Farragut/W Knoxville/Maryville (Mount Pleasant, Loudon: appointed, crime, house)

[danno5757]

Jim,

My daughter lives in Sacramento also.

The Charleston area is considered the "low country" in SC. The city of Charleston is charming, but has a somewhat unpleasant underbelly. When we moved here we were told by locals (after the fact) that people tend to love or hate the low country. We actually fall in the middle. The summers here are quite oppressive, but the rest of the year is quite moderate.

A lot of it is about seasons and topography. We were considering Florida as one of our retirement homes, but they have the same issues, only hotter.

Personally, I would not consider Myrtle Beach as a place to live. I have rented condos there, but it seems to me to be a tourist area without much of a soul. It may be much better to look at the Charleston area as well as farther south to Beaufort or Bluffton. Those are very charming cities that are not yet greatly built up.

Depending on your budget, the nicest town in our area is Mt Pleasant. We live in Summerville which has a charming downtown area and the home prices are quite moderate.

Oh, and a big issue for us is the fact that beginning next year Tennessee, from my understanding, will not be taxing investment income. For that reason many in the East are fleeing to Florida and Tennessee. As you know, the state taxes in CA are outrageous.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer. Please remember, my view is only one of many...

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by danno5757

Jim,

My daughter lives in Sacramento also.

The Charleston area is considered the "low country" in SC. The city of Charleston is charming, but has a somewhat unpleasant underbelly. When we moved here we were told by locals (after the fact) that people tend to love or hate the low country. We actually fall in the middle. The summers here are quite oppressive, but the rest of the year is quite moderate.

A lot of it is about seasons and topography. We were considering Florida as one of our retirement homes, but they have the same issues, only hotter.

Personally, I would not consider Myrtle Beach as a place to live. I have rented condos there, but it seems to me to be a tourist area without much of a soul. It may be much better to look at the Charleston area as well as farther south to Beaufort or Bluffton. Those are very charming cities that are not yet greatly built up.

Depending on your budget, the nicest town in our area is Mt Pleasant. We live in Summerville which has a charming downtown area and the home prices are quite moderate.

Oh, and a big issue for us is the fact that beginning next year Tennessee, from my understanding, will not be taxing investment income. For that reason many in the East are fleeing to Florida and Tennessee. As you know, the state taxes in CA are outrageous.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer. Please remember, my view is only one of many...

Thank you very much for your help. I do appreciate it.

After I decided not to move to Virginia, Mount Pleasant was my first option when I was doing my homework 5 years ago. Fast forward to today, I am finally retired and Mount Pleasant is WAY more expensive to buy then it was even a mere 5 years ago. There were 65,000 in Mount P in 2010. Today it is 87,000 and I hear it is about completely built out to zoning allowance. I can afford to move there but what will I have left over?

I appreciate your saying Myrtle Beach has no "soul". I believe I know what you mean, and that would be a problem.

I am not chasing low cost of living. The advantages of Tennessee are wonderful but they are just one factor. I have to love where I live too, not just afford it.

Like you, I found Florida and the South Carolina low country to be too much of a good thing. Too flat. But I don't like snow and I don't want to live in the mountains. Next to them is fine.

Thanks for the insight. I need to see all of these places first hand but it still helps immensely to pick the brains of the people who live there, especially people moving out. People moving in are in their honeymoon period and everything is great. People moving out are usually sober about the disadvantages of the places they plan to leave.

Thanks,

Jim

[danno5757]

One more thing, Jim,

Another area we have considered is Short Pump, which is just west of Richmond, VA. Bedroom community, but very safe; not in the mountains, yet close to Richmond, Williamsburg and the Shenandoah Valley. It was near the top of my list, but my wife wasn't feeling it - taxes were an issue. We've likely decided on the Knoxville area and NH/ME. We were thinking of Cape Cod also but it is a bit isolated.

[Barking Spider]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

danno5757,

I am in Sacramento right now and just retired.

I want to check out the area around Knoxville this summer and would be on my way if not for all this Covid BS. I may not make it until next spring because of that.

I will be taking ample time to check out Farragut, Powell, Lenoir City, Maryville, and Seymour. I will try to squeeze in time for Oak Ridge, but if you see too much, you have seen nothing, so I would rather really spend more time absorbing fewer places than spreading myself too thin. I doubt I will find time for Oak Ridge.

I don't really know how Farragut distinguishes itself from West Knoxville -- if they are distinctly separate or one and the same for all intents and purposes, but I guess I will be checking out West Knoxville as well.

City Data does show a West Knoxville neighborhood, bur I mean it is REALLY in town. If that is "the West Knoxville" then it is too close to Knoxville proper for my blood.

I am not interested in being too far away, so I am not checking out Cookeville.

