Ron Laughlin Real Estate Blog

Condos at Amazing Prices now on sale in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

We are offering condos in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at amazing prices– way below original prices. Check them out on my blog, right here. Then, contact me at 865-256-7175, or by email to Ron Laughlin.

Amazing Condos for Sale in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

IT’S A BUYERS MARKET

We are a “Blue Collar” tourist area.  What does that mean?  Well, if you know all the words to “God Bless the USA”, know who drives number 88, would love to meet Larry the Cable Guy, think Dolly should be president, and would date your first cousin, then Sevier County is the place for you. 

There’s nothing fancy about the place, but you can always find someone willing to lend you a helping hand in a time of need.  As corny as it may sound, this is still a family oriented community. Even with all the growth we have managed to keep the small town atmosphere (except for Friday afternoons trying to get in town).  We don’t have gangs.  Crime is low.  Taxes are low. Life moves at a slower pace.  And we like it that way. 

The way of life, the beautiful mountains, the low cost of living, and the small town atmosphere are what draw people here.  Some come for a visit once and get hooked on the place.  Others come back year after year and finally buy a place and retire here.   Some hear about the great investment opportunities and want a piece of the pie.  Whatever the reason, buying real estate in Sevier has been and will continue to be an outstanding investment.  Sure there are folks who bought at the top of the market and are now suffering though the down times.  But for those who always wanted to buy here and couldn’t,  now may the time.   Unfortunate circumstances for some have created opportunity for others.   The distressed property market is HOT and having a big effect on the retail market by forcing all prices lower.

Here are the numbers.   There are currently 3200+ residential properties on the market.  That includes log cabins, chalets, condos, regular residential homes, etc.   But there are only about 320 that are in either foreclosure or short sale position.   You do the math.   Did you get it??    10% of our market are foreclosure or short sales.  HERE’S THE KICKER:  approximately 40% of our sales are in these distressed properties.  That means that there are a large pool of buyers who recognize that now is the time to buy property and are taking advantage of the market.  Well there are 60% who didn’t buy distressed property.   Right……….and why not……….because they came looking for those foreclosure properties and found almost as good a deal with retail property with far less hassle. 

When I got in the business 6 years ago, no one ever talked about foreclosures.  Never…….ever.   All we talked about was building more cabins and the ever increasing prices that more and more people seemed willing to pay, thinking that the climb up the hill would never end and we would all retire rich.  But…………then…………..a strange thing happened and almost NO ONE saw it coming.   The big beautiful bubble brust.   I for one don’t know if the economy caused the housing market to tank or vise versa, but the ride downhill began and in my opinion still continues.  Here’s why.

As I said early, we currently have 3200+ residential properties on the market.  In 2009, we sold 1446.  Again, you do the math.  If NO NEW listings were to come on the market, we have enough inventory to last just over 2 years. 

So, back to the opening line of this blog:  I’TS A BUYERS MARKET could never be more true.  The fed still has interest rates falsely pegged low (that cannot continue forever), there are tax incentives for buyers(which will be over on April 30, 2010), prices are still falling, and inventory is high.  

What more could you ask for?????

I know, everyone is afraid of what is going to happen next.   Am I going to have a job?   Am I going to have health care?  Are fuel cost going to stay down or go up again?     Is my 401k safe?    Times are uncertain.

But if you have a credit score of 620 or better, income that you can document, and very little other outstanding debt, then now could very well be the time to make a move.  Get in at low prices, plan on staying put for at least 5  years, get a low interest FIXED RATE mortgage,  and then watch your investment grow.   If you don’t meet all the above criteria don’t try to force it.   Stay employed, don’t mess up your credit score, stay out of debt, save money for a down payment (I know, I know, it’s old fashioned), and wait for better days. 

More on what you should do if you are a seller in these troubled times in my next post.

Back again.  Thought I would write a few lines about one of my interests…… wilderness search and rescue.

I am a member of Black Diamond Search and Rescue.    Black Diamond is credified by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in wilderness search and rescue (SAR) and is made up of several smaller groups from a 12 county area of southwest Virginia.   This area consist mainly of mountainous terrain in the Appalachian Mountain chain that runs from northern Georgia, through Tennessee and Virginia.  Most widely known for the Appalachian Trial, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and The Blueridge Parkway there are millions of tourist that visit and play in these mountains every year.  With 100’s of miles of hiking and backpacking trials it is inevitable that some of these folks will get lost. It is our job to find them.  However, not only do we search for missing hikers but also lost children, mentally impaired adults, downed aircraft, lost hunters, or any other folks who go missing.   We are not law enforcement and do not search for criminals.  We opperate strictly as a volunteer group and work at the behest of local and state authorities.  Unlike most sheriff departments, fire departments, state police, or city police, we are specially trained and certified in various types of search techniques. 

