Posted: 7/27/2025 4:05:46 PM EDT
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Not a specific community, but if there are major differences between areas, that is relevant. Interested in Douglas, Cherokee, Norris, Dale Hollow, Watts Bar, and Tellico. I’ve never set foot in Tn, but I’ve been interested for years. Looking to retire in 5-10 years. I like all four seasons, but wouldn’t mind a shorter winter. 
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"anarcho-tyranny"—They refuse to control real criminals so They control the innocent.
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Yes, they are all very different and in different areas. Some of those lakes are closer to larger cities and some are not. The topography around each of these lakes is different. Access can be easy to difficult on all of these lakes.Even on each individual lake there are many different aspects, each of these lakes are in the thousands of surrounding acres. That many lakes and writing about their differences would take a lot of time and space. Some are wide and open, some are narrow and long, etc. Off the top of my head, Dale Hollow is a USACE lake and the rest are TVA lakes. Some get drawn down 20+ feet or more in the winter, some only about a few feet. Cherokee, Douglas and Norris are storage lakes that get drawn down a lot in the winter and can go up a lot in the winter. Tellico and Watts Bar are main TN river lakes that get drawn down around 5’ or so in the winter as they carry barge traffic requiring minimum channel depth. Etc. etc. All in all, your by far best bet is to come visit each and every one and see for yourself. A general rule of thumb is the closer to population centers the more expensive they get along with access, etc. |
| Corps of Engineers lakes don't allow homeowners to own the lakeshore. I'm not sure of others. If you want to own down and have your own waterside property look at homes on one of the many private lakes. |
I think one of the major problems with America today is not enough families sit down to a big plate of squirrels momma just fried up.
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The single biggest hurdle you will encounter in any of these lakes and areas around them is being able to get a septic system approved and installed. There are areas that just do not perk and are virtually unbuildable on. Make sure you get it in writing you can get it to perk and have a reasonably affordable system installed. ETA: Most of the smaller counties around these lakes do not have a Department of Health that oversees septic systems so then the State of TN takes it over. Not a real big deal but it does add to the time it takes to get the perk test, requirements, etc back from them. |
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Originally Posted By rebel_rifle: The single biggest hurdle you will encounter in any of these lakes and areas around them is being able to get a septic system approved and installed. There are areas that just do not perk and are virtually unbuildable on. Make sure you get it in writing you can get it to perk and have a reasonably affordable system installed. This /\ I'd just add to check the capacity of the septic the perk is approved at; it will limit the house you can build. Larry |
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Originally Posted By remarcablearms: Most of what have seen are controlled by HOAs and require HOA fees and all that goes with an HOA. For good reason, too. No one about to invest over a million dollars in one of these properties wants one horrible neighbor to ruin it for them. |
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Originally Posted By 2aCPA: For good reason, too. No one about to invest over a million dollars in one of these properties wants one horrible neighbor to ruin it for them. Not all lakefront properties are million dollar properties. Even with an HOA you are not guaranteed to have a good neighbor because lots of millionaires are horrible people. |
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Originally Posted By remarcablearms: Not all lakefront properties are million dollar properties. Even with an HOA you are not guaranteed to have a good neighbor because lots of millionaires are horrible people. 
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I think one of the major problems with America today is not enough families sit down to a big plate of squirrels momma just fried up.