I will be looking around Chattanooga as well, but I can't see it. My focus will be the Knoxville suburbs, unless I just flat fall in love with the Chattanooga area when I see it. Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain have potential but appear to cost more than I want to pay. I don't want to be home poor in retirement.

Then I am off to Charleston and North Myrtle Beach to check them out, so I will be passing you on the way, I guess. Funny what we want or think we want.

I think that when you finally arrive, you will find that Knoxville (Knox County) is pretty spread out, but is not really separated like you might think. If you are driving west on Kingston Pike (main drag), and you miss the Farragut City Limits sign (very easy to do), you won't even know you went from one part of Knoxville to the other. Same goes for Powell. It has more to do with Post Offices than separate cities. You will hear names like Beardon, Cedar Bluff, Hardin Valley, Karns, Turkey Creek, South Knox, Holston Hills, Sequoia Hills, North Hills, North Knox, and on and on and on. They are really just communities within the greater Knoxville area. Oak Ridge is less than 20 minutes from I 40 and Pellissippi Parkway I 140. Maryville is just past the airport which is not really in Knoxville. On a good day, you can get from one end of Knoxville to the other in about a half hour. I live in Karns, and I can be in Oak Ridge in about 12 minutes, Turkey Creek in about 15, downtown in about 25, Cedar Bluff in about 15.
If you are familiar with the San Fernando Valley, its like going from Panorama City, to Van Nuys, to Reseda, to Canoga Park, Chatsworth, then over the hill to Simi Valley. Hard to really tell when you are going from one city to another.
When you visit, you will get a better idea.

[Bamaman1]

We're heading in that direction later today. We just love the Knoxville region, and for the most part West Knoxville/Farragut is the place to be if you desire to be in a city.

Checkout Tellico Village while you're there. It's a large planned community down by Lenoir City on the Little Tennessee River. And it's one knock dead gorgeous area--with the Smokey Mountains as a backdrop.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

I think that when you finally arrive, you will find that Knoxville (Knox County) is pretty spread out, but is not really separated like you might think. If you are driving west on Kingston Pike (main drag), and you miss the Farragut City Limits sign (very easy to do), you won't even know you went from one part of Knoxville to the other. Same goes for Powell. It has more to do with Post Offices than separate cities. You will hear names like Beardon, Cedar Bluff, Hardin Valley, Karns, Turkey Creek, South Knox, Holston Hills, Sequoia Hills, North Hills, North Knox, and on and on and on. They are really just communities within the greater Knoxville area. Oak Ridge is less than 20 minutes from I 40 and Pellissippi Parkway I 140. Maryville is just past the airport which is not really in Knoxville. On a good day, you can get from one end of Knoxville to the other in about a half hour. I live in Karns, and I can be in Oak Ridge in about 12 minutes, Turkey Creek in about 15, downtown in about 25, Cedar Bluff in about 15.
If you are familiar with the San Fernando Valley, its like going from Panorama City, to Van Nuys, to Reseda, to Canoga Park, Chatsworth, then over the hill to Simi Valley. Hard to really tell when you are going from one city to another.
When you visit, you will get a better idea.

Excellent information and great analogy. Thank you for filling me in on this. I appreciate it. (not to hijack the OP danno5757's thread! I am sure he doesn't mind).

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Bamaman1

We're heading in that direction later today. We just love the Knoxville region, and for the most part West Knoxville/Farragut is the place to be if you desire to be in a city.

Checkout Tellico Village while you're there. It's a large planned community down by Lenoir City on the Little Tennessee River. And it's one knock dead gorgeous area--with the Smokey Mountains as a backdrop.

I was under the impression Tellico Village doesn't have any apartments to rent, although I suppose some people might rent out condos long term, assuming there are condos.

I plan to rent for a good year and maybe 2 years before even thinking about where I want to buy a home.

Thanks,

Jim

[danno5757]

Barking Spider,

Would you say the crime is about the same in Farragut as W Knoxville? Maryville? I understand they bleed into one another, but thought it may be worse as you move toward Knoxville.

My wife and I will only be in the area 7-8 months of the year, so property crime is a potential issue.

[TheShadow]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

I was under the impression Tellico Village doesn't have any apartments to rent, although I suppose some people might rent out condos long term, assuming there are condos.

I plan to rent for a good year and maybe 2 years before even thinking about where I want to buy a home.

Thanks,

Jim

There are no apartments in Tellico Village. There are condos, and townhomes, and SFH, some of which are rentals, both short term and long term.

We moved from the Sacramento area to Tellico Village 7 years ago. We love it here. Please check out the Tellico Village master thread on this page. I've answered probably hundreds of questions from prospective residents.

[Igor Blevin]

TheShadow,

I will check it out. I don't want to miss out on something I may love.

Thanks for the tip.