Smoky Mountains Real Estate and Community News

Why a Smoky Mtn Cabin is a great Investment

As a young family with two children and full time working parents... how do you juggle your investment portfolio? What do I do to make a solid investment in today’s economy and uncertainty?  What kind of investment do I want to make?  Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, gold, silver, bitcoin etc? All of these choices can be solid performers and great investments.  What investment fits my knowledge and my family’s future?  For my family the choice is simple. Why not own real estate that makes the mortgage, a profit, and is gaining equity every day?  You have so many choices in real estate and where to invest.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is the nation’s most visited national park in the United States of America.  We get approximately eleven million visitors per year.  What does that mean to you as the family investor?  Your customers and clients are already visiting the area.  Guess what? You and your family are probably visiting the Smoky Mountains every year or more than once per year.  East Tennessee, Gatlinburg, Pigeon-Forge, Sevierville, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are located within five hundred miles of one third of the US population.  I cannot say that we are recession proof but I do know that when the bottom fell out in the 2007-2008 crash, families still went on vacation.  They might not have gotten on a plane and flown to Colorado or the beach, but they did get in their car for a day’s drive and visit the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Pigeon-Forge, and Sevierville areas for a cabin in the woods experience.

A cabin in the Sevier County area can be a great investment and a great family vacation all in one. Owning a cabin is a lot different than a timeshare, that I am sure you have had to sit through while on vacation.  Owning a cabin that can earn income, vacations, and wonderful, lifelong memories has been great for our family.   Real property is an investment that can be held on to for generations.  Cabin ownership sure is more exciting when you are making memories with your family. Enjoy your investment before you are too old to.

Contacting us to assist with your next cabin purchase can be helpful on many different levels.  Please stop in and talk to us sometime soon.

Home Inspections are designed to inform the home buyer of the working status of your future big investment, usually your biggest investment.  You will want to be informed about a house you may have spent 30 mins in before you decided to buy it.  The Great Smoky Mountains are home to hundreds of Log Cabins, so termites are a big item to have checked.  Most lenders require a termite inspection also.  This is a fairly inexpensive inspection, usually costing less than $75.  A survey is personal preference for the buyer.  Some properties will demand for the protection of the buyer, to have a survey preformed to answer questions.  Things like, "Is that garage on my land?"  Or the property might be a foreclosure with no information on it what so ever.  A survey is a buyer beware product.  If you have question on the survey, talking to an attorney or your REALTOR® might help you with your decision.

A home purchase is like none other.  First of all, its a lot of money!  Typically taking folks 30 years to pay off.  For second, they cost a lot to maintain.  A roof for instance on a 1200 sq foot house might cost, $5000 to replace.  There might be some sort of foundation.  If there is, it is something you will want to monitor depending on your region.  Water intrusion is your enemy! There are a number of small items that can cause big problems too.  Things on a regular basis, we just don't think about.

This is why home inspections are so vital in this purchase.  In this process you are hiring a professional of this specific trade.  Your REALTOR®, although might know about some things, is not licensed to speak about the homes status or its operation.  You must hire an inspector to give you the most accurate report.  In Tennessee, Home Inspectors are licensed by the state, this might vary from state to state.

Your home inspector will spend a few hours in your potential new home.  He/She will go through a checklist of items, from the outlets, water temperature, looking for stains, checking any leaks for moisture, looking for odd imperfections, the roof, the walls, the siding, flushing toilets, driveway, sidewalk, stairs, deck heights, all the things we just haven't thought of and more, the list goes on.  This is the kind of detailed info you are paying for.  Once the home inspections are complete, the licensed professional will supply you with a detailed report for your review.  The termite report, might only be 1 page, the survey will be a map with detailed info about the lot and where the house lies, the home inspection report will be 20 pages plus.

This report and all of its information is a lot to take in.  Remember you hired someone to tell you everything about the house your going to purchase and this is what they have done for you.  They will have pictures of all of its problems, big and small.  These issues can be a lot to understand especially if you were not present during home inspection.  Once reviewed, any questions should be directed towards your inspector.  They are the best person to discuss these with.

