Blog – Page 10 – Knoxville Real Estate Agent & Author

Happy 4th of July! Knoxville and Etowah, TN

Fun with Lee and Chris and their wives. Dad is reading the Declaration of Independence at a gathering in Etowah. I hope to go go down there!

UPDATED: What kind of fun is a small town Independence Day celebration? Hundreds of people, all shapes and sizes, all walks of life – rich, poor – myriad ballcaps – grandmothers in their freshly coifed hair alongside teenagers in their pale goth make-up and knee-high combat boots. Truly a democratic scene! My father is one of a few elected to read the Declaration of Independence and other historic documents. Another reader is Mr. Frank Lowery, one of my favorite high school teachers. His style of teaching world history and geography have given me the fodder for thousands of conversions in the 20 years since I took his class.

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Make your own memories in Knoxville. Find your home at http://www.robsellsknoxville.com

Knoxville Nostalgia: The Return of Raven Records

This afternoon on the way back to the office from a lovely lunch at Dead-end Bbq, I finally took the opportunity to stop in at Raven Records. This was quite a treat for me because while the record shop provided a momentary step back in time for me personally as well as a reminder of so many neat things that I’ve enjoyed in my 20 year stay in The Scruffy City.

Arriving in 1991 as a freshman at UT, my pals Brian, Dave and I spent plenty of time strolling the Strip visiting various shops, buying baseball cards and deli sandwiches at the bottom, going to local and regional concerts in the middle and at the top, where the Walgreens and (I still call it…) Kinko’s still anchor the place, we would always visit Raven and Son of Raven. There was also the positively seedy Evil Eye Video where we would find the most obscure VHS tapes and comics.

A couple years ago I spotted a Raven sign in a friend’s garage and had a great talk with them about what I had missed in the local scene in the years before I arrived.

Today’s visit to Raven records, the smell of old cardboard, the stacks of vintage lunchboxes and Star Wars toys from my youth all stirred a metabolic nostalgia for a place that never existed, a blend of my hometown of 20 years ago and the place I’ve made my home since that time.

The music of Apelife, Opposable Thumbs, The Suns of Phere,Quartjar, and others sum it up, you should check em out! Thank God for Todd Steed and friends.

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Interested in making some memories in Knoxville? Come to www.robsellsknoxville.com

Genealogy: Finding My Own Knoxville History

My family is wonderful. I would do anything in my power for my parents, in-laws and myriad cousins, aunts, uncles and extended others. I grew up in Benton, TN down on the TN/GA border. My maternal grandfather actually preached at a church called TennGa Baptist.

As I was getting out of high school and feeling the call of college I was drawn here to Knoxville. The school was bigger than anything I had ever experienced and I felt destined to be there. One of my apartments when I was in school was on Forest Avenue, Grandforest, they are called, and I noticed my first hints of roots in Knoxville that I had known, but not KNOWN. My dad told me that as a kid he had lived on Grand, the next street up, in a tenement – an ancient house with holes in the roof “big enough for chickens and cats to go through.”

Later on, I bought a house on Glenwood avenue and again my dad had recollections of going to school at the little school on that street as well as going to the boys and girls club on Silver Place.

My father was a street urchin as a small child and was taken into the state orphanage program in the 1950s. He was adopted as a young teen by my grandparents and spent the rest of his formative years in a wonderful little farm, a place where I enjoy some of my earliest memories (see my previous post on Cicadas, that was in my grandparents’ backyard).

My experience in Knoxville has, for the most part, been as a person with some means and control of my environment. I can go to the East Tennessee historical society and see portraits of family members who made a mark on history (namely John Ross on my mother’s side) and my perception of Knoxville is completely different from my father’s. Though these days he has warmed up to the thoughts of Farragut. He didn’t go there very much as a kid.

He did have one story from Dixie Lee Junction. One Christmas a family took him from the boy’s home on Washington Pike and had him in their home for the day. He loved playing Cowboys and Indians with their son Paul.

(to be continued?)
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If you’re ready to set down some roots in Knoxville, come to http://www.robsellsknoxville.com and see all the homes on our local mls.

Bugs, the Children of Israel and my Grandmaw

Since I was a kid running around in my grandmother’s back yard with muddy shoes and a fertile imagination, I have had a fascination with those husks of the Cicadas that seems to grow on her scaly-bark oak trees. I remember when she showed me the bugs in their different forms and her telling me that they only come out of the ground every 13 years (I know different kinds have varying lifespans but growing up in the South the number 13 has mystical connotations). I naturally grew up with thoughts of evil and godlessness at the sight of the little porkrind-like bug sculptures residing on the random tree.

As a grown-up I still find myself judging things as good or bad based on what I learned at a kid. That shouldn’t be a surprise, I’ve found most of what my parents and grandparents told me have proven to be wise and correct and the other stuff wasn’t too far off. Like the rule: Respect and love everyone, but don’t expect that everyone will return the favor.

