Knoxville Tennessee Real Estate Blog

Over the past 12 years I’ve spent lots of time and money refining my website www.KnoxvilleMLS.com to be the best available Knoxville area real estate resource center.

I’ve found through trial and error that most all prospective home buyers first want to be able to search all the homes in the area they’re interested in living in.

KnoxvilleMLS.com’s search page delivers all the Knoxville area’s Realtors residential listings of homes, condos, land, multi-family homes listings.

Next there are links for buyers, sellers, mortgages, Knoxville area schools, employment, things to do in the Knoxville area, and several other links to items of interest for both prospective homebuyers and homesellers.

In short, KnoxvilleMLS.com was developed, and is constantly being refined to be the best, one stop real estate resource for the greater Knoxville, Tennessee area.

Visit KnoxvilleMLS.com today to pick out your next home and then contact me to help you buy it.

Alright, it’s clue time for CNN, Fox, ABC, CBS, ETC., ETC. and all the rest of the national media that is trying to paint the mythical “national real estate” market with the same brush.

Truth be told, there is no such thing as any sort of national real estate market, never has been, and probably never will be.

All real estate is local and dependant on market conditions in that local area.

Have a plant closing that costs lots of area jobs? Real estate will suffer along with most other industries in that local area.

Have a new plant opening that brings lots of new jobs and workers into an area? No surprise that lots of people now want to buy homes in that local market area.

According to the latest data from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), 2007 is shaping up to be the 5th best home sales year on record………..in spite of foreclosures, in spite of falling sale prices in some overheated local markets, and in spite of the continuing stream of negative press from CNN and the rest of that ilk.

“Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the data underscores the fact that all real estate is local.  “Some metro areas are hot while others are experiencing localized problems,” he said.  “The report also shows that home prices in the vast midsection of America, from the Appalachians to the Rockies, are affordable and, perhaps, even undervalued.”

And here’s another perspective from Realty Times editor Blanche Evans:

“Stocks and houses aren’t the same. Over 10 years, a $10,000 investment in the stock market at a normal 10 percent market rate of return would yield nearly $24,000. The same investment as a down payment on a $200,000 home at a normal appreciation rate of 5 percent would return nearly 5 times the stock market return, or over $110,000.”

If you need a home for your family now is a good a time to buy as it’s likely to get. There is a big selection of existing homes for sale, some builders are offering incentives to buy their homes, and interest rates remain at an all time low.

If you need to look for a new Knoxville area home, KnoxvilleMLS.com is a great place to find one.

Knoxville, Tennessee is blessed with a huge selection of restaurants and most all are very, very good. However a few stand above the rest for delivering consistantly high quality food, service, and atmosphere.

Here’s my picks for the best 10 non-chain restaurants in Knoxville.

1. Number one and head and shoulders above most all Knoxville restaurants is the venerable Regas Restaurant located since 1919 at the corner of Gay Street & Magnolia Avenue. Red Velvet cake is my desert of choice here.
2. Quite a bit funkier than the white tablecloth Regas but delivering just as good a meal for the money is Fountain City’s legendary Litton’s Restaurant. Litton’s is my choice for best hamburger in the world! Freshly ground beef, freshly baked buns, fresh cut French Fries; burgers & fries don’t come any better anywhere.
3. One of my favorite places to eat in the Bearden area is Naples. Formerly called Alberti’s, Naples carries on the tradition of great Italian food in a neighborhood atmosphere. Naple’s eggplant parmigiana is my favorite dish.
4. Down west in Farragut is Sam & Andy’s, another Knoxville institution and now operated by the third generation of the Captain family. Try a Vol Burger when you visit. Tell John or his sister Brenda that I sent you.
5. Over in the Rocky Hill area of near west Knoxville is Sullivan’s. Sullivan’s is a terrific neighborhood restaurant that delivers quality food & drink in a pleasant atmsphere. Their fried oysters are the best.
6. No list of Knoxville’s best restaurants would be complete without including Wright’s Cafeteria on Middlebrook Pike. Only open Monday-Friday for lunch and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30, David Wright & family deliver ‘down home’ cooking that’s sure to please. I like the veggies, spiced apples, okra & tomatoes, real mashed potatoes, and……lots more.
7. Uptown on the Market Square Mall is the Tomato Head. Odd name perhaps but nothing odd about their marvelous pizzas, sandwiches on fresh baked bread, home made soups, and other delicious goodies. A favorite of the downtown Knoxville residents and workers.
8. Another great Italian restaurant in the Cedar Bluff Road area of west Knoxville is Altruda’s. When you visit I recommend the Scallopine of veal with fresh mushrooms and marsala wine sauce.
9. OK, this one is part of a chain now but a small chain and a local one. Downstairs at the Copper Cellar on Cumberland Avenue is a wonderful atmosphere accompanied by an equally wonderful food & wine menu. The ‘other’ Copper Cellar is on Kingston Pike just east of West Towne Mall; they have an Italian annex called Cappuccino’s. Both are equally good but the Cumberland Avenue location downstairs is a special place for my wife and I.
10. Last and least (just in size, food is huge in flavor and quality) is Savelli’s Italian on Sutherland Avenue. Operated by Mama Savelli and staffed by the family. Cute, quaint, terrific. The only drawback is that it’s very small but that’s part of its charm. Bring your own bottle of wine here; Mama Savelli furnishes everything else…