In closing, TN Smoky Mtn Realty recommends you have home inspections.  The bank has an appraisal to protect their assets so you should have home inspections to protect yours!  If you need help with finding the right home inspector, termite inspector, or surveyor, please feel free to talk to us about this process so we can guide you in the right direction.

Did you know Gatlinburg is loaded with secrets that as a tourist you may not realize or even have found out regardless of the amount of times you may have visited.

Did you know that if you get to town early enough during peak season you can park for free?  At traffic light #5, stay in the right lane to veer towards the right onto River Road.  Free parking can be found all along the right hand side of this road.  If you are unable to find a free parking spot and its lunch time, continue on this road to the light where Ober Gatlinburg is.  Turn left for a short drive to the Parkway, take a right and a quick left into the Cherokee Grill and Calhouns plaza.  Have some lunch at one of these great eateries and save your receipt to show the gate attendant for free parking.

During off peak times parking is allowed on the main street of town.  These off peak times are January and February respectively, Monday through Thursday on the right hand side of the road only.  Both sides have 2 lanes so parking is allowed in the right hand side lane.

Did you know Gatlinburg offers a free Trolley service?  The free specially painted open-air shuttles will operate from 10 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily with specified dates June through August. Extra stops have been established along the special route to bring the number to 40 along Parkway.

Did you know that kids can fish for free?  Kids age 12 and under.  Herbert Holt Park has a stocked pond with a park for their enjoyment and walking trails.  Just head out of town towards Pigeon Forge.  Right after the Dudley Creek light #1 and across the street from the Fairfield Inn is the Herbert Holt Park entrance.

Did you know that at light #3, there are fountains that shoot up from the sidewalk?  These are not only for curb appeal and the beatification process of our wonderful city but to help cool you off on those hot summer days you may be walking by.  Stop and let the kids splash a bit or take your flip flops off to cool your feet before continuing on your way.

We hope you enjoy some of these secrets that you may or may not have known about.  And remember just to ask a local for some secrets.  I'm sure you are bound to hear a few things that are amazing as well!

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 Buyer Questionnaire

This buyer questionnaire was created to help you the buyer, identify what you are looking for and guide us to matching the perfect home to you.  Although no home will be exactly perfect, a very good match is our 100% goal.  Ultimately, happiness with what you choose is what its all about.  We have sold hundreds of nearly perfect homes.  Every once in awhile we have heard "this is the perfect home!"  For the most part, what we find buyers looking for even when the wish list is long are the basics with a little flare, all based on your budget of course.

The Budget -  This is very important to know ahead of time.  Talking to a Real Estate agent prior to reviewing your finances or finding a lender could lead to unexpected expectations.  We want to meet and exceed your expectations, the way we do this is by knowing what your buying power is before we walk in to that very first house.  If you do not have a lender in mind and need to gather some information on how the process works and talk with us, our office is cozy and inviting and we want to sit down with you and help guide you in the right direction.

Wish List -  This is the best and most fun.  Putting all your wants and needs on a list!  Amid all the excitement involved in buying a house, a home buying wishlist will help to organize your thoughts. It’s helpful to think of your requirements in three columns – needs, wants and wishes. Needs are features that are must-haves. Wants are amenities that may not be must-haves, but are key factors in your decision-making process. Your wish column will help define the gap between the home of your dreams and the home you can afford.  We are not here to burst any bubbles, we just trying to keep the expectation of this process real and within budget so everyone has the opportunity to achieve the american dream of home ownership!!

We have created the buyer questionnaire on this page to begin the conversation of finding your perfect home on your specific budget.  Please feel free to use it by clicking on the photo which will open a PDF to print or feel free to create your own.  Bring it with you when you come visit us so we can have a sit down and go over it.  We look forward to meeting you!

How do you buy a house with very little money down?  One way is the FHA loan product.  FHA stands for Federal Housing Administration, which is a program that has been in place since the 1930s. The FHA's goal is to help stimulate the housing market by making home loans accessible and affordable.

