Thinking seriously about relocating to Knoxville and could use some advice (mortgage, refinance)

[CrosbyStills]

Has anyone mentioned Farragut and/or the Concord area?

[Kamen_Rider]

thanks to everyone who has sent a PM. I'll respond when I can.



Some good points made and lots to think about.



Thank you.

[Kamen_Rider]

Thank you to the people who've sent PM's suggesting I check out Cookeville, that actually looks very much like what I'm looking for.



Knoxville looks very interesting but as I've been digging deeper into it it does seem to have a higher than average amount of crime, which is discouraging.



I will check further into Farragut, Cookeville, and Murfreeboro as has been recommended in PM's.



Thanks.

[TheShadow]

Crime can be very localized. Good neighborhoods vs. bad neighborhoods. It's pretty obvious when you drive through if there's pride of ownership, and the properties are well-maintained, then the crime in that local area is usually pretty low. If you see folks loitering down by the corner, and yards are not maintained, pit bulls everywhere with chain link fences = probably more crime.

The key is to visit the areas of interest and see if that is the kind of place you were hoping for. Spend more than a couple days there, and live like a local to see: How far is shopping? How far are the services you need? How far to activities you want to do? Is there a church or local service group that you participate in? What are the local people like? Can you get around with your preferred mode of transportation, meaning if you want to walk to the store, is that do-able? If you want to ride your bike on the roads, is that safe? How present is law enforcement? How far is to the school? Will your kids ride a bus, or will you have to drive them to school? Are there parks, or swimming pools, or golf, or whatever activities you want? It takes more than just online research to select a future home. Lots of people make big, expensive mistakes.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Kamen_Rider

Thank you to the people who've sent PM's suggesting I check out Cookeville, that actually looks very much like what I'm looking for.



Knoxville looks very interesting but as I've been digging deeper into it it does seem to have a higher than average amount of crime, which is discouraging.



I will check further into Farragut, Cookeville, and Murfreeboro as has been recommended in PM's.



Thanks.

Just so you know, real estate is relatively expensive in Farragut. You can go to Realtor.com and look for yourself but the median listing price in Farragut is $660,000 and the median sold price is $550,000. HOA fees can run to $150/mo.


https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...ut_TN/overview

My area of West Knoxville to the south of Farragut is very low crime. High crime in Knoxville is centered around downtown. As you radiate away from downtown, crime falls off.

Farragut, much of West Knoxville, Hardin Valley, Karns, and Powell are all low to moderate crime. It is not prudent to rule out those areas by perceived crime alone. You may not like those areas for other reasons, but crime is not a reason to avoid the areas I listed.

Anything in West Knoxville west of Interstate 140, which is called the "Pellissippi Parkway", is pretty safe. I consider all of the following zip codes in Knoxville to be quite safe.

37934 Farragut/Concord $$$
37919 Sequoyah Hills $$$$/ Woodland Acres
37922 Northshore $$$
37932 Hardin Valley
37931 Karns
37849 Powell

[NearFantastica]

Knoxville is not some conservative city. It's becoming an attractive place for hipsters and other alternative people, lots of millennials and Gen Z are flocking there for affordable rents, nice downtown urban vibe, and a growing music scene. It's definitely one of the best cities in the South. If it stays affordable I might consider it for possible relocation someday.

[Igor Blevin]

Affordability is inversely related to desirability. Cities just get more expensive as they become popular. I have only been in Knoxville little over a year, but my guess is that anyone on the forum who has been here 10 or 20 years can attest to that trend. I guess "stay affordable" is a relative term.

I came from Sacramento and Knoxville is still affordable to me. It is all relative.

[CrosbyStills]

Originally Posted by NearFantastica

Knoxville is not some conservative city. It's becoming an attractive place for hipsters and other alternative people, lots of millennials and Gen Z are flocking there for affordable rents, nice downtown urban vibe, and a growing music scene. It's definitely one of the best cities in the South. If it stays affordable I might consider it for possible relocation someday.

And yet Knoxville is served by tradesman, and surrounded by large farms and farmers, who are all generally conservative. Many of the people coming into Knoxville to spend their money there (Tennessee Theater, Gay St., Market Square, Etc.) are conservatives. Many (dare I say Most) of the outlying areas are being filled up with conservative refugees from bluer states. Do not be fooled. There are elements of each, but Knoxville is still solidly in "the buckle of the Bible Belt."

[Ehrmantraut]

Originally Posted by shinestx

Knoxville is one of the future boomtowns in the USA. I realize most people who know Knoxville and live there already don't want to hear that, but it seems inevitbable. The city is clean and has a highly educated workforce and it's NOT Nashville, but has a lot of what makes Nashville so appealing. The natural beauty is breathtaking, and I can't think of another city its size in the eastern part of the country that rivals it. The economy is thriving and the schools are outstanding (with some lower level pockets).

Oh I'm from here and love it. My house has doubled in value in 5 years.

I called this about a decade ago... "The Nashville Trickle" that would inevitably head toward Knoxville. The secret is out, it's not cheap to live here anymore. 10 years ago $200,000 would get you a really nice house in West Knoxville. Now, minimum $400-500k.

[hindsight2020]

No free lunch. Google tragedy of the commons. We saw that here in Central TX. Most oxymoronic migration dynamic I've ever witnessed.