Smaller town recommendation East Tennessee (Clinton, La Follette: real estate, 2009, homes)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by LLuce

Greeneman1963, We're considering ALL areas that are too "big city" like, so Dandridge could be a possibility as long as it's not too far from "big city" stuff ya know? LOL! My friend in Farragut mentioned Dandridge too.

Hiknapster I don't mind an older home as long as it's not falling apart. Yours sounds very nice. Actually we would like to find an already established house with big trees etc. because I don't want to start all over by planting trees. We love to do landscaping but not having to plant trees. I would like maybe a partially wooded lot or something, so when I look out my window I don't look into someone elses! I think we're going to end up making several trips before we settle on a location. There is just too much to look at and we're not exactly close by to pop over there every weekend. If I was I'd be doing on my motorcycle!

I am really pleasantly surprised at the property tax rates around there. Our tax rate around here is 6.825 on every $100 of taxable assessed value! Our taxes just went up another $250 this year making a grand total of $3860 a year. Anyone want to buy a home in Illinois??

My husband and his family are from Chicago. They've all moved though, over the years. Every one of them is now in southwest Florida, although they are not thrilled with it, anymore. We moved up here to Knoxville four years ago. We LOVE it!

You are right. There are just too many places to pick. We rented for three years before we bought. We really love the country, but the city seems more like a town, and we ended up being more comfortable here. You'd think I lived in the "Leave it to Beaver" neighborhood. It's very nice.

We pay city and county taxes and they are about $1,300 a year! And we get trash, leaf, refuse and bulk pickup, with great cops and good schools. Crazy good!

[LLuce]

hiknapster

I'm curious, how do you get 23 trees on a 1/2 acre? Are you sure it's a 1/2 acre? Where in the world is your house on it? Anyway, is Fountain City like a suburb of Knoxville or a community or what?

I have talked to my husband about the possibility of renting until we find the perfect spot unless we get lucky and it just falls in our lap when we come looking around some more in a couple weeks.

We are about an hour south of Chicago ourselves. Funny how a person can meet people from the same general area in the strangest places! I like the "Leave it to Beaver" type of neighborhood idea. I really don't want to be stuck out in the country to far. I want a country feel and not be crowded or be everybody's business ya know? , but not out real far.

My husband initially liked Kingston as we rode through in June. But then someone mentioned something about an Ash dump by the Utilities company or something causing problems out there. Plus, it's not near the mountains like I like. We like mountains and water!

[marmac]

MLS # 159376 and MLS #139460 were under $80,000 in Etowah.

I found 17 houses between $ 75,000 and $115,000 and that was just for Etowah ( I didn't check the ones under $75,000)

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by LLuce

hiknapster

I'm curious, how do you get 23 trees on a 1/2 acre? Are you sure it's a 1/2 acre? Where in the world is your house on it? Anyway, is Fountain City like a suburb of Knoxville or a community or what?

I have talked to my husband about the possibility of renting until we find the perfect spot unless we get lucky and it just falls in our lap when we come looking around some more in a couple weeks.

We are about an hour south of Chicago ourselves. Funny how a person can meet people from the same general area in the strangest places! I like the "Leave it to Beaver" type of neighborhood idea. I really don't want to be stuck out in the country to far. I want a country feel and not be crowded or be everybody's business ya know? , but not out real far.

My husband initially liked Kingston as we rode through in June. But then someone mentioned something about an Ash dump by the Utilities company or something causing problems out there. Plus, it's not near the mountains like I like. We like mountains and water!

Yes. Fountain City is one of the original suburbs of Knoxville.

Yes, there's at least 23 trees on the lot. A few have enormous trunks (the oaks!) and some are large but average and there quite a few smaller trees, such as dogwoods. Let's just say there are a lot of places to string a hammock and a lot of leaves to rake in the fall. But it is VERY cool in the summer. The squirrels run over head and don't often come down! However, there really isn't many areas to grow a garden, although I have a few that are mildly successful (barely!). We also have a horrible lawn. Mostly just dirt and a few shade-loving weeds.

JMT can attest to all of this, but I think he is on vacation!

If you don't want to see your neighbors you are going to have to have a larger lot than mine, though. There are not many secluded areas here, in Fountain City.

