Yesterday was one of those perfect days where all of the locals are smiling and saying to each other "This is why we live here"!  Bright blue sky, brilliantly colored leaves and cool temps made it perfectly pleasant.  I had a client call me to show them a property WAY on the other side of the mountain...I made my way over there to let them in and even when the house turned out to be unsuitable, it was just so nice driving back that I didn't even care -- no time spent in such surroundings is ever wasted! On the way back I passed the Pumpkin Patch on Wears Valley Road-- huge piles of every possible kind of pumkin and squash, local produce and quite possibly the BEST bar-b-que sandwiches around.  I couldn't resist stopping and soaking up some Tennessee fall from the place....sigh...this IS... 10/25/2010

IA Vacations / American Timeshare Closing (edit/delete) American Timeshare Closing. Do not allow American Timeshare Closing or IA Vacations out of Sevierville, TN to purchase or have anything to do with your resale timeshare units.  They buy and sell timeshares from people and take advantage of their situation and the economy.  They are a bunch of crooks, I recently sold two timeshares with Marriott in Hawaii through them and of course they bought low and sold high (nothing wrong with that) but the problem is that they will not pay you the money they owe you unless you threaten legal action.  My two weeks were put under contract in February, 2010 the recorded transfer of ownership happened in April of 2010 with Hawaii and the notification to Marriott didn't occur until the first week of... 10/14/2010

IA Vacations / American Timeshare Closing. Do not allow American Timeshare Closing or IA Vacations out of Sevierville, TN to purchase or have anything to do with your resale timeshare units.  They buy and sell timeshares from people and take advantage of their situation and the economy.  They are a bunch of crooks, I recently sold two timeshares with Marriott in Hawaii through them and of course they bought low and sold high (nothing wrong with that) but the problem is that they will not pay you the money they owe you unless you threaten legal action.  My two weeks were put under contract in February, 2010 the recorded transfer of ownership happened in April of 2010 with Hawaii and the notification to Marriott didn't occur until the first week of September and it took me calling the pol... 10/14/2010

Beautiful blue skies and cool nights are back-- pumpkin fests all over the place!  I was driving a client through town yesterday and they said "this is just the most festive place I have ever seen!"  and I have to agree--- here are some shots I took from the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, just to set the mood!   10/13/2010

Log cabins are popular overnight rentals and vacation homes here in the Smokies, and we sell lots of them to folks looking for a relaxing getaway place.  Here is a sample of some of the things we encourage our buyers to think about when purchasing a cabin: Don't  freak out if you can "see daylight" between the logs!  Logs are dynamic, breathing things and expand and contract with weather conditions.  After a home has been built, many times logs will split as a part of the natural curing process. Log homes will require caulking soon after being built, and occasionally as a part of routine maintenance.  Of course, a home inspection is absolutely recommended prior to any home purchase. Along the same lines, many builders of even very high end homes use rope instead of molding along the flo... 05/26/2010

    Investing in the Smokies-- Is it a Good Idea?  Locals have always said that in economic downturns, Sevier County is "the last to go and the first to come back" and that seems to be true once again.  There's a different feeling in the air around town these days, which very nearly resembles optimism!  Driving around town, there is active development and growth everywhere, and people are making long term commitments to our area.  Here's just a sample of what's happening:   The 25 Million dollar "Titanic" attraction opened April 8, 2010 on the Pigeon Forge Parkway. Construction continues at Eagles Landing on 18 additional holes and a new clubhouse.  The local Wal-Mart is in the process of remodeling and updating the store. It's a little chaotic right now but will be worth it in the end!... 05/25/2010

  The process of buying a home many times begins with a dream, and lots of looking and planning that can start months before the decision to purchase is made.  We designed our website www.janeterrell.com to help you do just that.  But, when you're ready to take the next step, it's time to get prepared!    Those of you who are actively working with us to find and purchase properties right now have probably noticed that we have started asking buyers for letters of "pre-approval" or "proof of funds" at the beginning of the serious looking process.  We are asked what these are, and why we are requesting them, so here's the answer!   "Pre-Approval" If you will be seeking a mortgage, this is a the  step in the process.  After  a lender of your choice has  done a preliminary review of your fin... 04/27/2010

