Gatlinburg Real Estate Blog

Blame it on the uncertainties of the upcoming presidential election, a general lack of urgency, or whatever, but for the second month in a row Smoky Mountain residential real estate sales failed to measure up to the blistering pace set by area realtors a year ago. While we are still well ahead of last year's pace for the full year, the last couple of months of Gatlinburg real estate sales definitely aren't as strong...

Blame it on the uncertainties of the upcoming presidential election, a general lack of urgency, or whatever, but for the second month in a row Smoky Mountain residential real estate sales failed to measure up to the blistering pace set by area realtors a year ago. While we are still well ahead of last year's pace for the full year, the last couple of months of Gatlinburg real estate sales definitely aren't as strong...

On a recent very brief trip to Clingman's Dome , the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, it was remarkable how many state's license plates we spotted. Although the majority of our visitors come from other points in Tennessee, as well as the nearby states of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, & Mississippi, the diversity of states represented was a good indication of just how widespread the appeal of the Gatlinburg area is. Here is a list of the states that my wife and I saw during just a couple of hours that we were traveling: Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Colorado Delaware Florida Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania   South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Most measures of visitors to our area indicate that 2016 has been a VERY good year for our area's touris...

On a recent very brief trip to Clingman's Dome , the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, it was remarkable how many state's license plates we spotted. Although the majority of our visitors come from other points in Tennessee, as well as the nearby states of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, & Mississippi, the diversity of states represented was a good indication of just how widespread the appeal of the Gatlinburg area is. Here is a list of the states that my wife and I saw during just a couple of hours that we were traveling: Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Colorado Delaware Florida Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri New Jersey New York North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania   South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Most measures of visitors to our area indicate that 2016 has been a VERY g...

Although this number is preliminary, the very early indications are that Smoky Mountain September residential real estate sales fell sharply from the stratospheric levels that were hit in the same month during 2015. If the year ago number wasn't SO high the total for this September of this year wouldn't be so disappointing. Here is the table, but remember that the final totals will be higher.

Although this number is preliminary, the very early indications are that Smoky Mountain September residential real estate sales fell sharply from the stratospheric levels that were hit in the same month during 2015. If the year ago number wasn't SO high the total for this September of this year wouldn't be so disappointing. Here is the table, but remember that the final totals will be higher.

For the past 16 consecutive months, our Tennessee Smoky Mountain residential real estate market has beaten the previous year's tally and often handily but this streak may stop with July. Although all of the sales for July aren't in yet and the number is always revised upwards I'm not certain that there will be enough additional sales reported to beat the very strong results from a year ago. July 2015's tally was remarkable, as it beat every previous July going all the way back to the go-go years of 2006 & 2007. Only 2005's stratospheric total sales were enough to best the 2015 results. In sum, July 2015 was an incredibly good month and I'm not sure that July 2016 will be able to surpass it. Only time will tell - Here are the very preliminary results:

For the past 16 consecutive months, our Tennessee Smoky Mountain residential real estate market has beaten the previous year's tally and often handily but this streak may stop with July. Although all of the sales for July aren't in yet and the number is always revised upwards I'm not certain that there will be enough additional sales reported to beat the very strong results from a year ago. July 2015's tally was remarkable, as it beat every previous July going all the way back to the go-go years of 2006 & 2007. Only 2005's stratospheric total sales were enough to best the 2015 results. In sum, July 2015 was an incredibly good month and I'm not sure that July 2016 will be able to surpass it. Only time will tell - Here are the very preliminary results:

This is pitiful, even by my own weak standards but here is the quick report for June Smoky Mountain residential sales: As long term readers will certainly recognize, these preliminary numbers are ALWAYS revised upward as all firms post all of their sales. By mid month the number for June will certainly exceed what we completed last year, meaning that our string of positive comparisons will remain unbroken. Residential real estate is certainly booming in the Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, TN!!!

