I guess I understand the concern, but my feeling is that if you don't like living near people like that, then don't. (Kudos to hiknapster for being honest enough with herself to consider moving.)

A little touchy post for me, too. Most of my (white) relatives suffer from many of the same plagues that affect the poor, black people of Memphis or NOLA - lack of education. And yep, most of them have yards, porches and houses stacked to the hilt with stuff. One of my relatives even filled one house, then moved out of it into one beside it. But can you blame these people, who have lived in a cultural backwater for their entire lives, without access to new ideas, without access to education, and even in some cases, without access to water and electricity?

I don't know where the OP is looking. If s/he ran across this stuff in Fountain City, okay, then maybe that is odd. But don't go looking in Kodiak expecting Farragut.

Actually we were looking in Loudon County which is why I was suprised. And like I said, its not like its everywhere, but there seem to be a lot of scattered pockets of it.

And really, I think my bigger issue is just being dissappointed that many houses that look nice are put right next to some of these areas. Much of what we saw wasn't necessarily old stuff either. Fairly newer looking manufactured/mobile homes with decent looking cars in the drive way. But it looked like a walmart dumpster had been emptied on the yards, and beer cans and bottles thrown about. Looks that if the people cared one shred, they could have a fairly nice looking home.

As far as it hitting home, believe me, I'm no stranger to seeing it. One of my best friends in Mississippi grew up in a very junked up house. I don't hold it against people, I just hold it against the houses I'm looking to buy because I feel the potential for the area to not stay nice is greater. It was actually a bit heartbreaking to see it. Part of me was mad because there were probably many cases of people that were just plain lazy and didn't care, and they are raising their kids in what looks to be a very hazardous environment. Another part of me was sad because I realized some people were probably dealing with things so tough that cleaning up didn't fit their "to do" list, maybe some were disabled, and maybe some had just thrown in the towel on life and had no hope left.

[FLORIDA TO NIOTA 2010]

Originally Posted by tnbound2day

Actually we were looking in Loudon County which is why I was suprised. And like I said, its not like its everywhere, but there seem to be a lot of scattered pockets of it.

And really, I think my bigger issue is just being dissappointed that many houses that look nice are put right next to some of these areas. Much of what we saw wasn't necessarily old stuff either. Fairly newer looking manufactured/mobile homes with decent looking cars in the drive way. But it looked like a walmart dumpster had been emptied on the yards, and beer cans and bottles thrown about. Looks that if the people cared one shred, they could have a fairly nice looking home.

As far as it hitting home, believe me, I'm no stranger to seeing it. One of my best friends in Mississippi grew up in a very junked up house. I don't hold it against people, I just hold it against the houses I'm looking to buy because I feel the potential for the area to not stay nice is greater. It was actually a bit heartbreaking to see it. Part of me was mad because there were probably many cases of people that were just plain lazy and didn't care, and they are raising their kids in what looks to be a very hazardous environment. Another part of me was sad because I realized some people were probably dealing with things so tough that cleaning up didn't fit their "to do" list, maybe some were disabled, and maybe some had just thrown in the towel on life and had no hope left.

Here in Florida they build 500,000+ home RIGHT next to the dump. I hope their a/c doesn't break for any length of time. And I know the have to hold their breath to swim in the pool or sit on the patio. They have fences but that doesn't keep out the smell.
Maybe you could put up a tree hedge so you can't see it from your house.

[SmokyMtnGal]

No offense taken, tn. Best of luck to you on your search.