Summer is here!!   The weather has been warm and the trees are beautiful with bright greens and flowers abundant.

Dollywoods Splash Country is open for the 2013 season.   Splash Country is proud to unveil their newest creation, the River Rush! Splash Country is East Tennessee’s only water park and is home to 15 water rides, a lazy river, wave pool, restaurants, merchandise and a very friendly staff.  The hottest ride of the year may be the big anticipated unveiling of the River Rush.  River Rush is Tennessees’ first and only water coaster.  Riders sit in a toboggan style raft that holds 4 people.  Rails or water this ride gives the rider a little bit of everything, from hair pin turns and dark tunnels to 4 drops, the highest being 25 feet at a 45 degrees, this is all along its 1176 feet long track.

The arrival of a new luxury resort park will be a great addition to the City of Gatlinburg.   Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort is a 5.5 acre RV and tenting facility opening May 24th.  This great addition to Gatlinburg can accommodate 18 RV’s and 11 Safari Tents coming June 28th.  Camp LeConte will have a store, laundry facilities, a bath house, and a rectangle salt water pool.   Wi-fi, full hook-ups, electric and shared water will be at all sites. 

The Island in Pigeon Forge is the newest addition to the parkway in Pigeon Forge.  Located between Light # 3 and 4 on the parkway, The Island will have an array of shops, restaurants and attractions.  Opening in the summer of 2013, The Island in Pigeon Forge boast a 200 foot tall wheel with climate controlled cabins for up to 8 guests and a 24,000 square foot LED light show.  The Mellow Mushroom and Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville will most likely be the hottest tickets in town.   The Mellow Mushroom will have a brand new frozen daiquiri bar and Margaritaville will be entertaining Pigeon Forge nightly with live entertainment.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are truly coming alive now that winter is far behind us and spring has leaped into full bloom waiting for you to join us in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee this summer!

One of only 7 states in the country that offer no state income tax on wages, TN is home to The Great Smoky Mountains and Nashville, The Country Music capitol of the world.  If your preference is the city life or the mountains, Tennessee offers everything. 

As a whole, TN offers great property values, low property taxes and an overall healthy outdoor life.   It is named a great place to retire with its benefits for those 65 and older. 

• Social Security benefits are not taxed
• Property-tax relief programs for income eligible seniors 65 or older, disabled and veterans on primary residences

Even if your retirement plans are in the future and a move to the Great Smoky Mountains is something on your mind now, with no state income tax on wages and the bright future of retirement benefits, there is so much to offer here for a lifetime.

Sevier County and its encompassed cities such as Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have great property values with the 2012 average price of homes sold being $161,870.  The cost of living stays well below the national average at 11%. 

The area offers a great mix of activities for all ages and a healthy outdoor living.  Hiking trails are abundant from your expert hike up to the summit of Mt. LeConte to the family friendly stroll on paved trails to Laurel Falls.  Douglas Lake offers camping, fishing, boating with marinas, rentals and a public beach just minutes from Sevierville.  Looking for a game of golf with the men in your family?  Sevier County has 5 courses for you to choose from.

Additional benefits of the area are:

• McGee Tyson Airport is about a 60 min drive
• Approximately 90 mins away is Historic Ashville, NC, home to Biltmore the largest private residence in the country
• A beautiful drive over the mountains into Cherokee, NC for Harrah’s Casino
• About a 3 hour drive will get you to Atlanta, GA to the south or Nashville, TN to the west

Tennessee has it all with its 42,180 sq. miles, rolling hills, pastures, farms, mountains, tourism, state parks, lakes and anything else you could ever ask for!

Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains are extremely pet friendly.  There are pet friendly rental cabins, hotels and motels.  The streets of Gatlinburg and Pigeon forge can be frequented by leashed pets as well. 

Dollywood understands that Fido might be along for the ride and they offer a kennel service called Doggywood so you can enjoy the park.  It is conveniently located right at the entrance of the park where you buy your tickets.  They offer reservation services, kennel run or cottage with adequate water and shade. 

Wanting to go downtown Gatlinburg to do some shopping or browsing?  Bring Fido and travel about 5.5 miles out 321 North from light #3 to Barks and Recreation.  They offer a full day care with boarding and free run and play for social dogs. For those that would rather sleep all day, they offer suites inside with a cot and bed.  Water and love is always given along with pics on their website of the famous pooch in your life.

Here in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge many or most of the cabin rentals and hotels are pet friendly.  Bringfido.com has a great list of accommodations in the Great Smoky Mountains that are pet friendly.

Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge has a ½ mile walking trail and access to the trail along the Little Pigeon River, all which is pet friendly. 

