If you are considering property on or near Norris Lake TN, then I would like to strongly encourage you to come to the lake now! Until the leaves start coming back in the spring, this is the PERFECT time to appreciate the view from any property as well as get an idea of which trees would need to be cut to open up that view. If you are looking at raw land, right now you can get a feeling for the slope of the land and can walk the boundaries. If you wait until the leaves are out and the raspberry canes are in full force in the spring, the property will most likely be impenetrable and the view completely obscured. Here are some of my favorite properties:
BARGAIN: Year-round deep water flat to gently sloping lakefront lot in Lone Mountain Shores for ‘way under the $200,000 market price: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?2781F6B94EF5 NEW ON MARKET!
LAKEFRONT home for under $100,000?? No way. WAY!! : http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?C267FBB9EE5B NEW ON MARKET
Bargain lakeview lot: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?25416C2863D0
Lakefront log cabin in the woods: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?AF11D42CC68E NEW ON MARKET
Interested in a family compound on 96 acres with LAKEFRONT? : http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?A0D30D25FFB7
Fabulous custom country 4000 sq ft home on 21+ gorgeous acres WITH a dock in a local community marina! First time on market: http://www.shirleegrabko.com/New_Tazewell/Tennessee/Homes/New_Tazewell/Agent/Listing_7813272.html
Custom log year round lakefront 2800 sq ft log home with dock in Lone Mountain Shores: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?8A488DE74C1F
Gorgeous lake and mountain view lots in the Deerfield Resort: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?4E5046486ADD
Gently sloping lot with big water view in gated Norris Crest: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?4B4E10D30D15
Log cabin on 3.2 acres for $259,000 (or with 10+ acres for $299,000) with lake access and boat dock in community marina: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?BC0827EE79D6
5000+ sq ft lakefront home on market by developer at his break-even cost! Well constructed. His loss = your gain: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?73206C391325
Cozy country home with 15 acres only 20 minutes from shopping and 5 minutes to lake: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?63453AFD8239
Secluded, private new construction custom cabin in the woods on 14+ acres with lakeview and free boat dock: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?D7DF2E8BBBCA
Knock-your-socks-off views of lake and mountains from these ridge lots!!: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?B023643CC68E
Rock Harbor: http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?F3BB36A2824A and http://realfocus.kaarmls.com/r?67BFAFBC400E
And so much more! On the average, properties are closing at about 10% less than asking price.
You can go to www.NorrisLakeResourceCenter.com to look for properties by individual community! Search all properties listed by all agents and all agencies that are on the Multiple Listing Service.
While several of my December weekends are already booked with folks taking advantage of the leafless season to see properties, right now I am free for most of January and February. And if you can only come when I am already scheduled with appointments, it may be possible for one of my knowledgeable, friendly teammates to show you the properties you are interested in. Just drop me a line and let me know exactly what you are looking for and your maximum budget, and I’ll try to find that perfect property for you. Once you decide which properties you’d like to see, I’ll make appointments and get an itinerary for your visit.
Come here, come now, come home!
• 4,000 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story - $549,900
New Tazewell, Claiborne County - Level and elevated home site magnifies the beautiful mountain views & offers lots of privacy. Unique, cedar shake look siding-maintenance free! Tongue and Groove Cathedral ceilings. Kitchen has abundance of custom Hickory cabinets, stainless appliances, 10 ft. snack bar. 5x3 Pantry, Living room has 30 feet of windows to take in the views. Master Bath with whirlpool and 8x5 separate tiled shower. Huge walk in closets in all bedrooms.
Property information
In our age of fast-moving technology, it seems unlikely that thousands of audience members would spend a weekend mesmerized by the voices of storytellers. But that is exactly what happens in Jonesborough TN every year during the frist weekend of October. The range of music, stories and comedy is unlike anything you will experience anywhere else. Tickets sell out. Motels and Bed and Breakfasts in Jonesborough are often booked a year in advance. Travelocity will help you find accomodations in Johnson City or Greenville, and there are a couple of campgrounds as well. Go to www.StoryTellingCenter.com for more information and a synopsis of the tellers that will be there over the weekend.