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Originally Posted By remarcablearms: Not all lakefront properties are million dollar properties. Even with an HOA you are not guaranteed to have a good neighbor because lots of millionaires are horrible people. Correct. I’d rather have someone argue about my fence stain color or grass length then have someone park their 20 year old RV in the yard and a beater Suzuki restoration project that gets worked on for 20 minutes a year. There’s a reason most of these communities have HOAs, and the vast majority think they're a good thing for their property values. The people that have a bone to pick with them are the same people who likely don’t have any business living in one because they’ll drive down the values. As someone who has lived and invested in both. |
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HOA or not, this is why you HAVE to put boots on the ground anywhere you might be looking to buy/build. Pics by sellers and realtors are pretty much worthless especially when it comes to neighboring properties. Anything can be cropped out or not included in the overall view. |
| Absolutely follow the advice of boots on the ground, (my neighborhood is near Paris Landing Marina/Kentucky Lake). I think there is over 2000 miles of coastline on Kentucky Lake/Tennessee River but that coastline is what was once a hillside, now flooded for the dam, and areas with beach-type or sandy frontage is very rare, drops and hills are very common and TVA controls quite a bit. That said, it is a beautiful area, a great community and we love it. Outside of the Septic and Electric there were no other permits/signoffs needed to build anything where we are. You will need a copy of the survey plat to get your septic/perk test, I would be certain that the sellers had one prior to buying as they are not only expensive but you will wait several months to get it done. |
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Originally Posted By rebel_rifle: HOA or not, this is why you HAVE to put boots on the ground anywhere you might be looking to buy/build. Pics by sellers and realtors are pretty much worthless especially when it comes to neighboring properties. Anything can be cropped out or not included in the overall view. Yep. There's a parcel in my area that I occasionally check the listing on, since they've been trying to sell it for a while. They present it as riverfront property, but if you read through the description it has access to the water through an easement, with a private road and a row of houses (actual riverfront properties) between the parcel and the river. I don't think I've ever seen the real estate listings mention the treatment plant on the other side of a creek from the parcel that is for sale, or the quarry that is across the road from the treatment plant. No mention of it being an area that is prone to partial flooding in the spring or that it was completely submerged during the 2010 flood (good luck getting a permit to build anything on it), either. |
Earthsheltered house - a reinforced bunker that even the treehuggers consider to be socially acceptable.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
Earthbag house - like an earthsheltered house, but cheaper and easier to DIY.
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Have an acre lot on Douglas—trying to decide on what to build. We had it perked, need to decide where we’re going to place the house, and also sink a well. Douglas Lake sits between Sevier County and Jefferson County. Prices vary quite a bit—the taxes do, as well. One other item: If you want to put a dock out, you’ll need an approval from TWRA ($500 application fee). We’re in the county, with no HOA. The paved road stops about 1/2 mile before our lot. I might be in the market to sell mine if you’re interested… |
Wild Man of East TN
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Originally Posted By 19Charlie278: Have an acre lot on Douglas—trying to decide on what to build. We had it perked, need to decide where we’re going to place the house, and also sink a well. Douglas Lake sits between Sevier County and Jefferson County. Prices vary quite a bit—the taxes do, as well. One other item: If you want to put a dock out, you’ll need an approval from TWRA ($500 application fee). We’re in the county, with no HOA. The paved road stops about 1/2 mile before our lot. I might be in the market to sell mine if you’re interested… That sounds great, but I’m not even close to buying anything right now. Thank you, though. |
"anarcho-tyranny"—They refuse to control real criminals so They control the innocent.
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Originally Posted By ADKRebel: That sounds great, but I’m not even close to buying anything right now. Thank you, though. Originally Posted By ADKRebel: Originally Posted By 19Charlie278: Have an acre lot on Douglas—trying to decide on what to build. We had it perked, need to decide where we’re going to place the house, and also sink a well. Douglas Lake sits between Sevier County and Jefferson County. Prices vary quite a bit—the taxes do, as well. One other item: If you want to put a dock out, you’ll need an approval from TWRA ($500 application fee). We’re in the county, with no HOA. The paved road stops about 1/2 mile before our lot. I might be in the market to sell mine if you’re interested… That sounds great, but I’m not even close to buying anything right now. Thank you, though. Right now, even though it’s cooling a bit, real estate is still pretty hot. Waiting until the market softens a bit is a good idea IMHO. |
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OP while this news story is on Alabama it is a cautionary tale of any private lake subdivision. Definitely ask about maintenance and management of the lake. https://abc3340.com/news/local/st-clair-county-lake-community-faces-ecological-disaster-seeks-recovery-aid |
I think one of the major problems with America today is not enough families sit down to a big plate of squirrels momma just fried up.