Retirement and Golf in TN (Knoxville, Chattanooga: real estate, renting, HOA)

[kwryan]

Hello all,

I am reaching out to ask advise from other retirees who have explored Tennessee and surrounding states. We are looking in Tennessee for the advantages of taxes and all but would also be open to other states like NC, SC. We would like to stay close to family near Atlanta as a nice short trip visit for them but not so far as say, Arkansas.

My husband and I recently relocated from Lansing, Michigan to Newnan, GA, which is south of Atlanta to be near family and are renting as we explore. We have been venturing out to places like Crossville, Tellico, etc., etc. in Tennessee and all are nice. We are looking for some golf opportunities but that window in our lives is getting pretty small, conservative, we would like adult care options near by for the future and would love a home with a view.

We thought that the Glades of Crossville was a very close fit for our desires but I was frustrated by the lack of a view of the mountains. A real estate agent explained that the Glades were on a plateau and also the most densely tree covered area in the continental US so you don't even know you are in the mountains.

I repeat myself by saying we are Michiganders and are not familiar with anything south of Ohio so we don't know the mountains. I would like to hear other's experiences in searching for a retirement location. I can look at a map all day long but since we have pets our outings are limited to 3-4 days at a time and we could be searching for over a year, thus reaching out to you all. Our home budget is the low $300.

I would appreciate any suggestions of areas to investigate.

Thank you

[Serious Conversation]

Crossville has a lot of golf communities, but Crossville itself has among the highest crime rates of any town in the state. Personally, I'd be looking at Tellico Village if you're interested in that type of community.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by kwryan

Hello all,

I am reaching out to ask advise from other retirees who have explored Tennessee and surrounding states. We are looking in Tennessee for the advantages of taxes and all but would also be open to other states like NC, SC. We would like to stay close to family near Atlanta as a nice short trip visit for them but not so far as say, Arkansas.

My husband and I recently relocated from Lansing, Michigan to Newnan, GA, which is south of Atlanta to be near family and are renting as we explore. We have been venturing out to places like Crossville, Tellico, etc., etc. in Tennessee and all are nice. We are looking for some golf opportunities but that window in our lives is getting pretty small, conservative, we would like adult care options near by for the future and would love a home with a view.

We thought that the Glades of Crossville was a very close fit for our desires but I was frustrated by the lack of a view of the mountains. A real estate agent explained that the Glades were on a plateau and also the most densely tree covered area in the continental US so you don't even know you are in the mountains.

I repeat myself by saying we are Michiganders and are not familiar with anything south of Ohio so we don't know the mountains. I would like to hear other's experiences in searching for a retirement location. I can look at a map all day long but since we have pets our outings are limited to 3-4 days at a time and we could be searching for over a year, thus reaching out to you all. Our home budget is the low $300.

I would appreciate any suggestions of areas to investigate.

Thank you

Like SC said above, I'd rather live in Tellico Village, too.

But if all you're looking for is a home for less than $300k in a golfing community popular with retirees and with nice views, there are many options in the state. Is there anything else you're looking for? Proximity to lakes, airport, entertainment, restaurants, good medical care, etc.?

[grampaTom]

When you visit Tellico Village be sure to visit the Kahite neighborhood. By far the nicest mountain views of any TV neighborhood. We are over by Vonore.

[Normashirley]

I re-read the OP's post. The inference is they have already visited Tellico Village and it was "close but no cigar?"

I was acquainted with someone who had retired from MI to Tellico Village some years back. They liked living there except the wife had horses and was more of a outdoor person in terms of being with her horses. So they bought a farmette and moved

Maybe the OP needs to revisit Tellico Village in the area grandpa tom suggested?

You might also Google "gated communities near Chattanooga" to see if anything fits your criteria; it would put you much closer to Atlanta

[kwryan]

I appreciate everyone's comments.