The original purpose of damming up the Clinch and Powell Rivers to form Norris Lake was for flood control and economic development (inexpensive hydroelectric power). Recreation on Norris Lake was something that came years and years later - starting with fishermen and hunters and later adding boating, vacationers and retirees.
The TN Valley Authority (TVA) lowers the lake levels every fall to prepare for spring snow melt and rains from up north. In the summer, full pool is 1020 feet above sea level. Generally, TVA will open Norris Dam and llower the lake to 995 ft above sea level - starting after Labor Day and reaching winter pool sometime in October or November. Around March, the water starts coming back up and we are in full pool sometime in April. This all depends a whole lot on how much winter and spring rain we get. Full pool can take longer to arrive or, in the case of the drought of 2007, we may never reach full pool. Sometimes winter pool is higher or lower than 995 ft.
So.... properties on the main channels of the lake will have year round water. Parts of the main channel are over 100 ft deep. But properties on shallow coves or in the back of coves may not have winter water. A lot depends upon just how deep the cove is. If water in the cove is 10 ft deep, it will lose water first in the fall and get it last in the spring and what you will have is a dry lakebed in the winter. If, however, the cove is 35 ft deep, there may be a small amount of water out there all year. It is a good idea to ask your Realtor if your lakeview or lakefront lot is seasonal or year round water if it is not on the main channel.
Many folks I talk to on a weekly basis purchased a lakeview lot a couple of years ago and are now ready to turn that lot over for profit. They are often very surprised to hear from me that a profit on a lakeview lot is not typical. If you purchase a lakeview lot in one of the newer communities, you are most likely purchasing a lot at a higher price than buyers in old communities paid for theirs. Once you add annual homeowner's fees, taxes, any interest you may be paying for a loan, and other costs associated with purchasing the property and realtor commission, in most cases your property is now priced 'way above market price.
There are two other factors involved here as well. All communities have lake and/or mountain view properties - the majority of the property in any given community is going to be view and not lakefront. Which means that, today, there are well over 400 view lots on the market. Contractors I have spoken to tell me that, when people purchase view property they should do so with the intention of building on them.
We have over 800 miles of shoreline, of which only around 20% can be developed. And most of what can be developed has been. This makes lakefront property very finite. I am not an investment counselor only a lowly Realtor, but in terms of investment lakefront makes more sense to me.
Homes with fabulous lakeviews have, in the past, done well - although this year's market has been a little strange.
Many of the calls and emails I get lately have to do with marketing people have received about great deals on properties in Emerald Bay. Primarily, folks want to know where this community is located and what the back story is.
Several years ago, Steve Jones developed Hickory Point (also seen spelled as Hickory Pointe) off route 170 in Maynardville TN. In my opinion (and opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one), he did a nice job of preparing the sites. Most are roomy, trees have been thinned but not clear cut and views are fabulous. There is a small marina with limited space, a beautiful clubhouse and a small outdoor pool.
Once most of Hickory Point sold, he moved latterly to the cove off the main channel (which is very steep) and built custom homes on steep slopes with a tram for water access. He called this Vista Shores. Each home comes with a covered boat dock and view lots (also pretty steep) have access to a small community dock (with tram access).
Once he finished with Vista Shores, he backed up towards Route 170 and developed Emerald Bay. Some lots are level, some have wonderful lake and mountain views, some lots have no views and some lots are extremely steep. The lot prices for Emerald Bay are far less than they were for Hickory Pointe. But the lots are much steeper.
It is my understanding that owners of property in Vista Shores or Emerald Bay may choose whether or not to have access to the amenities. If they choose not to, then they have no homeowners fees but that choice - either way - remains with the property if it is resold.
There are two sets of gates. The lower gates admit you to all of the properties. Near the top of the hill, another gate admits you to the Hickory Point and Vista Shores sections. Gates are closed and locked at sundown and opened at sunrise. Property owners have key cards and codes to get in during the times the gates are locked.
