SOLD
4 Acres surrounded
by Firescald Creek
(Like a Natural moat
around your property)

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SOLD  - Ever wanted to camp or build your cabin on top of a small hill, surrounded by a moat?  Ever wanted privacy and seclusion, within a three minute drive (1.5 miles) of the grocery, gas station, post office, health clinic and city hall?  This may be your dream come true!  Four Acres of wooded hillside (not in a subdivision, not with close neighbors next to you), with a great flat rock top, surrounded on three sides (approximately 270 degrees, about 1600 feet of creek frontage) by Firescald Creek.  The city of Altamont owns the parcel directly in front of this parcel,  designated as a city park, but doesn't appear to be used.  However, there is a street light on the city property that lights up the Firescald Creek Stone Arch Bridge (look it up on Google Maps) leading from the city park and this property.  First, I have listed some short video clips to give you a feel for the property.  Then, I've given you some photos of the parcel and some screen shots to give you more technical info on the parcel.  Then, I've listed out everything I know about the property, and provided details on how you can purchase this parcel today.  Just a 3 minute drive from the market, post office and pharmacy, here lies 4 secluded acres in the country.  This four-minute video tour approaches from Northcutts Cove Road, turning into and parking on City land, and views the wooded parcel from across the creek, and ends on the Firescald Creek Stone Arch Bridge.
This 4 acre parcel is an irregular shape.  The Western boundary faces Northcutts Cove Road, and the county map (shown further down on this page) shows about 130 feet of frontage to the road.   There is neighbor to the South, but you have to go through a stand of woods to see his house.  There is not currently a road or path leading up to the crest of the hill, which is the center of the property.  However, you can walk from the city park, across the "Firescald Creek Stone Arch Bridge" (which is the name I found on Google Maps),  and turn left, and through the brush and woods, you can access the parcel.  The rest of the Western, Northern and Southern property boundaries pretty much follow the Firescald Creek, a total of about 1,600 of creek frontage. Here are some photographs of the parcel's road frontage, park in front of the parcel, the bridge and the creek between the city park and the parcel.​  Some  of the photos are taken in the winter time, and others just as spring has started.  Hover your mouse over the photos for captions.  Or, click on the first photo to enlarge, and use the arrows on the sides of the photo to move through the photos.
Here are some photographs my wife and I took as we made our way through the trees and brush to the center of the parcel, on a small mound.  Note, from the center of the mound, I could not see the park, nor any of the creek, and anything other than trees and brush.   Hover your mouse over the photos for captions.  Or, click on the first photo to enlarge, and use the arrows on the sides of the photo to move through the photos.
Here is a screen shot I took with my iPhone near the top.  The altitude is about 1771 feet above sea level.  It also shows that I have pretty good cell phone and data signal with Verizon.  A couple of Google Earth photos with terrain chart shows fairly gentle slopes from creek up to top of property.​  Hover your mouse over the photos for captions.  Or, click on the first photo to enlarge, and use the arrows on the sides of the photo to move through the photos.
Here are some screen shots that show property lines and other information.  Hover your mouse over the photos for captions.   Because these screen shots are irregular size, you can see them much better using the slide show feature, by single clicking on the first photo.  Then use the arrows on the sides of the photo to move through the photos
​Here's the location on Google Maps.  Input the coordinates for the park in front of the parcel:  35.446549. -85.729330
​Here's a FEMA Flood Map (from the Grundy County GIS Maps) showing no substantial flood prone zones in the area.  Also,  some estimated dimensions calculated from the Grundy County GIS map system.  Input the coordinates for the park in front of the parcel:  35.446549. -85.729330
PRICE: $12,000

ACRES:  4.0 Acres - Irregular (approx)

NEAREST CITY:   Within the City Limits of Altamont, TN

COUNTY: Grundy County

STATE: Tennessee

ZIP CODE: 37301

ASSESSORS PARCEL NUMBER (APN):  028-011.01

NEAREST SCHOOLS:
North Elementary School  PK - 8
Grundy County High School 9 - 12

