Info on rural areas around Knox please

[sluggermatt15]

I've lived in East TN for almost two years. I agree with a lot of the posts above. Very rural areas around here are not very safe and there are a lot of drug problems. Also, the property values in the area has skyrocketed. Land is being bought up and developed. The homes being built on it aren't very good for your dollar, too. Meaning, the construction is poor.

[grampaTom]

Here in Monroe County there are a lot of drug issues. Meth mostly but not exclusively. And, of course, that means lots of theft.
I met a fella moving here who had put tools, hunting and fishing equipment in a storage unit while waiting on his house to be finished and it was all stolen.
We don't have kids in school but the reports I hear aren't complimentary of the local education system.
You want to be pretty careful where you buy.

[BubbaKat]

Have you picked an area, @mtn_lf? Don't let the drug comments scare you. Every county has drug pockets and good areas. I'd put more importance on local govt and lack of employment. Newport (Cocke Co) is lacking planning/infrastructure. Oliver Springs is lacking something... don't know why it isn't improving. Roane Co and Knox city has really gone crazy with property tax increases, so I'd take that into consideration. If you're okay getting daily needs from Dollar General and you want the most bang for the buck on land, I can give you some areas to consider. I drive through a lot of East TN areas on a regular basis, and see where there are signs of future growth/development.

If you want my two cents, send me a private message.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by BubbaKat

Have you picked an area, @mtn_lf? Don't let the drug comments scare you. Every county has drug pockets and good areas. I'd put more importance on local govt and lack of employment. Newport (Cocke Co) is lacking planning/infrastructure. Oliver Springs is lacking something... don't know why it isn't improving. Roane Co and Knox city has really gone crazy with property tax increases, so I'd take that into consideration. If you're okay getting daily needs from Dollar General and you want the most bang for the buck on land, I can give you some areas to consider. I drive through a lot of East TN areas on a regular basis, and see where there are signs of future growth/development.

If you want my two cents, send me a private message.

All of this ties together.

The places with the worst drug problems tend to have the fewest employment opportunities. With rare exceptions, out-of-area people looking to relocate are unlikely to end up somewhere like Cocke County without good reason. I remember "Toyman" was from a rural area in a Western state. He's familiar with a rural lifestyle like Cocke County. It's not going to be as alien to him as it would be from the suburbs of DC, for example.

Taxes need to be balanced into services. Do those people get more services? I live in the city limits of Bristol, TN. I pay a low rate for city sewer/water/trash in Bristol, TN. I also pay about $500/year in city property taxes. The spread between private trash, county water/sewer rates, for my parents in an unincorporated part of Sullivan County, is more than my city taxes.

[mtn_lf]

BubbaKat, we have not definitively picked an area. However, we took a trip to Cookeville and the hiking natural beauty was very impactful. We realized that we wouldnt be getting that kind of natural beauty in the Knoxville area. We are now thinking White County? Or if we couldn't afford it, how about Van Buren or Cumberland? Also looked closer to Chattanooga (as one concern is are there enough jobs in Cookeville) (Dunlap), but Chattanooga may just be too big for our liking. I would love your feedback. Thanks!

[elizaloo]

Originally Posted by mtn_lf

BubbaKat, we have not definitively picked an area. However, we took a trip to Cookeville and the hiking natural beauty was very impactful. We realized that we wouldnt be getting that kind of natural beauty in the Knoxville area. We are now thinking White County? Or if we couldn't afford it, how about Van Buren or Cumberland? Also looked closer to Chattanooga (as one concern is are there enough jobs in Cookeville) (Dunlap), but Chattanooga may just be too big for our liking. I would love your feedback. Thanks!

I live in the small bump of Putnam County that sits directly between White and Cumberland - daily travel encompasses passing between all three, LOL.

Putnam County is expensive - our taxes are substantially higher than either of the other two counties, BUT the section of our road is the best around! Cookeville is BOOMING - just in the 3 years we've been here, that town has grown in size...they are building all sorts of businesses, so jobs are likely plentiful, depending upon your requirements. The hospital is ALWAYS hiring and I'm sure construction is in need of help.

My thoughts; land is ~expensive (depending upon your expectations) in either county (White/Cumberland)...we had talked about selling our property (which has literally doubled in value, under 10 acres, large rancher) and building a barndo on land - over the summer there were 2.5 acres for sale just down the road (Cumberland Cty), nice flat land @40k...just saw a listing for 8 ac for 50k in Sparta which is White Cty. Also White County; .27 ac for 35k and .9 for 10k - so it seems that land is all over the place.

Cumberland; .6 ac for 40k and 10 ac for 176k (yikes!)

Also a thought - there are VERY FEW services in the rural outside of water - our house won't burn down if it catches on fire, but ONLY because my husband is a retired fire chief and owns his own fire truck. Otherwise, no quick sherrif response or fire unless you are very close to town (we are 30+ minutes to anything).

We have not had any issues with theft or crime, nor have our neighbors, but we have three very large dogs, cameras and guns, as do our local friends. We love our location, very close to umpteen waterfalls and state parks for hiking, but also quite rural and 'running to the store for milk' means hitting the DG on the way to town because town is an hour round trip.

Feel free to PM me too if you have any specific questions.