Gainesboro - high crime area? (Jackson, Cookeville: for sale, real estate, condominiums)

[mrs1885]

We're still looking for north TN property. We found that the one we want is 3xs as much per acre than in Gainesboro. I'd love to save 60% on what we buy, so I pulled the Gainesboro page and checked it out. It looks like the crime index data is way high.

Anyone have any info on that? I'd love to get more property for less money and sink the new-found moola into building the house! Although crime isn't a major issue, we'll be away from the house a few months out of the year and don't want to spend the entire time worried that our house is being vandalized.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

We're still looking for north TN property. We found that the one we want is 3xs as much per acre than in Gainesboro. I'd love to save 60% on what we buy, so I pulled the Gainesboro page and checked it out. It looks like the crime index data is way high.

Anyone have any info on that? I'd love to get more property for less money and sink the new-found moola into building the house! Although crime isn't a major issue, we'll be away from the house a few months out of the year and don't want to spend the entire time worried that our house is being vandalized.

Keep in mind that the crime stats for Gainesboro are somewhat skewed since it's such a tiny town (fewer than 900 people) but, being the county seat, has a lot more visitors than residents on any given day. And are you looking at property within the city limits of Gainesboro?

Jackson County has always been known as a hotbed of rugged individualists who have a deep mistrust of law enforcement. The joke used to be that marijuana was the county's number one cash crop. It might still be, who knows.

Jackson County is beautiful but is pretty run-down. You can definitely find some bargain real estate there. I wouldn't worry much about the crime. I have several friends who live there and don't even lock their doors. But if you don't plan on actually living there, it's probably not a bad idea to invest in a home security system and to really get to know your new neighbors.

I will say, however, that I wouldn't put much faith in the sheriff's department. The sheriff and four deputies were recently arrested for having sex with inmates in the county jail, and a TV station in Nashville has reported that a porno movie was shot in the courthouse in Gainesboro. (I wonder who at the TV station figured that out...)

[pdq]

Jackson county has been the poorest county for as long as I remember. It is run down and crime is very high per capita. Land and homes are cheap there for good reason. Land can be had for $1K an acre. The locals would love to sell you some so they can leave for somewhere better. If you buy enough you can sort of lock yourself away from the rest of the area. Many are doing that now in rural areas of TN.

Good luck to you.

[firepower]

If I was gonna live in Jackson County,I'd look to buy in Dodson Branch.
It's a little community on the mountain kinda all by itself on & around hwy.135 between Cookeville & Gainesboro.
Pretty area.Probably more nice newer houses there than anywhere else in J.County right now.Dodson Branch school is K-8 and has a lot better reputation than the schools in Gainesboro.
Easy drive to Cookeville.In fact a lot of people there will tell you they never even go "down" into Gainesboro except to pay their taxes once a year.

As mentioned before,due to the location/response time I would definitely get a security system that put out a loud audible alarm as well as notified the alarm company.That usually scares them off.
Crime dosen't seem to be a particular problem in that area though...

AND--just a note,the sheriff in question that JMT mentioned does live in that area.So don't go mowing the lawn in anything revealing or you might get "pulled over"


firepower

[JMT]

Originally Posted by firepower

If I was gonna live in Jackson County,I'd look to buy in Dodson Branch.
It's a little community on the mountain kinda all by itself on & around hwy.135 between Cookeville & Gainesboro.
Pretty area.Probably more nice newer houses there than anywhere else in J.County right now.Dodson Branch school is K-8 and has a lot better reputation than the schools in Gainesboro.
Easy drive to Cookeville.In fact a lot of people there will tell you they never even go "down" into Gainesboro except to pay their taxes once a year.

As mentioned before,due to the location/response time I would definitely get a security system that put out a loud audible alarm as well as notified the alarm company.That usually scares them off.
Crime dosen't seem to be a particular problem in that area though...

AND--just a note,the sheriff in question that JMT mentioned does live in that area.So don't go mowing the lawn in anything revealing or you might get "pulled over"


firepower

I forgot about the Dodson Branch area! You're right, it's like being in Jackson County but not being in Jackson County. I used to have friends in Dodson Branch (they may still be there, I don't know) and I remember that they never went to Gainesboro for anything except to pay their property taxes. Otherwise they were in Cookeville for everything else: jobs, shopping, eating out, movies, etc. It's only about 10 minutes from town.

Granville is also a neat little area of Jackson County, right there on the lake. Granville is slowly being discovered by Nashville people looking for a quiet weekend getaway. It's probably not a bad area, either.

[firepower]

Originally Posted by JMT

I forgot about the Dodson Branch area! You're right, it's like being in Jackson County but not being in Jackson County. I used to have friends in Dodson Branch (they may still be there, I don't know) and I remember that they never went to Gainesboro for anything except to pay their property taxes. Otherwise they were in Cookeville for everything else: jobs, shopping, eating out, movies, etc. It's only about 10 minutes from town.

Granville is also a neat little area of Jackson County, right there on the lake. Granville is slowly being discovered by Nashville people looking for a quiet weekend getaway. It's probably not a bad area, either.

HA! And I forgot about Granville! I love that place! Very pretty little river town.Peaceful.

