Near Knoxville (Oak Ridge, Maryville, Sevierville: homes, neighborhoods, to live in)

[The_Rover]

Greeting, and thank you in advance for your opinions. Will be driving to TN and the Carolina's in a few months to look at neighborhoods for a (modest) home purchase.


Anyway real world opinions on clean / safer areas just outside of Knoxville? The overall look and daily lifestyle / feel to it all? Thus far, I'm not finding much, anywhere, in the $180K to $210K range, apart from very old homes. I equate a high probability of past - or present - mold / water damage with homes built in the 60s thru the 80s.

Maryville to southeast looks nice - not finding much, though. Oak Ridge to west is too pricey, but... there's Karns and Powell just west of the 40. No disrespect, but... from what I've heard, it isn't necessarily advisable to look at towns further west like Sevierville = Riffraff plus tourist traffic?

[Barking Spider]

This is an example of trying to figure out a place without having been there, or doing much research.

Not sure where you heard that bit of information, but it sounds like someone that has no idea of what Knoxville is like.
While looking on a map and finding Karns and Powell may seem to some as small towns, they are really just suburbs of Knoxville. Knoxville and Knox County is very spread out. What may appear to be a bunch of small towns, are really just all part of the greater Knoxville area. I live in Karns, but my mailing address is Knoxville.

[Beretta]

Come visit and see the area.

[TheShadow]

Sevierville is southeast of Knoxville, so I think you meant east of Sevierville. Sevier County (Sevierville, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge) is a tourist mecca, with literally millions of visitors per year. Really, there is no substitute for coming here and looking around. Without more info on what you're looking for, other than a modest price tag, it would be hard for someone to help you. Do you want rural, suburban, small town, access to shopping and healthcare, acreage, proximity to city amenities, etc? How many miles "just outside" of Knoxville? There are many small and medium size towns in the area that are clean and safe.

[5stones]

As Barkingspider said.
Lots of those towns are just suburbs that are part of Knoxville.
Cheaper housing will be out of KnoxCo.

Karns, Powell, Halls are all good areas with lower housing price than WestKnox.
Clinton, Norris are further out.

I would not want to live in and around Pidgeon Fordge/Gailinburg area due to the tourists and the traffic they bring.
Danddrige, Jefferson City would for me be better.

You can drive about 20-30 outside of downtown and be very rural... it depends on what you want and what services you want to be close to etc...

[Chowgirl]

How is the Talbot area?