Elk in Smoky Mountain National Park

Elk (mark.woodbury on flikr.com)
Elk (mark.woodbury on flikr.com)

A huge wildlife draw is the elk in Smoky Mountain National Park.  Reintroduced to the park eight years ago, the elk are prospering despite a rough start with the black bears during the beginning of the release of just 52 animals. 

In a couple of weeks, the elk population will surpass 100 animals and will succeed the native elk that were hunted out of the mountains around 175 years ago. 

The elk have attracted huge crowds of sightseers and have even caused traffic jams on the weekends.  Volunteers of the Elk Bugle Corps are on hand though to educate visitors about the elk and to remind people of the 150 foot safety boundary around the elk. 

For more attractions in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park or information on smoky mountain property, please contact Jason White, a smoky mountain real estate agent at 877-678-2121.

Move to Gatlinburg TN, Reason #2

No Tennessee Income Tax
No Tennessee Income Tax

Yet another reason to move to Gatlinburg TN is a statewide perk of living in Tennessee. 

There is no Tennessee state income tax. 

This means that you won’t pay any extra taxes on your income and you will only have to file one tax return in April each year. 

Since we are talking about taxes there are some exceptions to the Tennessee no income tax law and they can be found here

Jason White, a Gatlinburg real estate agent, can provide you with more information about other reasons to move to Gatlinburg TN and can show you some fantastic Gatlinburg TN real estate.

Move to Gatlinburg TN, Reason #1 Weather

Smoky Mountain Weather (chor lp on flickr.com)
Smoky Mountain Weather (chor lp on flickr.com)
The first reason you should move to Gatlinburg TN is the weather.  Gatlinburg TN sits in the Smoky Mountain altitude, so the summer heat and humidity here is much more tolerable than other parts of middle America. 
Most day’s temperatures don’t rise above 90 degrees, so you can actually be outside enjoying the beautiful surroundings instead of sitting in air conditioning 24/7. 
The winters are fairly mild with temperatures that regularly stay above freezing.  It does snow in Gatlinburg, but the amounts vary depending on your elevation. 
Jason White, a Gatlinburg TN real estate agent, can provide you with more reasons to move to Gatlinburg TN or talk to you further about the Gatlinburg TN weather.  Jason White can be contact at 877-678-2121 or by email.

Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains Ranked in Top 5 Places to Own a Summer Home

Gatlinburg nestled in the Mountains
Gatlinburg nestled in the Mountains

 A recent article in Smart Money ( http://money.aol.com/top5/realestate/bargain-places-summer-home) ranked the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee as one of the Top Five Places to own a Summer Home.  We couldn’t agree more!  However, here is our perspective on why our area is “hands down” above the rest.

Two choices (Panama City Beach, FL and the Crystal Coast, NC) are ocean front locations.  Getting to these places could be challenging if oil prices continue to rise and airlines suffer like they did last year.  The ocean locations also lack the 4 season appeal for vacationers and renters.  With hurricanes, tsunamis, and rising ocean levels due to melting polar ice caps how safe is your investment with many coastal areas becoming non-insurable?

The remaining 3 locations including our Smokies are beautiful mountain areas.  All three are certainly safer as an investment due to factors; like being inland and at higher elevation, which mitigates possible adverse climate changes.  The mountain locations also offer a broader 4 season appeal to renters and vacationers with activities ranging from skiing, to boating and hiking.  The downside to Lake Tahoe, CA is its’ accessibility if oil prices continue to climb and its’ ritzy price tag for homes.  The Pocono Mountains, PA location is certainly more economical but it is closer only to the North East/Mid Atlantic cities with traffic and overcrowding becoming a possibility.

That brings us to the Great Smoky Mountains, TN location. It is centrally located within a 10 hour car drive to over ½ the U.S. population, it is accessibly convenient, but not close to massive urban areas and is the most reasonably priced of the top five. 

Sunrise in the Smokies
Sunrise in the Smokies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee offer the best  value for your money in a fun exciting place of natural beauty that is convenient to more people, but far enough away to feel like a vacation every day. Jason White, a local Smoky Mountain real estate agent, can provide more information on the area. Please contact him today.

Congress Recognizes 75th Anniversary of Smoky Mountain National Park

Smoky Mountain National Park (Marcy Reiford on flickr.com)
Smoky Mountain National Park (Marcy Reiford on flickr.com)

It was a big night for the Smoky Mountain National Park in Congress recently. 

Both houses passed a resolution to recognize the 75th anniversary of the creation of this great national park.  Tennessee and North Carolina lawmakers sponsored the resolution. 