This is pitiful, even by my own weak standards but here is the quick report for June Smoky Mountain residential sales: As long term readers will certainly recognize, these preliminary numbers are ALWAYS revised upward as all firms post all of their sales. By mid month the number for June will certainly exceed what we completed last year, meaning that our string of positive comparisons will remain unbroken. Residential real estate is certainly booming in the Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, TN!!!

Because of multiple members of our family being hospitalized recently, I have been preoccupied for the past couple of weeks and not able to post to this blog. Things are now starting to settle down and hopefully I will be fully back at work on Monday. Despite my being idle for the past couple of weeks, my excellent team did close several transactions during April. In fact, April was an excellent month for Sevier County residential real estate as you can see from the table below: If you consider that 2015 was the best year since all the way back to 2006, it is extremely impressive that year to date 2016 is almost 100 units above the tally from 2015. I expect that 2016, barring something really odd, will handily beat 2015 and we may even get back to the record setting levels of 2005, when the real estate bubble was fully inflated. Despite the upturn, most experts do not think that our market nationally is in bubble territory. In fact, some of the most astute market analysts feel just th...

Because of multiple members of our family being hospitalized recently, I have been preoccupied for the past couple of weeks and not able to post to this blog. Things are now starting to settle down and hopefully I will be fully back at work on Monday. Despite my being idle for the past couple of weeks, my excellent team did close several transactions during April. In fact, April was an excellent month for Sevier County residential real estate as you can see from the table below: If you consider that 2015 was the best year since all the way back to 2006, it is extremely impressive that year to date 2016 is almost 100 units above the tally from 2015. I expect that 2016, barring something really odd, will handily beat 2015 and we may even get back to the record setting levels of 2005, when the real estate bubble was fully inflated. Despite the upturn, most experts do not think that our market nationally is in bubble territory. In fact, some of the most astute market analysts feel just...

My hunch was correct, in that 2015 was not only a recent year record setter in terms of the number of units sold, but the average sales price was higher. Although the print is fine, the results are true - 2015 had the highest average sales price since 2008: There are multiple reasons why 2015's average sales price was higher than recent year's averages. First, the number of foreclosures is down and that means higher prices because foreclosures almost always sell for less than a similar non-foreclosure property. Also, demand is up and there are just fewer $100,000 price range homes available. As I have posted before, buyers don't get much for less than $100,000 any more. In some cases, we can still find a bargain but it isn't as easy as it used to be. Watch this space for some special homes we expect to have for sale soon!

My hunch was correct, in that 2015 was not only a recent year record setter in terms of the number of units sold, but the average sales price was higher. Although the print is fine, the results are true - 2015 had the highest average sales price since 2008: There are multiple reasons why 2015's average sales price was higher than recent year's averages. First, the number of foreclosures is down and that means higher prices because foreclosures almost always sell for less than a similar non-foreclosure property. Also, demand is up and there are just fewer $100,000 price range homes available. As I have posted before, buyers don't get much for less than $100,000 any more. In some cases, we can still find a bargain but it isn't as easy as it used to be. Watch this space for some special homes we expect to have for sale soon!

This being the first post I have made since December 11th, this isn't really much of a blog sometimes. In fact, with the current rate of posting, it actually resembles a blog in name only. The reasons why I haven't posted more often are many, but as so often is the case I have simply been too busy to draft a post!! Really rather sad since I truly enjoy writing in this space. Hopefully 2016 will be better!! Now, the really important news is that 2015 was in fact the best year for Sevier County residential real estate since all the way back in 2006 and this is true in a number of ways. 2015 significantly outpaced every recent year, continuing the steady improvement in the total number of units sold. Also, 2015 surpassed 2014 by 10% and for the first time in over 10 years, 11 of the 12 months were positive versus a year ago. This just hasn't happened and it is even more significant when you consider the fact that 2014 was also the best year since 2007, a very strong year to co...