Making FHA loans accessible is done by way of the lesser guidelines on ones credit score.  For those interested in applying for an FHA loan, applicants are now required to have a minimum FICO score of 580 to qualify for the low down payment advantage, which is currently at around 3.5 percent.  and employment history, there are a set of standards listed in the FHA loan handbook.  These guidelines and any others in regards to this loan product must be discussed with your lender.  Each lender may required different things and only they will know that.

The FHA product extends into the type of home you can purchase.  Can I Buy A Manufactured Home With An FHA Mortgage?  For starters, It IS possible to buy a mobile home or manufactured home using an FHA mortgage. However; the most important requirement for this must be met...Mobile/manufactured homes do not start off on a permanent foundation, but they must wind up on one as a condition of loan approval.

FHA loan comes with a limit as to how much you can borrow.  The FHA has announced FHA loan limits for 2018, and the new numbers mean good news for those looking to buy a home in the new year. The “national conforming loan limit” for 2018 is set at $453,100, up from last year’s limit of $424,100.  FHA mortgage lending limits in TENNESSEE vary based on a variety of housing types and the cost of local housing. FHA loans are designed for borrowers who are unable to make large down payments.

FHA Loan Appraisal Info

FHA loan appraisal guidelines are different than conventional appraisal guidelines in some aspects.  There are many factors to remember about the FHA appraisal process, and not all of them have to do with the act of doing the appraisal; borrowers need to know how the appraisal fits into the overall process of applying for an FHA loan and getting loan approval.

 Here are some examples of what an appraisal will be checking for:

• Inspect the property’s interior and exterior structure and quality
• Ensure lead-based paint is not present
• Check for cracks, leaks, and damage to the exterior Walls and ceilings in good condition without cracks or holes
• Check quality of fixtures, plumbing, and appliances
• Make note of any upgrades that may increase the value
• Ensure the Landscape is in good condition
• Check central heating and cooling systems
• Take photos of the front, sides and back of the home. Along with photos of any upgrades that increase the homes value
• Photos showing the condition of the lot
• Include a copy of the location map showing the comparable sales

Please remember that the appraisal is an independent review of the property for the bank.  A home inspection should always be preformed for a home review for you the buyer.

It may come as a surprise that while we are out seeing cabins for sale, cabin decor may come up in conversation. Why would this be so important? Smoky Mountain Log Cabin Decor hits on many factors that may have a direct impact on the cabin rent-ability or just its appeal to be purchased. Before you booked your vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains, you probably looked online and viewed hundreds of cabins. Or you have come here before and thought, staying in a cabin the next time you come is what will be. The idea is to stay in a Log Cabin in the Mountains. Its an amazing experience and something you may only be able to experience a few places that you visit. It also may be on your bucket list! Looking online, there are hundreds even thousands of cabins in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Where do you stay? That is a whole separate topic, which I will get to in another post. Maybe you don't know where to stay, that's ok too, because this is where cabin decor comes in. When your looking at cabins they are all decorated. Beds, bedspreads, furniture, wall hangings, and so on. When a cabin is decorated the “Smoky Mountain” way or what I like to call “Smoky Mountainesk” they are more likely to get booked or rented than one that might not be. Smoky Mountain Log Cabin Decor should consist of log furniture, black bears somewhere, maybe even everywhere, flat screen TV,s, and the all around cabin type feel of furniture. Decor that looks like the beach is not it folks!! Give guests and potential buyers what they are looking for. Make it Smoky Mountain. Cabins should always have king beds! Let’s face it, if you own a king at home, you will not want to sleep in a queen on vacation. If you own a queen at home, you're on vacation and you're splurging, so why not sleep in a king! Flat screens are in, please bring the box TV’s to the dump. Stainless steel appliances are also in, and they should be in your cabin. When we are out seeing cabins, look at some of these aspects. If the cabin does not have some or all of these features it most likely is not doing well on a rental program and it also may be on the market longer as a direct result. Following some of these suggestion is a great start, talking to your rental cabin company to get their opinions and suggestions is another great way to make it money.

