Townsend (Knoxville, Maryville, Pigeon Forge: motels, house, buying)

[crossvibe]

cool, thx guys ... and good luck!

[Dave_n_Tenn]

I went to the log home Sun. It's on Anaole Pass in Kinzel Springs.

Here is my observations........ (home was locked up) had to look thru windows

*It's built down in a hollar..... not good when it rains, and it rain a lot in E Tn.
*Guess where they put the septic tank? at the bottowm of the gravel drive.
*The cabin is close to 321... main road into Townsend.... and you can hear all the traffic. Not a good choice for location.... especially with all the motorcycles these days.
* Home is attractive... and uses "bark" shingles/siding on the upper sections on the house.
*standing-seam metal roof
* Very rustic looking, and the front door is a bit too rustic, looks like a barn door.
* Has screen room... but small... and the outdoor deck in back is very small.
*Construction is generally good... kitchen is attractive
* Has outdoor fireplace with brick pavers as patio... nice sitting area.
* Very densely treed... near the cabin.
* It's not landscaped ... other than big piles of mulch.
* uses a flag stone walk-way, not tightly spaced and sits on top of ground... so... tripping hazard. Like playing hop-scotch up to the cabin.

I'd rate it on a 1-5 scale... >3

If I were still in the market... I would not buy this cabin to live in (for me) ... because:


Poor Location
No Mtn view or water view (as in stream/creek/lake)
Gravel drive to steep, would need 4WD when raining
Location of drain field/septic system. To much run-off on drain field
Loud traffic noise from highway 321
Last lot in subdivision
poor on site parking

Things I liked

construction quaility
dual zone A/C units
modern kitchen
rustic look
outdoor fire place
lots of mature hardwood trees
private

Things I would have done different (for me)

Larger screen room and back deck
better landscaping
different front door
bigger rooms
outdoor hot tub
better/more parking

I was there about 1/2 hour... and I have some pictures.

[crossvibe]

Wow, great observations, eagle eye! So will sell if we win, seeing its already well advertised. Love to see the pics you took ...

[Dave_n_Tenn]

There is also Saddle Ridge (subdivision)... which is in Walland on E. Millers Cove Rd. I liked it a lot... but the wife wanted paved roads.

All the property/lots are 5 acres or larger. Some with Mountain views. It is gated... but the original owners are local folk who are very nice people. I could live there in a heart beat. Has a nice lake and common area... roads are well maintained and the HOA fee is low (not sure how much).

[rubydoodle]

Hi, I live in Townsend full time. The population for the town is small, but a lot of the neighborhoods are not in the town limits. We are still a small area, but not as small as the statistics... We retired here and love it. We have lived here full time for a little over two years. It is a lot less expensive to live in Tennessee. We pay a higher sales tax, but have lower car insurance, no state income tax, and no vehicle property tax. We love being about twenty minutes from Maryville, 45 minutes from Knoxville, 25 minutes from Pigeon Forge, two hours from Cherokee, two hours from Chatanooga. We usually go to Maryville or Pigeon Forge once a week. Townsend has a dentist, but no doctors. We go to Maryville for medical attention and the local dentist. My husband loves the fly fishing in the park, and if you live golf, Laurel Valley has a nice, public golf course. We love the paved bike/walking trails through town. You can even go under the road to circle the area. I think it is a 10 mile ride or so if you complete the circle. The IGA has a deli, as well as groceries. We have some good restaurants with tourist-geared prices. You can also get inexpensive fast food at the Burger Master and Parkway Grocery/Phillips 66. The new Heritage Center is a great place and has a wonderful outdoor summer concert series that is free to all members. You get a good look at the history of the area there and the great concerts. I think there were six this summer. I also think a family membership is only $25. You can go to their website and check it out. The beauty of our area is the lure. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park borders Townsend and offers incredible beauty and entertainment (picnics, fishing, swimming, hikes, riding around Cades Cove to see the beauty and wildlife).

[MtnMist]

Hi!

Many thanks to you and to Dave such great Townsend info. I've been trying to find more indepth info on the local subdivisions (Townsend and Walland area) but I've found very few online. Saddle Ridge, Kinzel Springs and Laurel Valley, with not a lot of info on them, although I was able to request a Kinzel Springs packet. Developers aren't too keen on posting price info. They'd rather get you on the locale and loving it before they lower the pricetag boom on you.

Here at the jersey shore our tourist population is doing its annual September dwindle, to only weekend visitors.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

There is a new "condo' development going in... for those folks in the area who enjoy the treasure they've found in Townsend but maybe can't take care of a house.

[rubydoodle]

Moderator cut: link not allowed Laurel Valley is the neighborhood with the golf course and lots of wildlife. The annual association fee for Laurel Valley is $500 which pays for road maintenance, guard from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., and trash compactor service.

One more thing. Do you have GoogleEarth? If not, you should download it. It is a great tool for looking at an area. You can look up the address and actually see the area, its elevation, and things near it. It is wonderful!

[terriers07]

what sort of stores and such could townsend use? i realize it is a small town but i am looking to open up a buisness there but not sure what the town really needs (for either people in town, tourists, or both).

[Beretta]

Originally Posted by terriers07

what sort of stores and such could townsend use? i realize it is a small town but i am looking to open up a buisness there but not sure what the town really needs (for either people in town, tourists, or both).

Terriers, have you visited the area? What things/stores do you like/use where you are? Compare with the area here.