[knoxgarden]

Look north of Knoxville. I was in Jacksboro (Campbell County) the other day and really liked it. Small town, lots of mountains, a beautiful state park -- Cove Lake in Caryville -- and close to the interstate. LaFollette and Lake City would have some services and stores. Or head down the Interstate to Clinton. There's a Walmart right at the I-75. A few more miles will get you to Powell and the new St. Mary's hospital center and lots of stores and services.
Maynardville is also a possible but it's more suburban and being infiltrated by McMansions. And not that easy to get to other places.
I was also in dowtown Clinton for the first time in years and was really impressed. They've turned it into a nice little shopping and antiquing area with little restaurants. Reminds me of Abingdon, Va. The areas around downtown have some beautiful older homes up on the hillside.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by knoxgarden

Look north of Knoxville. I was in Jacksboro (Campbell County) the other day and really liked it. Small town, lots of mountains, a beautiful state park -- Cove Lake in Caryville -- and close to the interstate. LaFollette and Lake City would have some services and stores. Or head down the Interstate to Clinton. There's a Walmart right at the I-75. A few more miles will get you to Powell and the new St. Mary's hospital center and lots of stores and services.
Maynardville is also a possible but it's more suburban and being infiltrated by McMansions. And not that easy to get to other places.
I was also in dowtown Clinton for the first time in years and was really impressed. They've turned it into a nice little shopping and antiquing area with little restaurants. Reminds me of Abingdon, Va. The areas around downtown have some beautiful older homes up on the hillside.

Jacksboro is a good recommendation.

There's a Wal-Mart right there in Jacksboro, no need to drive all the way to Clinton. Saint Mary's has a nice hospital in La Follette, too; no need to drive all the way to Powell unless it's for services not offered in La Follette.

[LLuce]

So many places to look....so little time. Definitely more than one trip will be needed I'm afraid.

How does one determine if a particular area is what they want without actually living there? I've lived where I am practically all my life with the exception of 4 years in the Air Force in California and about a year in Missouri. There has to be a method to narrowing down, especially if there are more than a couple areas that would be in the running! All I know is that I don't want to live in a large subdivision with cookie cutter houses that seems to be the trend now days, I'm not a city person either. Some of the houses I've looked at on MLS seem to be prefab looking houses plopped down on a treeless lot with no landscaping whatsoever, or the houses are lined up like a picket fence with a stone's throw in between them.

My husband and I have always talked about our dream house being a house with stone or log ( a lot of maintenance on log I have heard) sitting on a fairly wooded lot (but not totally isolated) with a nice sunroom with a beautiful view of mountains or mountains and lake. Who wouldn't want that?? And I know there are homes out there like that but they seem to be in the $200,000 and up! We could buy property and build I suppose but then we'd have the hassle of finding a reputable builder and it would probably be just as costly as buying a $200,000 house anyway!

I guess we won't know anything until we actually get down there and start driving around again. Problem is, when I get there I won't want to come back here.

[marmac]

Originally Posted by LLuce

So many places to look....so little time. Definitely more than one trip will be needed I'm afraid.

How does one determine if a particular area is what they want without actually living there? I've lived where I am practically all my life with the exception of 4 years in the Air Force in California and about a year in Missouri. There has to be a method to narrowing down, especially if there are more than a couple areas that would be in the running! All I know is that I don't want to live in a large subdivision with cookie cutter houses that seems to be the trend now days, I'm not a city person either. Some of the houses I've looked at on MLS seem to be prefab looking houses plopped down on a treeless lot with no landscaping whatsoever, or the houses are lined up like a picket fence with a stone's throw in between them.

My husband and I have always talked about our dream house being a house with stone or log ( a lot of maintenance on log I have heard) sitting on a fairly wooded lot (but not totally isolated) with a nice sunroom with a beautiful view of mountains or mountains and lake. Who wouldn't want that?? And I know there are homes out there like that but they seem to be in the $200,000 and up! We could buy property and build I suppose but then we'd have the hassle of finding a reputable builder and it would probably be just as costly as buying a $200,000 house anyway!

I guess we won't know anything until we actually get down there and start driving around again. Problem is, when I get there I won't want to come back here.

No disrespect, but it appears your expectations and what you are willing to spend are a long way from matching.

[marmac]

I have looked at thousands of homes via the internet as I prepare for relocation.

Here is what I've learned--------if I can't find houses that meet my criteria and meet the price I am willing to pay, I have 3 choices.

1--Lower my criteria
2---Raise the price I am willing to pay
3---look elsewhere

[LLuce]

marmac I totally agree! LOL! That is our problem. LOL! However, the realization of not being able to get our "dream" all wrapped up in one happy package is disheartening.

We are also open to the idea of finding the ideal location and property that has potential. Maybe the house needs a little something... we're not against doing a little minor remodeling or face lifting to make it what we want. My husband is quite handy when it comes to that! He has torn toilets and showers out of our bathroom and put floors in and all kinds of stuff.