Thoughts on buying a second home in Pigeon Forge? (Knoxville: for sale, foreclosures) - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum

emelvee · 02-05-2013, 12:49 PM

We live in Winston-Salem, NC. We have a second home in a rural area northeast of Raleigh, NC. I am considering selling that home and purchasing a home in the Pigeon Forge area; that home would also be a second home.

While I envision it as a weekend getaway type of place, it needs to be close enough to services and large enough to be able to serve as a full-time residence. In a worst-case scenario (such as losing my job), we would likely sell our primary home and live in the second home for lower overhead - this happened a few years back (moved to our second home for about two years, waiting for a new job). I do accounting for a living, so it's not all that likely for this scenario to come up again (previous employer went bankrupt), but I like to have options just in case.

Can anyone speak of the market in Pigeon Forge? We prefer a cabin-style (lots of wood - siding, floors, ceilings, walls) home. Probably two bedrooms plus a loft (a lot of cabins in the area are listed as 2 BR, but are more accurately 1 BR plus a loft). My goal is to stay under $150k; I'm open to foreclosures and short sales. I've also thought about renting the place out when we're not there, though my wife might not be too keen on that idea - she prefers something that feels more like it's hers; having strangers stay there would make it feel less so.

We've only been to the area a few times but have enjoyed our time there. I thought of Pigeon Forge because it's fairly practical for a weekend getaway (about 4 hours from Winston-Salem) and definitely feels like we are "getting away." Our current place outside of Raleigh doesn't feel as much like a getaway. My main hesitation is probably that PF is perhaps not as convenient to a larger city as our current second home.

Any suggestions and comments are welcome.

oldmanbob · 02-05-2013, 04:10 PM

Pigeon Forge is known for tons of tourists and hard place to get around, especially when different car shows and events are scheduled and as long as your good with that, then several places to select. You would probably have no problem in renting it out, due to all the jobs and such, so that would be a good way to even rent on short term basis. As far as convenience, Knoxville is only a short 30 to 45 minute drive away. Good luck and happy hunting!

emelvee · 02-05-2013, 05:30 PM

Thanks!

I do like Knoxville - we looked into moving there, but didn't find work there. My wife likes Chattanooga better.

The traffic in Pigeon Forge is definitely insane at times...we would schedule our trips to avoid the worst times and dates.

Barking Spider · 02-05-2013, 05:42 PM

"..we would schedule our trips to avoid the worst times and dates."
You mean like Holidays, all summer, Christmas time and when car shows, etc are in town? Sorry, could not resist.
I quit advertising in Seveir County because of the traffic issues. The drive from Knoxville to PF and Gatlinburg can be anywhere from 45 minutes to over 3 hours. Yes, three hours...I went to a wedding in The Park and it took us 40 minutes to get to offramp at I-40, and 2 hours and 20 minutes to get to the Park.
I once did an inspection in Gatlinburg when the rod run was going on and it took me over 2 1/2 hours to drive from I-40 to edge of Gatlinburg.

Make sure if you buy something there to get it inspected by an experienced home inspector. There are a lot of issues with some of the cabins built there.

emelvee · 02-05-2013, 05:55 PM

Actually, we wouldn't be using it for holidays at least. We got stuck in traffic one trip; I couldn't figure out where so many people came from, and why they came. Didn't know about car shows being a draw.

Barking Spider · 02-05-2013, 07:23 PM

The rod run is wall to wall car show all along the highway, with tons more riding up and down the road looking and being looked at. Zillions of rat rods.

NJDevil · 02-06-2013, 05:44 AM

rat rods....hilarious. You may want to look at Sevier County as a whole. I don't know if it makes a difference to you whether or not the home is isolated (as a lot of cabins seem to be) or if you have neighbors close by to check on things. If the home is all wood I would worry about termites so I'd want to make sure it's inspected extremely well. There are a lot of scam artists and unprofessionals so try to find quality companies (ex. angieslist).

emelvee · 02-06-2013, 06:07 AM

Thanks for the tips. We'll definitely do a lot of research before deciding if we want to proceed.

MrsMopar · 02-06-2013, 06:18 AM

Like all have said, traffic issues are going to be your number one issue. Sorry to say.

The Rod Run happens twice a year; in the spring and in the fall. To say the traffic is crazy is an understatement!

However, I personally enjoy visiting the Rod Run. We really enjoy old muscle cars (hence my name!) and the walk is good for us up the Parkway and back.

If you are seriously considering the area, might I suggest outside of Pigeon Forge. If you are looking for something rustic, yet not too far from the busy scene of PF/Sevierville, there are several areas you could look at. First, off of Chapman Highway, between Sevierville and Seymour. There are several roads that go back and up into the mountains. Also, Boyd's Creek area. There are areas there that offer more rustic style homes and your are close to Seymour as well as 15 minutes to the Parkway/66 to go into town. You could find something off of Douglas Dam Road (St. Rt. 139) that goes between Sevierville and Dandridge, but you would be away from any eminities you mention. Not much in Dandridge, but it is beautiful and there is a WalMart in Jefferson City.

Living here is not everyone's cup of tea, as evident by the posts, but we love it. We live in northern Sevier County, away from the hustle and bustle. We still deal with traffic, that's for sure, but we are close to both Sevierville/PF/Gatlinburg and close enough to Knoxville to work and enjoy all that fine city has to offer.

My suggestion is to call an realtor who is experienced in the Sevier County area. There are several, I am happy to recommend one that has lived here her whole life. Just PM me if you are interested.

Like NJDevil suggested, be careful who you call. There are just as many scam artists here as anywhere, and the one's who like to prey on unsuspecting out-of-towners sadly do exist. Angieslist is a great place to start!

And for the record, being that I live here, there is only a tiny window of time where there aren't any tourists here...like the end of January. That's about it. There's always something going on here, whether it's a church gathering, a car show, a convention, etc. Traffic is an everyday issue; don't be fooled into thinking there is an "off" season. That's just the way the cabin rental companies try to make it seem!
I wish you the best on your decision, I know it's a tough one. Happy house hunting!

hiknapster · 02-06-2013, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldmanbob

Pigeon Forge is known for tons of tourists and hard place to get around, especially when different car shows and events are scheduled and as long as your good with that, then several places to select. You would probably have no problem in renting it out, due to all the jobs and such, so that would be a good way to even rent on short term basis. As far as convenience, Knoxville is only a short 30 to 45 minute drive away. Good luck and happy hunting!

Sevier County is teeming with rentals. Get in line. And you'll need to find a reputable company to manage it; someone that won't take your money and will actually take care of the rental. I've known many a person with delusions of making money on rentals only to find that they can barely find anyone to rent it and when they do they often ruin the place, steal, etc.

I'd go with Mrs. Mopar's suggestion for an agent that knows the area and is reputable. There are many, many of these cabins for sale and for a reason.