If you’re looking to bring your dog everywhere with you like I do, this is a great place for your pet to come for a vacation as well! 

A subdivision is used to identify a specific piece of land and its division into smaller plats to either be sold, or developed.  This can either take place as residential or commercial.  In the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, subdivisions are very common.  They have specific rules and regulations, some based on the current laws and regulations of such things like building codes, water and sewage, easements, and what type of living i.e. ( Single family or Multifamily housing).

One of the more centrally located subdivisions of Gatlinburg is Chalet Village on Ski Mountain.  Chalet Village is made up of other smaller subdivisions’ such as Tryolia and Chalet Village North.  Some of Chalet Villages’ most important restrictions address issues such as:

•          Single family residential use
•          Temporary structures
•          Commercial activity on residential lots
•          Livestock and Poultry
•          Construction

“Dances with Bears” Chalet Village, Gatlinburg , TN

Chalet Village has some amazing perks as well!  Because of the location, the views of the mountains are spectacular.  Three clubhouse areas are available to owners and guest with a pass.  These areas may include pools, tennis courts, banquet facilities, vending machines, and a small gym. 

Cobbly Nob is a golf community with approximately 1000 acres located about 10 miles north-east of downtown Gatlinburg.  There is a mix of both permanent residences along with overnight rentals.  Cobbly Nob sits well above Bent Creek golf course and in the heart of the Smokies with some properties that look out to Mt. LeConte.  Cobbly Nob offers pools, tennis courts and a clubhouse. 

Overlooking Bent Creek Golf Course

Because Gatlinburg is a tourist destination with nearly 10 million visitors a year, the subdivisions here extend to include RV Parks.  Outdoor Resorts of Gatlinburg has lots for rent or purchase.  This very nice park is nestled right amongst the beautiful Smoky Mountains alongside a stream.  Outdoor Resorts of Gatlinburg has 376 sites that can accommodate anything from a van to a travel trailer up to 40 feet in length.  Outdoor Resorts has all kinds of amenities; pools, shuffle board, mini golf, recreation hall, volley ball courts and a fishing lake.  This is the all-around fun place to stay for the family with Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville just 20 to 30 minutes away.

“BarNone” Sky Harbor, Gatlinburg, TN

Sky Habor subdivision is located off the spur about half way between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.  It’s a great location and it offers both permanent residences along with overnight rentals.  Unlike the other subdivisions’ I have mentioned, Sky Harbor as a whole does not have any pool or clubhouse amenities.  This is not to be confused with Sky Harbor Resorts which is located in the same area and does accommodate these amenities.  Sky harbor is made up of communities within its boundaries’; Beachview, Sky View, Lake View, Lake Shore, Ridgefield and Ridgeview communities. 

No matter your taste or preference, from all-log cabin communities to mountainside chalets, you’ll find it here in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Home Prices in the Great Smoky Mountains of East TN           

Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville make up the largest part of what is considered the Sevier County portion of The Great Smoky Mountains. Gatlinburg happens to be the premier gateway city to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States.  

Currently there are over 7,000 properties listed for sale in Sevier County. The year-to-date and the average price of property sold has gone up 10% with the median price rising 19%! Those great statistics along with the fact that overall inventory is down by 7% year-over-year means that the real estate market in the Great Smoky Mountains area is recovering quickly.

Century 21 Four Seasons Realty is currently the highest selling firm in Sevier County for numbers of dollars sold (total volume) and number of properties sold. We here at Century 21 Four Seasons Realty leverage our position in the marketplace to help our buyers and sellers achieve their goals involving home ownership, investment property purchases and land/commercial development.

What’s in a house style? Does it have dormers? Does it have stunning tall columns’? Or is it made of logs? Housing styles differ from one region to the next all across the country. Even though the variety spreads country wide you will continue to find a southern style house in the north and a Malibu house in the east. When you make it to the mountainous areas of the country you will find one common denominator… The Log Cabin!

Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountain are no exception. Although the countryside has condos, ranches, and chalets, Gatlinburg and the surrounding areas are synonymous with log cabins. A log cabin can be custom built, bought as a kit or hand-made like the pioneers did. Log cabins come in various shapes, sizes, stories and full of amenities if that fits your unique style.

A log home begins with a certain type of tree, primarily pine or spruce. With some research I have found that log home manufactures differ from area to area and may build a custom log home with the tree species of your choice. They first will mill the logs to strip them of their bark and make them smooth. The logs are then shaped into one of four profiles determined by the customer. D shaped, full round, square, and Swedish. They then will interlock based on the profile of the log. Dovetail, the most common type for modern construction will work with the square profile milled log, as for the Swedish milled logs, saddle notch interlocking is used in construction. Examples of all four of these types and styles can be seen across the Smoky Mountains.

