Relocating to Crossville TN (Knoxville, Cookeville: for sale, rentals, mortgage)

[Rcm58]

Just sharing experience here. I finished high school here and have fond memories of finishing up the later 70's.
I have been back since June 2010. The only drawbacks I've run into is the lack of rentals vs the number of people looking to relocate, not saying this is a boom town its not. Many many homes and land are listed for sale here, from farms and mountain top homes to resort homes with all the amenities., whats missing is the lack of a place to stay thats on par with where your from and thats in tune with the housing market. If you are ready to buy for example a house in the 100K range your mortgage would range from $400 to $700 a month depending on the term and financial institution you choose to finance your home, but a rental as few as there are would run a minimum of $850 on that type of home if you can even find one for rent. I was lucky to have the time to search when I got here, looked through countless roach infested dirty homes. Not much has changed since the 70's. Its like moving to the Bahamas and leaving the resort areas to search.
I would spend the money to come, look around, choose a location your comfortable with and narrow it down first. Some of what you'll see here is approaching 3rd world country. Some is 2nd to none. If you can't handle Bad internet, 2nd rate phone service and TV choices your doomed. Pick a home and pay $500,000 guess what, tv is out off and on, so is your high speed internet. Its life here. Choices are slim just like South America but it doesn't bother me, its just an excuse to go do something else.
There are plenty of things to do in the resorts, lakes every where and unlike any other upscale places in the US i've been too, no one from crossville is going to jog on your path, no one is going to be out playing golf or tennis or swimming for that matter. Its an oddity.

[Rcm58]

To avoid frustration, get your car fixed elsewhere, get surgery done elsewhere, go to Crossville for groceries if you need to, Cookeville on Knoxville are close by for that matter. When driving anywhere know that even though the person in front of you has lived here all their life, they will not remember where the turn is that they need to take.
All resorts are not created equal, hoa's are only as good as those enforcing the rules. Fairfield is top notch with the exception of their mobile home community, Tansi #2, Renegade Mountain is a cool looking failed community where you better get more locks on your doors. Deer Run is a nice Gated RV resort that is very friendly and on the ball. Cumberland Retreat.....Yikes!, Very Scarey. Some outlying areas have nice secitions, Pleasant Hill has its moments as do other areas. If you see an ad with Browntown, Neverfail ummmmm.....just don't say I didn't warn you.

[Rcm58]

For those from areas where Septic is not an option, its a neat feature for people that will maintain them, cheap and all. some of these people though have been drinking their own raw sewage for decades through their wells that may be only 80 or 90 feet deep. Failed field lines, cracked tanks etc. I know they look like us its just worth checking into.

[2mares]

Rcm

Are you having a bad day?

[jguillot]

It is very rare to see a thread with so much negativity about the Crossville area.

[Worldly]

Originally Posted by jguillot

It is very rare to see a thread with so much negativity about the Crossville area.

I agree. But, in reality, I believe the OP was trying to be helpful, and he was forewarning us of a few surprises that he found, and others may not be aware of.

In all honesty, as a future resident of Crossville, if the only things I must worry about are:

1. Housing diversity (a broad mixture of poor, moderate, and high-value homes available for rent or purchase)

2. Internet connectivity that may be a bit slower than I'm used to, or may have occasional outages

3. Television cable alternatives that may NOT rival large-city choices (but, my satellite dish has an unobstructed view of the southern sky, and I can get 250+ channels, if I want to pay the premium price)

4. Rental-property prices that seem high to some, but are still a bargain compared to many metropolitan areas in the USA

....then I'll accelerate my plans, and move to E. Tennessee next month, as opposed to waiting until Spring 2012! LOL!

I believe most who are considering relocation understand that Crossville is not utopia, and has a few downsides, but the pros still outweigh the cons by a long-shot!

Certainly, the Crossville lifestyle and available amenities (or lack, thereof) will not appeal to a lot of folks, but for many, including myself, it is a very appealing and desirable place to live!

[jguillot]

Originally Posted by Worldly

I agree. But, in reality, I believe the OP was trying to be helpful, and he was forewarning us of a few surprises that he found, and others may not be aware of.

In all honesty, as a future resident of Crossville, if the only things I must worry about are:

1. Housing diversity (a broad mixture of poor, moderate, and high-value homes available for rent or purchase)

2. Internet connectivity that may be a bit slower than I'm used to, or may have occasional outages

3. Television cable alternatives that may NOT rival large-city choices (but, my satellite dish has an unobstructed view of the southern sky, and I can get 250+ channels, if I want to pay the premium price)

4. Rental-property prices that seem high to some, but are still a bargain compared to many metropolitan areas in the USA

....then I'll accelerate my plans, and move to E. Tennessee next month, as opposed to waiting until Spring 2012! LOL!

I believe most who are considering relocation understand that Crossville is not utopia, and has a few downsides, but the pros still outweigh the cons by a long-shot!

Certainly, the Crossville lifestyle and available amenities (or lack, thereof) will not appeal to a lot of folks, but for many, including myself, it is a very appealing and desirable place to live!

I agree with you. The pros do far outweigh the cons. My best wishes to you. Let us know how the move goes.

[brighteyes818]

Bad Tv connection, bad internet,, be careful where you live...

That or 87 inches of snow.... oh my! it's so hard to decide,,

I actually dread every minute of cold and snow....

[IndigoLight]

I think it's all about doing research BEFORE moving to the area (any area) and adjusting expectations accordingly

[grisabel]

I've been in FFG 2 yrs and I still feel like I'm on vacation. People act like they are on a resort...friendly and relaxed.