Gatlinburg Real Estate Blog

Yesterday's spectacular rainbow seems to end right at the nearly finished LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge. The myth about a pot of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow may in fact be accurate this time. This new facility will be a wonderful addition to the area and is already booking future dates for large conferences. The large (232,000 square feet under roof) convention center will have state of the art features and will certainly bring many more groups to the area. To read much more about this brand new project slated to open in September, follow this link to the City of Pigeon Forge's description . Located nearby is The Island  which is also slated to open very soon. The other end of the rainbow (not pictured) ended on the ridge where the new baseball center will open next year. There will also probably be several pots of gold for local businesses from that operation over the next many years. All of this of course cannot be bad for Smoky Mountain real estate or the people...

Yesterday's spectacular rainbow seems to end right at the nearly finished LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge. The myth about a pot of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow may in fact be accurate this time. This new facility will be a wonderful addition to the area and is already booking future dates for large conferences. The large (232,000 square feet under roof) convention center will have state of the art features and will certainly bring many more groups to the area. To read much more about this brand new project slated to open in September, follow this link to the City of Pigeon Forge's description . Located nearby is The Island  which is also slated to open very soon. The other end of the rainbow (not pictured) ended on the ridge where the new baseball center will open next year. There will also probably be several pots of gold for local businesses from that operation over the next many years. All of this of course cannot be bad for Smoky Mountain real estate ...

In the month of August, the roughly 550 active members of the Great Smoky Mountain Association of Realtors combined for a total of 128 residential units sold.  This isn't terrible, but is about 12% below the total for August 2010.  For the second month in a row, the 2011 totals are exactly equivalent to the disastrous levels of 2008 - This is not a trend we want to see continue!  Fortunately, the feel of this market is better than it was at this point in 2008.  In that dreadful year, this was about the time that everything began to fall off the tracks.  We actually expect a stronger second half of the year but only time will tell.  For those of you who prefer your information in chart form, here it is:

In the month of August, the roughly 550 active members of the Great Smoky Mountain Association of Realtors combined for a total of 128 residential units sold.  This isn't terrible, but is about 12% below the total for August 2010.  For the second month in a row, the 2011 totals are exactly equivalent to the disastrous levels of 2008 - This is not a trend we want to see continue!  Fortunately, the feel of this market is better than it was at this point in 2008.  In that dreadful year, this was about the time that everything began to fall off the tracks.  We actually expect a stronger second half of the year but only time will tell.  For those of you who prefer your information in chart form, here it is:

Sorry about the title to this Gatlinburg Real Estate Blog post, I just couldn't resist the urge to alliterate. September's Smoky Mountain real estate residential sales numbers are in and the results are about even with last year. While better than some months of this year have been, September doesn't yet look to be significantly above last year's tally. Even after all the dust settles in a few more days, our final number will not be much above last year's sales which is a bit of a disappointment. For those of you who like details here is the full chart which can be clicked on for a clearer image as well as a very telling second graph. What's worse, although it is nearly certain that not every sale has been reported yet, it looks as if sales were down sequentially for the second month in a row. The fall and winter months are generally slower than our peak spring and summer periods so part of the drop is no doubt seasonal. Still, it would be nice to have a few mo...

Sorry about the title to this Gatlinburg Real Estate Blog post, I just couldn't resist the urge to alliterate. September's Smoky Mountain real estate residential sales numbers are in and the results are about even with last year. While better than some months of this year have been, September doesn't yet look to be significantly above last year's tally. Even after all the dust settles in a few more days, our final number will not be much above last year's sales which is a bit of a disappointment. For those of you who like details here is the full chart which can be clicked on for a clearer image as well as a very telling second graph. What's worse, although it is nearly certain that not every sale has been reported yet, it looks as if sales were down sequentially for the second month in a row. The fall and winter months are generally slower than our peak spring and summer periods so part of the drop is no doubt seasonal. Still, it would be nice to have a few mo...