The Smoky Mountain National Park is the largest protected area in the eastern US and covers about 521,621 acres of land in both states. 

The park and surrounding areas are the most visited national park in the US with over 9 million visitors a year.  Outside the park is the communities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville TN.  All of these communities lay in close proximity to the park and have great properties for sale. 

Jason White, a local Smoky Mountain real estate agent, can provide more information on Smoky Mountain properties for sale.

Pigeon Forge TN Unique Attractions

Pigeon Forge TN Zorb
Pigeon Forge TN Zorb

Without a doubt Pigeon Forge’s close proximity to the Smoky Mountain National Park makes this area a great tourist draw.

Some of Pigeon Forge TN unique attractions also appeal to Pigeon Forge real estate owners as well. 

One adventure activity that should not be missed is the Zorb Mountain Adventures.  Essentially you become the hamster and stand in a huge orb which rolls down a 700 foot hill.

Another unique attraction in the Pigeon Forge TN area is to go indoor skydiving.  It gives you all the sensation of skydiving without the fear of your parachute not opening. 

For more information on these Pigeon Forge TN unique attractions or Pigeon Forge TN real estate, please contact the premier local Pigeon Forge TN real estate agent, Jason White.

Unique Attractions in Gatlinburg TN

Smoky Mountains (dmmercer on flickr.com)
Smoky Mountains (dmmercer on flickr.com)

Gatlinburg TN is a great place to escape from life and enjoy the scenery from your vacation home. 

However if you are looking for some unique attractions in Gatlinburg TN, look no further. One must see attraction is literally the scenery, but the best place to view it from is riding the Gatlinburg Sky Lift.  T

his lift will climb the side of Crockett Mountain and let you sit back and enjoy the ride. 

If eating is more of your thing, than go to the Pancake Pantry.  This pancake house has been around since 1960, and for good reason – because everything is made from scratch. 

For more information on other unique attractions in Gatlinburg TN or how you can be a permanent visitor by buying Gatlinburg TN real estate, please contact the local Gatlinburg TN real estate agent, Jason White.

Lake Front Sevierville TN Home for Sale

Lake Front Sevierville TN Home For Sale
Lake Front Sevierville TN Home For Sale

A new lake front Sevierville TN home for sale was just listed. 

This custom built home on a Lake-Front Peninsula has gorgeous views of the surrounding area including Flat Creek and has water on three sides of the property. 

This house was made for entertaining guests with estate style gardens perfect for hosting a dinner al fresco and a commercial quality outdoor kitchen and gazebo. 

A hot tub deck, screened patio and wrap around patio should give your guests plenty of space to view the flowering four seasons garden and koi pond. 

Other outdoor features include a boat dock for several boats, a boat ramp, and a long circular driveway perfect for a stroll.  Men will be especially pleased with the man cave fitted for tools, ATVs, and lake toys in the garage.

For more information on this fabulous Sevierville home for sale or other Sevierville TN houses for sale, please don’t hesitate to call or email Jason White at 877-678-2121.

Gatlinburg TN 4th Annual Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales

Gatlinburg TN (http://www.miamiseasonalrental.com)
Gatlinburg TN (http://www.miamiseasonalrental.com)

A great festival for people visiting the Smoky Mountains this year is the Gatlinburg TN 4th Annual Smoky Mountain Tunes & Tales from June 12th – August 8th. 

This summer long festival inspires the past culture of the Smoky Mountains. 

All through downtown Gatlinburg, Appalachian history will be on display such as clogging, historical mountain melodies, and even the sound of a dulcimer. 

Also keep an eye open around 5:30 in the evening for a horse-drawn wagon which will be carrying artists to their performance areas. 

For more information on this Gatlinburg community events or Gatlinburg real estate, please contact Jason White, a Gatlinburg TN real estate agent by email or 877-678-2121.

Famous Family Visits Pigeon Forge

TLC Channel
TLC Channel

Many people from all over the world visit the Smoky Mountain National Park every year, but recently a famous family visited Pigeon Forge

The Duggar family are the stars of TLC’s “18 Kids and Counting” and have, as the title suggests, 18 children in their large family. 

They were invited this year by Pigeon Forge mayor, Keith Whaley, to participate in the Dolly Homecoming Parade. 

While they were visiting the Smoky Mountain region, the Duggar family also visited Dollywood and other area attractions. 

For more information on the Smoky Mountain lifestyle or Smoky Mountain attractions, please contact Jason White, a Smoky Mountain real estate agent.