Sevierville, Tennessee Realtor Leads - (800) 900-2807 Even through this Real Estate downward spin, we are still seeing an increased number of families relocating to cities such as: San Diego, Austin, Sevierville, etc… Still the #1 drive is jobs, and that cannot be disputed. Although another big reason for relocation that started in 2008, was due to great foreclosure prices. Cities such as Scottsdale, and Sevierville have both seem dramatic drops in real estate prices, which is driving the people to purchase real etate in those cities. If you are not working with families whom want to purchase foreclosed homes, you are leaving a huge chunk of money on the table. One of the top discussions right now on RealTown and ActiveRain is in regards to boosting your business with foreclosures. Cal... 04/14/2010

Ober Gatlinburg could open some slopes as early as noon this Friday. The snow machines started up last weekend. As of 2:00 Thursday morning, they've been running non-stop. Ober Gatblinburg said in a release that if the weather continues to cooperate, the slopes will open at noon on Friday. The slopes would be open from noon to 10 p.m., with ticket sales from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Castle Run, Cub Way, and the Ski School Slope are among the ones Ober plans to open; Upper Bear Run and Mogul Ridge could also open. You can find an updated report at www.obergatlinburg.com. 12/11/2009

Check out this wonderful opportunity to take advantage of the downfall in today's economy.This home was previously listed and sold home is back on the market for sale.In December of 2007 ,This land and home was sold for 179,[Links are not allowed] buyer lost his funds and the deal fell through.We never relisted due to the downfall of the economy.Hoping that it would turn around here in the near future,we waited to relist.We are now in a pinch due to we have 3 homes.One of them needs to go away.So, we have decided to sell our 10 acres and keep the other two.We know the market is flooded with deals and more deals,But nothing like this setup.We have priced ours TO SELL.We have lowered the asking price almost $30,000.00 to guarantee the sale.Land in Sevier County is getting hard to find in ... 11/28/2009

You know girls:  BFF's that like to hang out together end up shopping, styling, and redesigning a room or even an entire home.     The ideas get to flowing, maybe some great music,  a glass of wine,  and  BAM!   we have a redo!   Stuff Happens. This happened on an October Saturday in good ole Kentucky.   I might add,  if I didn't live in God's country - -  East Tennessee,   I would be honored to call Kentucky home.       Lizette Fitzpatrick,  Broker, Artist, and AR Ambassador,  had invited me up for a day at Keeneland.    We never made it to Keeneland this trip due to rain.    But just take a look at what we did instead.                   The kitchen was awesome to begin with,  but Lizette said "I have been thinking of changing" and that began the fun.    While she was elsewhere,  I bag... 11/20/2009

We had our first snow in October up in the higher elevations, and nothing yet down here in Sevierville, but there's somthing in the air I think... it's cloudy and gray and the leaves have lost the gorgous colors, turning a deep russet.  We spent last weekend raking and blowing them in the front yard, whcih was no small task as the yard is full of 100 year old hardwoods....they make a lot of leaves!  We got this first batch gathered up and then the best thing happened-- the grand niece and nephew arrived from Florida to jump in the piles!  They never had experienced it before and it was the perfect fall adventure! Maybe it's not really that wintry today-- after all it's 53 degrees...but looking at the Christmas lights that have already been strung around our festive towns, I think it mi... 11/18/2009

Is the Smoky Mountain Market Changing?  YES-- and here's how......  Here are some indicators of the Real Estate Market in Gatlinburg and Sevier County as a whole:    The average SOLD price in Sevier County as a whole has risen 11.2% in the last 30 days.  The per cent of asking price that buyers ended up paying was 92.6% of the asking price.  This indicates that list prices are coming into line with market expectations. The average SOLD price in Gatlinburg has risen 4.2% in the last 30 days with the per cent of asking price paid being 91.6% The most sales have occurred in the $150,000 to $200,000 range with the average sale price in Gatlinburg being $207,218 and in Sevier County being $178,265. What does this mean?  It means that if you are shopping in the $150K to $200K range, you can e... 11/10/2009

it's the 75th anniversary of the Park this summer, and we did 2 fun things to celebrate.  One was the annual night-trip to see the synchronous fireflies--this year we got smart and did it out of a campsite, so we were able to have a great grilled supper before hiking up to see the flies...actually I have to admit that one family member had a sore knee so I stayed in the campsite with him.  Everybody left, it got perfectly quiet except for the rush of the stream below, and then all the firelies came--a private showing just for us!  We saw as many as I have ever seen before---so fun! Then this weekend we went to the performance of the Kxonville Symphony Orchestra in Cades Cove--we got there early and got a spot under a huge Maple tree--perfect shade for the day.  The rain held off and we ... 06/15/2009