After recently reviewing the market for two potential new listing clients who own upper bracket homes, I found a somewhat discouraging fact. While there have been 841 residential sales reported during 2009 in our Great Smoky Mountain Association of Realtors MLS by area agents, there has been a very noticeable near absence of upper bracket homes sold. Maybe a more accurate way of putting this is that very few homes have sold at what we used to consider an upper bracket price level. Even very nice properties are selling at more affordable prices but there just aren't many $500k+ sales occurring: Jan-Aug Sales Price 2009 $500,000 - $599,999 = 9 $600,000 - $699,999 = 7 $700,000 - $799,999 = 3 $800,000+ = 2 Total of sales $500,000+ = 21 What do all of these numbers indicate? The picture becomes somewhat more meaningful when you consider there are currently 352 unsold homes for sale in our Gatlinburg area priced above $500,000. My belief is that in a challenging economy not many buyers ...

After recently reviewing the market for two potential new listing clients who own upper bracket homes, I found a somewhat discouraging fact. While there have been 841 residential sales reported during 2009 in our Great Smoky Mountain Association of Realtors MLS by area agents, there has been a very noticeable near absence of upper bracket homes sold. Maybe a more accurate way of putting this is that very few homes have sold at what we used to consider an upper bracket price level. Even very nice properties are selling at more affordable prices but there just aren't many $500k+ sales occurring: Jan-Aug Sales Price 2009 $500,000 - $599,999 = 9 $600,000 - $699,999 = 7 $700,000 - $799,999 = 3 $800,000+ = 2 Total of sales $500,000+ = 21 What do all of these numbers indicate? The picture becomes somewhat more meaningful when you consider there are currently 352 unsold homes for sale in our Gatlinburg area priced above $500,000. My belief is that in a challenging economy not many buyers ...

Gatlinburg area real estate has always been considered to be somewhat recession resistant. The thinking (which generally has proven to be correct) is that a long weekend in the Smoky Mountains is a cheaper option than a week at the beach so when times get tough, the more affordable option is attractive to potential vacationers. That has rung true again, even in the Great Recession as some commentators are now referring to our current economic climate. With many other vacation areas off dramatically from previous years our area's summer season hasn't been that bad. In fact, many areas are reporting modest gains from previous year's numbers. The only negative is that rates have been somewhat discounted as competition heats up among property owners here in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville area. Marginal properties that don't have a view or some other notable quality are suffering which confirms one of my core beliefs when it comes to Smoky Mountain vacation rental r...

Gatlinburg area real estate has always been considered to be somewhat recession resistant. The thinking (which generally has proven to be correct) is that a long weekend in the Smoky Mountains is a cheaper option than a week at the beach so when times get tough, the more affordable option is attractive to potential vacationers. That has rung true again, even in the Great Recession as some commentators are now referring to our current economic climate. With many other vacation areas off dramatically from previous years our area's summer season hasn't been that bad. In fact, many areas are reporting modest gains from previous year's numbers. The only negative is that rates have been somewhat discounted as competition heats up among property owners here in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville area. Marginal properties that don't have a view or some other notable quality are suffering which confirms one of my core beliefs when it comes to Smoky Mountain vacation rental r...

4 Bedroom, 3 Bath Rental in a Great Sevierville Location Soon available, this single level home only a mile from the Sevierville courthouse features a large and level yard, a solid neighborhood, spacious rooms, a large screened in porch in back, and a one car carport. Convenient to everything (3 miles to Pigeon Forge and only 8 miles to Gatlinburg), this property is ideal for almost any lifestyle. All of this can be yours for only $1,000 per month. To view interior pictures and a more complete description as well as lease terms, please click here . This property is owned by Jeff and Karen Schoenfield and is leased by us so the Owner/Agent designation applies.

4 Bedroom, 3 Bath Rental in a Great Sevierville Location Soon available, this single level home only a mile from the Sevierville courthouse features a large and level yard, a solid neighborhood, spacious rooms, a large screened in porch in back, and a one car carport. Convenient to everything (3 miles to Pigeon Forge and only 8 miles to Gatlinburg), this property is ideal for almost any lifestyle. All of this can be yours for only $1,000 per month. To view interior pictures and a more complete description as well as lease terms, please click here . This property is owned by Jeff and Karen Schoenfield and is leased by us so the Owner/Agent designation applies.