Looking to Retire in Maryville (Knoxville: environment, estate, trip)

[mrscagey]

Hello folks:
My husband and I have settled on eastern TN for retirement in about 10 years. We have done alot of research through Where To Retire magazine and various other sources and Maryville comes out at the top of the list. We checked out the Watts Bar Lake area last summer and the Douglas/Cherokee lake area the summer before that but property was too expensive at each. We are planning a visit to Maryville the first weekend of April to look at property - especially with mountain views. Any info, insights, thoughts you care to share on being a northerner retiring to the Maryville area, good & bad areas and/or subdivisions to consider, healthcare services, etc. would be great. Thanks!

[gemkeeper]

Welcome, mrscagey!

Although I do not yet live in Tennessee, I will soon - very soon, I hope.

Until everyone is up and about again tomorrow, I may be of a little help. I turn the lights out here many nights.

There have been many, many threads and posts concerning Maryville itself, its school system, cost of living, shopping, etc.

If you can be quite specific in your questions it is easier to help you with information. Also, it is a great idea to visit - not just once, but many times before making such a life altering decision. A few trips to Maryville at different times of the year is an excellent idea.

In the meantime while waiting for locals to respond, you can do a search of discussions of Maryville by going to the "Search" option at the top of the page. Click on "Search" and enter "Maryville". You will find enough information to keep you busy for at least a week!

I hope that you find a place that you find is just right for you, whether it is Maryville or some other E TN town or city. Maryville may be one of the more expensive places to live in the Knoxville area, but it is also one of the most sought after.

We have all learned not to rely toooo heavily on publications promoting one area or another. The places change almost as fast as you can switch your hat. They might give you a point of reference, but they are not always the best indicator of where to live.

Think of your interests, hobbies, shopping and medical needs, how close you wish to be to a city environment, major airports, etc. There are so many things to take into account when looking for a place to retire. Have some questions ready and I am sure you will find plenty of friendly answers from local folks and from the posts already on City-Data.

Best wishes to you and your husband.

[Suzanne1945]

Although we are not yet permanent residents, we are thrilled to be leaving 'down South' for the open, scenic beauty throughout East TN.

GEM has thoroughly summarized the 'how's, what to consider' when making a move for retirement. You mention 10 years, your best decision made today could be your worst nightmare in 10 years. Areas change and sometimes the change is not positive.

We have found many folks from our area who have made the leap to TN and say they have never looked back. We, too, feel this is the right decision for us. We will be retiring to TN within a year and have purchased our retirement pad.

How we did that--by making at least one trip during each of the four seasons. Make sure you know how a property will fare during the rainy season or even just a rainy day.

Unless you already have relatiives and/or friends in the area, be certain your interests are able to be duplicated whereever you choose. It will take some time to find your way around the area. The area around Maryville that we chose was suggested to us by a friend (who lives in the mountains) after listening to our shopping, medical and leisure likes and dislikes. The result--we are not mountain-type folk. Beautiful to visit, but not our cup-of-tea for everyday adventures. However, we have fallen in love with the Chilhowee 'view' areas.

Good luck with your search.

[46Barb]

Does Chilhowee 'view' mean you live in Maryville or in a town called Chilhowee?

[Suzanne1945]

Originally Posted by 46Barb

Does Chilhowee 'view' mean you live in Maryville or in a town called Chilhowee?

Chilhowee view is area 289 on the MLS site. We are in the county, not the city of Maryville.

[Pres]

Originally Posted by Suzanne1945

Chilhowee view is area 289 on the MLS site. We are in the county, not the city of Maryville.

At the risk of presenting a stupid question, may I ask what you mean by area 289 on the MLS site?

[SmokyMtnGal]

Originally Posted by Pres

At the risk of presenting a stupid question, may I ask what you mean by area 289 on the MLS site?

I hope this comes through. Click on the link and highlight/select area 289, Chilhowee View. Search Details

[Pres]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

I hope this comes through. Click on the link and highlight/select area 289, Chilhowee View. Search Details

Very well done SMG, and thank you so very much.

[J&Em]

We've found a place in the same area that Suzanne described for probably very similar reasons. As soon as we sell our current abode we will be racing to stay full time.

We both love visiting the mountains, we like hiking in them and driving through them and we love seeing them from every south facing window of our new home but we did not want to live in them. Of all the places we have looked in for retiring it was Maryville that fit so many of our needs and wants. We too have settled on the Chilhowee View area. Give it time and do try to come at least once per season if you can. You may be as smitten as we were or you may find it isn't what you thought.

[mrscagey]

Thanks everyone for replying and giving us ideas. We agree with the folks about not 'living' in the mountains but wanting to enjoy them. However we really would like to find a lot that offers nice mountain views. We're going to spend time looking in the areas below - but if anyone would like to share their thoughts on these areas/subdivisions we would love to hear from you!
Walland Gap
Majestic Mountains
Thunderhead Mountain Vista
Candlewood
River Run
Highland Springs
Chestnut Estates (Walland)
Peppermint Hills
Little Mountain
Beech Grove
Creekside
Mint Meadows
Property on Little Best Road
Property off of Blockhouse Rd around Sam James Rd.

Thanks so much!