This being the first post I have made since December 11th, this isn't really much of a blog sometimes. In fact, with the current rate of posting, it actually resembles a blog in name only. The reasons why I haven't posted more often are many, but as so often is the case I have simply been too busy to draft a post!! Really rather sad since I truly enjoy writing in this space. Hopefully 2016 will be better!! Now, the really important news is that 2015 was in fact the best year for Sevier County residential real estate since all the way back in 2006 and this is true in a number of ways. 2015 significantly outpaced every recent year, continuing the steady improvement in the total number of units sold. Also, 2015 surpassed 2014 by 10% and for the first time in over 10 years, 11 of the 12 months were positive versus a year ago. This just hasn't happened and it is even more significant when you consider the fact that 2014 was also the best year since 2007, a very strong year to ...

Back in the glory days of 2005, Smoky Mountain real estate agents were taking grand vacations to the South of France and the South Pacific, driving expensive automobiles and living in very nice homes. Then came the American Great Recession which began in late 2007 and our local Gatlinburg area real estate market was no different. By 2008, Smoky Mountain realtors were choosing to camp in the National Park, driving much more modest vehicles, and very sadly, in some cases, losing their own homes in foreclosure. We're not just talking about real estate investment homes, but in some cases, where their children slept. This was the beginning of the foreclosure phase of our market which ran almost 8 years and still continues, although at a greatly reduced rate. As the table below shows, each and every year since 2008 with the sole exception of 2011, the pace of sales has increased over the previous year and even 2011 didn't miss by much. This improving trend has continued with sales ...

Back in the glory days of 2005, Smoky Mountain real estate agents were taking grand vacations to the South of France and the South Pacific, driving expensive automobiles and living in very nice homes. Then came the American Great Recession which began in late 2007 and our local Gatlinburg area real estate market was no different. By 2008, Smoky Mountain realtors were choosing to camp in the National Park, driving much more modest vehicles, and very sadly, in some cases, losing their own homes in foreclosure. We're not just talking about real estate investment homes, but in some cases, where their children slept. This was the beginning of the foreclosure phase of our market which ran almost 8 years and still continues, although at a greatly reduced rate. As the table below shows, each and every year since 2008 with the sole exception of 2011, the pace of sales has increased over the previous year and even 2011 didn't miss by much. This improving trend has continued with sale...

After enjoying a truly wonderful (and VERY much needed) vacation with my beautiful bride this week on the Mexican Riviera in the Playa del Carmen area south of Cancun, we are headed back home to Sevierville, TN today. Although we haven’t yet left the ground from the Cancun airport, I am now coming back into work mode and started thinking about the fact that I haven’t posted to this Gatlinburg real estate blog since very early in the month. Not only did we have a peaceful and very relaxing stay at the fabulous Iberostar Grand Paraiso resort, I did learn a little something that really does apply to Gatlinburg area vacation rentals and Smoky Mountain businesses in general. There are several ingredients that go into creating a perfect lodging experience: Location Facility Amenities Condition Staff While all of these are important, I started to think about what really are the most important factors. Certainly a hotel or rental cabin has to be in a desirable location, convenient to attract...

After enjoying a truly wonderful (and VERY much needed) vacation with my beautiful bride this week on the Mexican Riviera in the Playa del Carmen area south of Cancun, we are headed back home to Sevierville, TN today. Although we haven’t yet left the ground from the Cancun airport, I am now coming back into work mode and started thinking about the fact that I haven’t posted to this Gatlinburg real estate blog since very early in the month. Not only did we have a peaceful and very relaxing stay at the fabulous Iberostar Grand Paraiso resort, I did learn a little something that really does apply to Gatlinburg area vacation rentals and Smoky Mountain businesses in general. There are several ingredients that go into creating a perfect lodging experience: Location Facility Amenities Condition Staff While all of these are important, I started to think about what really are the most important factors. Certainly a hotel or rental cabin has to be in a desirable location, conveni...