There are so many reasons I think this is the perfect place to live--I just have to keep adding to the list! They let school out early and close the streets, print "We Love You Dolly" Posters in the newspaper to wave at Dolly when she leads the parade. The Home Depot lets you take carpet samples out on "The Honor System". You really CAN smell the honeysuckle while you are eating roasted corn and listening to country music at the Bloomin' BBQ festival. I saw 5 bears in Cades Cove this week! 05/18/2009

I'm always looking to market my work (http:www.Knoxtours.net), and provide services that will benefit people. I found another one -- My wife and I own a log cabin (http://www.thedancingbearcabin.com) in Wears Valley, in Sevierville, in East Tennessee. It's a great place! but, affording a couple of homes these days gets kinda hard, so we started looking for ways to ease up our tight money situation. Our cabin is managed by Brothers Cove Cabin Rentals (http://www,brotherscove.com). They've been looking for ways to expand their rental marketing, they wanted pictures of their people doing what their people do, show off their facilities and showcase the cabins using my virtual tours; so I gave them my offer -- a few ideas on how best to use my services and a few discounted incentives. I'm p... 05/05/2009

It's so easy to get overwhelmed---switch your TV from channel to channel and one is worse than the next..Warren Buffet says we've fallen off a cliff, the wars continue, polar bears are challenged, real estate sales are in the dumps....it seems everywhere we turn there is just more and more.  I was feeling this way, on this early spring morning in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, when I looked out my window and saw 100 robins in my front yard---OK I stopped counting at 86 but I know the rest of them were there!  In an eternal symbol of spring's imminent arrival, they had stopped to give me the boost I needed!  We'll make our way through these challenges, and be better, more grounded people for it!  The robins will come and then the spring!   03/09/2009

Sevier county like most other parts of the country, have been hit hard by the economic down turn, but things are starting to look up, especially if you are an investor. I am a realtor with Re/max Prime Properties in sevierville. I cover the areas of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and surrounding areas. There are so many deals to be had, its not funny. For example a 3br.3.5ba 2800sf. 3 story cabin that sold new for $425,000 1.5 years ago, is now in forclosure and being sold for $199,900, now that is a deal. The resort it is in, is close to town, has easy access, great views of the Smoky Mountains and the only Zip line east of the mississippi. If you are interested in more info on investment properties like this or are a realtor with an investor client please let me know. You can email me at wa... 02/27/2009

 As real estate professionals, we have always thought that putting the client first made the best sense for us--business really does work best that way!  But today that is even more important than ever, as so many people are trying to navigate the real estate waters that change by the hour.  With that in mind, I made a decision to do what I could do to use my knowledge and expertise to assist homeowners here in my own community.  I began to focus on the distressed property market, and helping owners who were in trouble or knew that they were about to be.  I took hours of classes and became a Certified Distressed Property Expert, and with that gained more knowledge of how to assist Sevier County homeowners.  From this experience, I have mostly learned that we are in unchartered waters, a... 02/22/2009

I watched the best show last night--CNBC's "House of Cards"...it was a fascinating look at how we got into the current mess, complete with interviews of the folks who made the decisions that started it all (and they remain totally unrepentant, I might add!)  The show goes through the origins of the loans, the development of lucrative bundling of the loans that produced a huge demand for them--and how young people who had literally worked as "pizza delivery" people a month earlier were making 20K a month selling these loans.  They then were packaged up, rated AAA and sold to municipalities looking for safe investments--enter Norvik, Norway.  This is well worth the couple of hours to watch--highly recommended!  CNBC HOUSE OF CARDS 02/17/2009