I still don’t like Cicadas. When I hear and see the short-term plague (I’m 38 years old), I remember the Bible stories that my mother told me about the plagues of locusts that the Lord sent down on the Egyptians. Heck, if a larger scale set of these guys and grasshoppers were thick as molasses around my house – I’d let His people go!

I have thought a lot about my grandmother, who passed away in 2000, during this current Cicada storm. For that I’m grateful. She was a funny little lady with stories that I have cherished and will until I get to pass them on down.

I just heard a funny song about Cicadas on YouTube. More fodder for the lore!

The next time you see a porkrind stuck to a tree I encourage you to thank God for your grandmothers! I know I will.

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If you’re home doesn’t have any trees and you want to move, visit me at www.robsellsknoxville.com – I just might know a place.

Meatfeat!

My pal Pete is a personal hero. I think it has to do with his crunch outer coating (he pretends to be a curmugeon in the mold of George Jefferson or Archie Bunker – either without the racism) but he is also a wunderkind with audio engineering and one of the most positive, up-lifting people you know – once ya know him.

A few years ago he mentioned that some of his really cool friends were doing their annual Meatfeat event on Memorial Day and I decided to tag along. Paula and Dave (the founders of the fest) are each warm and hilarious in their own rights. Paula and I keep up through the year VIA the omnibus Twitter feed, (I’m @knoxvillerob and she’s @overtlytrite) but I cherish the one time per year that I get to drive the two miles from my house to theirs and revel in the wit, variety and unbridled carnivorous fun that is Meatfeat.

In the kitchen there is a quorum of mothers fussing over the goodies and desserts then catching up from the last tome they met, outside a flock of children frolic in the yard wielding badminton rackets and supersoakers while over to the left Pete, Little Murphy and others held forth over the grills preparing the carnal guest of honor. I brought beverages and Moonpie ice cream.

Inside we all sat around quipping. Its great when I get to sit around with that many very clever people and quip about anything that comes to mind. We also oohed and ahhed over Chris and Maria’s new baby (dubbed Danger- not his real middle name).

I generally avoid topics of real estate, though this year I chatted a bit with Jim and Anna about stuff in North Knoxville. Other topics this year included LotR, Japanese cartoons, moonshine and Mel Brooks. I brought in a cd of Peter Holsapple from the that I found in my truck. It was an interesting juxtaposition of 90s jangle rock and the last few laps of Dave’s NASCAR race in Charlotte.

When the sun went down, all the kids bundled out the front door and went to see the neighbor’s “every-major-holiday” fireworks spectacle (the said he spent over $5k on those sparklers this year) followed by a blast from his (real) cannon.

They were watching High Anxiety – a Brooks classic, when I headed home happy, full of meat and thankful that I know them all.

I think Pete was scalding more weiners when I left at midnight.

Landlording, or how to be rich and poor at the same time.

I love being a landlord, though I hate to be called that. I prefer the guy who owns our house or preferably, my pal Rob who owns the house. Being a “landbuddy” is possible about 95% of the time with the houses I am responsible for the mortgages on, they aren’t the fanciest places, aren’t slums and I would happily live (and home in some) in any of them.

The other 5% of the time is when I get in a hurry and rent to someone who I know is going to be a challenge. I have rarely had to evict anyone – but the prospect always hovers on the horizon. Usually before that would happen we would have a long conversation that ends in a few different ways. Often it ends with the person taking another roommate who can help with the rent or an amicable parting of ways with a promise of repayment. But the trip to eviction court has happened… twice in eleven years. Neither time did I take a lawyer. If it ever happens in the future that will change.

I have made some wonderful friends over the years who were tenants, some used me later as their realtor and others I hear from on occasion on Facebook, or when they buy their “forever” home out of town or have a baby.

Being a landlord is like nothing else, but I guess you can say that about almost anything worth doing.

If you know anyone looking to rent I have homes in North and South Knoxville, one is available now (June 2011) others opening in July and August. You can see them at http://www.robrents.com

Dollywood: Yep, I went there…

My first memories of going to a theme park was a little place outside of Chattanooga named Lake Wenapesauka (or some such) it may still be there…I loved that place they had a Zoltan machine and like that one baby Tom Hanks consulted in “Big” and Dragon Quest (Dirk the Daring rocked) and that was just the ARCADE! My favorite ride was called the Black Hole, a big cylinder where you were spun around until you were glued to the wall when the bottom dropped out. I loved it, I think its the only ride where I threw up when I was a kid.

