Lakefront what should I know?

Dethmachinefab said:
The lake levels become an issue for dock use, and where the actual high water line is. Will half the lot be submerged when tva decides?

I do remember looking at one and the levels varied 30'.
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ah, well my experience here is that the dock does go at the high water mark but that mark, again because damn controlled, is pretty clear.

I have boated on 4 lakes here in TN and all the docks I have seen did not seem weirdly placed or anything. However, all that is TVA controlled and the sellers of the land really have no say on that.
 
crispins said:
ah, well my experience here is that the dock does go at the high water mark but that mark, again because damn controlled, is pretty clear.

I have boated on 4 lakes here in TN and all the docks I have seen did not seem weirdly placed or anything. However, all that is TVA controlled and the sellers of the land really have no control of that.
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What im getting at is just pay attention to that mark and not what the pics or subdivision plan show, because thats really the edge of the lot. Makes it tough in some places to keep a boat tied up.

Not saying anything is wrong with these lots, sometimes plans change and its easier to just dump them. Builder goes under, guy dies and trust sells, timber sold off and now chopping the tract up for an easier sell.
 
Dethmachinefab said:
What im getting at is just pay attention to that mark and not what the pics or subdivision plan show, because thats really the edge of the lot. Makes it tough in some places to keep a boat tied up.

Not saying anything is wrong with these lots, sometimes plans change and its easier to just dump them. Builder goes under, guy dies and trust sells, timber sold off and now chopping the tract up for an easier sell.
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This seems to just be a developer play.

They bought the land, subdivided it out, put the roads and utilities in.

It is just a neighborhood, I am not sure why they are doing it this way but I would guess it is to recoup their money and move on to the next project.

Right around the corner from this neighborhood is another and it is the same as this one except for it has a deeded community dock. That neighborhood is also gated which I like but also cant stand. That lot is selling for $99k

If I cannot get a better lot for the same price with a private dock then I am not interested.
 
Does the dam generate power? When,or if, they do,does it drop the water level?
I know the lake where I grew up, when they opened it up,sirens would go off.
 
Tagjeep said:
Does the dam generate power? When,or if, they do,does it drop the water level?
I know the lake where I grew up, when they opened it up,sirens would go off.
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The dam is miles away from the lot so there will be no noise from it.

When they are producing power, which they do pretty much all day and night, the level does not drop, it is a big reservoir.

They drop the water in the winter only, I do not know why.

Here are some stats on the lake:



Cherokee Lake is a sprawling Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) reservoir encompassing about 28,780 surface acres and nearly 400 miles of winding shoreline. Stretching over 35 miles long, the lake serves as a major destination for boating, fishing, and outdoor recreation in East Tennessee. [1, 2, 3]

Lake Statistics & Dimensions
  • Surface Area: 28,780 to 30,300 acres depending on the seasonal water levels.
  • Shoreline: ~393 to 400 miles.
  • Length: Over 35 miles from the Cherokee Dam near Jefferson City to the upper ends near Rogersville.
  • Maximum Depth: 175 feet.
  • Water Capacity: Holds roughly 749,400 acre-feet of water. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]


Key Features & Recreation
  • Location: Situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, spanning across Grainger, Jefferson, Hawkins, and Hamblen counties.
  • Fishing: Known as one of East Tennessee's top fishing destinations, supporting large populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, and striped bass.
 
Looking at LandGlide I cannot see the empty waterfront lots. Unless it’s the big lot at the end.
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You definitely want to be on the right side vs the left. The left side doesn’t own out to the water.
 
I have immediate family that owns several waterfront homes
There ain't no way that I would want to ever own one just on the .gov Interference alone

and the waterfront novality will eventually wear off like owning a hottub or swimming pool
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
I have immediate family that owns several waterfront homes
There ain't no way that I would want to ever own one just on the .gov Interference alone

and the waterfront novality will eventually wear off like owning a hottub or swimming pool
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What happens up here is you get old and get sick of paying the high taxes a waterfront home commands. My kids love the water so that’s where we spend all summer. Tomorrow will be the first warm weekend of the year and we’ll be putting the docks and lifts in. Hopefully we’ll get a boat and some jet skis out to use as well.
 
How much are your spending? Depending on your budget you could get saltwater waterfront up here, maybe even low bank if you're balling.
 
You might look at what might impact water level.

My aunt/uncle had a lake front property. Constant issue with hurricanes pushing the water level close to the house. I believe one year it got to the house. I'm not sure what house elevation vs lake level but I recall the water coming half way up their lawn during a winter visit(~100 feet from porch to dock and water was 50' from house) Not sure if hurricane is issue where you are looking but weather events and water level might be worth investigating.

SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
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and the waterfront novality will eventually wear off like owning a hottub or swimming pool
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This guy gets it.

My parents' had a beach front in Morro Bay(~500 from water, big bay windows to view the ocean) About once a year, I'd go for a week. After first day, it got "old".

I had a creek front property(20' from front door :eek: ) Creek was year round but when not summer, it was loud and hard to carry on a conversation:frown: I thought it was cool when I bought the house.

