I am so excited! It’s that time of year when the Smoky Mountains show off that famous “Blue Smoke.”
Many of you are of Cherokee descent like me and it just seems right! The Cherokee called it “Land of the Blue Smoke.” Shaconage was their word for it. You pronounce it “Sha-Kon-O-Hey
”! Sounds so good, right?
When thinking about the best real estate investment ever, think about purchasing a cabin with a view of the Blue Smoke. The fact that it changes all day with the weather is superb. Sometimes it disappears and then an hour later, mountains upon mountains appear like from nowhere. It’s part of the joy that visitors have when they come. It is equivalent to buying beachfront property. Of course, you may have to “wait” for the property to come along and sometimes there is a compromise on the fact the drive is a little “crazy”— but weigh it out. The drive can’t be too crazy. Maybe you should load up your grandmother and your two year old and see if any one throws up breakfast. If so, no matter how amazing the view you need to pass. But if you can put it on your list of top wants in a property that would be good.
Just as a side note, where does all that blue smoke come from? Volatile organic compounds, or VOC, is fog from vegetation. The plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. The VOC’s refract light that results in gorgeous bluish tint. They have a high vapor pressure, which means they can form vapors at room temperature. Millions of trees, bushes, and other plants create a concert of VOC’s and we have Shaconage. This is also shared with the Blue Ridge Mountain range. As I was born on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Galax, Virginia, perhaps it is in my blood. Some of you might know that Galax is an awesome mountain bush but also home of the Fiddler Festival known nationwide for great Bluegrass.
But back to great investments. So what is a view worth in dollars and cents? An appraiser will often not give value for a “view,” but in reality a lot without a mountain view might be worth $40,000. The same size lot on the top of that resort will be sold for $90,000. And rental revenue from a cabin with no view will be $70,000 a year on a typical well outfitted 3-bedroom with a view. Add another $15,000 or more of gross revenue a year. It makes me love Shaconage even more!
However, do not despair if you cannot find the mountain top view of Blue Smoke. I have several alternatives for you that will get you very close to if not on the mountain top itself. I can help you find a cabin on a water amenity, such as a creek or waterfall, or perhaps a place on a small mountain with a lake of its own! Find a cabin with a pristine private view where your guests feel like they are Adam in Eve in the garden of Eden before they had kids! When you find the private setting, place a fire pit or a garden to meditate in, or a walking path to go exploring. And last of all stack your cabin with fantastic amenities such as giant screens with a home theater, crazy arcade games, driving games, shooting games, putt- putt courses, sauna’s, and gourmet kitchens to make our local chefs envious.