Century 21 Four Seasons Realty on East Parkway, Gatlinburg is based out of a log cabin.  Originally from Finland, the logs are Swedish cut and finely crafted. The inside boasts a massive fire place from floor to ceiling. The exposed cut ends jut out from the walls or the rooms in a most appealing architectural way. The overlapping of logs at each corner brings beauty and interest. For the windows and the doors, the logs were notched out so trim can lay flat to provide additional appeal and weather guard to the structure.

If log cabin is not your style, the Gatlinburg area has chalets. Chalet is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region in Europe, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house. Gatlinburg is home to the only ski resort in the state of Tennessee and the majority of the chalets will be close to the ski resort. Although there are many definitions of the word “Chalet”, Gatlinburg refers to a chalet as a house or vacation home in the mountains.

These two house styles are extremely different; Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains have much more to offer then just these two styles. There is a house style for everyone’s needs, wants and desires here, in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee!

Travel Tips for Visitors

Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains have a lot to offer our visitor’s, which by the way 10 million people visit the park every year!  Forbes magazine has listed Gatlinburg as “one of the prettiest towns in America”.

Entrance to Great Smoky Mountain National Park

The Smoky Mountains are a driving destination.  Its 500 miles from as far north as Toledo, OH,  as far South as the Florida Georgia line and all of the coast through South and North Carolina.  With that said, GPS is almost a necessity today along with park maps when you arrive, however; depending on which GPS you use it may not be beneficial, sometimes it does not work.  Depending on the good old paper map may work best when getting off the beaten path in the mountains.  These can be found almost everywhere you go; visitor centers, lodging check-in or restaurants.

Lodging is usually the first thing travelers think of.  For travelers visiting the Smokies this might come as one of the most impressive experiences of their lives!  Gatlinburg’s primary source of lodging is the Cabin Rental industry.  Many of the cabins have spectacular views of these magnificent mountains.  The process of getting one of those amazing views could be driving up extremely winding roads and/or narrow passages.  Traveling up these mountains when you’re not use to it, may cause nausea and lightheadedness, but for most, this is not the case. 

Once you’re settled in the prettiest little town in America nestled at the foothills of the NP you can begin to explore the main street of shops, shopping, eateries, games, play time, sweets and sounds.  This is the best place to find just about anything you are looking for.   Bringing a good pair of walking shoes is necessary for this family vacation.  They will be used walking downtown or on a hike to Laurel Falls. 

Laurel Falls

The weather in Gatlinburg and the surrounding Smoky Mountains are considered a temperate rain forest.  Bringing warm clothes even though it may be July or August when you  visit is good practice.  At the top of the mountains it could be raining or significantly colder than when you are in the village. 

Downtown Gatlinburg is a small quaint town but parking can be scarce.  There are parking garages and parking lots for your conveniences.  The best tip for parking and enjoying the downtown life, is to plan a day around it, that way you can find parking, stay, eat and play all day.  If you’re traveling companions have difficulty walking a lot or small children are with you, Gatlinburg offers a free Trolley service going up and down the strip all day and late into the evening.

Gatlinburg Free Parkway Trolly

Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are extremely family friendly and consistent with helping out with coupons and free gifts for the budget conscience travelers.  Most business and all visitors’ centers have free books with coupons in them.  Just to name a few, Navigator Coupon Book, Best Read Guide and Monster Coupon Book.  These books will have savings on just about every category: Dining, shows, shopping and most importantly activities such as, White Water Rafting, Zip Lining and Horseback Riding, Mini Golf, and Go Carting.  The Tennessee Smokies Visitor’s Guide is a great little book that gives families ideas of things to do, shows to see and some of the most popular hiking trails.   

Taking into consideration these few tips about Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountain NP will make your trip much more enjoyable and the preparedness will, without a doubt, cause you to have a great time and get the most out of this one of a kind driving destination!

The Color of the year for 2013 is….                                                                                             

Home interiors are going green!  Pantone has named

“Emerald” it’s color of the year for 2013.  Pantone

describes the jewel-like hue as a “lively, radiant,

lush green” that can offer sophistication

and luxury.  Emerald paint, accents, and

accessories will likely be decorating more home

interiors this year.

• 77% at home
• 31% at work
• 28% waiting in line
• 27% at a restaurant
• 26% at other peoples homes

Owning a Rental Property Is ‘Sweet Spot’ in Market