We did visit Tellico but missed going to Kahite. We learned about the area after we returned and do plan a revisit. We got the impression the area was more for water sports which makes sense considering the all the waterbodies but that is not our interest area.

To respond to JMT, we are interested in golf as stated but also health care options, entertainment, restaurants and a view of the mountains would be ideal.

[kwryan]

Thanks grandpaTom, we did visit Tellico and since we are not water babies we felt it was not the right place for us. Of course we only gave it a few days. We learned about Kahite after we left the area and plan a revisit the area. So thank you.

I just mentioned our home $$ range as a general consideration.

We are of course interested in adult care options which Crossville provides, entertainment and for me a great view. We will certainly take a look at Kahite.

Thank you

[fishingupnorth]

I moved to Fairfield Glade from Wisconsin 5 weeks ago. We made 3 visits here before deciding to take the plunge. We looked at Tellico, Lake Tansi and Fairfield Glade before making our pick. Here are my impressions. Fairfield Glade (FFG) has much more affordable housing than Tellico. Your $300,000 budget will get you a lot more house here. Lake Tansi is more of a weekend water resort community. Lots of people have weekend homes there and the single road in and out can get quite busy. Only 1 golf course and not many amenities. The HOA fess in FFG are $100/mo which is much lower than Tellico and much higher than Tansi.



Like many mid-westerners I wanted a nice size lot with a flat yard instead of a home with a drop off in the back and a deck on stilts. Now I wish I would have gone with the house on a cliff. With the flat yard comes dealing with Tennessee Snow (leaves). They are everywhere and you either have to take care of them yourself or hire a service to do so. A home with a slope in the back allows you to have a stand-up portion in your crawl space that is almost like the basement I left behind in Wisconsin.


The Fitness Center in Tellico is awesome and the jewel of the community. The Fitness Center in Lake Tansi is pretty old and does not offer much. The fitness center in FFG is actually owned by Cumberland Medical Center. It is OK but it is expensive. Fortunately FFG offers a lot of fitness classes at other locations that are pay as you go ($2-$5) a session.


I have not golfed in Lake Tansi and Tellico so I cannot comment on their courses. What I can tell you is that the golf in FFG is reasonably priced and a lot of fun. The courses are wide open and beautiful. They appear to be designed for the senior player to emphasize fun and minimize frustration. In only 5 weeks I have been invited to play in a couple of weekly groups and if I wanted to could golf everyday of the week.


We also liked FFG's closeness to the Nashville airport. Flights from there to Milwaukee are usually under $100 and can be as low as $59. There is a great shuttle service from FFG to the airport. We also can drive home and can make it from FFG to Wisconsin in 12 hours. We are going to do that for Christmas and drive on a Saturday or Sunday to avoid Chicago traffic.


I see people post about going to Cookeville or Knoxville for better shopping or dining. I don't really know why. We have found everything we need right here in FFG. We maybe drive the 10 miles to Crossville once a week to go to Lowes, Rural King or Walmart.


We haven't had to use any medical care yet so I cannot comment on that but I do have friends that are happy with the doctors and dentists here and those that need very specialized care go to Knoxville which is about 70 miles east.

[kwryan]

Fishingupnorth,

I appreciate the time and effort you put in to your post. It was very informative and I appreciate it.

Thanks, Karen

[madcityrph]

Fishingupnorth:


We are in Madison, WI and saw your post on city-data. We also are considering a move (retired) to Fairfield Glen or Tellico, but are not golfers. Hoping for lots of other activities and friends so that we can expand social connections. Concerned about adjustment to new location such as TN. Taxes etc. are advantage but not sure what we can buy for around $250K, in addition to costs for HOA, and miscellaneous. Also read some concerns of others about management and condition of FG. Thinking Tellico may be overall too costly, with various fees etc., in addition to cost of home. Also plan to bring our 60 lb. dog, so this is another consideration. Any help or chance to talk would be appreciated, Badger to Badger. Sincere thanks.