(CHEROKEE LAKE REALTY WRITES A WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE GRAINGER COUNTY JOURNAL NEWSPAPER. THIS WAS A RECENT QUESTION ASKED BY A READER. This week’s column is a continuation of last week’s column.)
So, to sum up the reasons that I wrote about last week, why so many folks from out-of-state have picked our area to relocate: Lower costs on daily/weekly items like gas, having to regularly pay for incidentals like parking at most places, including shopping centers. Lower prices on houses and land, property taxes, and all types of insurance. Lower stress because of less congestion and traffic.
A lot more reasons… milder weather with four seasons. Not as hot as Florida, not as cold as New York. No hurricanes or nor’easters, or a hotbed for tornadoes in this part of East Tennessee. Tennessee is only one of nine states that does not levy a traditional personal income tax. And, Tennessee also exempts all forms of retirement income, including social security benefits, tax pensions, 401K, or IRA distributions from state taxation. Grainger County, which I believe is where you reside, also does not have a wheel tax. Or city property tax, just a county tax.
And let’s not forget how scenic our area is. More wide-open spaces, and lots of land. Homes are not crowded together as in Miami, for example. The Great Smoky Mountains are in our backyard, with large lakes, like Cherokee Lake, to enjoy recreational activities. If our new neighbors want fun and games, Knoxville, Tennessee’s third largest city, with its active sports and entertainment scenes, is close by. And, if they still want to feel like tourists there is Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. With lots of restaurants and stores. As well, as our first lady of entertainment’s venue, Dollywood. We are also within an 8-hour drive of 20 states, so proximity to friends and family for get-togethers is easier.
Summation: Cost of living, weather, and stuff to do, is why they’re coming. It’s easy to see why folks have, and to answer the second part of your question, will continue to relocate to our beautiful home. As the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” She could have been writing about East Tennessee.