You know,I think Dodson Branch & Granville are just so far removed from Gainesboro that one dosen't always even think of them being in the "Jackson County" that we always hear about...


firepower

[JMT]

Originally Posted by firepower

HA! And I forgot about Granville! I love that place! Very pretty little river town.Peaceful.

You know,I think Dodson Branch & Granville are just so far removed from Gainesboro that one dosen't always even think of them being in the "Jackson County" that we always hear about...


firepower

Yeah, I wonder how many porno movies have been made in Granville...

[firepower]

Originally Posted by JMT

Yeah, I wonder how many porno movies have been made in Granville...

[Starwalker Fallen Angel]

Do any of you live here? Just curious.

Jackson County I have found is a VERY nice place to live. I married a local feller when he lived up in Michigan. Almost 30 years ago. In 17 years here I have NEVER locked my doors. It's not locked now. You think about crime? Move to Michigan where I came from. lol. We made sure to lock them doors! And we lived in the upper middle class area.

It just seems the Jackson County I'm reading about on here is a far cry different than the Jackson County I live in.

OMG! I'd love to see the 1000.00 an acre. I'd buy up all the main properties in a heart beat. I live right on Hwy 56. 6 miles from the Putnam border. A half acre lot just sold for 25,000.00.

The Sheriff things. It doesn't concern me much. We don't have any dealings with the law. That goes on all over. He just happened to get caught. I didn't vote for him anyway. lol

The town is small. It's also the only whole town on the historical register. It won't be long before it's swallowed up by progress. It's up and coming. As for real estate prices. It averages 2000.00 an acre for the lovely hillside The flat land is 2500 to 7000.00 and acre.Depending on how flat, rolling etc it is. You MIGHT get some cheaper. That would probably be bluff property.

Everyone knows everyone. Most of the time it's nice but as a transplant I do miss the "not know you" factor. I go to Cookeville for that. I'm able to shop and go home when I'm in a hurry. Sometimes there is someone I know there. Instead of chatting all day with every resident in Jackson. lol

The State of Tennessee used to be the second on the US Government list as the most grown pot. Second only to Hawaii. idk if that has changed. I've never seen any. Never used any either.

There is a sort of competition between Jackson and Putnam Couty. I think it has to do with sports. Putnam residents hear how rough Jackson residents are. That may have been in the distant past. But I have seen no more lower class or rougher residents than I see anywhere else. All areas have there not so well to do areas. I know of a few here. I wouldn't feel ill at ease walking in the dark thru Green Acres or Cheese Town.

We do have 2 homes for sale here. Right on Hwy 56. No, we aren't moving out of J County. We have 30 acres on Flynns Creek in addition to these two places. (We turned down an offer to buy it for 65,000.00) It's the family farm.

These two for sale...One is a very large home. 3496 sq ft. 4000 with the basement. The other is a 4 BR modular next to it. Almost 1700 sq ft. Right next to a church and my neighbor across the street is a Deputy Sheriff in Overton County. They just built a huge home. Hwy 56 road expansion starts Spring 2008. The property prices in this area are going to jump. Development is inevitable. We've already had inquiries from Taco Bell and Right Aide.

It's nice to meet everyone. Whether you are in Putnam, Jackson or anywhere else. I really love shopping in Cookeville. I visit Sparta and Livingston sometimes. As well as other small towns. I really have found no crime like you would in Nashville, Detroit or any big city. People are nice, polite and welcome you in any community, county etc. And they still stop to help when you have car trouble. Total strangers wave when passing on the street. I'll never leave....

Dodson Branch and Granville are QUIET. If you want to have a long drive to civilization. Me being a Yankee, I do like human interaction at times. lol My inlaws live in Granville. I go into town quite a bit. The bank, pay bills, the drug store, grocery store, hardware. idk where anyone would think it's a bad place. It's quiet. No, the buildings aren't all new. But they are all kept up and clean. They can't change much because it's historical properties. And idk anywhere else the store will keep a tab like the old days. I call in an order. Send my son to pick up items and pay the bill on Friday when I can't get away to get things myself. I care for my elderly dad. The best word I can come up with is "rumors". We do need a new Sheriff tho. ah dang. The next crook will get in anyway. Isn't that the way it goes all over?

[Starwalker Fallen Angel]

I did forget to say something about being the poorest town. The tax base is LOW. On the 30 acres we own we pay 55.00 a year in taxes. If we lived in Cookeville or any other main town...That would be remarkably higher.

I also forgot we own another property here. A house with 10 acres. We bought it for my son. That tax base is 125.00 per yr. The house we live in is 250.00 a year for 4 br, jacuzzi bath and all amenities. I think I want it to stay the same. I don't need to get a second job just for taxes.

Here's a residential search...
MLS Property Search Results from First Realty Company, Cookeville

Search Results from First Realty Company, Cookeville

And here's a property search. (land)
MLS Property Search Results from First Realty Company, Cookeville
I think you will not see 1000.00 acre anywhere.

All of Jackson County...

38562 Homes, Real Estate, Condominiums & More - REALTOR.com
The first couple of listings on this search show apprx 1500.00 an acre. That road is a lot of steep hillside. I know this road and those property plots. There MAY be enough room of useable land to build a house or place a mobile home. What I call a realtors lovely description as beautiful mountain views Basically a tiny spot to build and ravine.