Yesterday, I experienced that same stomach-churning thrill on my first visit to Dollywood in several years. I remember being a kid and going to Silver Dollar City. It’s the same place, partially owned by the same people, but it’s personality is so influenced by Dolly Parton as to be a wonderful parody of theme parks. Instead of the looney tunes or a Disney cadre, heroes of 80s country music are the cartoon characters you expect to see. It’s been there more than 25 years, and it has created what we now know as Sevierville and Pigeon Forge.

My pal Lee and I had to try all the “non-wood” rollercoasters but the highlight for me, was a newer ride called The Barnstormer. A simple swing (supposedly) where ya strap in and go back and forth. Well for some reason this was the most thrilling thing I’ve experienced in my recent memory.

If I could have taken video of the experience I’m sure it would have to have had some explicatives deleted. I was “greenish” when I finished, according to Lee’s wife Kristi. A good green, indeed.

Then we ate. Hoo boy…

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If you’d like to live within a few easy miles from Dollywood, join me at http://www.robsellsknoxville.com

I told myself I was talented. Spirited Art & Painting with a Twist

I have gone to two “art” classes here in Knoxville. I’m happy with both paintings, but I still know nothing about it. The great instructors at both places, both gave wonderful instruction and eventually my parents adored both artworks….at least they said so.

Then I tried to do it on my own! To quote the comic strip Mensch…Hoo boy.

The places are both wonderfully supplied with talented instructors, Spirited Art is located in the Bearden area of West Knoxville – Painting with a Twist is off I-40 and Lovell Road, near Turkey Creek, in deep Knox county.

Being a cheapskate went to Spirited Art when they advertised on one of those social media advertisers (like groupon or living social) for half price. I think it game out to $35 for the session and a 16X24 original painting…by me. Similarly, Painting with a Twist advertised with my friend Kim Hansard on her radio program’s promotional event at Christmas called appropriately… Kim’s Favorite Things! There’s was a little more – $45 when I was paying half-price, but that was a much longer session featuring the photo you see me holding above…Go Vols! That’s SUPPOSED to be Neyland Stadium. Their sample version looked much more like the actual football venue, but I did say they don’t point it for ya.

My other painting was a seasonal painting for Christmas – hints of snow, Van Gogh, whimsical Christmas trees and Star Bursts…. neither Unicorns nor Glitter.

While some of you are probably thinking this is not a very manly or youthful think to do (pause to picture your dearly departed grandmother’s paint-by-number set from the Walmart Discount City in 1986), there were people in both classes aged between 18 and 60-something. There were definitely more gals at each class, but I wasn’t the only guy at either and we all scored date-points for something we all enjoyed.

If you’re at a loss for something fun to do one night check out both studios’ on-line calendar and class schedules. If one of their classes have a painting you’d like to personally copy with some proficient help, go go go!

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If your town has nothing to do, too much drama or just doesn’t fit any more, consider Moving to Knoxville. It’s fit me like a glove for 20+ years! http://www.robsellsknoxville.com

Farragut, Condos and Noodles…

I just set up a new website. I’ve owned the URL for a while, but I’m just now getting it set up the way I’d like. It called www.farragutcondo.com. I was blown away when I noticed that place on the web wasn’t already taken by some enterprising squatter, but I guess it’s a niche I’ve discovered! I’ve lived in Farragut and West Knoxville for a little over a year and a half. It’s a nice place – I went a couple days ago to the Concord Marina and just sat there watching the boats come back down the river as the sun was setting. It’s really breath-taking!

I have to admit, of all the stereotyped things in Farragut, Turkey Creek is slowly growing on me. It’s an odd and interesting thing to this small-town country boy to see a Super Target in the same strip mall as a Super WalMart. While I don’t go to either very often it’s still a spectacle. I drove around three times the other day looking for the place where I got my hair cut last time. I’m sure they moved within the greater Turkey Creek complex, but I’m still shaggy at the moment.

I still marvel at Kingston Pike too. The other day my dad told me that he used to take it from Polk County (highway 11) all the way to Johnson City in the 1960’s when he was attending East Tennessee State University. I still think of that story every time I drive past Watt Road into Dixie Lee Junction, for some reason.

There are tons of great restaurants around here and I like too many of them for my own good. And this week my wife introduced me to another new one (Noodles & Company) in Turkey Creek. You may have to ask her to help you find it again.

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Of course, if you want to find homes for sale in Farragut or anywhere else in the greater Knoxville area, come to www.robsellsknoxville.com!

Preserving Knoxville Area Historic Places: Knox Heritage

Anyone interested in local history should check out Knox Heritage at KnoxHeritage.com

Knox Heritage works to preserve structures and places with historic or cultural significance.

Established in 1974 as a non-profit educational corporation, Knox Heritage is chartered by the
state of Tennessee and governed by a board of directors representing all areas of our
community.

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Looking to make your own history in Knoxville? Come to www.robsellsknoxville.com