ABOUT THE PROPERTY:
In searching though hundreds of properties in Grundy County, I only found one parcel that I wanted to buy, and it was this one.  This is a gem that hasn't been outside the family for about a century.  This parcel had been owned by the Chaffin family since 1917.  Living in the Nashville area, for years they planned on building on this parcel, but never got around to it.  The deed shows the parcel is 13 acres, but that appears to be some mathematical calculation error from a hundred years ago.  The Grundy County GIS maps show this parcel to be 4 acres.  We asked the Altamont mayor (informally) about gaining access to the parcel across the city park (in front of our parcel).  She said that wouldn't be a problem, but suggested talking to the neighbor to the South.  She said they would likely permit access along the common property line, and wouldn't require going over the bridge to access the parcel.  Others I've talked to said they didn't want a road, and would prefer blazing a small trail and simply walking in to the parcel, which should only take a few minutes walk.  So we have not pursued this issue any further.  We were told by the mayor that there is a law in Tennessee that prohibits any land owner from denying access to someones parcel, so there are a few options here, but that is left for you (the buyer) to work out for yourself.

REGIONAL ATTRIBUTES:
Altamont, home to about 400 households, is situated atop the southern Cumberland Plateau.  It is the county seat of Grundy County, Tennessee.  Most of the county offices (including the county recorder, assessor, library, health department, election office, sheriff's department, etc) are services are located in Altamont.  Altamont is surrounded by hills on all sides. Highways connect Altamont to Beersheba Springs and McMinnville (North on SR 56), Coalmont, Tracy City and Monteagle (South on SR 56). Viola and McMinnville and Whitwell  (SR 108), and Pelham and US 24 to the Southwest on SR 50).

Ir appears that the road our parcel sits on was named for Adrian Northcut, a prominent local farmer and military officer, was the prime advocate for the site's selection.

DISTANCE TO:
Nearest Walmart: 24 miles   Walmart Supercenter
Nearest Post Office: 1.6 miles    Altamont Post Office
Nearest Grocery Store: 21.1 miles   Hillsboro Food Store
Nearest Medical Clinic: 1.6  miles    Grundy County Health Services
Nearest Fast Food Restaurant:  23 miles   McDonalds, Sonic, Waffle House, Hardee's, etc.
Nearest Restaurant:   1.6  miles   Casa Portales Mexican Restaurant
Nearest Gas Station:  1.7 miles   Corner Market Gas and Convenience Store
Nearest Golf Course: 28.1 miles   The Course at Sewanee
Nearest Medium Size Town: 23 miles    Monteagle
Nearest Major Metro Area: 51 miles to Chattanooga,  57 miles to Murfreesboro,  89 miles to Nashville

IDEAL USAGE:
For some, this is a great place to build a grand custom house, close to conveniences, but quite and secluded.  For some, this would be the ideal cabin to escape to for vacation and quiet weekends.  Preppers might consider this a great get-away, just 90 miles from Nashville, but close to conveniences, and surrounded by a creek.  No possibility of a close neighbor.  And others would consider this their own private campground, where they can do what they want in seclusion, without concern of  intrusion.  Or maybe, just a great investment, or something of lasting value to pass on to family.

BACK STORY:   In searching though hundreds of properties, I stumbled across this parcel which had been owned by the Chaffin family since 1917.  Living in the Nashville area, for years they planned on building on this parcel, but never got around to it.  The deed shows the parcel is 13 acres, but that appears to be some mathematical calculation error from a hundred years ago.  The Grundy County GIS maps show this parcel to be 4 acres.  We asked the Altamont mayor (informally) about gaining access to the parcel across the city park (in front of our parcel).  She said that wouldn't be a problem, but suggested talking to the neighbor to the South.  She said they would likely permit access along the common property line, and wouldn't require going over the bridge to access the parcel.  Others I've talked to said they didn't want a road, and would prefer blazing a small trail and simply walking in to the parcel, which should only take a few minutes walk.  So we have not pursued this issue any further.  We were told by the mayor that there is a law in Tennessee that prohibits any land owner from denying access to someones parcel, so there are a few options here, but that is left for you (the buyer) to work out for yourself.


