Please help with narrowing down a property search area (Knoxville: real estate, houses)

[IndigoLight]

We're going to TN next month in hopes to find our next home.
We're looking for a small house with a few acres of land (2+). Plan is to have a garden, a small orchard and chickens, so rural or semi-rural area that has low or no restrictions would be perfect.
After several months of research we decided to stay east of Nashville, so the areas we're considering (because we found the houses we liked on-line) are: Clinton, Norris, La Follette, Tazwell/New Tazwell, Jamestown, Crossville, Monterey, Sparta, Wartburg, Smithville, Oneida, Jacksboro, and Altamont (almost ready to scratch the last one off of the list after reading forum ).

If you're familiar with any (or all) of the areas please tell me which one would you prefer (or avoid) and why.

Shopping malls, schools, dining out, work, etc. are not an issue.

If you are a realtor or know of a good realtor in any of these areas, please DM me with info. I called and left messages several times, very few called back. I remember reading on this forum that this is typical and life in TN is just more laid back. I am all for it, but I also need to plan my week in TN to be productive, so I would love to have some appointments set up ahead of time, if possible.

I am posting in the main TN forum because we're all over the place at this point. Please help me narrow our search down. We'll be in TN for a week, so theoretically we have time to visit all of the areas if you tell me that they are all worth visiting.

And last but not least, I cannot thank you all enough for the enormous amount of information this forum provides

[sassykat&joe]

Many of the towns you name are not all that far apart. The trick is to map it all out in a circle so you don't have to backtrack a lot. Our place is up around Jacksboro-LaFollette. We are out the valley highway in the middle of farmland over the line to Claiborne county, but it only takes a few minutes to get to town, and less than an hour to be in Knoxville. There is also Harrogate, which you haven't mentioned. Oneida and Jamestown are nearby but up on the cumberland plateau, so it takes a while to get anywhere. Norris and Clinton are close to the interstate. Tazewell-NewTazewell... ummm... Tazewell is the Claiborne county seat, but I find it less exciting than LaFollette and its pretty far from the big city. Hmmm... none of these towns are real exciting, but that's part of why I like them. Those are the towns I've been in from your list. A lot depends on what you would miss if it wasn't close by.

One thing I discovered when we were doing real estate research online - the local realtors don't much take to the net and they're not real excited by email. The phone works best - call the office, not the specific realtor, and don't worry about getting the listing agent. Everybody knows everybody else's listings.

When we went to look, we used googlemaps and our gps a lot. We planned out a big circle around the lake and saw a lot of properties in a single day that way. Only the very last one was worth going back to see again, and we almost didn't turn off the main road to see it as we had been driving since dawn and it was almost dark.

You might also check out the archives here - just search on the town name. You'll get a good idea of what people are saying over time in your target areas. Good luck with your search!

[IndigoLight]

Originally Posted by sassykat&joe

Hmmm... none of these towns are real exciting, but that's part of why I like them. ... A lot depends on what you would miss if it wasn't close by.

I am not looking for excitement but rather for peace and quiet, so lack of excitement actually sounds good.
And I am coming from a city that is very spread out, there is nothing here within a walking distance, so driving 20 miles to work or certain store (one way) is very common. I think I'll be ok, I am used making lists

When we went to look, we used google maps and our gps a lot. We planned out a big circle around the lake and saw a lot of properties in a single day that way.

Did you go by yourselves, without the real estate agent?
I wasn't sure if it would be safe driving the country roads by ourselves. I do not plan on turning onto someone's private road, and we're planning to use GPS, but I read on this forum that in rural areas "your tires will get shot at" (I hope I am quoting it right). If I remember correctly, it was in response about Unocoi County, but then someone added that it is the same in all rural areas across the country.

You might also check out the archives here - just search on the town name. You'll get a good idea of what people are saying over time in your target areas. Good luck with your search!

Great idea, thank you for your reply

[sassykat&joe]

You are safe driving around the country roads alone. Not too many realtors will want to go with you, actually. They'll be happy to help you locate properties that are on the MLS and help map out where the properties are located, even give you a county map to use. Once you've seen the property initally from the edges, you can then go back with the realtor to go through it thoroughly. Don't waste their time by asking them to go everywhere with you - many times you'll know from the road that it just won't "do".

Most anyone who has a long driveway will have a sign posted at the road end, so you really don't have to worry about getting on someone's land accidentally.

[IndigoLight]

Originally Posted by sassykat&joe

Once you've seen the property initially from the edges, you can then go back with the realtor to go through it thoroughly.

That's how I've always done it here in the city, wasn't sure if it would work the same in the country. I see that it would. Great! Thank you very much for the advice

[sassykat&joe]

So, have you done your trip yet? Interested in knowing what you find and how you like the different areas.