Looking for a house/wooded acreage and .... waterfall! (Cookeville: 2014, refinance)

[RBohach]

Well, that's pretty specific isn't it? But then, we are looking in the whole state after all so maybe it is possible, right? What we have now is a creek running through the center of our 58 acres. It is beautiful but we are in IL where the taxes are killing us.

We are retired and finding it hard to live here comfortably with the cost of living being one of the highest of the states. We want acreage/wooded. For fun, I garden - husband hunts and we both love to cook. We don't need/want close neighbors but would like to be within 15 minutes of a town for shopping (Walmart?)
Once we sell our property here, we will start looking seriously. In the meantime, we are cruising the internet for possibilities.

Right now it is snowing here. We are so sick of 6 months of winter but would always want four seasons. And yes, I would really love a waterfall, but that is a dream.

[2mares]

It is snowing here too. Tennessee is a big state. There are lots of rural wooded areas. I suggest you first narrow your search to a town or towns with a walmart then find a realtor that specializes in acreage and go from there. It is not impossible to find property with a small waterfall if that is your priority.

[RBohach]

Not impossible to find a small waterfall? REALLY?????? That would certainly be a plus but just a pond or creek would do as long as the acreage is secluded with lots of trees. Right now we have two prospective buyers for part of our acreage (we are selling 39 acres separate from the 18 acres the house sits on.) Not knowing how long it will take to sell this property is difficult since we are thinking of a move that is 8-10 hours away. We have two large labs that would have to come with us for our search. (Yes, I know -- that sounds strange but there simply is no one to leave them with )

So, the internet for now is our tool for the search. It is strange though that we get VERY slow responses from Realtors when we ask questions about a property. Maybe things just move slower in the south or maybe they just aren't that interested in someone who hasn't yet sold their property.

[Sigequinox]

I can't imagine many individual realtors cover the entire state. You will probably get more traction when you can narrow down to a region.

I would imagine some people on here must have an idea of parts of the state that are more likely to have lots that large.

[An Einnseanair]

Here are some important questions... what do you consider to be a "waterfall"? I'm from Mississippi, so any water dropping far enough to create sound was considered a "waterfall". Are you talking a drop of a few feet, a drop big enough you can hide behind the water, or are you talking drop of dozens or more feet? Do you want a vertical drop, or would a stepped rapid (still considered a "waterfall") also work?

What about duration? Wet-weather waterfalls (those that run only after rainfall) are quite plentiful. Those that run run much of the time but are dry during some of the year still reasonable. Those that run full-time require a full-time stream to feed it. A lot with access to a dependable water source raises the cost considerably.

Anyway, your best bets for reasonably priced land with the possibility of a waterfall would be near a small town a long way from a large city. So the east-central to eastern part of the state, avoiding the flatter area in the TN river valley.

And not to talk you away from our fair state, but if your retirement income consists of interest income from investments, be aware that TN taxes such income (Hall Tax). North-east Georgia also has mountains, streams and waterfalls, but has a much friendlier tax structure as far as retirees are concerned.

[RBohach]

Ha! My husband showed me a listing that had what he considered a 'waterfall'. I considered it 'rapids' and we have a very large creek here that has several areas with rapids. To me, a waterfall is a stream that has water falling off a cliff --- doesn't have to be higher than 10 feet, but the water falls. We haven't really looked into the mountainous regions of TN yet and probably should do that. We would like at least 15 acres and our price range is up to $225,000. We are in the middle of nowhere now - 20 minutes from the nearest grocery store and are fine with that. In fact, we love the solitude out here.

[2mares]

Originally Posted by RBohach

Not impossible to find a small waterfall? REALLY?????? That would certainly be a plus but just a pond or creek would do as long as the acreage is secluded with lots of trees. Right now we have two prospective buyers for part of our acreage (we are selling 39 acres separate from the 18 acres the house sits on.) Not knowing how long it will take to sell this property is difficult since we are thinking of a move that is 8-10 hours away. We have two large labs that would have to come with us for our search. (Yes, I know -- that sounds strange but there simply is no one to leave them with )

So, the internet for now is our tool for the search. It is strange though that we get VERY slow responses from Realtors when we ask questions about a property. Maybe things just move slower in the south or maybe they just aren't that interested in someone who hasn't yet sold their property.

At least on the Highland rim/Cumberland plateau its not impossible. There are creeks and intermittent streams everywhere. In many areas the topography allows for small waterfalls.

For many realtors this is a second job so some are not all that motivated. Also banks aren't interested in loaning money for land. When I refinanced my place having 42 acres was a negative. I almost had to split 5 acres and house from the other property to get a bank to talk to me. And yes, definitely things move slower in the south.

Check for doggie daycares. I know in Cookeville there are boarding facilities that will pick your dogs up and care for them during the day.

[An Einnseanair]

Originally Posted by 2mares

... Also banks aren't interested in loaning money for land. When I refinanced my place having 42 acres was a negative. I almost had to split 5 acres and house from the other property to get a bank to talk to me...

As long as you're talking about land not within city limits, check out lenders who specialize in working with farmers and other ag-related businesses. I have some land financed through Farm Credit (future dream home location) at very reasonable rates for a 20-year term. Ag-America is another one.

[creeksitter]

Your best bet for a waterfall will be along the west and east rim of the cumberland plateau. Get a delorme topo map for an idea of surrounding towns. Most of the waterfalls in the smokies will either be on federal land or VERY expensive acreage.

I'm thinking the wal*mart is going to be more of the problem. More likely to be within 15 minutes of a dollar general - they are springing up everywhere. A W*M could be further away.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

Your best bet for a waterfall will be along the west and east rim of the cumberland plateau. Get a delorme topo map for an idea of surrounding towns. Most of the waterfalls in the smokies will either be on federal land or VERY expensive acreage.

I'm thinking the wal*mart is going to be more of the problem. More likely to be within 15 minutes of a dollar general - they are springing up everywhere. A W*M could be further away.

Actually, not anymore.

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