Sevier county has a number of furniture stores to assist you with you Smoky Mountain Log Cabin Decor. They offer everything from a lamp to fully furnished cabin packages. Let’s talk about this when you come for your visit so we can point you in the right direction. We look forward to talking to you and meeting you on your upcoming visit to the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County! Take a look at this great example of a smoky mountain decorated cabin -

Follow these tips when preparing your home for sale:

• Stage each living area to help potential buyers imagine living in that space.
• Keep all rooms clean, including children rooms.
• Remove clutter and extra furniture to help the space feel clean and larger.
• Improve landscaping
• Clean the outside
• Make Repairs
• Finish projects
• Make the front door inviting
• Buy a new Welcome Mat
• Organize closets and drawers
• Paint over bright colors to tone it down
• Eliminate bad odors
• Close toilet seats for pictures and showings
• Give each room a purpose
• Let there be light! Change out dull old light bulbs for the daylight LED. They will save you some money in the mean time along with shining some light on the subject.

  Selling a house can be a very personal and emotional process. Not all sellers will be able to take advantage of these tips; however, whatever can be done will be most helpful. Please remember, your potential buyers have all seen HGTV and will somewhat expect some, if not all of these things when they start house hunting. If you have questions or need solutions on how to implement these tips please let Jake and I know so we can help you with the process.

Zillow is a major topic in the real estate world these days. Just a few months back, news hit that Zillow would be operating like a brokerage! Just a day later the real news came out.....

Zillow is peddling seller leads, not becoming a broker

Quoted the Inman articale May 23, 2017

Either way this wasn't good news for real estate agents. Zillow has always been a leader in gathering buyers and selling their information to real estate agents. When this news hit, my profession was wondering how was this all going to play out? How would our profession stay alive? Zillow does not make it easy, thats for sure.

Jake and I get the Zillow craze. Ill admit, I use Zillow! I use it to find properties when I can not locate them among the MLS's I am associated with and that is it.

When Jake and I decided to open up our own TN Real Estate Firm, we had to think about Zillow. Do we allow our MLS to feed our sellers information to Zillow? Do we budget any money towards Zillow? We have decided not to feed the monster in the sense of buying leads. We do recognize the advantage for our sellers to have their listings on Zillow for buyers to see, so we have gone ahead and implemented that. So buyers will still be able to see all of our listings, we just wont be in a pool of agents getting 1 buyer to contact when they request additional information. So for all intense and purposes; Zillow - Not to Use for us.

When you make your way to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and you are looking for property, Zillow will be your main searching tool....Or does it have to be? You are always welcome to use our site or speak to one of us directly to discuss your dream home options. If you decide to use it, and request information on a property, your information might go out to dozens of agents in this beautiful area. What that agent does with your information is up to them. Some might call right away, some will use text and some might use all of the above for days. As a consumer, if I gave my information to Wal-Mart for instance, and 12 cashiers called me, text me, and emailed me about getting in their line, I think I would run for the hills. No pun intended!

This post is not intended to upset anyone in our profession. This is not in any means a post to boycott Zillow, this is simply a post about the pure truth about what happens to information once given to Zillow. This is strictly a buyer beware post! Jake and I would like to go back to the old fashion way of doing business. We would like to talk to you. We would like for you to come to our office, make yourself a cup of coffee and have a sit down to go over your dreams of home ownership in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, or Sevierville. We hope to talk to you real soon. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us directly at 865.280.2569

Thank you,
Theresa Raymond
Broker/Owner
TN Smoky Mtn Realty
2004 Red Bank Rd #1
Sevierville, TN 37876

A Guide To Buying an Existing Log Home

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Real estate daily market update: December 7, 2017

“This increase is primarily a reflection of rising home prices, which drives up home values, leading to an increase in home equity positions and supporting consumer spending.” READ MORE