OTOH, I'm not a water sports kind of guy; either version:flipoff2::lmao: My current house is 200' to 250' away from a year round creek and it is enjoyable sitting outside the house(ie electronics) to enjoy burble of creek with the "mountain" breeze/tree noise.
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
What happens up here is you get old and get sick of paying the high taxes a waterfront home commands. My kids love the water so that’s where we spend all summer. Tomorrow will be the first warm weekend of the year and we’ll be putting the docks and lifts in. Hopefully we’ll get a boat and some jet skis out to use as well.
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oh, the taxes subject
taxes on one lot were the origional purchase price all over again
My grandma got to buy her property again every year
 
Dethmachinefab said:
What im getting at is just pay attention to that mark and not what the pics or subdivision plan show, because thats really the edge of the lot. Makes it tough in some places to keep a boat tied up.

Not saying anything is wrong with these lots, sometimes plans change and its easier to just dump them. Builder goes under, guy dies and trust sells, timber sold off and now chopping the tract up for an easier sell.
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Ok, so this is what you are talking about, right?

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I just do not see that being an issue, I actually think that setup is fine if I had to do that.

This is a lot for sale near the ones I am looking at
 
RusM said:
How much are your spending? Depending on your budget you could get saltwater waterfront up here, maybe even low bank if you're balling.
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Not sure what you are saying as I am a bit sober but I think you are saying if I had the budget I could get something on the ocean?

If that is what you are saying, well I am also buying a home down in Florida on the water(if my dreams continue) , I plan on spending my winters in florida and the rest of my time in tennessee. Snowbird is the life for me!
 
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crispins said:
Not sure what you are saying as I am a bit sober but I think you are saying if I had the budget I could get something on the ocean?

If that is what you are saying, well I am also buying a home down in Florida on the water(if my dreams continue) , I plan on spending my winters in florida and the rest of my time in tennessee. Snowbird is the life for me!
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Yeah, just like that. Except it would be colder in the summer, both water and air, than either of those places. Waters way cleaner and pretty much nothing wants to eat you though....
Your plan is probably better
 
crispins said:
yes and you and Poke ARE THE ONLY 2 PEOPLE i HAVE EVER MET THAT SEEM TO HAVE A WEIRD issue with that. Yes the lake drops in the winter. It is pretty cool as you then ride atvs in the shoreline of the lake which looks like a blast to me!
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Its the difference between building a dock or building a dry dock
 
Soooo much good info here on things to be aware of.

I grew up on a lake facing east. 21 years
We’ve now lived in this house on a lake facing west. 32 years. So my lake living experience has some tenure. For me, you want to face west. Sunsets and prevailing winds are far better.

Your forever home - as you get older you will want to be closer to lake level. 25 years ago we put in a natural stone walkway to the lake. Very “earthy” look. Now as we have gotten older those irregular stones are harder to navigate. We just bought a couple lakefront lots on Lake Michigan. When looking, several we looked at were on high bluffs. Beautiful views. But getting to and from the lake was super steep and hard to walk, even with stairs. We opted for a lake level view that is easy to access.
Lake living is an all-in thing. People tend to either love it or hate it with no in between.

Stay away from a HOA.

Oh and here’s a sunrise pic I just took.

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Oh
get used to people just thinking your place it their place

I can't count how many people we would catch just walking through the property thinking the driveway was their easement
and that was behind a gate
 
SomeGuyFromOlympia said:
Oh
get used to people just thinking your place it their place

I can't count how many people we would catch just walking through the property thinking the driveway was their easement
and that was behind a gate
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I was visiting my inlaws years back, sitting on their little 4x8 beach. The neighbors were sitting in a circle with their group no more than 8' away. On their property. Chunky guy, blazing through Bud Lights, and ripping farts every 90 seconds thumbing through his phone sitting right next to me.

It was weird because they were so close to our group, that we should have just all merged. But, that was their property and they were doing their own thing.

No thanks.
 
So here’s the thing about loving or hating and being close. We are on 50’ lots and we are in the middle of 8 couples who are empty nesters. It’s very common to have people walking back and forth, stopping to chat and chill. I would have no hesitation walking 3 doors over and sitting down to chat with my neighbor’s guests who I have never met. Nor would it bother me to have my neighbor just walk up and sit down. We all know each other’s kids and grandkids.
4th of July is a blast. Parties and fireworks with lots of people. My next door neighbor started a tradition of blasting patriotic music and a flag raising at the end of his dock at 10:00 am. Local vets raise the flag. Last year there were probably 100 people here for the ceremony. (Can’t get video to load)

I sponsor morning fires and coffee. Many times neighbors wander over still in their pj’s to have coffee and often share donuts & muffins.

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woods said:
I was visiting my inlaws years back, sitting on their little 4x8 beach. The neighbors were sitting in a circle with their group no more than 8' away. On their property. Chunky guy, blazing through Bud Lights, and ripping farts every 90 seconds thumbing through his phone sitting right next to me.

It was weird because they were so close to our group, that we should have just all merged. But, that was their property and they were doing their own thing.

No thanks.
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fortunately, the lots here are a bit bigger than that. My Granfparents were the mindset that if they wanted to contol what was happening, they needed to own it. They owned three in a row, fence all the way around, still have entitled pricks waltzong through

your story was mainly why I never sat on my deck at my first house, always someone tight there :laughing:

currently all the houses at the bottom of my road are lots that are 50' wide and three miles long....buy they all have that water access.
 
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