That’s my current choice for Knoxville’s top 10 local restaurants, visit one soon and enjoy a great meal.

Bon appetit!

PS, we have great houses for sale near all these wonderful restaurants. Visit my menu of Knoxville Tennessee homes at KnoxvilleHomeCenter.com

You may have brought your child to one of those “Breakfast with Santa” affairs at a mall or department store but I’ll bet you never did it with a real live giraffe looking over your shoulder or penquins waddling around.

 

 

 

 

Our world class Knoxville Zoo is hosting their first “Breakfast with Santa” event on Saturday, December 8th at 9:30 AM.

Your little munchkin will get to have breakfast with Santa & Mrs. Claus, play games, enjoy some live entertainment, and last but certainly not least, admission to the zoo is included in the price.

Call (865) 637-5331 ext. 300 or visit the Knoxville zoo’s ticket office to reserve your child’s spot. Seating is limited; Santa’s lap is only so big you know. 😉

The greater Knoxville area has been blessed with many areas of scenic beauty and recreational activity.

One of the area’s most popular attractions are the 7 major lakes; all less than a 30 minute drive from downtown Knoxville.

Picture perfect spot for relaxing

The seven major lakes surrounding the great Knoxville area are:

• Fort Loudon, the closest to Knoxville; it’s part of the Tennessee River which begins about 2 miles east of downtown.
• Tellico Lake to the south; it merges with Fort Loudon Lake at the Fort Loudon Dam.
• Watts Bar Lake which begins below Ft. Loudon Dam.
• Melton Hill Lake just north in both Anderson and Knox Counties.
• Norris Lake to the north also.
• Cherokee Lake to the east
• And last but not least, Douglas Lake, also east of Knoxville & Knox County.

This ring of lakes offer the widest range of water sports for every taste from fishing, skiiing, swimming, rowing, tubing, sailing, and most any other aquatic activity.

Of course waterfront housing is in high demand and the greater Knoxville area has all types and price ranges from the multi-million dollar luxury homes to the more modestly priced weekend getaways.

Visit KnoxvilleMLS.com and pick one out for yourself.

One final note of caution. The water levels of all our lakes is controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Water levels are historically lowered in all lakes in the winter to make room in the lakes for spring rains.

The result is that some of the more shallow lakes lose a majority of their water and what is a beautiful cove in June becomes an ugly mud flat in January.

An experienced Knoxville Realtor can guide you in that area and help you ensure your lake property has year round water.

This floating dock will be high and dry until spring in this Knoxville area lake. The dry weather combined with TVA’s water drawdown has left this lake level very low at present.

In addition to being the University of Tennessee’s homecoming weekend ………..

 

…..it’s also time for Knoxville annual “Flu Shot Saturday”.

Started in 1992 by local physician Dr. Charlie Barnett, Flu Shot Saturday has become an annual tradition in the Knoxville area for thousands of local residents to get a free flu shot.

While the shots are technically ‘free’, donations to the Knoxville News-Sentinel’s Empty Stocking Fund which provides food and Christmas toys to thousands of Knoxville families who might otherwise have an unhappy holiday are encouraged and most flu shot recipients drop a generous donation into the box.

BlueCross BlueShield insurance of Tennessee partially funds the event and local Rotary clubs also help support the event.

Doctor Barnett and his group enlist the help of fellow Knoxville medical professionals to actually administer the vaccine at 5 Knoxville area high schools.

If you missed flu shot saturday there’s still lots of local clinics and drug stores adminstering the vaccine.

Better to endure a little pin prick from the shot than to suffer through 2 to 3 weeks of flu this winter.