ABOUT US:
     My wife (Shirley Stewart) and I have been married for over 40 years, and live in Chattanooga, Tennessee most of the time.  We've lived in the same house (211 Greenleaf Street, Red Bank, TN) for more than a decade, and our kids and grand kids live with a mile of our home. We are both licensed insurance claims adjusters, and we are occasionally called on short notice to work out of town, often to the Gulf Coast or the Mid-Western states to respond to flooding, hurricane, hail or tornado damage.  When called, we may be out of town from a few weeks, or a few months.  For this reason, we use a mail forwarding service in Sanford, North Carolina.  Whether we are away or at home, when they receive our mail, they open it up and scan it.  Then they send us the mail as an attachment by email.  This way, we can keep current with our mail where ever we are.
     My wife and I have worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years.  In the last five years, we have been slowly building up our IRA account by buying and selling real estate.  I look for under-priced vacant land and when I can get it for the right price, I buy it, and turn around and sell if for less than comparable properties on the market.  That's how I got this parcel, and that's why you have the opportunity to buy it for such a great price.

GPS COORDINATES FOR YOUR SMART PHONE: 
Input the coordinates for the park in front of the parcel:  35.446549. -85.729330

HOW TO FIND IT:
From Downtown Altamont, drive North on Highway 56 (Main Street) approximately half a mile.  Turn left on Northcutt Cove Road.  About one mile, on the right, you will see dirt/gravel driveway leading onto this old Altamont City Park (no signage, but there is an old broken concrete bench and a utility pole with a street light near the Bridge.  Park there, and view the parcel North and East from the park.  Walk South to the Firescald Creek Stone Arch Bridge.  Several yards after the bridge, turn left and make your way through the brush. (Beware of the thorns - having a machete to cut these would be useful, but my wife and I made it through with minimal damage.)  One of the photos above shows the approximate path we took in red.
GPS Coordinates of the road leading into the city park in front of the parcel:  35.446549. -85.729330
GPS Coordinates of the Stone Arch Bridgel:  35.446780. -85.729370


WEBSITES FOR MORE INFO: 
https://secure.tennesseetrustee.org/search.php

PROPERTY ATTRIBUTES:

ELEVATION (feet): 1,800 Above Sea Level at the center of the property (approx)

SLOPE:  Gentle slope up the crest of the hill, but rather steep from there down to the creek, approx. 15-20 drop in elevation over about 20 yards. (my guess)

ZONING: Vacant  (From a phone call to city hall, you can pretty much build what you want, and there's not much regulation - but you should confirm this for yourself.)

TERRAIN: Wooded gentle hill surrounded on three sides by gentle creek.

POWER: Utility Pole at the road - Electrical Power is provided by Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative


PHONE: Mobile/Satellite/Alternative   (Good Verizon Signal for LTE Phone and Data)

WATER: Per a phone call, Big Creek Utility District says they have water there, all the way up to Besstown Road.


SEWER: Septic or Alternate System

ACCESS: County maintained paved road

TIME TO BUILD: No Limit

TITLE INFO: Clear Title

TITLE INSURANCE:   We purchased Title Insurance when we bought this parcel to make sure there were no known liens or encumbrances.

PROPERTY TAXES:  Previous property taxes for 2018 were $59.00
Owed :  None - Property Taxes are Paid Up to Date
Website to Confirm Tax Status:  https://secure.tennesseetrustee.org/search.php

CASH SALE:  We are selling this property for cash.  Sometimes we are approached with a request to sell it on terms, but would tie up my funds and keep me from being able to shop for the next parcel.  For that reason, we only sell for cash. 


