Gatlinburg/ Sevierville/Pigeon Forge Area Homes For Sale
Why We Love Living in the East Tennessee Smokies!
I have lived in Sevier County since 1995, and you couldn’t drag me out now. There are many
reasons why my wife Whitney (a life-long resident of East Tennessee) love it here, but here are
some of the primary ones:
1.Beauty – There’s a reason why we have a National Park here, and why folks travel from
hundreds of miles (and in some cases from thousands of miles) away to visit here.
2.Safety – We have an exceptionally low crime rate, actually one of the lowest in the entire
United States. It’s a little like living in the Mayberry made famous by the old Andy Griffith
Show, but much prettier (see #1).
3.Economic Opportunity – As one of the fastest growing areas in Tennessee, Sevier County
offers exceptional business and personal opportunities. No matter what type skill, profession, or
business expertise you have, you can succeed here with a little effort and ingenuity!
4.Four Distinct yet Mild Seasons – Unlike many parts of the country, we just don’t have to
endure much harsh weather. Generally, the hottest days in the summer are around 90 degrees,
and a really cold winter night is anything under 20 degrees. In short, varied, but usually mild.
Also, we’ve never had a tornado anywhere in Sevier County (thanks mostly to the mountains, I
guess!).
5.Affordability – No, you can’t buy land for $1,000 an acre anymore, but compared to many
parts of the country, our living costs are still very reasonable. With our low cost of living, Sevier
County is a great place to live well in, for much less than many other resort type destinations.
6.Very Low Taxes – A friend of mine once said, “Jeff, just be glad that you don’t get ALL of the
government that you pay for!” While I have to agree, we just don’t pay that much. Property
taxes vary by city within the county, but you can expect to pay around $500 annually
in total property taxes per $100,000 in property market value. We do not have ANY state or
local income taxes, so we get off very lightly here. The county does have a sales tax of
7% which is combined with Sevier County's tax of 2.5% to total 9.50%. This tax is applied to
almost any purchase (including food, clothing, medicine) other than large ticket items like
automobiles, real estate, and farm equipment which are taxed at lower rates. Tennessee does
have a real estate transfer tax, which amounts to $0.37 per $100 of the property's purchase price.
Additionally, a mortgage tax is imposed at the time of purchase that's $0.115 on each $100 of the
mortgage amount. The first $2,000 is exempt from the mortgage tax. It is important to note that
the transfer and mortgage taxes are one time charges that are imposed at the time of purchase
only. Other fees include a charge of $28 annually for a vehicle license tag, regardless of the
value or type vehicle, and a fee of about $50 per two years for a Tennessee driver's license. All
in all, in my opinion, we are very lightly taxed, and it's a privilege to live in the Smoky
Mountains of Tennessee! Don’t take my word for it, check out this ranking of state tax burdens:
http://taxfoundation.org/sites/taxfoundation.org/files/docs/ff2013.pdf.
7.Good Schools – Sevier County schools, and in particular the Gatlinburg area schools
consistently score very well when compared to other public schools around the country.
8.Family Values – Don’t want to sound like a politician, but we have many more churches in
East Tennessee than we do bars, and we like it that way! If you want to get to know folks here,
join a good church! If you like, we’d be very glad to have you visit our church.