Side Notes: 

1. If you have an interest in visiting one of the most beautiful areas of the country check out Grayson Highlands State Park.   Visit this link:  http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/gra.shtml

2. I live and work in Sevierville, TN but choose to participate in SAR in VA primarily because the State of VA has a very active department of emergency management and invest alot of time and money into our efforts.   So much of the mountains of TN are under the umbrella of the national parks system.  Emergency situations in any national park are handled strictly by park ranger with no outside assistance.

To be member of a SAR team members have to pass basic survival and search techniques.  From there members can specialize in areas such has mantracking, K9 teams, and vertical rescue.   I have choosen to specialize in K9.  Below you will see my K9 partner Briar.   He is a 10 month old yellow lab. 

Taking a break

Briar will eventually be an air scent dog.  He will hopefully be fully trained and certified by the time he is two years old.  It takes a big commitment from the dog and handler to get the dog team ready to be a SAR dog, but the benefits in a search can be amazing.   There are three kinds of search dogs:  trackers, trailers and air scent.  It is Briar’s job to work off lead in a designated area to pick up the scent of any person that has passed through the area, find that person, return to his handler (me) and take me to the person he has found.  Air scent dogs are not scent specific dogs.  They are used to clear a large area quickly.  All of our dogs are high energy and are expected to be like the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going.  Briar is the only lab in our group.  Other dogs are german shephards, malinois (Belgian Shephards). 

Trackers and trailers are scent specific dogs.  They are given an article of clothing from the victim, assigned an area where the victim was last seen and off they go.  Trackers and trailers normally work on lead dragging their handler behind them.  The most widely know breed for this duty is the bloodhound although other breeds make excellent tracking dogs. 

The ability of any search dog to find and follow scent is affected dramatically by environmental conditions.  Dry, windy conditions tend to disperse scent more quickly and may make other search techniques more effective.  Dog’s noses are 500 times more sensitive than humans.  Good search dogs can find a drop of blood in a 1 acre field. 

This is just a brief summary of what I do in SAR.  A good SAR team is a well oiled team of individuals who are good to great outdoorsman, with different specialities, and manyyears of experience,  bonded to together and dedicated to finding lost persons.  I know that if I were ever lost in the woods in Southwest VA there are people who will find me and find me fast before the elements take their toll.

If you have not yet visited our beautiful area, then by all means, make plans to do so.  Let me tell you more about the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. 

Our area is comprised of three small towns with loads of diverse entertainment and activities.  Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park……….the most visited national park in the country with about 10 million visitors per year.  MORE ON THE PARK LATER.  Gatlinburg sits at the  Sugarlands entrance to the park and for years has been a tourist destination.  Once a sleepy little mountain town with mountain arts and crafts, a ski resort, an ariel tram, shops,  mom & pop restaurants, and wedding chapels everywhere..  this beautiful little mountain town has grown into more active and robust tourist stop that still maintains it’s mountain grace and splendor.  One of the biggest attractions is Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.   To learn more about Gatlinburg visit http://www.gatlinburg.com.  This is a link to the Chamber of Commerce.

Next is Pigeon Forge.  WOW.  What can you say about this place.  It has grown and grown over the last 20 years and is now a major shopping destination and boast loads of attraction including Dollywood, Dixie Stampede, Wonder Works, just to name a few.  There are theaters, restuarants galore, amusement parks, shopping malls, outdoor activities, rafting, hiking, horseback riding and the list goes on an on.  To learn more about this wonderful town visit http://www.mypigeonforge.com. 

Last but certainly not least is Sevierville.  The county seat of Sevier County is also now becoming a popular tourist stop.  The most recent addition to our line up of attractions is Wilderness of the Smokies.  Located adjacent to the city golf complex, Wilderness claim to fame is a huge indoor water park with a wave pool, surfing pool and several water slides.   With 400 condo units, eateries and shops, Wilderness is pretty much a self contained experience. 

Great Smoky Mountain National Park: 

The park is the reason we are where we are in Sevier County.  The mountain are what originally drew people to the area and to this day is remains a popular stop on a visit to the area.  With hundreds of miles of hiking trails, streams, waterfalls, campgrounds, fishing, and backcountry camping, you can spend days in the park and never see the same territory twice.  If a slower pace and enjoyment of God’s gift to us is more what you have in mind, them by all means plan a visit. 

About Ron:

I am a real estate agent in Sevier County.  I have lived here for 28 years and raised my 3 kids here.  Before coming to Sevierville, I lived in various other areas of the souteast, but I must say that this is where I plan on staying.  We have great schools, low crime rate, low low tax rates, and all the advantages of living in a tourist area and the perks that brings along with being only 3o minutes to Knoxville…………….home of the University of Tennessee. 

STILL COUNTING ON A BRIGHT FUTURE. 

I WILL BE BACK SOON.