These communities are closer to Knoxville than just about any other community on Norris Lake - 15-20 minutes from North Knoxville (depending upon your route and driving speed!). And, unlike the majority of communities around the lake, this one is right off a main road and not the typical 15-20 minute drive from a main road. Because Hickory Point is one of the newer communities, lakeview and lakefront property prices are higher than in some of the older communities such as Norris Shores or Lone Mountain Shores.
Celebrations all over the lake! Many marinas are offering their own fireworks display. The residents of The Highlands community have an annual celebration that just gets bigger and better every year. Word has gotten out and boaters gather near the Union County Boat Dock to watch the display. Not as big as Knoxville's annual show that is coordinated with music, but pretty darn good for rural Norris Lake.
Hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday. We are truly fortunate in this country to be able to have the freedoms and opportunities that we do here. And the beauty of the lake just intensifies that feeling of gratitude and blessedness.
The Norris Lake Area continues to grow new services. CC Acres Horseback Riding Adventures is located in Sharps Chapel and offers hourly or overnight rides into the Chuck Swan Wildlife Area that can be coupled with kayak/canoe rides and/or campfire dinners. They also provide reasonably priced boarding of pets. Check them out at www.CCAcresTN.com
Hensley's IGA Grocery Store (long the only grocery store in Union County) has closed their doors. Rumors abound about a Weigels, Pilot, Walgreens and KFC. Everyone who knows seems to be playing their cards pretty close to their chest, but my money is on the KFC or Pilot. With 4 pharmacies (Rite-Aid, Food City, Okies and Discount Drug), a Walgreens doesn't seem like a good move.
Campbell County, despite the economic climate, continues to grow. Lowe's Home Improvement Center opened there last year and other stores and services have been moving in as well.
I love Norris Lake when it is at full pool - 1020 ft above sea level. We are on a deep year round cove and, in the winter, we can see a rocky shoreline as the lake recedes. I never realized how much I miss the lake lapping at the bottom of the lot's shoreline (I rarely go down to the lake in the winter) until it's there. It's like the first robin or forsythia in bloom or the first daffodils.....a promise that spring is here and summer just around the corner.
But this year, we have a special treat! The lake is at 1024 ft above sea level! The top of our concrete stairs down to the water is actually under water. The lake looks full and lush and FABULOUS! And after 40 days and 40 nights of rain 
(OK, maybe it was only 2 weeks or so....but it sure felt like it had been raining forever), everything is green and growing. Tomatoes that we put out as little 6 inch plants 2 weeks ago are 2-3 ft tall. The grass is almost too high to cut.
Properties that are on seasonal lakefronts look fantastic....in plenty of time for swimming and boating season. Right now, only the intrepid fishermen are out on boats - with an occasional sightseer when the clouds have lifted enough. But Memorial Day will bring the skiiers and swimmers and picnickers.
To find out what the level of the lake is for Norris, call the TN Valley Authority (TVA) at 800-238-2264. Press 1 for lake levels and 17 for Norris. Or listen to the prompts to find another lake. But, then, with Norris.....who would want another lake? 
Had some folks from the sunny shores of Florida up here last week on an 80 degree sunny day that interspersed itself between all the stormy days 
. They were here to see lots. I always recommend walking as much of a property as is possible.......the only real way sometimes to get the lay of the land.......and they had indicated that this was what they wanted to do. My suggestions for long pants, sturdy boots and possibly long sleeves was ignored as they showed up in flip flops and shorts.
Raw land often means blackberry and raspberry (mmmm...mmmm...good) briars (ouch) , thick underbrush, cedar saplings, wild roses (ouch, again) and such. Being that ticks and chiggers ALSO like brush a lot, an encounter with them is not a certainty but is a possibility (not to mention an occasional poison ivy or Virginia creeper plant) and prospective buyers should dress defensively.
We've heard talk for years about replacing the old green Veteran's Bridge connecting Maynardville with Sharps Chapel across Norris Lake, but each time it was suggested for the state budget, there was always something that the governor thought was more urgently needed. With the economic stimulus package available for TN, the replacement of the bridge is back in the budget and construction is supposed to start sometime in 2010. Not only will the bridge be replaced, but Route 33 will be straightened. 