There is a very popular funding option called LightStream.  They are a division of SunTrust Bank, and they may finance your purchase at very competitive rates (commonly 5-10% APR) for 2-12 years, and they commonly provide financing within 24-48 hours, and sometimes on the same day.  So if you want to finance the purchase, consider checking them out at www.lightstream.com

TITLE COMPANY CLOSE:  
A good title/escrow service does most the work required for a clean transfer of ownership.  At the bottom of this web page, you will find a simple and straight-forward form:  The "Standard Vacant Land Purchase and Sale Agreement".  Simply print out this form, fill in the blanks, and sign it.  Then take a photo of the form and send it, either as an attachment to email, addressed to us (LarrySellsLand@gmail.com) or as a text to my personal cell phone number  (423) 596-3196.

When Seller receives signed Purchase and Sale Agreement, Seller will ask Buyer to make a $300 non-refundable earnest-money deposit (which will apply towards the purchase price.)  Deposit can be paid in one of two ways. 
  • At Buyer request, Seller will send a PayPal invoice to the Buyer in the amount of $300.00, or
  • Buyer may elect to send $300.00 payment through Facebook Marketplace. 
​PayPal allows the Buyer to use a credit card, debit card, or bank account.  Facebook Marketplace only accepts debit card to send or receive payments.   Either method will allow the Buyer to make the deposit.  As the Seller, I ask that you do not make a payment via either method, until after I have received your paperwork.  There is always the possibility that I may receive two sets of paperwork and I prefer not to have two people send me funds for the same parcel.  If this were to happen, with Marketplace, I have to initiate the order to "Accept Payment", so I could accept one and decline the other, but I don't have that same option with PayPal, and I prefer not to have to accept and then send a refund.

 I will submit the signed agreement to an escrow company (also known as a title company), and ask them to handle the transaction.  They will abide by the purchase agreement, and at your instruction, will do the research necessary to provide you with a Warranty Deed of ownership, and the title insurance policy (if you chose to purchase one).  In the end, they record your deed at the county recorder, and you'll have the title insurance policy.  Many of my customers do not live in the county where the parcel is, and the escrow company will take care of emailing the closing documents to you.  You'll need to be able to print out a few documents, sign them, and then return them to the escrow service (usually by fax or email, but can also be mailed in an envelope).

The only other cost you will incur besides the $299 Flat Fee and the Purchase Price of the parcel, will be the "Title Insurance Policy" premium.  In most cases, the title insurance premium is about $150 -250.  This is an optional purchase for you, but if you are planning to take out a mortgage to secure a building loan on this parcel, your bank will certainly want title insurance.  If that's the case, I highly recommend you purchase title insurance at this time.  

Please note -- The $299 doc fee is considered non-refundable, so if you change your mind, or fail to complete the sale within 30 days, the sale is terminated, and the fee will be retained.  Please don't act on this purchase until you are ready to commit to the purchase. 

DUE DILIGENCE: 
As with any sizable purchase, you should do your due diligence before purchasing this, or any real estate.  We have provided all the information we know about the property, and have relied on websites for most of our information.  Although the information is deemed reliable, you should do your own research, and talk to the title company when they get the preliminary report completed (usually about 10 days). 
​
WHY IS THE PARCEL PRICED SO COMPETITIVELY?
We have presented all the known information we have about this parcel, and we believe it to be a great value, but you must decide what is right for yourself.  We do not develop nor improve property.  We don't build, subdivide, conduct perk tests, apply by building permits, research zoning restrictions, etc.  What we do know, we have disclosed here.  If it's not listed here, we don't know it.  Please don't call us to ask questions for which the information is already listed here.   However, AFTER YOU HAVE READ EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE, if you need to clarify something, or have process related questions (e.g. can I buy this as a gift, do you take goats in trade, etc.) then please, give us a call.  (By the way, we don't take goats in trade.)

MORE INFO:
If you find any information on this web page to be incorrect, please let me know so I can make a correction ASAP.  After you have read ALL the information on this page (which means you know everything I know about the property), feel free to call me if you have any additional questions or need to clarify anything.  My name is Larry Stewart and my personal cell phone number is (423) 596-3196
Picture

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and associated with ​other joint-venture investment entities. 
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