The present approach to the bridge (whether you are going north or south on Route 33 matters not) has a curve going onto the bridge and a curve coming off of the bridge.
This challenge becomes really dangerous when a driver is going too fast or the roads are wet and slick. There have been many wrecks on the bridge over the years. And since this is the only way to cross Norris Lake, closing the bridge for several hours becomes more than just an inconvenience. The last time this happened, I was behind 2 school buses that were trying to get students back home in Sharps Chapel. They waited the 5 hours for the bridge to reopen with traffic and trucks backing up behind them. I scooted around through Grainger County to Claiborne County on back roads into Tazewell and then south to Sharps Chapel and managed to do that in only 3 hours. 
The two (good and bad news) are interchangeable. We've had so much rain here lately that it always seems damp, dark and gloomy. Even in the dismal fog, fishermen can be heard putt-puttering along the shoreline. We left the large oak tree where it fell years ago, half in and half out of the lake, and fisherfolk often congregate there hoping for a bite. (Thought about opening up a coffee stand down by the tree......but most fisherpersons are pretty well prepared and resilient and probably bring their own 
).
As of last week, East TN was still 1 inch below normal rainfall. But not today! We've had plenty of rain and there's more to come. Our first sunny day isn't predicted until Mother's Day Sunday. The lake, however, looks FABULOUS!! Today we are at 1020.23 ft above sea level and (as far as most of us lake dwellers are concerned) it can stay that way forever. Norris Lake looks full and lush and green and beautiful. All we need is for a little sunshine.
The farmers had no rain 2 years ago during the drought (when the lake was at winter levels most of the year) and not quite enough rain last yea (when we were at summer pool for only a short period of time). Crops had a hard time and some farmers lost much of what they were trying to grow. But right now they say it is too sloppy and wet to get their equipment out into the fields without tearing up the field or bogging down the equipment.
Good news. Bad news. Depends upon how you feel about the rain. 
I was mistaken about the Easter storms when I indicated that not much happened around the lake outside of lightning and a little thunder. Lightning apparently hit a home in Lone Mountain Shores, traveling down the chimney and starting a fire in the basement. While the family made it out alright, The gorgeous log home, however, was a total loss.
With a blue sky, bright sun and temps up in the mid 70's it was a terrific day to be on Norris Lake. Not that I actually got ON the lake...nope. I started the day by being productive....fertilizing the flower beds and pulling weeds. But the wind was blowing gently, the dogwoods and redbuds are in full bloom and the lake surface was like a mirror - reflecting the sky. I pretty much awarded myself the rest of the day off due to a really bad case of spring fever. Curled up in a chair on the porch from where I could supervise the lake properly and read a book. A few fisher people putted by in their bass boats, but not much else was happening on my part of the lake. Very relaxing.
Barn owls are out there hooting away this evening. And there is some sort of bird or animal that screeches and I can't identify it. Would love to know what it is. The tree frogs are peeping away...my favorite sound to go to sleep to.
The lake is only a few feet below full pool and so looks really full. Very little shoreline is showing and most of the seasonal lakefront lots now have water in front of them. We're still below normals for rainfall and we have our collective fingers crossed that we get more rain and the lake stays full all summer. While we have had quite a few cloudy and rainy days, it apparently has not been a good enough quality rain for our needs. Rain is predicted for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
The tornados that hit the middle of TN over Easter weekend pretty much missed Norris Lake - which was fine with us. I'm not sure how it works, but most of the severe storms that travel Tornado Alley seem to veer off to KY or peter out before they reach us. Parts of the lake reported rain. Parts reported hellacious thunder and lightning. But no tornadoes.
| An opportunity to purchase a professionally built covered 18x24 single slip boat dock in excellent shape is in Norris Lake at the Norris Shores community. Present owner is selling only because he now needs a larger dock. Asking price $12,000. Contact Newt at 865-278-2004 or 865-207-7462 or email him at dwine94709@aol.com Tell him you found this on the Norris Lake Resource Center! |